4/13/2015

PowerandTorque:UnderstandingtheRelationshipBetweentheTwo,byEPIInc.

From:EPIInc.Contact:tech@epieng.com
Monday,April13th,2015PageLastUpdated:03/11/2011

PowerandTorque

ESSENTIALCONCEPTS:
TorqueismeasuredPoweriscalculated
InordertounderstandPOWER,youmustfirstunderstandENERGYandWORK.Ifyouhavenot
reviewedtheseconceptsforawhile,itwouldbehelpfultodosobeforestudyingthisarticle.
CLICKHEREforaquickreviewofEnergyandWork.(Thereisalongerversionofthispageinthe
EngineTechnologysection,withmoreinformationwhichrelatesspecificallytopistonengines.)
POWERisdefinedastherateofdoingWORK,orWORKperunitTIME.Sometimesitseemsthat
peopleareconfusedabouttherelationshipbetweenPOWERandTORQUE.Forexample,wehave
heardenginebuilders,camshaftconsultants,andothertechnicalexpertsaskcustomers:
RaceEngine
Technology
Magazine

"DoyouwantyourenginetomakeHORSEPOWERorTORQUE?"

Andthequestionisusuallyaskedinatonewhichstronglysuggeststhattheseexpertsbelievepower
CURENTISSUE andtorquearesomehowmutuallyexclusive.
ContentsBACK
ISSUESummaries Infact,theoppositeistrue,andyoushouldbeclearonthesefacts:
SUBSCRIBE
1. POWER(therateofdoingWORK)isdependentonTORQUEandRPM.

2. TORQUEandRPMaretheMEASUREDquantitiesofengineoutput.
3. POWERisCALCULATEDfromtorqueandRPM,bythefollowingequation:
HP=TorquexRPM5252

(Atthebottomofthispage,thederivationofthatequationisshown,foranyoneinterested.)
Engines(andmotors)producePOWERbyprovidingaROTATINGSHAFTwhichcanexertagiven
amountofTORQUEonaloadatagivenRPM.TheamountofTORQUEtheenginecanexertusually
varieswithRPM.
TORQUE

TORQUEisdefinedasaFORCEaroundagivenpoint,appliedataRADIUSfromthatpoint.Note
thattheunitofTORQUEisonepoundfoot(oftenmisstated),whiletheunitofWORKisonefoot
pound.

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Figure1
ReferringtoFigure1,assumethatthehandleisattachedtothecrankarmsothatitisparalleltothe
supportedshaftandislocatedataradiusof12"fromthecenteroftheshaft.Inthisexample,consider
theshafttobefixedtothewall.Letthearrowrepresenta100lb.force,appliedinadirection
perpendiculartoboththehandleandthecrankarm,asshown.
Becausetheshaftisfixedtothewall,theshaftdoesnotturn,butthereisatorqueof100poundsfeet
(100poundstimes1foot)appliedtotheshaft.
Notethatifthecrankarminthesketchwastwiceaslong(i.e.thehandlewaslocated24"fromthe
centeroftheshaft),thesame100poundforceappliedtothehandlewouldproduce200lbftoftorque
(100poundstimes2feet).
POWER

POWERisthemeasureofhowmuchWORKcanbedoneinaspecifiedTIME.Intheexampleonthe
WorkandEnergypage,theguypushingthecardid16,500footpoundsofWORK.Ifhedidthatwork
intwominutes,hewouldhaveproduced8250footpoundsperminuteofPOWER(165feetx100
pounds2minutes).IfyouareunclearaboutWORKandENERGY,itwouldbeabenefittoreview
thoseconceptsHERE.
Inthesamewaythatonetonisalargeamountofweight(bydefinition,2000pounds),onehorsepower
isalargeamountofpower.Thedefinitionofonehorsepoweris33,000footpoundsperminute.The
powerwhichtheguyproducedbypushinghiscaracrossthelot(8250footpoundsperminute)equals
horsepower(8,25033,000).
OK,allthatsfine,buthowdoespushingacaracrossaparkinglotrelatetorotatingmachinery?
Considerthefollowingchangetothehandleandcrankarmsketchabove.Thehandleisstill12"from
thecenteroftheshaft,butnow,insteadofbeingfixedtothewall,theshaftnowgoesthroughthewall,
supportedbyfrictionlessbearings,andisattachedtoageneratorbehindthewall.
Suppose,asillustratedinFigure2,thataconstantforceof100lbs.issomehowappliedtothehandle
sothattheforceisalwaysperpendiculartoboththehandleandthecrankarmasthecrankturns.In
otherwords,the"arrow"rotateswiththehandleandremainsinthesamepositionrelativetothecrank
andhandle,asshowninthesequencebelow.(Thatiscalleda"tangentialforce").

