First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car

Hyundai Becomes First Company to Mass Produce Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car.

Hyundai says it will produce 1,000 ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles by 2015. Initial production will be for municipal fleets in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in Skane, Sweden. Early hydrogen vehicle deployments are limited to locations with a refueling infrastucture. With a Hyundai-reported driving range of 370 miles (594 km), there would be no need to refuel until the vehicle returns to the main garage at night.

 

Mass-produced, hydrogen-powered cars were once called the wave of the distant future. Hyundai just advanced the timetable as the first production Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell crossovers rolled off the production line in Ulsan, Korea, earlier this year. It’s based on the small crossover called the Hyundai Tucson in the US. The ix35/Tucson Fuel Cell converts hydrogen to electricity to power electric motors, rather than burning hydrogen in place of gasoline as BMW has done with its internal combustion hydrogen cars. Either way, the only emission is water vapor.

How Hyundai’s fuel cell works (caution: blonde joke follows): 

Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell engine compartmentA hydrogen fuel cell works by converting hydrogen to electricity inside the cell, where an anode and cathode are separated by a membrane. At the anode the hydrogen is split into electrons and protons (hydrogen ions). The polymer membrane only allows protons to pass, while the electrons flow through a battery to the electric motor. At the cathode, the hydrogen electrons and protons are reunited and combine with oxygen (outside air) to form water (H2O).

We hear Hyundai may also market a model that converts the components into H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide, for Swedish motorists who are not naturally blonde and wish to fit in. Stay tuned.

The hydrogen is stored in a pair of heavily armored tanks that combine for a capacity of 12.4 pounds (5.6kg) of heavily compressed hydrogen, which is a lot considering hydrogen in its natural, uncompressed state is lighter than air. Locomotion for the ix35 Fuel Cell comes from a 136hp (100kW) electric motor that tops out at 100 mph (160 kph). The energy is buffered by a 24kW lithium-ion polymer battery developed by LG Chemical and Hyundai.

Want one of your own? Today, they’d cost in “the upper $100,000s per car,” Frank Ahrens, a Hyundai spokesman, told US News & World Report. By the time Hyundai shifts from fleet sales to individual buyers, around 2015, the price might fall to $50,000.

The cost of being green

While the only emission from the vehicle is water vapor, there are concerns about how hydrogen gets to be hydrogen in the tank. Right now, a common conversion process takes natural gas, applies energy, and leaves behind a carbon footprint worse than any environmentalist would hope for. You could fare better in the short run just going with a natural gas vehicle such as the Honda Civic Natural Gas. Researchers are working on extracting hydrogen from other sources, whether sea water or the sludge in a waste treatment plant. (See: The fuel cell that turns poop into power.)

This is the third generation hydrogen vehicle from Hyundai/Kia since 1999. Another hydrogen backer is BMW, which showed a series of hydrogen-powered BMW 7 Series vehicles as limited production prototypes. BMW used liquified hydrogen, which requires different equipment at a hydrogen refueling station. While the effort to liquefy is greater, there’s more energy stored in a smaller package (that still takes up more than a third of the big sedan’s trunk). Liquid hydrogen also boils away over a couple weeks if it’s just garaged. But BMW burns the hydrogen in an engine that also burns gasoline, so just like a plug-in hybrid that doesn’t strand you when the battery charge runs down, this one is suitable as a long-distance tourer.

Safer than you think

The Hyundai production start-up preceded by just a couple weeks the (possibly) final word on what brought down the Hindenburg in 1937: a jolt of static electricity when the tethering lines grounded themselves to the earth in Lakehurst, NJ. Despite the jokes, a hydrogen-powered vehicle may be safer than a gas-engine car. The fuel is in incredibly well-armored tanks. If they overheat, the hydrogen is vented directly to the atmosphere and shoots up, while gasoline pools on the ground.

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Latest Mechanical Engineering Updates

Two-legged robots learn to walk like a human:

Details -- Teaching two-legged robots a stable, robust "human" way of walking – this is the goal of the international research project "KoroiBot" with scientists from seven institutions from Germany, France, Israel, Italy and the Netherlands. The experts from the areas of robotics, mathematics and cognitive sciences want to study human locomotion as exactly as possible and transfer this onto technical equipment with the assistance of new mathematical processes and algorithms. The European Union is financing the three-year research project that started in October 2013 with approx. EUR 4.16 million. The scientific coordinator is Prof. Dr. Katja Mombaur from Heidelberg University.

