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A top fuel racer is very loud because they have short, per-cylinder exhaust pipes and are powered by nitromethanol ("top fuel"), which burns so slowly that the
by exDM69 12y ago
A top fuel racer is very loud because they have short, per-cylinder exhaust pipes and are powered by nitromethanol ("top fuel"), which burns so slowly that the fuel is still exploding when exiting the exhaust pipes.
They are also ridiculously inefficient.
- seanp2k2 12y agoThey're very efficient if you measure efficiency in terms of HP for engine weight, which is about all that matters in drag racing :)
- exDM69 12y agoWell sure, that's why they use nitromethanol (which is worse in kJ/kg than gasoline, but it contains an oxidizer) and ridiculous engines. But "efficiency" in the context of engines usually means energy conversion efficiency. And power-to-weight ratio is what you mean.
- WalterBright 12y agoSure, but power and efficiency are different things!