Figure2
Ifthatconstant100lb.tangentialforceappliedtothe12"handle(100lbftoftorque)causestheshaft
torotateat2000RPM,thenthepowertheshaftistransmittingtothegeneratorbehindthewallis38
HP,calculatedasfollows:
100lbftoftorque(100lb.x1foot)times2000RPMdividedby5252is38HP.
ThefollowingexamplesillustrateseveraldifferentvaluesofTORQUEwhichproduce300HP.
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Example1:HowmuchTORQUEisrequiredtoproduce300HPat2700RPM?
sinceHP=TORQUExRPM5252
thenbyrearrangingtheequation:
TORQUE=HPx5252RPM
Answer:TORQUE=300x52522700=584lbft.

Example2:HowmuchTORQUEisrequiredtoproduce300HPat4600RPM?
Answer:TORQUE=300x52524600=343lbft.

Example3:HowmuchTORQUEisrequiredtoproduce300HPat8000RPM?
Answer:TORQUE=300x52528000=197lbft.

Example4:HowmuchTORQUEdoesthe41,000RPMturbinesectionofa300HPgasturbine
engineproduce?
Answer:TORQUE=300x525241,000=38.4lbft.

Example5:TheoutputshaftofthegearboxoftheengineinExample4aboveturnsat1591RPM.
HowmuchTORQUEisavailableonthatshaft?
Answer:TORQUE=300x52521591=991lbft.
(ignoringlossesinthegearbox,ofcourse).

Thepointtobetakenfromthosenumbersisthatagivenamountofhorsepowercanbemadefroman
infinitenumberofcombinationsoftorqueandRPM.
ThereisalongerversionofthispageintheEngineTechnologysection,withmoreinformationwhich
relatesspecificallytopistonengines.

PowertoDriveaPump
Inthecourseofworkingwithlotsofdifferentengineprojects,weoftenhearthesuggestionthatengine
powercanbeincreasedbytheuseofa"better"oilpump.Implicitinthatsuggestionisthebeliefthata
"better"oilpumphashigherpumpingefficiency,andcan,therefore,delivertherequiredflowatthe
requiredpressurewhileconsuminglesspowerfromthecrankshafttodoso.Whilethatistechnically
true,themagnitudeoftheimprovementnumberissurprisinglysmall.
Howmuchpowerdoesittaketodriveapumpdeliveringaknownflowataknownpressure?Wehave
alreadyshownthatpowerisworkperunittime,andwewillstickwithgoodoldAmericanunitsforthe
timebeing(footpoundsperminuteandinchpoundsperminute).Andweknowthatflowtimes
pressureequalsPOWER,asshownby:
Flow(cubicinches/minute)multipliedbypressure(pounds/squareinch)=POWER(inchpounds/
minute)
Fromthereitissimplyamatterofmultiplyingbytheappropriateconstantstoproduceanequation
whichcalculatesHPfrompressuretimesflow.Sinceflowismorefreqentlygiveningallonsper
minute,andsinceitiswellknownthatthereare231cubicinchesinagallon,then:
Flow(GPM)x231(cubicinches/gal)=Flow(cubicinchesperminute).
Since,asexplainedabove,1HPis33,000footpoundsofworkperminute,multiplyingthatnumberby
12producesthenumberofinchpoundsofworkperminuteinoneHP(396,000).Dividing396,000by
231givestheunitsconversionfactorof1714.3.Therefore,thesimpleequationis:
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PumpHP=flow(GPM)xpressure(PSI)/1714.
Thatequationrepresentsthepowerconsumedbyapumphaving100%efficiency.Whentheequation
ismodifiedtoincludepumpefficiency,itbecomes:
PumpHP=(flow{GPM}xpressure{PSI}/(1714xefficiency)
Commongeartypepumpstypicallyoperateatbetween75and80%efficiency.Sosupposeyourall
aluminumV8enginerequires10GPMat50psi.Theoilpumpwillhavebeensizedtomaintainsome
preferredlevelofoilpressureatidlewhentheengineandoilarehot,sothepumpwillhavefarmore
capacitythanisrequiredtomaintainthe10GPMat50psiatoperatingspeed.(That'swhatthe"relief"
valvedoes:bypassestheexcessflowcapacitybacktotheinletofthepump,which,asanaddedbenefit,
alsodramaticallyreducestheprospectcavitationinthepumpinletline.)
Nowsupposeyour75%efficientpumpismaintaining50psiat3000RPM,andisprovidingthe10
GPMneededbytheengine.Itisactuallypumping30to50GPM(10ofwhichgoesthroughthe
engine,andtheexcessflowrecirculatesthroughthereliefvalve)at50psi.Thepowertodrivethat
pressurepumpstageis:
HP=(50gpmx50psi)/(1714x0.75efficiency)=1.95HP
Supposeyousuccumbtothehypeandshuckoutsomereallybigbucksforanallegedly90%efficient
pump.Thatpump(atthesameflowandpressure)willconsume:
HP=(50gpmx50psi)/(1714x0.90efficiency)=1.62HP.
WOW.Anetgainofafull1/3ofaHP.CanYOURdynoevenmeasurea1HPdifferenceaccurately
andrepeatably?

