What is Vehicle: Definition and 407 Discussions

A vehicle (from Latin: vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses), railed vehicles (trains, trams), watercraft (ships, boats), amphibious vehicles (screw-propelled vehicle, hovercraft), aircraft (airplanes, helicopters) and spacecraft.Land vehicles are classified broadly by what is used to apply steering and drive forces against the ground: wheeled, tracked, railed or skied. ISO 3833-1977 is the standard, also internationally used in legislation, for road vehicles types, terms and definitions.

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  1. E

    Calculating the push force on a vehicle

    Hi, I am trying to work out what force you would need to push a four wheel vehicle of mass 200kg from rest to a top speed of 2m/s (acceleration 1m/s2) and the force needed to maintain that top speed . I am not sure how to go about this, do i just consider rolling resistance and take that as...
  2. A

    Building a mousetrap vehicle which executes a 180 degree turn

    For class, a partner and myself must build a mousetrap vehicle which travels down a runway (120 inches), executes a 180 degree turn around an obstacle(72 inch maximum width) and travels back past the finish line. http://www.geneng.mtu.edu/olympics/2010/mousecar_competition_b2010.pdf click here...
  3. J

    Modelling vehicle kinematic behaviour

    Hi, I have been reading a book regarding modelling vehicle behaviour using multi-body systems. It discusses the use of points, vectors, local and global co-ordinate systems as well as assigning degrees of freedom to various parts. I am pretty confident with the whole concept but I am unsure...
  4. P

    How can torque be converted into speed in a vehicle simulation?

    I have been reading on these forums for a bit learning about vehicles and their physics. I still have a few questions and do want to clarify some things as well. I am trying to simulate a vehicle give some basic info you can find online about any car or vehicle. I know Peak HP and the...
  5. Ivan Seeking

    Toyota Recall: Is Your Vehicle Affected?

    Has anyone here been affected by this? http://www.toyota.com/recall/?srchid=K610_p228906387 Funny thing, we are long-time Toyota devotees and had this problem with a 1994 Corolla. The pedal was too close to the floor. The floor mat could either slide up and press the pedal, or it could hold...
  6. S

    Calculation of vehicle pitch rate and roll rate from acceleration

    I have to estimate the pitch rate and the roll rate of a vehicle, from measured accelerations. I have many three axial accelerometers. How can i accomplish it?
  7. B

    Can perfect weight distribution prevent vehicle rollovers?

    I was watching a a "Mythbusters" rerun where they were experimenting with bus rollovers a la "Speed", and it got me thinking about the physics of vehicle rollovers. Applying my basic physics knowledge my intuitive understanding of the process is that it occurs because the reactive centrifugal...
  8. H

    Conversion of Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

    I’m from a group that is current working on the theory of a Hydrogen Economy. Our first area of development is the Hydrogen Highway. We are currently seeking help in the form of freelance / work for hire basically engineer(s) that could aid in design and calculations of internal combustion...
  9. A

    Engineering Motorsport Technolgy Vehicle Analysis.

    Homework Statement Hi I am new here and really struggle with maths/physics based problems as i have very little experience in them due to studying other subjects at A-Level and now studying Motorsport Tech at uni. This is the questions we have been set for xmas work. A rear wheel...
  10. S

    Acceleration of vehicle when given torque to the wheels

    Acceleration of vehicle when given torque to the wheels... Ok so I am trying to figure out the acceleration of a vehicle that has a maximum of 381ft lbs of torque.With a mass of roughly 1700kg. If I use the formula f=ma, a=f/m and if I convert ft lbs to Nm its roughly 517/1700=.30m^2/s^2...
  11. J

    Calculating Force Needed to Stop a Moving Vehicle

    Homework Statement I am just enquiring about car brakes, and figuring out how much force needs to be applied to stop a moving object (car). Homework Equations 1457Kg – Curb weight of the car (overall mass) F = M x A 1457kg x 10mph = 14570 (Newtons) 1457kg x 20mph = 29140 N...
  12. D

    How to calculate max velocity of a vehicle from torque and RPM?

