Top Fuel Dragster
Top Fuel Dragster
(OP)
Hi,
I recently discovered the world of drag racing and wondered why top fuel dragsters dont combine their nitromethane with nitrous? I understand that nitromethane is already a combination of methane ~ CH4 and nitrous ~ N2O that is a liquid ~ CH3NO2, but beleive it would still burn in nitous atmosphere, Am I correct?. Is it because nitromethane already develops a high enough power density no need for more? at limit of engine compents? or are these chemicals a bad combo for some reason?
I recently discovered the world of drag racing and wondered why top fuel dragsters dont combine their nitromethane with nitrous? I understand that nitromethane is already a combination of methane ~ CH4 and nitrous ~ N2O that is a liquid ~ CH3NO2, but beleive it would still burn in nitous atmosphere, Am I correct?. Is it because nitromethane already develops a high enough power density no need for more? at limit of engine compents? or are these chemicals a bad combo for some reason?





RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
No fire equals no power
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
There appear to be two limiting factors:
- Operating virtually all moving engine parts at the extreme left end of the S-N curve. They appear to have the nitro dialed in well enough that any more would cause the engine to blow up before the car reaches the first timing light, and any less would cause the car to lose the round. There's still a high probability of destroying at least one part during a run, so teardowns every quarter mile are standard practice.
- Coupling the engine torque to the pavement. Absent computer controls (prohibited by the rules), the guy who tunes the clutch is probably the single most critical crew member ... aside from the one who rustles up the money.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Top Fuel engines are on the verge of hydraulic every compresssion stroke such is the huge quantity of fuel injected. Not unususal is for the car to wheel spin part way down the track, engine unloads, and cools enough that the fuel does not vapourise properly, leading to a hydraulic condition.
This is easily seen as a huge ball of flames as it happens, the Conrods make a hasty exit out the side of the block.
Ken
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Nitro doesn't evaporate on the comp. stroke or any other one. Evap. takes time, and there is just about none at 9,000 RPM.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Nitro certainly can be too rich-there is no "vicious circle" involved.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Pour some in a dish and leave it. It will evaporate.
Some, not all evaporates on the compression stroke. The higher the temperature, the more it will evaporate.
The higher the level of vapour, the easier it is to light.
Nitro methane burns slow, compared to petrol or methanol because it takes time to evaporate and burn during the power stroke. That is why nitromethane does not work well at very high rpm
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Yes, the rate of the flame front IS slower-that's why fuel engines use so much spark lead. But 9,000+ RPM from 7+ liter 8 cyl. engines and 30,000+ from nitro-burning model engines is plenty fast.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Watch the pits too, the nitro in some cases adds up to 30% volume to the oil sump during a single run, due to washdown.
One of the biggest problems with a TF dragster is running lean, not rich.
Franz
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
One of the biggest problems with a TF dragster is running lean, not rich.
Franz"
All that nitro in the oil is what makes holed pistons so dangerous--like having napalm in your face.
Nitro plus 70 wt. Kendal=pea soup green!
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
The original question was why not run nitro and nitrous combo. One reason is that it gets so cold, it then stays to wet to ignite, even with the arc welder strength ignition systems used in top fuel.
Another possible problem is that a high load of nitro gets very close to hydraulic lock. Adding nitrous, then extra fuel to balance the nitrous will exacerbate the hydraulic lock problem
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
I dont think the current top fuel engines use a cooling system anymore. Solid billet engines.
Ken
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
This past year had many examples of fast guys going slow due to smoking tires 100 ft out of the box.
Could you add nitrous? Yes. Is it needed? No. Even if someone chose to do it -the touchy nature of nitro ( not enough = burn metal.....too much = lose power and chance hydraulicing the if the flame goes out. If it's lean, add nitro....then find out for some reason it's even leaner! Tough to tune. Add in Nitrous and all that knowledge goes out the window.
Fuelers are limited to 3.20 gear and 8400 rpm mandated by a spec ignition system from MSD. 85% nitro max (except at Colorado - mile high - unlimited nitro percentage and unlimited blower overdrive) and limited blower over drive. I can't see NHRA allowing it anyway.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Look at old movies of fuelers and funnies as they stage. The fronts are running rich to try to compensate.
The "on top vs port split" got pretty important.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Are you saying that there is significant down force from the exhaust gases? I doubt that it would be anywhere near 2,000 lbs.
