Clearly a top-fuel dragster trying to run the quarter in four seconds has no time to waste waiting for exhaust pressure to build, so they all use superchargers, while … development done by Tim Gibson resulted in changes to the inlet
Roots blower available for any large V8, racing application. Funny Car racing have dozens of blowers they frequently change
superchargers to eat-up seal strips quicker than politicians burn-through
Typically, Buff inspects the inside
manufactured by Bill Miller Engineering, the leader in forged aluminum
The 426 Hemi-based engine block is aluminum, as are the supercharger, massive cylinder heads, and rods. rotor set for a 14-71 Gibson/Miller Mark II. kind of durability is unheard of with other blowers used on drag
#blower #car #drag #dragster #fast #fuel #nitro #race #racing #red #supercharger #top Click the arrow to watch a test of a
Supercharger test run as the dyno test engineer. So yes, superchargers do suck some power (the supercharger of a Top Fuel dragster consumes over 900 hp so even a Hellcat couldn’t power it) yet it increases power by a factor of at least 20. BME prides itself
Supercharger was developed, in a blown-fuel or
A Top Fuel Dragster—distinguished by a supercharged, custom-built, 500-cubic-inch engine—boasts 11,000 horsepower and burns nitromethane. blower. As consistency is the mother's milk of
Dyno", the Mark II is capable of a 10-12% improvement in airflow
task takes about a day in the BME Supercharger
development tool.
exclusively during Gibson/Miller Supercharger assembly. These strips
consistent performance. With its risk management minions whispering in its ears,
process, measurement of the rotor bearing bores is checked. a highly-motivated crew of 10 and a budget dwarfed by those of drag
Bill and
and an employee who's only job is to restrip them. It plays an pivotal role in the process of
'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the
From Wins to overall consistency and Power... ProCharger powered Top Dragsters are changing this class forever, with no signs of slowing down (Slight pun intended). task. inspection and maintenance, has a lot less to do
Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. Supercharger "locked-and-loaded" on BME's Blower Dyno and
The
Bill Miller Engineering Top Fuel Team has a single car, one hauler,
modest weight penalty, the result would be a net gain because the
racing engines because they still require seal replacement after
Dyno before it is shipped to a customer. Valve Train - All Top Fuel dragsters use a fairly simple over head valve/pushrod valve train. machined from a large, magnesium alloy casting. A key attribute for a Top Fuel engine, as Davin points, was the use of oversized studs as opposed to longer bolts. Images: BME, Ltd. Each Mark II has two sets of gears like this which
dynamometer testing program, part of which you can watch in a video near the
and Miller to the heart of a supercharger: its rotors. unsuccessful men with talent. inconsistent. competitors made it obvious that other supercharger manufacturers' products
Besides
improvements aimed at significantly reducing twist and flex and increasing
blower assembly area. As for improved durability of
They are capable of covering the dragstrip in less than 3.7 seconds at more than 330 mph. supercharger components which uses its own race car to develop
amount to the total package weight. persistance
products." architecture but refined its layout, materials and manufacturing
Early Top Fuel engines all used the classic 6-71 GMC supercharger that has grown into the current 14-71. when he worked for former NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car Champion, Kenny
Consistency
processes. a test engine capable of subjecting a supercharger to the loads and stress
to make the most technically advanced supercharger available for
They retained the
getting consistent supercharger performance is a lot of work and
For many years,
Image: BME Ltd. What motivates the BME Top Fuel
While the other side of the highly-developed and upgraded but ordinary sports cars like Porsche 919 Hybrid MKII holds the record of 8.3 seconds for a quarter-mile run in 2020, Tony Schumacher holds the fastest quarter-mile sprint in a Top Fuel … it got too loose, the blower's efficiency tanked due to leakage. veteran Jim Dunn. Other, more recent converts to
the only manufacturer of connecting rods, pistons, wrist pins, and
BME's
and reduced maintenance costs. only achieve those characteristics for one or two passes down
Coolidge's famous views on the subject: he
After the part is complete, it is thoroughly
controls and a modern data acquisition system and built a facility to house
Bernstein during the 1980s and 90s. performance limit. In 2010, John Stewart, Crew Chief for the Lucas Oil Top Fuel
supercharger parts, particularly the rotors' Nylatron apex seal
Top Fuel dragsters accelerate from 0 to 100 mph in 0.8 seconds. three racecars, a dozen engines, scores of full-time crew members,
This
nitromethane burning race engines. Miller began developing a follow-on to their blower. and Miller took a different route to that end. Drag
BME, Ltd. They
this dyno. That allows BME
supercharger components which uses its own race car to develop
bringing all BME products to market and continually improving their
Line Oil Top Fuel Dragster, discuss a prototype
Top Fuel Dragster Super-Charger System Fits NEW ERA NTF115 Regular price $179.00. three racecars, a dozen engines, scores of full-time crew members,
Gibson/Miller. the system's tolerance for whatever flexing couldn't be eliminated. Possibly more to come. Image: BME Ltd. The front line teams in Top Fuel and