    Hey guys, I'm kinda simulate vehicle dynamics. I got gear ratios, torque and RPM values. I find how to calculate instant accerelation from http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pBCH2ClzmrplHUNFgrkT7HA Ok now I got acc. :wink: I can calculate velocity from acc but my problem is how to...
  13. W

    Low RPM motor propelling a highway vehicle

    Good Morning All! Is it considered poor engineering to gear up a 100 RPM high torque motor to achieve a 1000 RPM medium torque final drive? What would be the major drawbacks? Thanks! Bill
  14. F

    Can You Build a Mouse Trap Vehicle with Only 2 Mousetraps and a MA-15 Tail Gun?

    I am very interested in engineering, so I decided to build a mousetrap vehicle. I want my vehicle to reach 5 meters and return back to its original destination by itself. I need help constructing this system to accomplish this goal. Is there any way to build it with 2 mousetrap at most?
  15. E

    Could a tank or land vehicle be nuclear powered?

    Submarines are nuclear powered. How small of a nuclear-fission powered unit be made and could it be fitted inside a tank or other land vehicles?
  16. N

    Designing a autonomous underwater vehicle

    am designing a autonomous underwater vehicle .well,i got 2 issues right now regarding its buoyancy control and water proof joints. can anyone suggest me some ways by which the buoyancy can be controlled and some methods to make the joints of auv water proof efficiently.
  17. K

    What is the deceleration of the vehicle?

    1. I am looking to verify my calculation. Question A vehicle of mass 5Tonnes is traveling with a velocity of 80kmh-1 if it needs to stop within a dstnace of 0.5 km using a constant braking force what is the deceleration of the vehicle 2. V^2 = 2xSxA, A=V^2 / 2S 3. A=V^2/2s 80kmn =...
  18. G

    Getting Started with Vehicle Chassis Design

    Hi, I am looking for bearing in chassis design of vehicles...what i want to know is how do i proceed with chassis design? As in, where do i start, what do i do next? and next? Just need an outline, coz i do have some books i am trying to get started on... thanks in advance
  19. N

    Space Elevator Vehicle: Acceleration After Cable Release

    Say you have a space elevator 47000 km* long (well past the point where centripetal acceleration cancels out gravity) There is a vehicle traveling up the cable with a pretty high velocity, and instead of braking it just shoots off the top. (assume the counter weight allows this) At the...
  20. C

    Troubleshooting LED Lights & Stator System on Off Road Vehicle

    I put LED LIGHTS 60 WATTS on an off road vehicle with a stator not an alternator. When i use my winch or the cooling fan comes on the light goes out. I can turn the light switch off then on and it comes back on. It only happens when there is a fairly heavy draw on the system. Can this be fixed...
  21. B

    Wanting to study engines and other vehicle mechanisms

    I've always been fascinated by and wanted to know more about the internals of a car: everything from the engine to the transmission to the suspension and the chassis. Currently I am a year 1 ME student, so I don't have enough physics knowledge to study the logistics in depth in that regard...
  22. S

    Nuclear-Electric SSTO Vehicle: Best Propulsion Mechanism?

    I've been fascinated by the idea of using a nuclear reactor (either pebble-bed or particle-bed)as a powerplant for an aerospace vehicle, but of course there is the problem of coupling the thermal energy to the propellant flow by direct contact without having bits of radioactive debris from the...
  23. G

    How Does Air Resistance Affect Vehicle Acceleration and Deceleration?

    Homework Statement A vehicle of mass m experiences a constant frictional resistance ma and air resistance proportional to the square of its speed. It can exert a constant propelling force mb and attain a maximum speed V Show that, starting from rest, it can attain the speed V/2 in the time...
  24. G

    A question on vehicle aerodynamics

    ok...i have a small question on aerodynamics for cars: in fluid mechanics, we studied the flow of air past an airfoil, which is designed to reduce drag (and obviously lift has a lot to do with it, but that is irrelevant for me now, so i am ignoring it). My question is that why aren't cars...
  25. D

    Can an Electromagnet Stop a Speeding Vehicle?