Jonathan T. Schmidt
http://www.schmidtmotorworks.com
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
If you would know the exhaust pressure and the amount of fuel and air that is being consumed per second you could estimate it:
Downforce = Mass (of air and fuel)* Velocity / t (Impulse)
(Pressure = Density * Velocity^2/2)
Although pressure is probably so high that Bernoulli's law is not appropriate anymore. (Well, it certainly sounds like someone firing guns (=supersonic speed)).
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS INFO
One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at Daytona. Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747, but with 4times the energy volume.
The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition.
Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitro methane measures 7050 degrees F.
Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of exhaust valves at1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting off it's fuel flow.
If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the pistons.
To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch acceleration is closer to 8G's.
If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.
Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence. * Top Fuel Engines ONLY turn 540 revolutions from light to light!
The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm.
To give you an idea of this acceleration, the current TF dragster elapsed time record is 4.477 seconds for the quarter mile. This means that you could be coming across the starting line in your average Lingenfelter powered "twin-turbo" Corvette at 200 mph (on a FLYING START) and the dragster would BEAT you to the finish line FROM A DEAD STOP in a quarter mile distance!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tony Athens
http://www.sbmar.com
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
http://www.nhra.com/50th/news/index.html?story=457
http
The plant manager and maintenance manager were among those killed. Huge chunks of the plant equipment were blown off the plant property and into the town across the street. Buildings in Sterlington were literally blown down.
Treat with respect.
rmw
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Anyone know what the liquid is/was, and why? ( I always assumed it had to do with cooling)
Always was a hoot to see the stuff blown all over people too close when started up.....
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
So the total mass would be: Mass of nitro plus mass of air 1.7*(mass of nitro) which is equal to 13.5kg.
Downforce is apparently 9000N which would mean the velocity of the exhaust gases is roughly 670 m/s. (Which is about double the speed of sound.)
Based on the noise generated by these engines, it doesn't appear to be completely unreasonable.
Besides it's hard to believe that 8G's could be reached with a sticky rubber alone - so there must be some extra downforce.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Tony
Tony Athens
http://www.sbmar.com
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
The chassis is also designed to plant the tyres down on takeoff with controlled flexing. Apparantly they arch up in the middle.
The burnout before each run does 2 things, first it heats the tyres so there nice and sticky, and second it leaves a nice sticky layer of rubber on the track for more grip.
With acceleration from standstill to over 100MPH in less than a Second its a wonder they dont spin the earths orbit backwards.
If they wanted to burn more nitro easily, they would add some propylene oxide to the fuel... Only its banned!!!
Ken
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Nevertheless the 2000 lbs. downforce from the exhaust pipes doesn't sound unreasonable to me.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
On the topic of the nitrous..I was under the impression that the true reason nitrous helps develop more power was the cooling effect generates a higher O2 concentration in the charge, not the preceived chemical boost. All it does it help to pack more O2 into the chamber. For a TF motor, your already packing the cylinder with an enormous about of air, hence the lean condition problems.
I was told by a fueler engineer, that they fill the tank with 10 gallons, 7 of which are "dumped" during the burnout (only one Mag on, 2nd gets turned on after), and 3 to get down the track. Fuel pressures are in excess of 300psi, so the physics of having the front cylinders leaner than the rear cylinders sounds like a bunch of hooey.
The downforce question: How can the exhaust create downforce? It's directed UP, not down. The front of the wing is tipped DOWN, not up. The funny cars go almost as fast as the dragsters, for one reason only, FRONTAL AREA. So, I don't believe exhaust gases create downforce.
One last comment. The fuelers have sooo much power they don't know what to do with it. The real gains in speed, over the past 10 years have come from clutch management, not increased HP.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
You need to red flag your own post, and note in the message section of the pop-up screen that you are red flagging your own post in order to ask a question about the linking of specific words, including the word "WEB" in your post to site management.
They should be able to send you a message to explain the site polices regarding this feature.
rmw
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Regards
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Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
I was waiting for you to catch that one Pat! This is an interesting thread. Keep it going guys.
Will
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Nitrous is N20-far more O than air has. The cooling effect helps but is minor. You can also increase HP a bunch with a simple oxygen/extra fuel addition (very little cooling effect), but detonation is a big problem if the spark isn't greatly retarded.
