What is Engine: Definition and 999 Discussions

An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one form of energy into mechanical energy. Heat engines convert heat into work via various thermodynamic processes. The internal combustion engine is perhaps the most common example of a heat engine, in which heat from the combustion of a fuel causes rapid pressurisation of the gaseous combustion products in the combustion chamber, causing them to expand and drive a piston, which turns a crankshaft. Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, pneumatic motors use compressed air, and clockwork motors in wind-up toys use elastic energy. In biological systems, molecular motors, like myosins in muscles, use chemical energy to create forces and ultimately motion.

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  1. P

    Engine Turbochargers and Intercoolers

    The power output of an automobile engine is directly proportional to the mass of air that can be forced into the volume of the engine's cylinders to react chemically with gasoline. Many cars have a turbocharger which compresses the air before it enters the engine, giving a greater mass of air...
  2. M

    Questions about stroked A084 surplus engine

    The Govt. Surplus GenSet engine A084 is a four cylinder, four stroke, 1390cc/84cu.in. aircooled flat four with a 3 in. bore and a 3 in. stroke. It was made by the thousands by Hercules and resembles a Lycoming shrunk in the dryer. It has been converted to experimental aircraft use and faily...
  3. W

    Unlimited Fuel for Starship Engines: The Key to Human-made Space Travel

    If human can build the starship but how there having a drive engine system that have a more reliable and infinite source of fuel?
  4. D

    Estimating engine parameters

    Homework Statement Several velocities, time, and length scales are useful in understanding what goes on inside engines. Make estimates of the following quantities for a 1.6-liter displacement four-cylinder spark-ignition engine, operating at wide-open throttle at 2500 rev/min. a. The mean...
  5. X

    Airflow for engine room ventilation

    hello fellow engineers! i just started work at a marine company and was assigned to investigate on this formula. it is from ISO 8861 and used to caculate the airflow needed for heat evacuation in a engine room. this is the formula, airflow needed = (heat emitted from engine and all other...
  6. K

    Stirling Engine Theory - Mechanically Driven

    Hi, I have had an idea floating around regarding stirling engines, and was hoping that somone may be able to provide some information. Supposing a stirling engine is run mechanically, one side heats up, the other cools down. what would happen if the cool side was heated externally...
  7. T

    Compressed Air Engine for a cycle

    A friend and I are working on this idea which is fairly common, but I'm having trouble starting out. The idea is that of a compressed air engine. Where we take a normal, small capacity engine and modify it such that only compressed air, stored in tanks is sufficient to move the piston. Now...
  8. I

    Small Liquid Rocket Engines for Sale | Glow Fuel Propellant

    Hello, I'm in the process of building a small liquid rocket engine that uses glow fuel as propellant. Can anyone direct me to a company that sells small liquid rocket engines? Thank you.
  9. S

    I have an engine cycle in mind looking for it's name

    This is a simple question I have because I am looking at a particular engine cycle, and I can't seem to think of its name...thus it is very difficult to search for discussions of something you don't know the name of. I'll describe the cycle, if anyone knows the name of the cycle please let me...
  10. U

    Can combustor on piston engine?

    I found this engine amoung the many on the web from inventors out there. Essentially this person adapted a can combustor onto an inline cylinder engine with turbos. Below I pasted the description from the site. What are your thoughts on this one...
  11. wolram

    Most Efficient Engines: Beyond ICEs

    I am not talking about just ICE, but any thing that converts matter to energy.
  12. H

    Statics with an engine regulator

    Homework Statement [PLAIN]http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7379/unledtzc.png (The rods are of length L, there is no friction, massless rods, yadee yadee yada) At a certain angular speed \omega, the counterweight performs uniform circular motion. Show that \omega and \theta are related as...
  13. C

    I wanted to know that what exactly is Knocking in an engine cylinder.

    I wanted to know that what exactly is Knocking in an engine cylinder. I know it's a kind of a fault. But how and whole process leading to it is, what i want to know. Any reply will be well appreciated. :D Yash
  14. M

    Can an Electromagnetic Pulse Engine Revolutionize the Automotive Industry?

    This is my first posting with the forum and I hope I have chosen the appropriate topic. I am a 25 year automotive technician and have been pursuing an alternative application for the automotive industry. It is the electromagnetic pulse engine, which basically utilizes a regular 4 cylinder...
  15. J

    Mechanism for Alcubierre engine?

    The theorized Alcubierre engine is purported to be capable of transporting a ship faster than the speed of light. I'm aware of the theory's problems associated with how much energy would be required to operate such an engine. This isn't my question. Apparently gravity waves, waves in the...
  16. M

    Engine balancing:possibility of a completely balanced engine

    Is it possible for engines to be completely balanced?well I recently saw an engine manufacturing facility where crankshafts were machined , balanced and then assembled ,hence when the engine finally comes out can it be called a completely balanced engine?
  17. S

    Strengthing metal engine harness bracket to support intake pipe

    hello! My first post here. I am by no means a mechanical engineer as I studied computer science in college. My question has to do with adding what is known as a cold air intake onto my vehicle. The design of the intake is such that the pipe fits at the throttle body via a silicone/rubber...
  18. S

    What Are the Advantages of Flexible Engine Assembly in Modern Manufacturing?