    Hello everyone, I just joined the forum because my friends and I have been having an argument for a couple hours now over magnetism and its uses. So I will just jump right into our argument... I say that an electromagnet attached to the front bumper of a vehicle can be attached to the...
  26. C

    Maximum velocity of a vehicle moving downhill

    Suppose some vehicle with mass m is moving down a hill with angle \theta . Say that the vehicle is exerting a force parallel to the ground of magnitude f . Suppose that the maximum velocity of the vehicle on flat ground is v_{max} . What is the max velocity of the vehicle down the...
  27. edward

    Does your vehicle meet the requirements for the cash for clunkers program?

    For the cash for clunkers program? The combined city/highway gas mileage must be 18 mpg or less. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm They are using the mileage the vehicles supposedly got when sold. The 1990 Lincoln Continental which gets about 14 mpg, according to my neighbor...
  28. E

    Acceleration of Coasting Vehicle Down Inclined Plane

    This caught my interest after someone posted the question on a cycling forum of would a heavy and light cyclist have different accelerations down an inclined plane when coasting from a stop. Many people had observed that heavier cyclists do indeed have a greater acceleration, but I wasn't...
  29. R

    Adjusted vehicle acceleration up an incline

    Homework Statement I need to come up with a general formula that a vehicle with given mass(m), friction coefficient(u), acceleration force(f), and slope(theta), return the amount of acceleration on the vehicle. Homework Equations max acceleration on an incline = -mgsin(theta) +...
  30. E

    Bending in structure. Small vehicle frame.

    Hi I need help for this structure. It is loaded as shown - point E and G is wheels added as free bearings. I need to know the bending in Beam AD and also EF. I tried isolating beam AD and see it as an statically inderteminant beam to the second degree - but i am not sure this is the right...
  31. D

    Powering a Vehicle with Falling Mass: A Design Guide

    please help me to find out what is the best and simple way to convert the energy of falling mass to into forward motion? i have to design and creat a vehicle which uses a mass falling over a short distance to power a vehicle up an inclined ramp.
  32. K

    Calculating Drag Racing Vehicle Launch Force

    hi, I am currently building a drag racing game and I am wanting it to be as physically accurate as possible. my question is, when a driver drops the clutch in a vehicle what needs to be taken into account to calculate the force acting on the vehicle while the wheels are spinning? is it possible...
  33. T

    Energy used during vehicle trips from GPS data

    Hello, I have recently found an urge to understand the amount of energy that I use while driving. I would like to be able to record tracking data via GPS in a GPX format, and then calculate the amount of energy that would be used to perform the same trip using various vehicle models. I...
  34. G

    How can we maximize energy storage for a pullback mechanism vehicle?

    Hey all, Our team is currently working on a project which contains the pullback mechanism like the ones you find in toys. We are competing against other teams and have a fun match at the end. The idea is to pull or push the vehicle back 1 meter and store as much as possible energy. We only have...
  35. T

    Calculating Wheel Loads in Dynamic and Static Conditions for Vehicle Analysis

    Hey Just needed some help with analysis of vehicle loading in dynamic and static conditions.Basically what are the axial and radial loads acting on the axle/wheel in static and dynamic conditions? Accompanying formula would be helpful. How would i go about finding out the loads under static...
  36. Cyrus

    Save Money & Time: Drive Your Vehicle, Not Idle!

    I got this in my school FYI email: I think my engine and transmission oil needs more time than that to heat up and work properly. Also, suddenly driving off with a cold engine block is a good way to develop cracks in the cylinder walls - which is why you don't just pull the throttle all the...
  37. N

    Road Vehicle Drag: Researching Relationship, Design & Performance

    Hi i'm writting a report on road vehicle drag. Are there any free resources online / journals that i can use for research? my questions: Relationship between Drag and Turbulence what does a engineer design in a car? (engines, the body-aerodynamics..) and the relationship between...
  38. F

    Constant acceleration problem involving NASA exploration vehicle.

