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Calculate Speed

The document provides instructions for calculating the speed of a go-kart equipped with a tachometer. It explains that the circumference of the drive wheel tire should first be measured. It then asks if the kart has a direct drive system or jackshaft drive system, and guides the user through calculating the primary and secondary drive ratios to determine the overall drive ratio. Using the drive ratio, engine RPM, and wheel circumference, the user can then calculate the drive wheel RPM, distance traveled in one minute, distance in one hour, and convert it to miles per hour.

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Abhishek Naik
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76 views4 pages

Calculate Speed

The document provides instructions for calculating the speed of a go-kart equipped with a tachometer. It explains that the circumference of the drive wheel tire should first be measured. It then asks if the kart has a direct drive system or jackshaft drive system, and guides the user through calculating the primary and secondary drive ratios to determine the overall drive ratio. Using the drive ratio, engine RPM, and wheel circumference, the user can then calculate the drive wheel RPM, distance traveled in one minute, distance in one hour, and convert it to miles per hour.

Uploaded by

Abhishek Naik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Student
Section Date
How to calculate the speed of a go-kart that is equipped with a
tachometer
(This same procedure can be used to calculate the speed of any vehicle. In the case of a car or truck the
primary gear reduction occurs in the transmission and the secondary gear reduction occurs in the
differential. )
Multiple purpose instruments such as this one that
include a tachometer are commonlyfound mounted
on the steering wheel of racing go-karts. These
instruments are very sophisticated and many of them
have a memory and are capable of playing back an
entire session on the race track In addition to being
a tachometer, they are also capable of monitoring
engine operating temperature and lap times.
Related Vocabulary and Facts
Before you start measuring and calculating things look up the definitions of the following
terms to better understand this assignment.
Circumference
Jackshaft
,Ratio
Primary
Secondary
Sprocket
Tachometer
How many inches are in one foot?
Inches
How many feet are in 1mile?
Feet
Driver sprocket or pulley
Driven sprocket or pulley
Rate
This picture shows a mini-bike with a direct
drive system.
Here's how.
Thispicture illustrates ajackshaft drive
system installed on an unlimited class racing
go-kart. Theprimary drive uses a timing
belt drive and the secondary drive is roller
chain.
1. Measure the circumference of the drive wheel tire.
o > .
Carefully measure around the outside of the tire wi~ a tape measure. The tire
needs to be inflated to the nonnal operating pressure to be accurate. What is the
circumference of the tire in inches?
Drive tire measures inches.
This is the distance that the kart moves forward each time it revolves.
2. You need to determine if your kart has a jackshaft or drives direct from the
engine to the axle sprocket.
Does your kart have direct drive from the engine to the drive wheel?
If the answer is yes detennine the drive ratio. Yes _ No_
If your answer is yes do steps A, Band C. If your answer is no you probably
have a drive system that uses some sort of jackshaft. Skip to step D.
.3A. Calculate the (mal drive ratio if you have a direct drive system.
(Skip to 3B if you have ajackshaft drive system.)
A. How many teeth are on the engine sprocket?
B. How many teeth are on the axle sprocket?
C. Determine the final drive ratio by dividing the number of axle sprocket
teeth by the number of engine sprocket teeth.
: I drive ratio
divided by
(Numberof teethon (Numberof teethon
ontheaxlesprocket) theenginesprocket)
=
3B. Calculate the final drive ratio if you have a jackshaft drive system.
(Go back to section 3A if you have a direct drive system.)
D. How many teeth does your engine drive sprocket?
or pulley (driver) have?
E. How many teeth does the driven sprocket
or pulley on your jackshaft have?
F. How many teeth does the jackshaft driver sprocket have?
G. How many teeth do~s the axle sprocket have?
H. Calculate the primary ratio between the engine driver and the jackshaft
driven sprocket/pulley.
divided by =_: I
(the number of jacks haft driven (Number of engine driver teeth) (primary ratio)
pulley/sprocket teeth)
I. Calculate the secondary ratio between the jackshaft driver sprocket and
the axle sprocket.
divided by =: 1
(Numberof axlesprocketteeth) (Numberofjackshaftdriversprocketteeth) (secondaryratio)
J. Calculate the final drive ratio.
x =
(primary drive ratio) (Secondary drive ratio)
:I
(Overall drive ratio)
What is your (mal drive ratio? : I
4. For what engine rpm do you want to determine the corresponding vehicle speed?
This is usually the highest rpm that was observed on the tachometer during
operation of the vehicle.
Rpm
5. Determine the drive wheel rpm at the selected engine rpm.
This is how fast the wheel is turned by the engine. To do this, divide the engine
rpm by the final gear ratio.
RPM divided by
(Enginerpm) (fmal drive ratio)
= RPM
(axle drive ratio)
6. Determine how far the go-kart travels in one minute in inches.
RPM X = inches
(Drive wheel rpm) (Circumference of wheel) (Distance traveled in inches)
7. Determine how far the kart would travel in one hour at that rate.
X =
(Distance traveled in I min.) (Number of min. in 1 hr.)
INCHES
. ;.. .
8. Convert the distance traveled in inches to the distance in feet.
I .
divided by =
(Distance traveled in inches) (Number of inches in 1ft.)
FT
9. Determine how many miles would be traveled in one hour.
divided by
(Number of feet traveled in 1hr.)
5280
(Number of feet in 1mile)
miles/hr
Questions or comments about this instructional packet should be directed to;
Mark Bergfelt, [email protected]
Created February 2007

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