What does it mean ??

What is BHP ie brake horsepower & how is it measured ??

Also the same with torque ??

What do both do to the engine ??

I understand the basic principles but was wanting someone to elaborate further ??

Thanks

Stephen

 

No doubt others can explain better, but this is my understanding:

Torque is the turning force applied to the crankshaft.

If measured in Nm (Newton metres) you can imagine that, say, 1Nm is the equivalent of a weight (mass) of 1N (or 0.1kg I think) on the end of a 1m bar. If there's a pivot on the other end of the bar, the turning force due to the 0.1kg hanging off the end is equal to 1Nm.

Horsepower is this force over time; the torque is applied each time the engine fires. The more quickly the engine fires, the more torque 'per second' is applied to the crankshaft.

This is why horsepower generally increases as the revs increase (more firing per second). Even if the torque was the same across the rev range, horsepower would increase as the revs increase.

Add in all the other variables of an engine, of course, and you get the wobbly curves seen on dyno plots.

Now over to someone else with a more elegant way to desribe it...

 

some equation involving torque (T)= horsepower (H) * 5250(constant) and all over one other variable
cant remember it off the top of my head.

Torque is turning force, ie the force delivered to enable the wheels to turn and hence move you forwards.

 

You need to include rpm in that equation.


Anyway, google is your friend - search for +Torque +Horsepower +Definition and the first link should tell you all you need to know:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/horsepower1.htm

Google lessons should be compulsory for anyone with computer access...

 

Here is a superb description if you have the time: -

http://www.seatcupra.net/guide_powertorque.htm