Whether as rescuers in disaster areas, household helps or as "colleagues" in modern work environments: there are numerous possible areas of deployment for humanoid robots in the future. "One of the major challenges on the way is to enable robots to move on two legs in different situations, without an accident – in spite of unknown terrain and also with possible disturbances," explains Prof. Mombaur, who heads the working group "Optimisation in Robotics and Biomechanics" at Heidelberg University's Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR). In the KoroiBot project the researchers will study the way humans walk e.g. on stairs and slopes, on soft and slippery ground or over beams and seesaws, and create mathematical models. Besides developing new optimisation and learning processes for walking on two legs, they aim to implement this in practice with existing robots. In addition, the research results are to flow into planning new design principles for the next generation of robots.

Besides Prof. Mombaur's group, the working group "Simulation and Optimisation" is also involved in the project at the IWR. The Heidelberg scientists will investigate the way movement of humans and robots can be turned into mathematical models. Furthermore, the teams want to create optimised walking movements for different demands and develop new model-based control algorithms. Just under EUR 900,000 of the European Union funding is being channelled to Heidelberg.

Source -- Phys Org.

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Driverless Cars

INVENTIONS OF DRIVER-LESS CARS

Driving is how you get things done yet it also stops you from getting even more things done. If only the act of driving were a thing of the past and you could become a passenger, get out your work, and let the vehicle be a real-life Jeeves. Well, a few companies are getting us closer to that futuristic feeling, though there's still a long way to go.

Here are some news from big players in driverless cars industry.

1-- Toyota's Test:

John Hanson, national manager for environmental, safety, and quality communications for Toyota, says it's gone this far because of the current state of the art in sensors and processing. "There are three basic aspects to how it works," he says. "It's the vehicle's ability to perceive its environment—actually see what's going on. The second part is it can process what it's "looking at." It's one thing to see it, another to understand it. The third part is the response. After it perceives its surroundings, can it respond, and do it quicker and with more precision than the driver?"

But Hanson says the autonomous ability wasn't created to lose the driver but to gain safety. "It's not so much an end game but was specifically a research project to use to further explore an integrated or layered approach to safety. What we showed in Vegas (at the Consumer Electronics Show) was a pre crash collision system. Our current pre-crash automotive technologies have been around for 10 years and have been evolving." Hanson feels the greatest barrier may actually be acceptance, not technological challenge. "Look at how hard it was for people to accept the functionality of a car that parallel parks," he says. "Many people identify themselves with driving. To give that up? Not as easy as you would think."

2-- Google and Audi:

Of course, Google is also in the game. In the first 300,000 miles, the Internet search leader reported that it hadn't had a single accident. With cameras and computers, it's become the eyes of the driver—but it also got the attention of the eyes of Californians, becoming legalized within the Golden State. Google has driverless cars as earmarked to be available within five years.

Audi is a player in the market as well, utilizing radar and LIDAR (light, detection and ranging). It boasts of an app that has the car show up in front of your house…or you can get out at the mall and have it go park itself. It also isn't afraid of heights as it was able to find its way to the top of Pike's Peak. 

Not satisfied, Audi is presently working on a car that actually can make traffic a selling point. While the vehicle is crawling along in gridlock, you can do anything you choose. Of course, it's easy to see the positive—until you ask the driver of that yellow cab you're flagging down. With so many in the driving and delivery industries, there could be countless jobs potentially lost. Even the valet is in trouble. And, for every fare from out of town who enjoyed the conversation of someone who knew the area, the feeling of isolation may be amplified just a little bit more. But change appears to be coming, even if it feels like it's crawling through traffic at the moment.

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Emerging Trends in Automotive Engineering

Not too many people know automotive trends the way the staff does at The Ohio State University's Center for Automotive Research (OSU CAR). This interdisciplinary research center at OSU's College of Engineering focuses on advanced electric propulsion and energy storage systems, engines and alternative fuels, intelligent transportation and vehicular communication systems, autonomous vehicles, vehicle chassis systems, and vehicle safety.

"One of the biggest trends right now in automotive engineering is improving engine efficiency and fuel economy," says Giorgio Rizzoni, director of OSU CAR . "This includes downsizing, down-speeding, direct fuel injection, and boosting."

Other engineering trends focus on improving transmissions (adding speeds), accessory load reduction through the intelligent energy management of other vehicle components, vehicle electrification, hybridization, improved battery management systems, new battery chemistries, and power electronics. "Weight reduction in vehicle subsystems is also being tested by using lightweight structures made from alternative materials such as aluminum, magnesium, composites, plastics, and multi-material construction," adds Rizzoni. 