DerivationofthePowerEquation
(foranyoneinterested)
Thispartmightnotbeofinteresttomostreaders,butseveralpeoplehaveasked:
"OK,ifHP=RPMxTORQUE5252,thenwheredoesthe5252comefrom?"
Hereistheanswer.
Bydefinition,POWER=FORCExDISTANCETIME(asexplainedaboveunderthePOWER
heading)
UsingtheexampleinFigure2above,whereaconstanttangentialforceof100poundswasappliedto
the12"handlerotatingat2000RPM,weknowtheforceinvolved,sotocalculatepower,weneedthe
distancethehandletravelsperunittime,expressedas:
Power=100poundsxdistanceperminute
OK,howfardoesthecrankhandlemoveinoneminute?First,determinethedistanceitmovesinone
revolution:
DISTANCEperrevolution=2xxradius
DISTANCEperrevolution.=2x3.1416x1ft=6.283ft.
Nowweknowhowfarthecrankmovesinonerevolution.Howfardoesthecrankmoveinoneminute?
DISTANCEpermin.=6.283ft.perrev.x2000rev.permin.=12,566feetperminute
Nowweknowenoughtocalculatethepower,definedas:
POWER=FORCExDISTANCETIME
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so
Power=100lbx12,566ft.perminute=1,256,600ftlbperminute
Swell,buthowaboutHORSEPOWER?RememberthatoneHORSEPOWERisdefinedas33000
footpoundsofworkperminute.ThereforeHP=POWER(ftlbpermin)33,000.Wehavealready
calculatedthatthepowerbeingappliedtothecrankwheelaboveis1,256,600ftlbperminute.
HowmanyHPisthat?
HP=(1,256,60033,000)=38.1HP.
Nowwecombinesomestuffwealreadyknowtoproducethemagic5252.Wealreadyknowthat:
TORQUE=FORCExRADIUS.
IfwedividebothsidesofthatequationbyRADIUS,weget:
(a)FORCE=TORQUERADIUS
Now,ifDISTANCEperrevolution=RADIUSx2x,then
(b)DISTANCEperminute=RADIUSx2xxRPM
Wealreadyknow
(c)POWER=FORCExDISTANCEperminute
SoifweplugtheequivalentforFORCEfromequation(a)anddistanceperminutefromequation(b)
intoequation(c),weget:
POWER=(TORQUERADIUS)x(RPMxRADIUSx2x)
Dividingbothsidesby33,000tofindHP,
HP=TORQUERADIUSxRPMxRADIUSx2x33,000
Byreducing,weget
HP=TORQUExRPMx6.2833,000
Since
33,0006.2832=5252
Therefore
HP=TORQUExRPM5252
Notethatat5252RPM,torqueandHPareequal.AtanyRPMbelow5252,thevalueoftorqueis
greaterthanthevalueofHPAbove5252RPM,thevalueoftorqueislessthanthevalueofHP.
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