Definition of Steam Horse

The power of an engine can be measured in horsepower, a concept that is known by its acronym CV. This unit is also recognized by its acronym HP in English (HP stands for Horse Power). Power measured in CV can be expressed in other types of units, such as kilowatts or jules. Although the term CV and HP are equivalent, the measurement in CV and HP is not totally accurate.

The concept of power and the use of "horsepower" as a unit of measurement

From a physics point of view, power is the speed with which work is done. It can also be understood as the speed of consuming Energy. For this reason, the idea of ​​power is related to time and energy.

Power measures the rate at which someone or something performs work. In physics, power equals work divided by time spent performing work.

The power of an engine is measured in horsepower in honor of James Watt, the Scottish manufacturer and engineer who developed the first steam engine in the late 1700s. Keep in mind that horses had been for centuries the animals that facilitated the

movement different vehicles and therefore James Watt thought that the concept of "horse steam "could be useful to express the power of an engine. In this way, this engineer considered that 1 CV was equivalent to 150% of the power that a horse develops during a working day.

The dynamometer is the instrument that measures the power of an engine

In the early days of the automobile industry, each company had its own system for measuring the power of an engine. Over time, entities appeared that imposed general norms for the measurement to be standardized throughout the industry. To measure the power of an engine, an instrument is used, the dynamometer.

The dynamometer records the torque or energy of the engine and, in parallel, the crankshaft turns. With this test it is possible to officially certify the power of a motor vehicle. And all this expressed in CV or HP.

The power of cars

The power of a four-stroke engine depends on several factors: of the type of fuel, the type of mixture between gasoline and air (the compression ratio), the engine displacement and the revolutions per minute it generates and the design of the engine itself.

In electric vehicles the power depends on the force that a motor can draw from the electrical supply. However, the idea of ​​power in a machine that runs on electricity It can be understood in several ways: power in direct or alternating current.

What rule In general, the more power an engine has, the better it will respond. Despite this, the increase in engine power is associated with a higher outlay. According to experts, more power does not imply that the vehicle is better, since the usefulness of a vehicle depends on the needs of each driver.

Photos: Fotolia - danmir12 / usu79

Themes in Steam Horse