Good points, Bob...
But, since the gasoline internal combustion engine is at most 30-35% energy
efficient, with all the remainder being dissipated as heat, when we talk
about a 150 HP engine, we're also talking about an additional 300 HP worth
of heat being created, all of which gets removed by the radiator and through
direct radiation. When you look at it like that, it doesn't seem too
unreasonable that the crank swishing the oil around could dump another 15-20
HP worth of heat into the oil, and that it would be hard to detect in terms
of oil temperature, since the oil and water are already removing 20 times
that much heat.
I apologize for mixing power and energy like that...
Theo
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Palmer [mailto:rpalmer@ucsd.edu]
Sent: June 3, 2004 11:32 PM
To: 'Theo Smit'; 'Tiger News Group List (E-mail)'
Subject: RE: Windage tray
Theo, David, Tim,
I just love all this bench racing. Of course, we all know the numbers tend
to get a little inflated - Right? 15-25HP in the pan, another 15 in the
water pump, and then a bunch more is lost in the drive train. It's a wonder
there's anything left at the wheels! Now, as a physicist, the first thing I
ask is Where's all that energy going? Into heat, of course. Putting 15HP
into 7 quarts of oil is, frankly, a little hard to believe. But, no
question, your oil does get hot running 6-7,000 rpm - I just don't think
it's 15HP worth; maybe I'd believe 5.
<snip>
Bob
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