1--Battery Systems:

Battery management systems are being designed to meet performance, life, and warranty goals for both batteries and their monitoring and management systems. "Automakers need to fully understand how varying operational limits affect the life of battery systems through extensive testing and modeling, followed by developing sophisticated algorithms to track and predict various parameters, such as state of charge and state of health through the life of the battery," comments Rizzoni. In order to expand battery operating range and reduce costs, some researchers are designing and testing new battery chemistries and subsystems. Advanced chemistries could allow batteries to operate through greater temperature extremes, last longer, and reduce weight and cost. Other efforts are being made to reduce the cost of the ancillary systems, such as cooling, to further reduce the total cost of the battery system.

2--Downsizing and Turbocharging:

The two main benefits in downsizing an internal combustion engine are thermodynamic and mechanical. "From a thermodynamic point of view, the engine operation will move towards higher loads, at which the engine efficiency is higher," says Rizzoni. "From the mechanical point of view, the positive aspect lies in the reduction of the friction in the piston units, together with the reduction of the number of cylinders."

Downsized engines are lighter than conventional engines, thereby reducing vehicle mass and the improving vehicle fuel consumption. Turbocharging recovers the energy of the exhaust gasses to increase the inducted charge, therefore increasing the power-to displacement ratio. "A downsized and turbocharged engine has the potential to have the same or better performance as a non-downsized, normally aspirated engine, with the advantage of a significant increase of fuel efficiency," says Rizzoni.

3--Advanced Combustion Modes:

Engineers are working to increase the efficiency of internal combustion engines by developing several advanced combustion modes. One of these modes is called (homogeneous charge compression ignition) HCCI. In the HCCI combustion, a highly homogenized mixture of air, fuel, and combustion products from the previous cycle is auto-ignited by compression. "This combustion mode aims at combining the advantages of modern diesel and gasoline combustion processes, namely low emissions and high efficiency," states Rizzoni. Another research trend targets ways to recover the energy that is normally dissipated through the coolant and the exhaust gas systems of automotive powertrains using innovative waste heat recovery devices. These systems can convert thermal energy into mechanical or electrical energy, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the vehicle. Organic Rankine cycle, thermoelectric systems, turbocompounding, and recuperative thermal management systems all have potential for significantly increase engine efficiencies. A smaller but still significant aspect of fuel-efficiency research is called "intelligent energy management." "This ability to more intelligently control the accessory loads in a vehicle—such as the alternator or power steering, etc.—will also contribute to better gas mileage," says Rizzoni.

"With smarter control of these loads and the addition of stop-start technology there can be significant increases in fuel economy, with small or no increase in total vehicle cost."

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PPT ON DTS-i

As it is for spark ignition so it will be applicable for only petrol engines. This technology is used for the efficient combustion of the charge (i.e air-fuel mixture). In it we use " two spark plugs" so that the fuel is ignited properly, for maximum economy and efficiency.

Digital - Since the spark generation will be initiated by a microchip.

Twin - Since two spark plugs will be used.

Spark ignition - Since the ignition will be done via a spark.

download ppt on DTS-i technology

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What is Turbo-Charger ?

A turbocharger, or turbo (colloquialism), from the Latin "turbō, turbin-" ("a spinning thing") is a forced induction device used to allow more power to be produced by an engine of a given size. It consists of a turbine wheel and a turbine housing, converts the engine exhaust gas into mechanical energy to drive the compressor.

The gas, which is restricted by the turbine's flow cross-sectional area, results in a pressure and temperature drop between the inlet and outlet. This pressure drop is converted by the turbine into kinetic energy to drive the turbine wheel.

There are two main turbine types: axial and radial flow. In the axial-flow type, flow through the wheel is only in the axial direction. In radial-flow turbines, gas inflow is centripetal, i.e. in a radial direction from the outside in, and gas outflow in an axial direction.

Up to a wheel diameter of about 160 mm, only radial-flow turbines are used. This corresponds to an engine power of approximately 1000 kW per turbocharger. From 300 mm onwards, only axial-flow turbines are used. Between these two values, both variants are possible.

As the radial-flow turbine is the most popular type for automotive applications, the following description is limited to the design and function of this turbine type.

In the volute of such radial or centripetal turbines, exhaust gas pressure is converted into kinetic energy and the exhaust gas at the wheel circumference is directed at constant velocity to the turbine wheel. Energy transfer from kinetic energy into shaft power takes place in the turbine wheel, which is designed so that nearly all the kinetic energy is converted by the time the gas reaches the wheel outlet.

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WHAT ARE THE SCOPES, CAREER PROSPECTS, DEMANDS AND PAY SCALES OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IN COMING YEAR ?

