Help with Torque Calculation for High Speed Drill

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating torque for a high-speed drill that develops 0.500 HP at 1600 RPM. Participants are exploring the necessary unit conversions and formulas to determine the torque applied to the drill bit.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the conversion of horsepower to foot-pounds per second and the need to convert RPM to radians per second. There are questions about the appropriateness of using different unit systems and the meaning of variables in the formulas presented.

Discussion Status

Several participants have provided insights into unit conversions and formulas, with some expressing confusion about specific calculations and the implications of using mixed units. The conversation reflects a collaborative effort to clarify the setup of the problem without reaching a definitive conclusion.

Contextual Notes

There is an ongoing discussion about the relevance of using radians versus degrees in angular velocity, as well as the implications of using imperial versus metric units in the calculations. Participants are also addressing the potential confusion surrounding the variables used in the formulas.

wickid
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Hello,

I have been stuck on what is probably a fairly easy physics question involving Torque.

A high speed drill develops 0.500 HP at 1600 RPM. Wjat torque is applied to the drill bit?

I have the formula as T=P/Omega

P=.5 HP which I am unsure if I need to convert to another measure of unit
Omega = 1600 RPM which I am pretty sure needs to be converted into Degree

If someone could please help me set the problem up with the proper units, I would really appreciate it.
 
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It depends what units you want the Torque in.

You would have to be aware that 1HP is equal to 550 ft.lb/s, you also need to convert RPM to rad/s (multiply by 2pi/60), which is indicated by the word omega (angular velocity).

This produces the formula [tex]T=\frac{33000HP}{2{\pi}N}[/tex], and will be in lb. ft.
 
Delta said:
It depends what units you want the Torque in.

You would have to be aware that 1HP is equal to 550 ft.lb/s, you also need to convert RPM to rad/s (multiply by 2pi/60), which is indicated by the word omega (angular velocity).

This produces the formula [tex]T=\frac{33000HP}{2{\pi}N}[/tex], and will be in lb. ft.


Thank you for your response,

I am a bit confused as to how you got 33000HP.
Also to get Rad/S, I thought we would take 1600 RPM/60 s = 53.33 RPS * [tex]{2{\pi}[/tex] = 167.467 rad/s

Does the N refference Newtons in the divisor, or is it a number or another unit?

Also when using HP, we are converting to ft lbs, if dividing by omega in Rad/S aren't we using both british and metric units? Shouldn't we use degrees/s instead of Rad/s as they are both british units?

Please forgive me is I am missing something really basic, and I appreciate your assistance.
 
If you want to keep the HP and rpm units a direct calculation is:

[tex]HP = \frac{T \omega}{5252}[/tex]


That will give you the resultant torque in ft-Lbf.
 
The formula you have (T=P/omega) is is based on a metric system (i.e. standard SI units). HP is more of a imperial measurement.

The conversion of HP to ft.lb/s is by a factor of 550, the conversion of RPM to rad/s is by a factor of 2pi/60. And I should of mentioned that N represents the RPM. If these factors are included in the formula you gave above you get.

[tex]T=\frac{P}{\omega}[/tex]

[tex]T=\frac{HP*550}{N*2{\pi}/60}=\frac{60*550HP}{2{\pi}N}=\frac{33000HP}{2{\pi}N}[/tex]

On the note about degrees. Radians are always used in angular velocities and torques etc whatever the bias of other force units.

It may be best/easier (or more logical) to forget about the formula above and simply convert the HP to its lb.ft/s, the RPM to rad/s and plug them into your T=P/omega equation.
 
Yes, [itex]\tau=P/\omega[/itex] and [itex]\omega=2\pi f[/itex], where f is the revolution frequency; it is 1600 min^-1 or 26.7 s^-1. P=0.5 hp=275 ft-lbs/s. Now: Don't worry about systems of units! Just see whether or not the units cancel:
[tex]\tau=\frac{275\,\mbox{ft.lbs/sec}}{2\pi\times 26.7\,\mbox{/sec}}[/tex]
Notice that the inverse seconds in the numerator and denominator do cancel. That's what you want. Do the math and you are left with ft.lbs.
 
Thank you for your explanation.

Using your conversions and formula, am I correct in saying that the answer is Torque = 1.64 ft-lbs?
 
Last edited:

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