Sort of proves your point, doesn't it?







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

Mark,

If torque doesn't matter then why not just have a single speed transmission ?

 

Doesn't matter anyway. The future of racing will be in direct-drive electric motors measured in Watts, and they won't have any transmissions.

All this HP/TQ stuff is so "old-school".

Like a 928.

 

Watts?

So Bryan was correct all along.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

Of course torque matters, just as the revs.

 

Yep... just don't tell him that... it'll go to his head.


...jeff

 

Too late.

There's already a commerical and ad campaign dedicated to me.

www.savethewatts.com

 

HA!

Your facelift seems to have worked well!







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

 

But Bryan.. Mark IS trying to save you, and your math-fearing sensibilities!

 

Good god I hate to feed this monster. I'm now calling 30 pages. But I can't swallow Mark's conclusion that its a simple answer and only horsepower matters. Horsepower is calculated though from torque so its not independent

Mark your argument seems to be that since
A = P / (m X V)
power is the only thing that matters.

Now since
P = (Torque X RPM) / 5252

Doesn't your argument now entail
A = (Torque X RPM) / (5252 x m x V), so torque does matter.

I just can't get past the fact that we're trying to put it in simple terms. Its not that simple and there is a lot that has to be considered to create a vehicle that has a certain performance. The argument that two vehicles of exact same spec except engine numbers is flawed. It is not possible to have two vehicles in which the only variable is the hp/torque numbers and expect everything else to still be equal. In the end the only thing that matters is the longitudinal force that the tires are putting to the ground.

 

Torque alone doenst matter, Torque needs speed to mean anything.

to answer your question directly, single speed transmissions would not allow you to take advantage of available power at any and all speeds.

more later.

mk

 

Not exactly. Watts is a measure of power. 746watts equal 1 hp.

future of racing will not be direct drive motors. constant torque is not an advange of an electric power plant. the advantages are a very wide HP cuve.
Even an electic DC/AC servo motor has a power curve. to maximize acceleration, you have to maximize power (or watts). To do this the race car of the future will employ a infinitely variable gear box. Meaning, upon max acceleration request, the motor will ONLY operate at max HP or Watts.

mk

 

Yes, torque is a COMPONENT of HP, but it can be made up of torque and speed, in varing amounts. my point is NOT that torque doesnt matter, but the level of torque found at the rear wheels (accelerative force) is dependant on HP, not the numerical engine torque when comparing to identical vehicles. Remember, the two vehicles being compared are identical. the only change is the drive train (engine and transmission) So, that it is very easy to see how a lower engine torque, same HP engine can make more rear wheel torque than a high engine torque, same HP engine in that same car. Its dependant on the HP curve shape, not numerical engine torque values.

Remember, its not that torque doesnt matter, but it is generated from power.
you dont need torque to calculate HP. you can easily find it by finding the rate of change of kinetic energy, because that is what it is. The rate that force does work. (at the rear tires, HP determnes the "Force" at any vehicle speed.)

Does that make sense?

Mk

 

Good advice. Hmmmm, I think i have an answer for VR and you (as well as the other 30+ followers. It will be the "VR Special Theory of Acceleration".

To name a few it will incorporate the releative feeling of acceleration base on engine torque and rpm, as well as Einstein's general and special theories of relativity.

mk

 

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