Mechanical Engineering finds application in all fields of technology. It is one of the primitive branches of Engineering which have remained always in demand and continue to be in the future. This is why Mechanical trade is called as an Evergreen trade (branch).Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering. It is also referred to as the ‘mother’ branch of engineering. Another appealing feature of mechanical engineering is that the application base of this field of study is extremely broad and diverse. Almost all inventions during the ancient period and a vast majority in the modern era are direct contributions of one or the other application of mechanics. Mechanical engineers have always been needed as an essential staff personnel in various industries of both public and private sector. Their work criteria changes according to the type and domain of the company they are working with.As the Industrial sector has drastically risen in pace, the need for more mechanical engineers has increased exponentially. Every manufacturing and production industry needs mechanical engineers to carry out jobs efficiently and flawlessly for their companies.

The aforementioned are the conventional roles and responsibilities of mechanical engineers. However, times have changed. Nowadays the scope of mechanical engineering is expanding beyond its traditional boundaries. Mechanical engineers are focussing their attention towards new areas of research such as nanotechnology, development of composite materials, biomedical applications, environmental conservation, etc.

Start Early :-

To make mechanical engineering your chosen career path, you must have affinity for the way different machines function. This trait can be observed from early childhood when children try to tinker around with different machinery in their immediate vicinity. Such kids often tend to take apart mechanical toys, clocks, bicycles and then they try to assemble them back again.

These children are so innovative that they may even try to make new things. Here, parents have a special role to play. They must understand that the child possesses an inquisitive mind that is interested in gaining knowledge about machinery and not in breaking or destroying things. Parents must encourage the child’s curiosity to know more about different gadgets and machines in and around the house.

During schooling, the quest to play around with machinery increases all the more. This curiosity often culminates with the child opting for science with the PCM subject combination.

Is it the Right Career for Me?

Like other career paths, the entry into this particular branch of engineering also requires you to possess certain basic traits. First and foremost, you must have a penchant for mechanical components and machinery and how these machines work. Then you must be good at physics, chemistry and mathematics. You must also have skills such as an analytical bent of mind, logical reasoning and problem solving.

Further, you must have immense patience, physical strength, ability to work for long hours and an inventive spirit that are essential ingredients for becoming a successful mechanical engineer.

What would it Cost Me?

A graduate programme from a private engineering institution will cost you anywhere between Rs. 1,0,000 to Rs. 3,00,000 annually. However, in a reputed government run establishment such as the Indian institute of Technology (IIT) or any regional engineering college, you will have to pay an annual fees in the range of anywhere between Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.

Funding/Scholarship

Educational institutes offering programmes in mechanical engineering generally extend scholarships to students from socially and economically backward classes. For example, IITs waive off the complete tuition fees for students belonging to the socially backward communities. Scholarships, freeships, stipends and financial assistance are also provided to students on the basis of merit and other qualifying criteria.

Step-by-Step:- 

Passing 10+2 with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) is the first step you take towards becoming a professional mechanical engineer. To be eligible for a graduate programme (BE/BTech) in a college, you should have scored at least 50% marks and 60% for being eligible for IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) in 10+2 with PCM as subjects. After this, you can sit for various entrance examinations such as:

•  The Joint Entrance Examination for IITs (IITJEE) for admission to various IITs

•  All-India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) for admission to various National Institutes of Technology or regional engineering colleges

Apart from these, there are hundreds of engineering colleges across the length and breadth of the country where you can get into a graduate programme in mechanical engineering. Some of these colleges conduct their own entrance exams whereas some accept AIEEE scores.

You can also opt for a diploma in engineering from a polytechnic. For obtaining a diploma, the basic eligibility is completion of Class 10 with 50% marks. The duration of these diploma courses is three-years for regular and four-years for part-time study.

You can also go for an associate membership qualification from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, which is considered at par with the diploma earned from a state run polytechnic or a university degree. Another option is to earn a similar qualification offered by the Institution of Engineering (India). Diploma holders can also get direct entry into the second year of a graduate program (lateral entry).

Subjects in Mechanical Engineering:-

Mechanical Engineers have to study a lot of physics, Engineering drawing, machine drawing and many more concepts such as :-

1).  Thermodynamics

2).   Strength of Materials

3).   Electrical Circuits  

4).   Statics

5).   Dynamics

6).   Kinematics

7).   Materials Science

8).   Theory of Machines

9).   Fluid Mechanics

10).  Heat Transfer

11).  Manufacturing

12).  Machine Design

13).  Laboratory Methods

14).  Vibrations

15).  Engineering Economics

16).  Metallurgy

17).  Manufacturing Process.