    Hello everyone outhere. Newbie here, I'm senthuran, I'm a 3rd year B.Tech Mechanical Engineering student at Dr.M.G.R university in chennai south India. My project comes up in my 8th semester. I underwent a 15 day inplant training at BMW assembly plant in chennai. I spoke to a few people there...
  19. G

    My Rs.50 DIY Pulsejet Engine - See Video & Pictures

    this is a small pulsejet designed by me..it produces around 2pounds thrust..This is the cheapest pulsejet engine you could make it costs around Rs.50..i will post the video tomorrow because i forgot to take my cellphone with me..But here is the engine pictures. here is the plan.. here is the...
  20. I

    What to study in prep for writing a physics engine?

    I'd like to first say that I'm not really sure which forum this is supposed to belong in. This one seems to fit best, but my question may be better in one of the math/physics forums... I'm planning on going through the resources Chris Hecker recommends in his article Physics References...
  21. P

    Space Time Frame Drag Engine Concept

    This occurred to me when I first heard of the Space Time Frame Drag effect, which was confirmed by the results of Gravity Probe B (GP-B). http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/04may_epic/" I am not a scientist or a mathematician, so I turn to my fellow humans who are. Do...
  22. T

    Coupling multiple engine onto one drive shaft

    I’ve been searching high and low for an answer to this question. What actually HAPPENS if two engines were to power one drive shaft? I heard back in the days that cars were built this way to break speed records, and I heard present day it is used in tractors, but what increase. My question...
  23. A

    Mission using Pratt and Whitney TRITON engine

    Using the TRITON engine, assuming it worked, starting from low Earth orbit about how long would it take to get to mars?EDIT: The Triton is a nuclear thermal rocket design, but I can't seem to find too much info about it.
  24. C

    Books on engine building or modification

    Hi, I'm looking for some good books on engine building or modification. Any suggestions or preferences would be appreciated.
  25. B

    Combustion Rate for SI Engine

    I wanted some help in finding out the time taken for a differential mass of gasoline being burnt in the cylinder during the power stroke. Also, does it depend on the residual temperature of the mixture? I tried to find it out through Arrhenius equations but am having a problem finding out...
  26. M

    Thermodynamics total engine displacement help

    Homework Statement A 6 cylinder engine has cylinders wirh a bore of 115mm and a stroke of 145mm Each cylinder also has a clearance volume of 300 cubic centimeter. This engine operates on a four stroke ideal otto cycle and at 3000 rpm. The temperature and pressure of the intake air is 25...
  27. Z

    Carnot engine ( Thermodynamics )

    Homework Statement 8. A house is cooled by an air conditioner. The outside temperature is 32°C and the inside temperature is 21°C. The heat leakage into the house is 9000 kcal/hr. If the air conditioner has the efficiency of a Carnot engine, what is the mechanical power required to keep the...
  28. S

    Understanding the Importance of Proper Lubrication for High Performance Engines

    What are the uses of mineral oils and self contained lubrication system in internal combustion engine? Please answer fast Its urgent
  29. W

    Any good reverse image search engine out there?

    I am looking for something on the lines of this - http://www.tineye.com/ . i.e a site where one uploads an image and it gives back similar images from other websites. (note - I am not asking for face recognition or similar thing , that I guess would be a big demand . I just wanted to find...
  30. N

    Efficiency of a heat engine at high temps

    Homework Statement What is the maximum effciency of a heat engine whose operating tempuratures are 550oC and 365oC? Homework EquationsE=1-Thot/Tcold The Attempt at a SolutionPLEASE HELP! My thinking is that the effciency is equal two one minus the temperature in the hot resavour...
  31. C

    Can a Home-Made Turbine Engine Be Built on a Tight Budget Using Scrap Car Parts?

    hi this is my first post on here so please be gentle. my names chris and I am an aerospace engineering student and i would like to build a jet engine based around a turbo charger, i know this concept isn't new but its something i would like to build. I am on a tight budget so i need to build...
  32. J

    What is the Constant Torque Applied in a Simple Piston Engine?

    Homework Statement Find the constant Torque being applied. We are given a diagram of a piston engine, along with the masses of piston, flywheel and rod connecting the two. I know that the expanding gas in the piston does 4 kJ of work. I know that at the beginning of each rotation the engine...
  33. J

    Using two 18V engines instead of one 36V engine?