    1. In Jan. 2004, NASA landed exploration vehicles on Mars. Part of the descent consisted of the following stages:? Stage A: Friction with the atmosphere reduced the speed from 19300 km/h to 1600 km/h in 4.0 min. Stage B: A parachute then opened to slow it down to 321 km/h in 94 s. Stage C: Retro...
  39. I

    Help Incline Plane Acceleration Vehicle Friction Distance

    Hello. I am new to this forum. I am a chemist. Physics is not my strength. Recently, I got a speeding ticket and I have to do some simple calculations in order to silence my mind. The problem is the following: A car (m = 1498.95 kg) is constantly accelerating uphill (15 degrees incline) from...
  40. F

    Precise Vehicle Control Using Electronics

    I do not know if this post belongs here, but it does deal with electronics. I am building a car about 30cm long and 20cm wide. This car has to go a specified distance and must stop as closely as possible to this distance. I have built previous vehicle and found out that there are only two things...
  41. P

    Plotting Vehicle Path Based on Accelerometer Readings

    There's a problem I've been working on for a few days that I can't seem to resolve: There is a model train going around a set track with a 2-D accelerometer mounted along the axis of the train. The accelerometer provides the current x/y acceleration values at a frequency of about once...
  42. edward

    Looking for a new vehicle?

    The Fast Track
  43. M

    How Do You Calculate Vehicle Speeds After a Collision?

    Homework Statement The diagram below shows a skethc drawn by an accident investigator following a head-on collision between two vehicles. Direction of Travel A (speed 12.5 m/s) and 2400kg -------------> <---------------- Direction of Travel of B, 3600kg, unknown...
  44. M

    What is the maximum output of a vehicle alternator and how can it be calculated?

    Hello everyone, I have a question that I have been unable to find an answer to. I am interested in salvaging a vehicle alternator in an attempt to create a homemade generator. I understand that household electronics' needs are measured in watts, but I can't seem to figure out how to calculate...
  45. H

    Ways of powering vehicle that is not electricty or combustion.

    As part of my introductory engineering class this year, I have to work with a group to build a small vehicle (no bigger that 2ftx2ftx3ft) that can carry some water up to 250 ft. However, we cannot use any electricity, anything flammable or solid rockets. So right now I'm at a loss as to how to...
  46. Topher925

    How can an vehicle move faster than the wind that is powering it?

    As I'm sure we all know, that when you go sailing your fastest speed isn't directly downwind but when you are traveling at an angle to it. This allows sailboats and iceboats to go several times faster than the wind speed that is powering them. But how is it that a vehicle such as...
  47. A

    Vehicle Dynamics: Calculate Tractive Force at Wheel

    A vehicle's engine produces 100 hp at 4773 rpm. If the wheel radius is 12 inches, the final drive ratio is 3 and the transmission ratio is 3.00, calculate the tractive force at the wheel, in steady state.
  48. A

    Calculating Vehicle Deceleration: Time & Distance

    Homework Statement A 4200lb vehicle is cruising down the highway at 65mph when the driver steps on the brake applying a braking force of 2,850lbs Determine the time to stop, assuming uniform deceleration Distance traveled during the deceleration Velocity of the vehicle after 3.2 sec's of...
  49. F

    Vehicle: Force - Velocity Question

    I understand that these forums probably get flooded with people trying to beat pending cases against them, and I was hoping that I could use some of your brains to help solve a question that has been bothering me. I've never actually taken physics, so any help I could get in this area, could...
  50. C

    Testing Bernoulli's Equation on a Moving Vehicle

    if i keep a funnel shaped long tube on the roof of a moving vehicle, will the air going in follow Bernoulli's equation?
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