VIDEO: High-speed camera reveals how exhaust is born
I can remember years ago when my dad sat me down for the talk. "Son," he said. "When a mommy loves a daddy very much, they, uh, well, they buy a car together. Yeah. And in that car is an engine full of pistons." And then he went on to explain how a valve lets in fuel, the piston compresses it, the spark plug ignites the fuel and air mixture and another valve lets the exhaust escape.
Of course, I thought it was all a magical process only ever seen in the minds of engineers and physicists. But now, thanks to high-speed video we can actually witness the piston stroking up and down in the chamber, the fuel valve opening to release its fuel, and, in an unimaginably quick instant the spark that sets everything in motion. After the violent, hot climax, the piston retreats, another valve opens with an exhaust-scented sigh and the event repeats itself again and again.
For most the video is perfectly safe for work, but for those who have blood 92 octane or higher, it may be considered a little steamy.
[Source: LiveLeak via Gizmodo]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Farris @ Nov 8th 2007 7:34PM
COOLEST. VIDEO. EVER.
dskinner @ Nov 8th 2007 9:22PM
I agree, simply amazing watching the miracle of the Otto Cycle!
naggs @ Nov 8th 2007 7:52PM
looks like a 426 hemi
MikeW @ Nov 8th 2007 9:49PM
This looks to be 4 valves per cylinder.
Almost as cool as the grill cam from BBQ University
Jason @ Nov 8th 2007 7:54PM
thats amazing video...its like the first time they videotaped a baby in a womb.
SuperSkyline89 @ Nov 8th 2007 8:18PM
That was friggin amazing!!! I never even knew it was possible to do that with a camera. There is one thing I would like to know though, if a camera can withstand an explosion inside an engine, why can't someone make a friggin camera that doesn't go black whenever it shakes like hell. I've seen too many TV shows where the camera goes black in the middle of an explosion or something.
meshies @ Nov 8th 2007 8:41PM
That is absolutely incredible. This has got to be the first video of its kind. I didn't think it was possible to get in there like that and capture the process at that speed.
Ethan @ Nov 8th 2007 10:22PM
Not quite.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/27/video-so-thats-what-it-looks-like-slo-mo-combustion-closeu/
MikeW @ Nov 8th 2007 11:27PM
Check out the history of the hydrogen bomb.
The US made a jet powered camera that captured 1,000,000 frames per second, and I think it had a five second capture time.
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993SPIE.1801...52B
or
http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/factsheets/DOENV_1136.pdf
Will @ Nov 8th 2007 9:06PM
Too bad there's no way to fit a microphone down there. Imagine what that video would sound like!
Ricky @ Nov 8th 2007 9:39PM
Like this.....
Vrroooom vrooooom! HAHA.
Volk @ Nov 8th 2007 9:22PM
That's fantastic!
vdk @ Nov 8th 2007 9:46PM
How the hack did they do that... breathtaking...
Jason Schloer @ Nov 8th 2007 10:24PM
My guess is a fiber optic cable of some sort.
MikeW @ Nov 9th 2007 12:59PM
Think quartz.
Intercooler @ Nov 9th 2007 12:21AM
not exhaust,should air fuel mixture
Scotty @ Nov 9th 2007 8:31AM
Very cool!
Alex @ Nov 9th 2007 8:48AM
WOAH!
M @ Nov 9th 2007 11:39AM
why didnt we see the piston move to the top of the cylinder on the exhaust stroke?
We see the intake, then the piston comes up for compression, but then at the exhaust stroke we don't see the piston come up. And then after that the video loops.
alex @ Nov 9th 2007 12:40PM
very nice... now for the next trick, i'd like to see how a rotary works.