Wide open throttle (WOT) refers to an internal combustion engine's maximum intake of air and fuel that occurs when the throttle plates inside the carburetor or throttle body are "wide open", providing the least resistance to the incoming air. In the case of an automobile, WOT is when the accelerator is depressed fully, sometimes referred to as "flooring it".
In the case of a diesel engine, which does not have a throttle valve, WOT is the point at which the maximum amount of fuel is being injected relative to the amount of air pumped by the engine, generally in order to bring the fuel-air mixture up to the stoichiometric point. If any more fuel were to be injected then black smoke would result.
At WOT, manifold vacuum decreases. The higher manifold pressures in turn allow more air molecules to enter the combustion cylinders, and thus additional molecules of fuel are required to balance the combustion reaction. The additional molecules of air and fuel reacting together produce more power. Ideally, to preserve driveability and fuel economy, manifold vacuum should not fall any lower than 1 inHg (3.4 kPa).
Famous quotes containing the words wide, open and/or throttle:
“Hail, hail, plump paunch, O the founder of taste
For fresh meats, or powdered, or pickle, or paste;
Devourer of broiled, baked, roasted or sod,
And emptier of cups, be they even or odd;
All which have now made thee so wide i’ the waist
As scarce with no pudding thou art to be laced;
But eating and drinking until thou dost nod,
Thou break’st all thy girdles, and break’st forth a god.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
“Rats!
They fought the dogs and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cooks’ own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men’s Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women’s chats
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.”
—Robert Browning (1812–1889)
“Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,
Casey Jones, throttle in his hand,
Casey Jones mounted to the cabin,
Took his farewell journey to the Promised Land.”
—Unknown. Casey Jones (l. 49–52)