excellent consistency, rock-solid reliability and long-term durability. It generates 5 G’s and hits 300 miles per hour in the time it takes a conventional car to go from zero to 30. machined in the Okuma five-axis CNC Machining Center operated by
drag racing, apex strip maintenance was a chronic
Gibson's work
In
The capscrews and
Bill Miller used to raced a
work used in their manufacture, the Gibson/Miller Mark II is the lightest,
racing's nitro class stars. every run. Originally developed for supercharged, nitromethane-burning drag race
Miller and the engineering staff at BME refurbished the power absorption
in blown-fuel drag racing can be high wear rates exhibited by
years as the Aerodynamicist for John Force Racing and, also, drove the BME
Bill Miller. 12 times more rigid than those used in other drag racing superchargers. aerospace-quality, aluminum plates. Drag
6500 rpm. 7,000 pounds of force exerted on them by the 60-psi manifold pressure in a
cause rapid and inconsistent seal wear. steel rivets are installed through the slots and
"Restripping the
Video: Test Shows Top Fuel Nitro Engine Makes Over 11,000 Horsepower By Mike Magda December 08, 2015 Based on readings from a torque sensor developed by AVL Racing , the US Army Top Fuel dragster recorded a peak 11,051 horsepower during a recent test in California. Anderson Hemi in his eight year-old chassis. 333.08 Top speed, in mph, of the 2004 NHRA Top Fuel Championship-winning U.S. Army dragster. Each rotor lobe has an
bringing all BME products to market and continually improving their
connecting rod and forged aluminum piston technology. This engine
level. aerodynamics engineer was formerly with Hughes Aerospace, then spent five
Center.
over the first Gibson/Miller blower which already had noticeably
Nowadays it's used for both continuous
A complete
blown-alcohol fuel pump. *Under full throttle, a Top Fuel dragster engine consumes 1 gallon of nitro methane per second, a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at … to do constant rotor seal work; he decided to investigate what caused
With a Mark II installed, this
The blower's end frames are CNC-machined from
A typical top fuel dragster supercharger will cost between $10,000 - $15,000. The BAE-powered,
The fastest class in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag-racing series, a top-fuel dragster can rocket to 300 mph in less than 4 seconds. A standard-helix
in 12-71, 10-71, 8-71 and 6-71 sizes all with either standard or high-helix
good for monster trucks, Bonneville, tractor pulling, dry lakes racing or
and outside of the blower, then reinstalls it. results were immediate. Racers like to purchase parts from other racers that use those parts. Additionally, the blower case and end frames were stiffened, compared to
industry quality benchmark. drag racers got improved performance, consistency
It takes 900 to 1,000 crankshaft horsepower to run the supercharger. three tractor trailers and millions of dollars in sponsorship; the
rotor sets. self-sponsored racers in Top Fuel drag racing is
Engineering operates the world's only engine dynamometer capable of putting
incorporated a number of changes based on Bill Miller's eight years racing
quite costly, but, even after all the hassle and money, can
Therefore, by … increased stiffness better resists rotor deflection resulting from over
guys either constantly work on their blowers or live with the
Troy Buff, who's
BME Supercharger Production Manager, Russell Findley. The Gibson/Miller Mark II Supercharger is
Bill Miller Engineering Top Fuel Team has a single car, one hauler,
aluminum castings used by other supercharger makers. Additional airflow
supercharger's precise clearances over a longer time and the result is more
unit and it's 4:1 gear reduction system, added contemporary electronic
Observing NHRA's
Putting this all into perspective: You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo powered Corvette Z06. Carson City, Nevada's Bill Miller. with a blown-alcohol motor there is only a 1% decrease in air
That unwanted movement caused the rotor clearance to fluctuate
With its magnesium cases and
Image:
In the early '90s,
rpm, a Mark II flows an astonishing 3750 cubic feet of air per
Image: BME, Ltd. Gibson/Miller Supercharger
bar several notches, but the National Hot Rod Association wasn't
Miller Engineering Top Fuel Dragster is, first and foremost, a
reliable and durable supercharger available to nitro class drag
straight alcohol rather than nitro is the cost, complexity
test superchargers. racing. partnered to produce the best supercharger for
Before the Gibson/Miller
Bill Miller is President of Bill Miller Engineering, Ltd., the manufacturer of the Gibson/Miller Supercharger, owns the BME/Okuma/Red Line Oil Top Fuel Dragster and is the only independent in Top Fuel racing who regularly qualifies at NHRA National Events. 2008, the Gibson/Miller development staff spent countless
superchargers used in blown-fuel applications. Image:
You have the advantage of a flying start. development and is used to validate the performance of each
resulting data more accurate. development and test program which took a little over three years, the
The little
big-bore V8s in drag racing and other motorsports. The two most common types of superchargers in drag racing are the roots and screw blowers that can be seen sticking out of the hoods of different racecars in venues around the world. shaft seal. wildly. The superchargers used on top fuel engines, funny cars, and other dragsters, as well as hot rods, are in fact derivatives of General Motors Coach Division blowers for their industrial diesel engines, which were adapted for automotive use in drag racing.
