Basic Information on Horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of power utilized to express the rate of employed mechanical energy. Basically it measures work accomplished in a straight line, the opposite of torque, which is the force on an object that causes it to rotate. This power unit was established by James Watt, steam engine inventor and the name behind the unit of power known as watt.
The Scottish engineer needed to find a way to rate the capabilities of his invented steam engines so he could start selling them. These started to replace horses as the main source of industrial power during that time. The measurement of horsepower came from conclusions Watt made out of his observations and calculations of the work of a typical horse.
Horsepower was originally measured as 550 foot-pounds per second (ft-lb/s). It is now defined as 33,000 lb ft/minute, or 1 hp per 746 W (watts) or 0.746 kW (kilowatts). Converting horsepower to watts involves multiplying the number by 746; converting watts to horsepower is the amount multiplied by 0.00134. Horsepower to kilowatts entails multiplying the number by 1.34.
One horsepower is equal to lifting 33,000 pounds, 1 foot in a minute; lifting 1 pound, 33,000 feet in a minute; lifting 100 pounds, 33 feet in 6 seconds. This unit expresses the power of automobiles and engine-driven machines. A modern car usually has 125 to 200 horsepower and cars with extremely high performance have 400 horsepower. A load lifter typically has around 70-100 hp.
Horsepower wars among car manufacturers were popular in the 1960s, but high ratings rebound when insurance companies started to charge more. It was assumed that testing horsepower without auxiliary items placed higher risk. Figures and procedures were more consistent in the 1970s, and these days, credible systems such as k&n air intake system provide an increase in horsepower.
This unit has been around for up to two centuries, and vehicle manufacturers continuously come up with other ways to change engine ratings. The rating horsepower can also be found in other machines like a load lifter, lawn mower, a chain saw, or a vacuum cleaner. Horsepower has gone a long way, from the manual labor of a horse to the mechanical wonders of an automobile.
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