Re:Fuel... Try #3

From: J. Forster (jfor@quik.com)
Date: Sun Sep 22 2002 - 20:39:59 PDT


GOTAM35 wrote:

 'My understanding of physics may not be the best, but the energy required to
move the mass of the trucks at a given speed should be the same for the same
amount of weight. '

No. See my previous post but one. First off, it's power (which is energy/unit
time) not energy

Energy is joules, ergs, watt-hours, horsepower-hours, foot-pounds, BTUs,
calories, etc. If you do work on something, like pumping water uphill or raising
a weight, that increases it's (potential) energy. A pound of diesel oil has
about 22,000 BTU's. That's its (stored potential) energy content.

Power is watts, ergs/second, horsepower, foot-pounds/second, BTUs /hour,
calories/hour, etc. It is the rate at which energy is produced or used. If you
lift a 550# weight vertically up at 1 foot per second, that's 550 ft-lbs/second
(equals 1 HP)

***************************
Corrected.... YET AGAIN!!

The correct conversion is: 1 BTU/sec is approx 1.39 HP (This is gotten from the
following: 1 BTU/sec = 1.05 KW and 1 HP is about 746 Watts, therefore 1 BTU/sec
= 1.05 / 0.746 = 1.39 HP)

++++
Therefore, 1 # of fuel is 22,000 (BTUs) x 1.39 (HP / BTU/sec) = 30,580 HP-sec =
8.5 HP-hrs

So an engine burning 1# of fuel per hour at 100% efficincy will produce 8.5 HP.

Years ago I was told by a WW II US Navy Master Chief that a good rule of thumb
is a pint/HP-hour for smallish gasoline engines. This says the efficiency is
roughly 12%, which is about right.

That's what happens when I watch Jamed Bond and the news while doing email.

Sorry, again
-J

******************************

OK so far?

Power is (torque) x (rotation speed) An engine putting out 550 ft-lbs at 60
RPM is putting out 1 HP, as is an engine putting out 55 ft-lbs at 600 RPM or 5.5
ft-lbs at 6000 RPM. None of this is not engine specific, but basic physics.

-John



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