18).  Computer Aided Design/ Drafting (CAD)

19).  Automobile Engineering

20).  Industrial Automation and

21).  Robotics

After successful completion of the graduate program, you can go for the two-year masters program in mechanical engineering or ME/MTech. If you are interested in pursuing a post-graduate programme in mechanical engineering from any of the IITs, then you must appear for the Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineers (GATE).

These days many engineering colleges are offering a dual (BE/BTech and ME/MTech) programmes. Some other institutions are offering a combination of an engineering degree along with a management programme.

In case you are interested in further studies, you can go do a PhD or even opt for a management degree from a reputed business school.

Job Prospect

Since mechanical engineering is the broadest of all engineering fields, the job prospects on offer for skilled mechanical engineers are aplenty and unending. Mechanical engineers are required to design, test, manufacture, install, operate and maintain a wide array of machines and mechanical systems that are used in countless industries. These professionals can find employment both in the government and private sector undertakings.

Major industries that employ mechanical engineers include automobiles, space research, aeronautical, energy and utilities, air conditioning, bio-mechanical industry. Other major employers include giant manufacturing plants, air conditioning and refrigeration industry, turbine manufacturing plants, oil and gas exploration and refining industries and the agricultural sector.

In the government sector, mechanical engineers can provide their knowledge to various government run projects in the role of technical experts and consultants. They can also work in private engineering companies that provide technical consultancy to both government and corporate firms.

These engineers can also hold high managerial positions in government as well as private sector organisations according to their field of expertise and educational qualifications.

Pay Packet

Mechanical engineering offers a wide variety of career opportunities to job aspirants. The average monthly salary of mechanical engineers who are new to this profession is approximately in the range between Rs.15,000 and Rs.35,000. Good campus placements can fetch even better packages for deserving students. Mechanical engineers who hold a post-graduate degree from a reputed academic institute tend to get better offers than diploma and degree holders.

From here on the annual pay packet depends on a number of factors such as the skill set possessed, experience, expertise, the employer, nature of roles and responsibilities, etc. Highly skilled mechanical engineers can easily command pay packets as high as Rs 40-45 lacs per annum.

Demand and Supply

There is great demand for skilled mechanical engineers in different segments of the industry. Their expertise is required in traditional manufacturing industries such as automobiles, aviation, shipping, aerospace, power plants and machinery manufacturing. In recent times, the services of expert mechanical engineers have even been sought in fields such as nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, energy conservation and environmental engineering.

There is also great requirement for mechanical engineer consultants who have management skills along with technical proficiency. The primary role of such professionals is to manage both technology and people and firms that provide engineering consultancy require them.

Various engineering colleges and polytechnics across the country are doing their best to meet the burgeoning demand of skilled mechanical engineering professionals.

Market Watch

The job market for mechanical engineers is perennial. Even the vagaries of the global economic crisis could not knock out the demand for these professionals in the Indian job market. Although some branches of mechanical engineering went out of focus during the meltdown period, the overall situation was much better as compared with other careers. On the brighter side, things are getting back to normal and this evergreen career path is again gaining coin amongst career aspirants as it did during the pre-meltdown years.

In fact, this is a period of resurgence for mechanical engineers. They not only have countless options in the industrial sector but they can also make foray into new realms of technology and even get into management and technical consultancy.

According to a survey, mechanical engineering is amongst the most sought after branches of engineering preferred by students seeking admission to various technical institutes across India in the recent years.

International Focus

Highly qualified professionals from this field, such as post-graduates from various IITs, often seek suitable employment in foreign countries. It is not that only highly qualified mechanical engineers get opportunity to work abroad. If you are employed in a multinational company, you may also get the chance to work on offshore projects

Positives/Negatives

+ives :-

•  There are umpteen job openings and you will not remain unemployed

•  Constant involvement in the development of new components, gadgets and machines

•  Innovative contribution to the new frontiers of science such as nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and environmental sciences

•  Not hit by recession or global economic meltdown

-ives :-

•  Working conditions can be adverse at times

•  Deadlines and work pressure can exact a heavy toll on the body and mind

•  Physically strenuous and not for the weak

Different Roles, Different Names

Mechanical engineering is considered the ‘mother’ of all branches of engineering. In this context the roles and responsibilities held by a mechanical engineer are different and depend on their area of specialisation and the industry they are working for.

In broad terms, the job profile of mechanical engineers can be classified into the following functional segments:

•  Research and Development (R&D): Engineers whose role is to do research and then plan for new machines and their constituent parts.