>"Fuel pressures are in excess of 300psi, so the physics of having the front cylinders leaner than the rear cylinders sounds like a bunch of hooey."<
300 psi *TO* the injectors doesn't mean anything to the fuel/air mass blasting thru the blower and into the ports. F/R fuel distribution WAS a problem back in the 1970's, but I'd bet it's all been compensated for now.
>"The funny cars go almost as fast as the dragsters, for one reason only, FRONTAL AREA."<
Wrong again, it's STREAMLINING.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Frontal Area is equivalent to streamlining. I think we are thinking the same thing. The more air you push @ 330mph, the more power it takes. Since the dragster's have less air to push, they go a tad bit faster. The funny cars have more total frontal area, thus the slight speed/et difference.
Thanks patprimmer...I wasn't thinking directional thrust, I guess I was focused on the wing. I still don't think there is an enormous benefit from the downward thrust @ take off, but it probably does provide some force. It's all about the clutches, hence the development of the multi-stage clutches.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Improvements in boundary layer control, aiming vortices, and surface pressure control will raise the bar to new speed records. This will be particularly important to those of you who have been drooling over the .deciMach Prize.
Taken from: http:/
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
There are good reasons to believe that the exhaust velocity is less than the speed of sound, so taking that as the upper limit that gives a thrust of
F=delta(mv)/s
45/2.2*330 N
7 kN, or just under 2000 lbf.
However, I doubt the exhaust velocity is that high.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
After about the first 1000-1500 feet of a run often the spark plugs are fried and the exhaust valves and surrounding surfaces are hot and the fuel ignited due to compression ignition aka dieseling... kinda like a cox airplane engine making 7500 horsepower. The exhaust valve acts like a glow plug mid pull and torches any remaining fuel.
So I think 500-1000 lbs downforce is probable. Thats my story and I'm stickin to it.
Happy new year yall, Turbo
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Not much to get real hot with them.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Regards, T
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
(I only read this as a fact but haven't read an explanation why this is so. So please post if anybody knows more about this.)
However the sonic speed of any gas is (among other factors)proportional to the squareroot of the temperature. Since the temperature in the exhaust gas is extremely high it can reach double the sonic speed of air (at 'normal' pressure and temperature) without exceeding the sonic speed limit of the exhaust gas.
Besides even if the velocity is lower, the pressure of the exhaust before leaving the pipes also adds to the downforce.
http://exp
So if you combine the massflow and the pressure difference, 2000 lbs. doesn't sound unreasonable at all.
If you can increase the exhaust velocity by using converging diverging nozzle and if horsepower is less of an issue than tire friction (if the clutch is such a crucial element this only means that there's a lack of tire friction or downforce), why aren't there converging diverging nozzles mounted to the exhaust pipes? (Even if they increase backpressure and therefore reduce horsepower, they could significantly increase downforce).
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
The guys on this site http://www.cumminsracing.com/ have taken the 5.9 L Cummins to level that I find hard to believe..
I know this engine well and knew was was tough, but I am now even more of a Cummins fan.............
Under 8 seconds, over 160 MPH, and 100lbs of boost--all on bio-diesel.
Tony Athens
http://www.sbmar.com
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
2K lbs of "jet thrust" surely would shave a few hundreds (or tenths) off the time, no?
Jeff
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
2K lbs of "jet thrust" surely would shave a few hundreds (or tenths) off the time, no?
Jwaterstreet,
I see where your coming from, but forward thrust isnt where a top fuel is lacking, its tyre traction. More traction means more power can be applied to the tyres. Watch any jet verses car drag race, tyres always accelerate off the line faster than jets, Being a direct friction contact, compared to reaction/opposite reaction.
Ken
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
But that was a good point.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Norm
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Since these car don't have gears or any kind of torque converters also indicates that they can't utilize the engine power at lower speeds (and confirms that there's a lack of tire friction).
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
One thing people seem to have missed is that the speed of sound of hot exhaust gases is a whole lot higher than that of plain old cold air. Remember the sqrt(gamma.R.T) formula? How hot are the exhaust gasses of a dragster I wonder? Even at a conservative 1200K that gives about 700 m/s.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
http://m
Thats what they published.
Nick
I love materials science!
