Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Engine power is the power that an engine can put out. It can be expressed in power units, most commonly kilowatt, pferdestärke (metric horsepower), or horsepower.In terms of internal combustion engines, the engine power usually describes the rated power, which is a power output that the engine can maintain over a long period of time according to a certain testing method, for example ISO 1585.
Torque forms part of the basic specification of an engine: the power output of an engine is expressed as its torque multiplied by the angular speed of the drive shaft. Internal-combustion engines produce useful torque only over a limited range of rotational speeds (typically from around 1,000–6,000 rpm for a small car).
Taxable horsepower does not reflect developed horsepower; rather, it is a calculated figure based on the engine's bore size, number of cylinders, and a (now archaic) presumption of engine efficiency. As new engines were designed with ever-increasing efficiency, it was no longer a useful measure, but was kept in use by UK regulations, which used ...
An 'inertia' dynamometer provides a fixed inertial mass load, calculates the power required to accelerate that fixed and known mass, and uses a computer to record RPM and acceleration rate to calculate torque. The engine is generally tested from somewhat above idle to its maximum RPM and the output is measured and plotted on a graph.
A typical turbocharged V8 diesel engine might have an engine power of 250 kW (340 hp) and a mass of 380 kg (840 lb), [1] giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 0.65 kW/kg (0.40 hp/lb). Examples of high power-to-weight ratios can often be found in turbines. This is because of their ability to operate at very high speeds.
Prony brake dynamometers at a tractor contest in 1910 Schematic of a Prony brake Actual Prony Brake built for testing 5HP Steam Engine. The Prony brake is a simple device invented by Gaspard de Prony in 1821 to measure the torque produced by an engine. The term "brake horsepower" is one measurement of power derived from this method of measuring ...
Speed has dropped out of the equation, and the only variables are the torque and displacement volume. Since the range of maximum brake mean effective pressures for good engine designs is well established, we now have a displacement-independent measure of the torque-producing capacity of an engine design – a specific torque of sorts.
For example, a reciprocating engine achieves maximum efficiency when the intake air is unthrottled and the engine is running near its peak torque. The efficiency often reported for a particular engine, however, is not its maximum efficiency but a fuel economy cycle statistical average. For example, the cycle average value of BSFC for a gasoline ...