What exactly does the unit of engine power measurement brake horse power actually mean?
Answers:
A unit of power, used in stating the power
required to drive machinery, and in estimating the
capabilities of animals or steam engines and other prime
movers for doing work. It is the power required for the
performance of work at the rate of 33,000 English units of
work per minute; hence, it is the power that must be
exerted in lifting 33,000 pounds at the rate of one foot
per minute, or 550 pounds at the rate of one foot per
second, or 55 pounds at the rate of ten feet per second,
etc.
Thus, cars with engines that have high horsepower ratings will be more powerful, and probaby faster than those with low BHP ratings.
The BHP rating is being replaced in England by the SI unit of kW inline with European Metric Practice.
Another measure of engine power is the PS or Pferdestarke, which is German, and literally translated means 'horse strength'
Exert from site below:
The term “brake horsepower” simply refers to power measured by a dynamometer. All dynamometers work by applying a brake against the engine to load it, and measuring how much brake force it takes to overcome the engine’s power. Some people mistakenly think this term refers to power measured at the wheels of a vehicle, but brake horsepower can be measured with either an engine dynamometer or a chassis dynamometer.
Brake horse power is defined as the actual horse power at the rear of the engine under normal conditions.Its called brake horse power because a brake is used to slow down a shaft inside a dynometer.It is used for comparing engines a 235cubic inch engine will produse less BHP than a 350cubic inch all things being equal.Hope this helps Mick.
1 hp = 33,000 ft·pound-force·min−1 = exactly 0.74569987158227022 kW
the origin of bhp was back in the day of horse drawn carriages, whereby bhp depended on how many horses u had to pull the carriage. nowadays it essentially is the same concept.
ie. 100bhp car is same as 100 horses
The answers post by the user, for information only, UKQnA.com does not guarantee the right.