In article ,
michael adams wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
michael adams wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
michael adams wrote:
If the engine is running at maximum power, and thus the crankshaft
is turning as fast as possible, then how is it possible for less than
maximum torque to be delivered to the flywheel ?

I'm beginning to lose the will to live.

Power is a function of torque and engine speed. It therefore goes
without saying that maximum power will always be delivered at higher
revs than maximum torque in practice.

That may well go without saying for you, but it isn't intuitively
obvious to me.

It is simple maths. If BHP is a function of RPM and torque, and the
torque remains constant, then higher RPM means higher BHP.

But why should the torque remain constant ?

On an ideal engine, it would, at maximum demand. Like it (almost) does on
some types of electric motor.

It may have said something similar on some website, complete with
diagrams and coloured lines, so I'm not going to tear my hair
out over it, either way.

If you looked at graphs showing an engine's output relative to RPM,
you'd see two plots, one for BHP and the other for torque. Often shown
in the same graph. Both will rise and then fall as RPM increases. The
torque one will have its peak at lower RPM than the BHP.

It's something I've known since a child. ;-)

But doesn't that contradict what you were saying earlier about torque ?
Now you seem to be saying peak power is reached at peak RPM and not peak
torque.

Think you need to read what I wrote again. Carefully.

Peak RPM is generally higher than where peak BHP occurs. Again, obviously.

Please don't use 'power' as it seems to confuse so many on here. The term
is BHP - brake horse power.

--
*Keep honking...I'm reloading.

Dave Plowman London SW
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