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.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. T

    Basic Vibration Damping and Isolation

    Hello, I am studying and trying to understand Powertrain / Engine mounts used in automotive such as these: http://images.gasgoo.com/MiMwMDRfMDA0Izc4MDA3NzIwMA--/auto-part-engine-torque-strut-mount-engine-mounting-for-buick-enclave-chevrolet-traverse-gmc-acadia-25840458.jpg...
  2. T

    Carnot cycle heat engine max work done

    Homework Statement A heat engine containing an ideal gas has a reversible cycle which consists of 2 constant volume segments with V = 1ℓ and V = 3ℓ and two constant pressure segments with P = 1 atm and P = 2 atm (see figure below). The temperature at point “c” is Tc = 273 K. A) Is the path...
  3. voltech444

    Oxygen Enriched Internal Steam Compression Ignition Engine (OEISCIE)

    Hello PF members and guests, I have been working on this concept for 2 years and I wanted to get some input from this forum. I have done a lot of research on oxygen enriched combustion and water injection. Both of these concepts have been tested and proven in experiments and the real world. My...
  4. S

    Heat engine efficiency could approach 100%?

    According to Carnot theorem, the higher temperature of a hot side and the lower temperature of a cold side the higher is the efficiency of a heat engine. Does it mean that in theory it could get anywhere close to 100%? If we take in account that 100% efficiency means it is a perpetuum mobile...
  5. C

    What happens when gasoline gets old - chemically and in car engine?

    Recently I bought an old car (1954 Ford Zephyr, a six-cylinder 2.2 liter English car) whose recent history was essentially unknown to the seller but had probably done little running for some time. He warned me that the engine was not running correctly - the car was blowing black smoke and...
  6. R

    How much ice is melted in a Carnot engine using a hot and cold reservoir?

    Homework Statement A Carnot engine uses a hot reservoir consisting of a large amount of boiling water and a cold reservoir consisting of a large tub of ice and water. When 6437 J of heat is put into the engine and the engine produces work, how many kilograms of ice in the tub are melted due to...
  7. ajayguhan

    How Does the Efficiency Formula Change for Reversible Heat Engines?

    efficiency n=1 -(q1/q2) for a normal heat engine But how efficiency n=1 -(t1/t2) ? for reversible heat engine
  8. C

    Torque of a small gasoline engine

    Does someone know how much torque a 20hp gasoline engine produce at 3500rpm? An equation that I can use to figure this out would be helpful also.
  9. K

    Calculating Heat Engine Efficiency: What is the Energy Input?

    Homework Statement [/B] Suppose you build a steam engine that exhausted 1000 J of thermal energy while performing 300 J of work. What is the energy input? What is the efficiency?Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution Would this be correct? Thermal E Input = work + exhaust = 300 J +...
  10. K

    Solving Heat Engine & Refrigerator Problems

    Homework Statement A Carnot heat engine operates between temperatures T1= 400K and T2= 300K. In each cycle the engine receives Qin=1200 J from the high temperature reservoir. a) Calculate the heat Qout delivered to the low temperature reservoir. b) Suppose the engine is operated in reverse as a...
  11. S

    How to design a radiator to dissipate heat generated by a 39 KW rotary engine?

    No separate coolant is used, instead lubricating oil to be used for both lubrication and cooling of engine. How to calculate radiator size, coolant flow rate?
  12. G

    Designing a Car Engine Piston: Thermodynamics Question

    Recently I have been studying thermodynamics and I wanted to analyze a fictitious car piston of my own design. Indeed I have quite some questions, but the most important is this one, and maybe someone could give me an opinion on my progress. I started off by selecting the fuel, which according...
  13. A

    What is the efficency of internal combustion engine?

    just how effecient is the internal combustion engine. please tell me(any/all you know/ or can find online), efficency of an average engine, best achieved ever effecincey(ideal scenario), and the maximum theoritical efficency.. i am talking about energy put in vs the amount that is useable.(by...
  14. J

    Engine Coolant Heat Dissipation Calculations

    Okay, I created this topic because the other one seem to get no responses?! I found this paper that was useful to me : http://people.bath.ac.uk/enscjb/airtex.pdf It mentions the figure 2.0 - 2.6 L/min/kW. Is this kW, the bhp? Question 1:For a Nissan Maxima (3.5 L engine), could I take this...
  15. E

    Highest possible efficiency of an engine

    Homework Statement The highest theoretical efficiency of an engine is e=(TH-TC)/TH where TH is the highest and TC is the lowest temperature during the circuit process. In a test car with a stirling engine the highest temperature during the circuit process is 700 °C and the lowest temperature...
  16. joema

    Polar graph for engine balance on common types?

    In a late 1980s trade journal, I saw a full-page of polar balance diagrams for each major engine type. For each engine type (V6, V8, inline 6, inline 4, V12, etc) a circular polar chart was presented with overlaid color-coded graphs showing 1st, 2nd and 3rd order balance for 360 degrees of...
  17. J

    Can Engines Be Disabled with Poison?

