RE: fizzicks question

[glen powell <gpowell@acacianet.com>]

I may be wrong, but I thought there was a direct correlation between torque
and HP. Torque is the 'best' measurement of force or 'power'. 'Horsepower'
is just the rate at which work is being done and is simply torque * RPM.

The best measurement of the performance of a given engine, or to compare 
the performance of two different engines, is to compare the area under the
torque curve between the same lower and upper RPM limits. The engine
with the most area under the torque curve 'wins'.

This is why, for example, autos with turbo engines with high and broad/flat 
torque curves beat autos with engines with far higher peak HP. In the real
world engines must produce high torque across a usable RPM range 
because engines do not run constantly and only at peak HP RPM.

This may be a gross oversimplification or even totally wrong,

-glen


Hi,

The horsepower is a traditional unit of power (aka amount of work per time
unit)roughly equal to 0.8 kW. Torque is a product of force and leverage,
measured in Newtons per meter (or pound per foot here in USA). There is no
(physical) relation between the two of them. They are related, though,
while discussing the internal combustion engines, as both usually increase
with rpm's, but have different dependences. Hope this won't confuse more.
Regards,
Vytas

86 5kcst 120k (a rocket)
87 5ks 150k (workhorse)