    Ok, so I am working on a project for the summer that involves building a robot-like RC car/atv (for off-road). I want to figure out the cheapest way to get an engine that will output 1hp (which I am pretty sure is pretty close to 36 VDC, correct me if I am wrong though). Is there a way to...
  34. D

    Jet Engine Question Homework: Find Thrust w/ 100% Efficiency

    Homework Statement The major difference between a jet engine and a rocket engine is that a rocket carries its own oxidizer, usually in the form of liquid oxygen (LOX). A jet takes in air from the atmosphere as it moves, uses it to burn the fuel, and then ejects all the gases out the back...
  35. O

    Understanding the Salt Engine: Effects of Salt on an Engine

    how does salt turned into an engine affect?
  36. C

    Thermodynamics lab: Heat Engine Examination

    Homework Statement Calculate the Power, Efficiency, air to fuel ratio. torque-3.809Nm speed-3137.207 l/min T1 Temperature Exhaust=412.598degC T2 Temperature Ambient=19.141degC T3 Temperature Fuel=18.994degC dv/dt Volumetric Flow Air=109.954 l/min p fuel Fuel Pressure= 21.475 mbar...
  37. Telemachus

    What is the Final Temperature of Hot Body C in a Thermodynamic Engine Cycle?

    Homework Statement A thermodynamic engine is operated between two cooler bodies A and B, extracting work until the two cooler bodies reach a common temperature T_f. This work is then used as the input to a heat pump, extracting heat from the cooler pair and heating the hot body C. Find the...
  38. M

    Converting a Small Engine to Run on Hydrogen: Challenges & Questions

    For a Science Expo project I will be converting a small engine to run off hydrogen. I have in mind a cheap four stroke water pump. My father said he is willing to let us use...
  39. L

    Confused by Mark Scheme: Exam Q on Fire Engine Sound Wave

    I've just finished some past exam papers and when marking them using the mark scheme something confused me a little One question said when a fire engine moves away from an observer, the pitch of the siren decreased, why and I chose the wavelength of the sound wave decreases The mark scheme...
  40. D

    Hican u please tell me the meaning of Idling of an engine ?

    Hi..can u please tell me the meaning of Idling of an engine...?
  41. G

    Steam engine at room temperature

    Let's say we have a room in which it is around 20° C and at normal pressure. There is a substance that is a liquid, but when the temperature increases to 25° C or so, it rapidly expands, whether that is by boiling (conversion to gas), or just by expanding as a liquid. First question: does...
  42. S

    Calculating km/hr from engine rpm

    Homework Statement the gear ratio between crankshaft and driveshaft calculates to be 13.579 at first gear the diameter of the car wheel is 0.6m the transmission efficiency is 0.85 weight of the car is 1200kg if the engineer is running at 1500rpm how do you calculate the speed in...
  43. T

    Uncovering the Mechanics of Thrust in a Turbojet Engine

    Hi! I have a question about how thrust is made from a turbojet engine. The most common explanation goes something like "As the fluid gets accelerated there is a net force". I don't think this explanation is either good nor rigorous. The force that accelerates the fluid is, of course, the...
  44. J

    Start car engine with dry cell

    hi there, do anyone here try to start car engine with dry cell(Nickel/cadmium (NiCd)? How many dry cell need to be use if we insist to start the engine with it?
  45. D

    Need ideas about a project : Thermodynamics description of a watt steam engine.

    I have to do a paper ( kind of project ) for 4-6 page on Thermodynamics description of a watt steam engine. i have no idea where to start. It is for a Thermodynamics 1 class. Thanks in advance.
  46. C

    Carnot engine, T-S diagram.

    Homework Statement I have to draw a temperature versus entropy for a carnot engine. My solutions say that as a parallel to the PV diagram, the adiabatics on the TS diagram are vertical, going from t2 to t1 and vise versa. My question is really how an adiabatic change results in a temperature...
  47. W

    Designing a single cylinfer 4 stroke engine for a moped

    Hey I currently have a project to design an engine and I have chosen to design it for a moped. My research so far has brough me to this: Based on this, how would you guys recommend me proceeding to design the engine? Do I start with the links? From your perspective, what's the best link...
  48. M

    Modifying a Small Engine to Run on Hydrogen - Need Help!

    For an upcomming science expo my friend and I are attempting to modify a small engine (such as found in a brush cutter) to run of hydrogen. We do however have a number of concerns and was wondering if anyone would be able to help. Firstly should we run it off tanked hydrogen and air or should...
  49. Z

    Estimating Car Engine Temp. with Load: A Simplified Approach

    Hello Can someone tell me basic equation of car engine temp. that depends on load. I don't need a precise equation - i need something simplified for simulation.
  50. B

    Will an engine spin faster with the spark plugs removed?

    I had a drag race two stroke snowmobile that was over ported to a point that low end power was so poor that the engine was very hard starting. I put a drive socket on the end of a V-8 car starter and used 24 volts (two car batteries) for power. Being a bit nervous of the torque kickback, I tried...
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