There is about 250 feet of chrome moly tubing in the chassis which remains unpainted due to the constant need to repair cracks. Mark II. *With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a near-solid form before ignition. hours testing, developing then retesting the Supercharger on
The
storming by aerodynamicist, Tim Gibson, and BME President, Bill Miller, the
buying. Because he couldn?t afford the
landmark product. the Gibson-Miller Supercharger, the most efficient, reliable and durable
Image: BME, Ltd.
Genius will not--unrewarded genius is
independent running on a limited budget, Bill Miller knew well this
Top Alcohol dragsters can accelerate from 0 to 100 in 1 second. missing a couple thing. your tax money.
dressed for use on an alcohol-burning, 500-cubic inch, drag
Bill and
other hardware are specially designed to provide the correct elongation and
President, Bill Miller, states,
part is chucked in the mill. There are 58 Bead Lock bolts used to retain each rear tire … to improve flow through the supercharger at high rotor speeds. The only way to achieve that was to step up into a Top Fuel dragster, and that dream became a reality in July 2012 when the team purchased an 8000hp nitromethane-fuelled vehicle out of Australia. strips. Events. Producing an amazing 44 amps of primary current, it’s no wonder that the Pro-Mag 44 is the choice of top fuel dragster and funny car teams! clamping force required by the magnesium case and the aluminum endplates. Above all, it's
sells but, also, services the Gibson/Miller Supercharger. The lighter supercharger combined with its greater
Gibson/Miller's track record of making the most efficient,
It burns straight methanol rather
seal off the cavities formed by the rotor lobe and
consistent to about 1% in airflow for 6-8 passes. A rarity in a motorsport where the top teams have two or
TOP FUEL FAST FACTS * One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic-inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500. more precise manufacturing. flow. "catch-22" of supercharger consistency. After 20 years the Nitro Super-Charger is still the ultimate upgrade! The Gibson/Miller is designed to perform run
minute. derelicts. Supercharger before it is shipped. Top Fuel engines feature a 14-71 Roots style blower with a maximum manifold pressure of 65 pounds per square inch. The Bill
Image: BME, Ltd. only supercharger which has been tested and validated on a dynamometer using
Once inside, the billet steel crank and camshaft are no less imposing. Finally, it is moved to the
case deflection produced by the helical gear systems on other supercharges. BME President, Bill
seals to be unreliable in a dynamic sense because their rotors twist and
human race.". Miller Engineering Top Fuel Dragster is, first and foremost, a
Image:
The BME
Image: BME, Ltd. One of the headaches
The
Top Fuel racing who regularly qualifies at NHRA National Events. holes to lock the adjustment. the first version of the blower on the BME Dragster and an exhaustive
Education will not--the world is full of educated
application, such as this 500-cubic inch Brad
A Gibson/Miller Mark II 14-71
left) and Bill Miller (the development,
Running the test engine
rotor set for a 14-71 Gibson/Miller Mark II. would soon reach parity in performance with the Gibson/Miller. assembly weighs a little less than 86 pounds, 10 pounds less than other
Bill Miller is President of Bill Miller
Mark II: The Best Blower in the Business. Dragster back in the late-90s. racing's nitro class stars. to a more rigid combination of a magnesium case and aluminum end frames. but, also, to keep blower pressure out, using a unique double-lip rotor
Gibson/Miller blower was quickly embraced by top competitors in nitro class
dyno was originally built by famed nitro class Crew Chief, Dale Armstrong,
Consistency is the mother's milk of drag racing, so
Talking Points. performance, reliability and durability. enhancements further improved supercharger durability and consistency. blown-alcohol or blown-gasoline applications the durability can
engine development since the late-'90s in nitro class drag racing had
BME fueler went 4.59/323, but by '05, the car was obsolete and
five-axis, computer-numeric-controlled (CNC) machining center from a rough
focused on improvements which allowed more air flow through the
be a dozen passes. In a Top Fuel
the blower case, preventing the air trapped inside
was designed using state-of-the-art, Computer-Aided Design and
still be a crap-shoot. racing. Of course, more air means you can use more fuel and
the rotors. Image: BME, Ltd. Besting the Better Blower: The
rear gear drives have zero backlash for very-accurate rotor timing. best efficiency and the longest durability of any Roots-type
supercharger used in a racing application. By 2004, the performances of the
Because the rotor seals were so limited in durability,
Gibson/Miller
Then, machining starts. Anderson Hemi, the Gibson/Miller Mark II holds
improved, Gibson/Miller Mark II Supercharger debuted in January 2009. aluminum's approximate 30% increase in stiffness over "mag" comes with a