•  Design: Professionals whose responsibility is to draft technical drawings, manually or with the aid of computers.

•  Production: Engineers who supervise the manufacturing of mechanical components and machines.

•  Analysis and testing: Engineers who analyse and test different types of machines and their parts to ensure that they function flawlessly.

•  Installation: Professionals who install machines and mechanical parts at the client location.

•  Maintenance: Engineers whose primary role is to ensure that machinery is working as per specifications.

Top Companies

1.  Automobile and auto part manufacturers

2.  Aerospace industry

3.  Various Government sector undertakings

4.  Aviation companies

5.  Steel plants

6.  Thermal plants and gas turbine manufacturers

7.  Air conditioning and refrigeration industry

8.  Shipping industry

9.  Engineering consultancies

10. Armed forces

Tips for Getting Hired

1.  It is advisable to earn a post-graduate degree in this field

2.  Computer proficiency is a must these days

3.  You must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills

4.  A management degree further brightens your career prospects

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What is Digital Twin Spark Ignition (DTS-i) ?

DTS-i - Digital twin Spark Ignition is a revolution in the modern motorcycling era in the country today and we are the first to offer it to Consumers. This technology offers phenomenal performance augmentation and was introduced for the first time on the highly successful Pulsar twins. It is also being patented by Bajaj Auto Ltd.For faster and better combustion. Currently one spark plug at one end of the combustion chamber is the conventional practice. The flame front created by the spark takes some time to reach the farthest portion of the combustion chamber. This leads to slower burning of the air-fuel mixture and creates limitations in optimizing the combustion chamber characteristics. Two spark plugs at either ends of the combustion chamber help in faster and better combustion.This combustion process of Twin Spark Plugs is being patented by Bajaj Auto Ltd. (Digital Twin Spark Ignition).

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What is Anti-lock braking system (ABS)?

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) is an automobile safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to maintain tractive contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up (ceasing rotation) and avoiding uncontrolled skidding. It is an automated system that uses the principles of threshold braking and cadence braking which were practiced by skillful drivers with previous generation braking systems. It does this at a much faster rate and with better control than a driver could manage.

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What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering is the study, design, development, construction, and testing of mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines. Mechanical engineering careers center on creating technologies to meet a wide range of human needs.

Mechanical engineering is a diverse subject that derives its breadth from the need to design and manufacture everything from small individual parts and devices (e.g., microscale sensors and inkjet printer nozzles) to large systems (e.g., spacecraft and machine tools). The role of a mechanical engineer is to take a product from an idea to the marketplace. In order to accomplish this, a broad range of skills are needed. The mechanical engineer needs to acquire particular skills and knowledge. He/she needs to understand the forces and the thermal environment that a product, its parts, or its subsystems will encounter; to design them for functionality, aesthetics, and the ability to withstand the forces and the thermal environment they will be subjected to; and to determine the best way to manufacture them and ensure they will operate without failure. Perhaps the one skill that is the mechanical engineer’s exclusive domain is the ability to analyze and design objects and systems with motion.

Read more about mechanical engineering vs electrical engineering ..........

http://mechaniclengineering.blogspot.in/2013/01/mechanical-engineering-vs-electrical.html

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Most recent Projects for Mechanical Engineering Students

THESE ARE THE MOST RECENT PROJECTS FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENS :-

1). AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM.

2). AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM WITH AUTO PATH CHANGER.

3). AUTOOBJECT REJECTION AND AUTO PICKING SYSTEM.

4). AUTO DRIL MECHANISM FOR WORK PIECE.

5). MULTILEVEL PARKING LILFT.

6). AUTO PATH FINDER ROBOT WITH TWO SENSOR.

7). AUTO PATH FINDER + ANTI FALLING MECHANISM.

8). AUTO RAILWAY CROSSING MECHANISM.

9). AUTO BRAKING OF TWO TRAIN.

10). GPS SYSTEM IN TRAIN.

11). MECHANICAL TOLLE BRIDGE SYSTEM.

12). GSM CONTROL ROBOTIC ARM.

13). PC CONTROL WIRELESS CAR.

14). PC CONTROL WIRELESS METRO.

15). PC CONTROL UN-MANNED VEHICLE PROGRAMMED.

16). SPEED CONTROL OF DC MOTOR.

17). INFRA RED CONTROL MOVING PLATFORM.

19). ENERGY THROUGH BUSY ROAD.

20). MOTOR CONTROL ROBOTIC ARM.

21). MOTOR BASED ROBOTIC ARM.

