Otto vs. Diesel Engines: Understanding Internal Combustion
Otto Engine: Principles and Operation
Otto engines are internal combustion engines that use a mixture of gasoline and air. They feature an electric ignition system and intake and exhaust valves controlled by a distribution system. The Otto cycle consists of four strokes:
- Ignition: At the end of the compression cycle, the air-fuel mixture is ignited by a spark plug.
Otto Engine Components
The Otto engine consists of:
- A reciprocating piston
- A connecting rod
- A crankshaft
The piston moves within the cylinder
Read MoreTomographic Reconstruction Algorithms: Backprojection, DFR, and FBP
Tomographic Reconstruction Algorithms
Backprojection
Load sinogram: load X.mat
Plot the sinogram: imagesc(sinogram)
Determine the value of the constants numOfAngularProjections and numOfParallelProjections. Each one represents the amount of orientations of the X-ray tube (theta) and the number of X-ray detectors (r), respectively. The latter variable (numOfParallelProjections) defines the original size of the image: size(sinogram)
Generate the array thetas that will contain the angular orientations of
Technical Vocabulary: Engineering, Aviation, and Maritime Terms
Technical Vocabulary: Engineering, Aviation, and Maritime
Topic 1
- Drift: To be carried along in an uncontrolled way by currents of air or water.
- Drag: To move slowly or with effort.
- Log: To enter in a record, as of a ship or an aircraft.
- Overboard: From on board a vessel into the water.
- Surveying: Recording the precise positions of natural features and structures, often in order to draw up maps or plans (a survey/a surveyor).
- Geological: Related to the ground/rocks/soil (geology, a geologist).
- Civil Engineering:
Adhesives, Mechanical Restraint, and Material Properties
Adhesives and Mechanical Restraint
Mechanical Restraint
Mechanical restraint involves using different methods to hold materials together mechanically. These methods use separate hardware components, such as clips. Restraint methods are divided into two main classes:
- Those that create a permanent bond (e.g., rivets).
- Those that allow disassembly (e.g., threaded fasteners such as screws, bolts, and nuts).
Mechanical assemblies are preferred over other joining processes for several reasons:
- Manufacturing
Object Analysis and Structural Mechanics
Research and Development (R&D)
Why analyze objects?
- To determine the object’s size.
- To understand how it has been assembled or manufactured.
- To find alternatives.
- To identify the parts.
- To analyze the connections between parts.
Methods of Analysis
Phase 1: Identification
- Name: What is the object called?
- Utility: What is its purpose?
Phase 2: Anatomy
- Description: A detailed account of the object’s physical characteristics.
Phase 3: Operation
- Parts: Individual components.
- Operation: How each part functions.
- Assembly:
Understanding Energy Sources and Electric Power Plants
Energy Sources and Their Uses
The energy we consume serves both household and industrial purposes. Energy sources are natural resources from which we obtain different forms of energy that can be transformed for specific uses.
Electricity: The Dominant Energy Form
Electricity is the most widely used form of energy in industrialized societies because:
- It can be transformed into other forms of energy.
- It can be transported long distances inexpensively.
Electric Power Plants: Transforming Energy
Electric power
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