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
What about the idea of dropping the super-charger which I know consumes a Significant amount of hp, and instead having a small
size, say 10 Liter tank of liquid O2 Regulated to the same PSI and flow rate that the super-charger adds to the engine. Also remember that normal air is only 21% O2 and that the tank is at 900psi and also the fact that liquid O2 expands 800 times in volume when vaporizing. You could even preheat it through the intake manifold or headers, you could regulate it to whatever atmosphere you needed at aprox. 21% 0f 3000 cfm. Any input. Could this work? Any benifit? 10 Liter tank only weighs about 65 pounds full. The engine would then be running on pure oxygen.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Your logic is fine, but the practicalities are lethal.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
read up on the Purdue University Charcoal Lighting Contest.
The record is something like three seconds to ignite 65 pounds of charcoal, by dumping LOX on it. Not recommended. The barbecue itself is also a consumable.
The actual Purdue site has been removed, but you can find stories about it. The videos were most impressive. Maybe there's an echo somewhere.
The important thing to remember is that with oxygen, any container you can put it in will serve nicely as fuel. Industrial gas producers will provide sobering, if unspectacular, information.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
I believe they also limit OD ratio and the amount of nitro methane in the fuel to try to keep speeds down to a level that does not exceed their tyre ratings.
I am not fully up to date and not totally familiar with Top Fuel regs, but from anecdotal evidence, they seem a bit reluctant to also reduce wing substantially, and therefore reduce down force to a level where the tyres and chassis are relatively safe. I believe that they have had several fatalities in recent years due to chassis, and/or wing strut and/or tyre failures at the top end.
Regards
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
If they had used more efficient superchargers (reduce the size of the engine instead), the temperature after the supercharger would have been lower and reduce the probability of pre-ignition before the intake valve closed.
Also if they used centrifugal superchargers they would have a more favourable torque curve. Less torque at low engine speeds and more torque at high engine speeds when more downforce is available. (The clutch could engage at a lower speed and generate less overall waste heat).
Or what's missing?
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Will
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Norm
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
With more air via supercharging, higher cylinder pressures via high compression and a lot of spark advance, even stoichiometric mixtures can burn holes. In high output engines A:F can be 10 to 15% rich, or even more on alcohol to prevent this.
Regards
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
>300 psi *TO* the injectors doesn't mean anything to the fuel/air mass blasting thru the blower and into the ports. F/R fuel distribution WAS a problem back in the 1970's, but I'd bet it's all been compensated for now.<
Because of the twisted lobes in a Roots supercharger, more air is forced into the front cylinders. Crew chiefs used to compensate for this inherent dynamic by lowering the compresssion ratio in the front cylinders, leaving the middle four alone and raising the CR in the rear cylinders. This was accomplished with con rods about 0.070 shorter in the front than the rear. Some crew chiefs also tried to position air dams in the intake manifold to block air to the front cylinders in the hopes of creating equal distribution. A few years ago, Alan Johnson of the US Army team developed an intake manifold that positions the front of the supercharger over a central plenum. Called the setback supercharger, a longer drive snout is needed but there is more equal distribution to the cylinders. BTW, fuel pressure starts out at about 275psi at the start and increases to around 470psi at the end of the run.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Respectfully I disagree. Admitting O2 in high doses is an experiment I have witnessed. The engine/victim was a small industrial diesel that was used for a nox and particulate study with CNG and other fuels. The piston and exhaust valve and seat were torched minutes after admitting O2. The O2 sensor indicated stoich under load but the failure occurred while lean at part load. Not a surprise.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Getting the mix to be homogeneous will be the key.
Gasoline = C8H18
100 octane gasoline is mostly C8H18
2(C8H18)+25(O2) => 18(H20) + 16(CO2)
A ratio of 25/2 = 12.5 Oxygen molecules per fuel molecule
Nitromethane is CH3NO2
4(CH3NO2) + 7(O2) => 6(H2O) + 4(CO2) + 4(NO2)
A ratio of 7/4 = 1.75
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Using pure O2 as an oxidising agent would be considered as chemical supercharging and therefore in breach of the rules.
I think this point alone makes that argument redundant.
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RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Also ran a street Camaro with a big stainless fire ext. full of methanol in the trunk and pressurized with a small 12v tire inflator. Sprayed the meth. down into the carb. and added the oxygen. HP was amazing. But I'd guess I only increased the oxygen level from 21% to maybe 24-5%--things happen in a hurry w/oxygen and even the much milder nitrous.