22). AUTO STOP, AUTO MOVE MATERIAL HANDLING TROLLY SYSTEM IN INDUSTRY.

23). MECHANICAL WIND MILL SYSTEM.

24). MULTI-FLOOR LIFT SYSTEM.

25). AUTO START, AUTO THROUGH MATERIAL HANDLING LIFT SYSTEM.

26).   BUILD ELECTRIC TWO WHEELER BIKE.

27).   GPS SYSTEM IN TRAIN.

28).   GSM CONTROL ROBOTIC ARM.

29).   PC CONTROL WIRELESS CAR.

30).   PC CONTROL WIRELESS METRO.

31).   PC CONTROL UN-MANNED VEHICLE PROGRAMMED.

32).   SPEED CONTROL OF DC MOTOR.

33).   INFRA RED CONTROL MOVING PLATFORM.

34).  ENERGY THROUGH BUSY ROAD.

35).   MOTOR CONTROL ROBOTIC ARM.

36).    MOTOR BASED ROBOTIC ARM.

37).    AUTO STOP, AUTO MOVE MATERIAL HANDLING TROLLY SYSTEM IN INDUSTRY.

38).   VEHICLE HANDLIG, STABILITY, AND BIFURCATION ANALYSIS FOR NON-LINEAR VRCHICLE MODELS.

39).  AMPHIBEAN ROBOTIC CAR.

40). DRIVER LESS CAR.

SEE MORE PROJECTS ..... http://mechaniclengineering.blogspot.in/2013/10/1oo-new-minor-and-major-project-for.html

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Minor and Major Project for Mechanical engineering

THERE ARE NEW PROJECTS FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENS. IF ANYONE FACE ANY PROBLEM IN ANY PROJECT THEN COMMENT IN COMMENT BOX WE HELP YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE :-

1).   Energy through busy road.

2). Virtual Reality Modeling of a Car Suspension.

3). Vehicle Shaping for Mine Blast Damage Reduction.

4). Future Internal Combustion Engines Mechanical Project.

5). Industrial Training Presentation On Optimization of wind.

6). turbine generators using Heat Pipe.

7). Tidal Power The Future Wave Of Power Generation.

8). Two Stroke Engine Using Reed Valves.

9). Velozeta Six Stroke Engine Mechanical Project Report.

10). Low Cost Wind Power Plant Project Report.

11). HVAC Thermostat.

12). Torque converter for slow speed motor.

13). Fluid Energy Milling.

14). Modal Analysis on an Exhaust Manifold to define a Catalyst FE-model.

15). Investigation of Methods to Detect Defects in Thin Layered Materials.

16). Snake Well Drill.

17). New Age Tyres.

18). Correlation of Sinusoidal Sweep Test to Field Random Vibrations.

19). Infrared Thermography.

20). Shock Waves and Shock Diamonds.

21). Micro/Meso-scale Manufacturing.

22). Transferring Of Movement For Steering Equipment.

23). ACC-Plus(Adaptive Crusie Control+) System.

24). Project On HVAC.

25). Cam-less engine with electromechanical valve actuator.

26). Fuzzy Logic Applied to Motor Control.

27). Vacuum Braking System.

28).Pseudoelasticity and Shape Memory in Metal Nanowires.

29). System design & development in calculation of response time for air brake system.

30). Ground Source Cooling System.

31). Rijke Tube.

32). Active Electrically Controlled Suspension.

33). Turning device.

34). Plasma Arc welding.

35). Quantum Chromo Dynamics.

36). Seminar on Hybrid Vehicle.

37). MEMS In Industrial Automation.

38). Trends in welding.

39). Diesel engines working,Repair and Maintenance.

40). Magneto Abrasive Flow Machining.

41). Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD).

42). Efficient pneumatic motor design.

43). Training Report on Hydraulic system at BEL.

44). Variable Length Intake Manifold (VLIM).

45). Flywheel energy storage device.

46). Cable recoil system that does not use a spring, recoil is on a rotating shaft.

47). Vehicle handling, stability, and bifurcation analysis for non-linear vehicle models.

48). Load tests and many other tests on composite material.

49). Automatic automotive block heater connection.

50). Water as an Alternate Fuel.

51). Turbines in silicon.

52). Hydraulic car lift.

53). Hybrid Motorcycles.

54). Space Elevator.

55). Fuel Energizer.

56). Effects of Solder-Dipping as a Termination Re-Finishing Technique.

57). Mechatronics Project On Automated Cantilever Strain Measurement.

58). HydroPower Project.

59). Aeronautical Projects .

60). Design and Development of Smoke flow Visualization system.

