Torque BS Filter - explained

[George M. Dailey]

In simple terms, High torque figures can easily be achieved at lower rpms.
Remember, horsepower is torque in a given time period. When we speak of
torque alone, there is no time value attached to it. If you applied 100lbs
on a 5 foot torque wrench, you could generate 500Ft-lbs of torque. If you
are really good, you would be able to make the engine turn at 10
revolutions/minute while applying this 500Ft-lbs of torque. 

This would give you a horsepower rating of =500 X 10/5252 =  .952
Don't feel like a wimp though, you can still brag that you have over
500ft-lbs of torque at your disposal
Notice that as rpms increase, so does horsepower (in the equation).  In
theory, any engine is capable of delevering any torque level. You just have
to gear it up/down so that you don't violate the laws of physics. 

Imagine this: A .1 (one tenth) horsepower motor can deliver 500ft-lbs of
torque at 1rpm. This will not pin you to the seat when you release all .1
ponnies, but you will be able to pull stumps out of the ground with their
roots attached.

GMD

At 01:00 PM 2/22/97 -0500, you wrote:
>...
>>:By definition:
>>:Horsepower = (rpm * Torque) / 5252
...chomp lots of fine Newtonian equations followed...
>Nuf' physics for everybody?  I hope I got everything right.  Please flame
>me if I left something out, or got it wrong;)
>SMD
>
>---
>Stephen Dubovsky
>dubovsky at vt.edu
>95 Yamaha FZR600 - to go fast
>83 Porsche 911SC - to go a little faster
>84 Jeep Cherokee - to haul things that go fast
>
>