Running modified car engine on 100% oxygen and no air is NOT going to work, unless you're in the fireworks business-and it will happen in less than a second.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
Exhaust....Garlits was one of the first to go from weedburners to zoomies and entered the 200 mph +. It was due to streamlining the air flow over the tires at first but today the down force is quite large and has been measured.
Adding nitrous to nitro is not allowed in competition. Not even to alcohol.... not that it hasn't been done. It's not needed as noted in previous posts. There is still plenty of hp available when needed.
only 85% nito is allowed in TF and FC (last I heard) and blower OD is limited. I ran 60% OD on an 8-71 back in the mid 70's and it worked great for the launch but hurt the top end. It's still who gets there first that counts not how fast you run so it worked for us.
spark plugs... nitro cars burn the ends off by half track. yes they have recessed electrodes but the guts are toast quickly. The motor runs on the ragged edge of detonation all the time. We even burned the ends on alcohol, however 3-4 threads of heat is the preferred measurement. Alcohol likes to have spark all the time. In the old days there wasn't enough juice from the magneto to light the fuel that could be pumped so it was by-passed to the tank. It wasn't untill the dual mags and rare earth magnets that the fuel cars made leaps and bounds in speed and E.T. You don't ever want to grab todays mag and give it a twist. You will probably still have a good "buzz" on when you are talking to St.Peter. haha something like 40 amps or better.
fuel distribution...early on everyone noted differences in fuel burn patterns. Nobody really knew what caused it. Some leaned the front cyl, some richened them, some just ran the blower faster,put more fuel in it and advanced the mag...and paid the parts bills. Lot's of things were tried before realtime testing took place. Somebody came up with the "delta plate" which was a triangular opening plate under the blower to redirect the flow. Some ran it forward some ran it backward..some didn't run it at all. Now the blowers come with it built in. Now some are moving the blower forward and backwards the rules are limiting it.
Racers will do about anything to gain an edge...including BS.ing. haha don't ask how I know.
Drag racing today is very technical. Many teams employ engineers who do nothing but investigate how to go faster and quicker. It's come a long ways from blue jeans and grimy tee shirts of the old days....but it was sure fun back then.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
There is massive thrust from the headers. There is empirical evidence for even casual observers by watching a fuel car make a pass. When you see a cylinder go out on one side of the car (exhaust plume goes white/cloudy), the resulting thrust differential will push the car towards the side with the dead cylinder. This happens quite often.
Beyond the rules banning the use of nitrous, as stated the engines make so much power that they can spin/smoke the tires at 300mph even with all the downforce so the focus is on traction instead of power. Typically, the fuel cars run less fuel at the beginning of the pass where traction is limited and build heat in the heads. Then the fuel is increased where the traction is better and the hotter heads help burn the increased fuel. That was a trick implemented by Bernstien's team to got him so many speed records at the time.
There have been a few turbocharged nitro dragsters but they have not been legalized by the sanctioning bodies.
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
I just stumbled accross this forum. Interesting and very accurate. Nitrous has been used in the NHRA. Don The Snake Prudome used it in his Funny Car and went 2 tenths faster than anyone before- blew up- and Nhra banned it. Mickey Thompson built a funny car with compressed o2 cylinders alongside each frame rail and called it his bottle baby. Im not sure how it worked. Other additives have been tried and some work well. They are very caustic and unstable. All are banned. Nitro is very trickey to get right. We do lean our engine on the top end close to the 1.7 fuel to air ratio. ( Gasoline 1 lb. gas to 15lbs. air--Nitro 1 lb. to 1.7 lbs. air) This is where we burn pistons if we miss the corrected altitude/air density and load on the engine from nitro percentage, mag/ignition lead, prop selection, gearing and water density. The combinations are endless. One last point the NHRA is retricted to 85% nitro and run a spec MSD Mag that limits RPM at 8400 by a rapid retard if it is reached.
http:
RE: Top Fuel Dragster
we caught the full force of them pipes smack in the face! it felt like a hammer to the face, with fumes... instantly blinded and slammed in the face, i did an immediate about face only to slam head first into a goose neck trailer directly behind me. almost broke my damn neck in the proccess. there are few things in this world that can truly drag your ass into existance like a face full of hot unburnt nitro!
ed