61). Design and fabrication of Sub Marine.

62). Car Locator Project.

63). Generate Electricity from Dance Floor.

64). mini homemade wood lathe machine.

65). Perpetual Motion Machine.

66). Lean Manufacturing.

67). Air Compressed Cars.

68). Air Bike.

69). Build Electric Two Wheeler Bike.

70). Design Of Jaw Crusher.

SEE MORE .... http://mechaniclengineering.blogspot.in/2013/10/most-recent-projects-for-mechanical.html

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WHAT IS POWER SHIFTING?

Power shifting (also known as; full-throttle shifting, flat-shifting, or speed shifting)is a method of shifting used with manual transmissions to reduce the time where the driving wheels are not powered. Unlike a normal gearchange, in a powershift the driver does not let off the accelerator. 

The clutch is briefly depressed while the shift lever is rapidly shifted into a higher gear, keeping the engine in its power band. This helps the car accelerate faster, but increases the wear on the clutch and the transmission beyond normal levels and shortens the expected life of these components. Flat-shifting may also increase fuel consumption. In most cases, there is a method of cutting the ignition and/or fuel delivery, in a similar fashion to a rev-limiter, which prevents the engine from over-revving when the load from the transmission is removed. The technique lends itself especially well to sequential transmissions as found on most motorcycles and some race cars.

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WHY DOES MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR MAKE A LOUD WHIRRING NOISE IN REVERSE?

WHY DOES MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR MAKE A LOUD WHIRRING NOISE IN REVERSE?

Manual transmissions use mostly helical gears, but reverse is a special situation that requires a different type of gear - a spur gear.

The gears that make up the forward gear ratios are all helical gears. The teeth on helical gears are cut at an angle to the face of the gear. When two teeth on a helical gear system engage, the contact starts at one end of the tooth and gradually spreads as the gears rotate, until the two teeth are in full engagement. This gradual engagement makes helical gears operate much more smoothly and quietly than spur gears. Also, because of the angle of the gear teeth, more teeth are in engagement at any one time. This spreads the load out more and reduces stresses.

The only problem with helical gears is that it is hard to slide them in and out of engagement with each other. On a manual transmission the forward gears stay engaged with each other at all times, and collars that are controlled by the shift stick lock different gears to the output shaft (see How Manual Transmissions Work for details). The reverse gear on your manual transmission uses an idler gear (the large spur gear visible at the right side of the picture below), which has to slide into mesh with two other spur gears at the same time in order to reverse the direction of rotation.

Spur gears, which have straight teeth, slide into engagement much more easily than helical gears, so the three gears used for reverse are spur gears>
Each time a gear tooth engages on a spur gear, the teeth collide instead of gently sliding into contact as they do on helical gears. This impact makes a lot of noise and also increases the stresses on the gear teeth. When you hear a loud, whirring noise from your car in reverse, what you are hearing is the sound of the spur gear teeth clacking against one another!

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HOW THE POWER(rack and pinion) STEERING WORKS?

The components of the power steering consist of:

• Power steering pump

•Power steering fluid

•Speed sensor

•Steering rack

•Steering wheel

The POWER STEERING PUMP  It is a rotary pump driven by a belt from the main pulley of the engine at roughly twice engine speed. This pump is designed to circulate POWER STEERING FLUID through the SPEED SENSOR and at very high pressure from the pump to the STEERING RACK. STEERING WHEEL movements cause pressurized fluid to be directed one way or the other inside the steering rack.

The steering rack is under the vehicle between the front wheels. The power steering fluid is directed under pressure to the rack. The steering wheel provides input from the driver to the rack, directing power assist when necessary.

Power steering fluid is designed to withstand about 1200 lbs of pressure without breaking down or foaming. Hondas use a special fluid that is a type of whale oil. Do not attempt to use any other type of fluid, as it will foam under pressure and destroy the seals in the rack assembly causing loss of fluid resulting in loss of power assisted steering.

The speed sensor is attached to the transmission and senses vehicle speed. The power steering system is designed to provide maximum assist when the vehicle is traveling slowly. As speed increases, assist pressure decreases. So that at 35 MPH the power steering is providing no assist. The power resumes with reduction of speed.

On vehicles with four wheel steering, the front rack assembly provides power assist to the rear wheels.

A new type of power steering is now available on the Civic hybrid. This steering is based on electricity, not fluid. This means that the power steering is available, even if the engine is not running, such as when the auto off feature is in effect. The electrical power steering has several benefits: Less power from the engine to operate, more precise steering, power steering is available at all times, not to mention less weight.
...and that's the way the power steering works!! :)

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