    Hi, is it possible to prevent a diesel or gasoline engine from running with e.g. a smoke bomb or with some gaseous substance? Would it be practical?
  18. E

    Power of an Engine: Work & Effects

    Homework Statement An engine goes through a "square" circuit process (is btw "circuit process" this the correct term in English?) according to the diagram below: a) How much work is performed by the engine during one revolution in the circuit process? b) What effect does the engine...
  19. A

    Effects of inertia forces and friction forces on a piston in engine

    Hello, I am curious regarding the forces other than the pressure created by combustion process in IC engine.Whether inertia and friction affect worth considering or not, I want to know magnitude and nature of these forces and their effects On efficiency and performance.Thank you...
  20. X

    How Does Recirculation Work in Steam Engines?

    I am very fascinated by steam engines. When I took my thermodynamics course a few years back, I remember learning that the steam is recirculated after it does work. I am confused on how this happens. After the steam is used to do work, it is expelled at a lower pressure than it started...
  21. D

    Efficiency, Stirling heat engine

    Homework Statement We have a Stirling heat engine. I'm calculating the efficiency \eta. Homework Equations Q_{12} = \frac{m R T_2}{M} \ln(\frac{V_2}{V_1}) > 0 Q_{23} = m c_v (T_1 - T_2) < 0 Q_{34} = \frac{m R T_1}{M} \ln(\frac{V_1}{V_2}) < 0 Q_{41} = m c_v (T_2 - T_1) > 0 \kappa =...
  22. R

    Thrust from model engine exhaust

    I’m interested in your views on whether any significant thrust could be obtained using the cooling air and exhaust gases from a model aircraft engine. International class control line speed models (known as F2A) achieve speeds of around 300 km/hr using 2.5cc engines and tuned pipe exhausts that...
  23. R

    Need help understanding engine acceleration and relation with torque

    Hi ALL, On this forum, I found some really sensible answers to a few of my queries... posting one that's unanswered.. I want to understand how an engine or any power plant for that matter behaves under load... So I'm using a simple scenario to frame my questions... the values while made up...
  24. Z

    NASA's New Space Engine: SRF Resonating Cavities

    An article at NASA talks about a way to generate thrust without shooting something out the back. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140006052 From the article: Approximately 30-50 micro-Newtons of thrust were recorded from an electric propulsion test article consisting primarily of a...
  25. N

    Rocket engine vs jet engine efficiency

    Which are more efficient, Rocket Engines or Jet engines, and why? It would make sense that rocket engines are more efficient because they aren't effected by air pressure but I have been told by some people that actually Jet engines are more efficient so I am confused. If you know of any link...
  26. R

    Fuels and Engine efficiency Mechanical Engineering

    Homework Statement Car (A) C180K WITH A 1.8 litre supercharged spark ignition, Maximum power output 104kw, based upon standard fuel efficiency test a vehicle with this engine would consume 6.1 liters over 100k journey Car (B) C220 CDI with a 2.0 litre turbocharged diesel engine. Maximum...
  27. J

    Thermal Efficiency of a Heat Engine based on pV-diagram

    Homework Statement Here's a link to the pV-diagram I am using - http://session.masteringphysics.com/problemAsset/1396784/2/p16.7.jpg A heat engine takes 2.0 moles of an ideal gas through the reversible cycle abca, on the pV diagram shown in the figure. The path bc is an isothermal process...
  28. J

    2014 F = MA #15 Torque Output Engine

    Homework Statement The maximum torque output from the engine of a new experimental car of mass m is τ . The maximum rotational speed of the engine is ω. The engine is designed to provide a constant power output P. The engine is connected to the wheels via a perfect transmission that can...
  29. A

    Improving IC Engine Efficiency: Reducing Heat Loss Through Cylinder Walls

    hi.I would like to know something about the IC engine.I just read an article.It said that 30% efficiency is gone through conduction of heat by the cylinder wall.If it is reason for one of the efficiency loss why can't we build an cylinder coated with a material that is non conduction.So only...
  30. C

    Questions Regarding Homemade Liquid Fuel Engine

    For the last six or so months I've recaptured my childhood love of rockets (I'm now in college), and have spent a great deal of time both reacquainting myself with the basic information and also learning more about the engineering and technical side of them (now that I've learned things like...
  31. N

    Can a Jet Engine be Created Using a Traffic Cone Design?

    Would it be possible to make a working jet engine by simply having a structure like two metal cones stuck tip to tip (traffic cone shaped)? The idea is to get it going fast, inject fuel in the middle, have the fuel auto ignite due to compression heating in the front cone, and than use the back...
  32. V

    My engine oil is green color. Its normal?

    today i did a oil change on my outboard engine. i found out the oil is green, its normal? If yes, why the oil will be green color? because i fill the new oil is golden color.
  33. U

    Can Polystyrene Withstand the Heat in a Stirling Engine Displacer?

    Hey Guys, I'm working on a Stirling engine to show my nephew. I have made one before that runs off off coffee water but now I'm planning on making a system which will use a heat source around 90-125°C and I do not know if polystyrene will melt or not. So if you guys have any suggestions for a...
  34. Nathanael

    Engine with constant power; Time taken to finish track?

    Homework Statement "A funny car accelerates from rest through a measured track distance in time T with the engine operating at a constant power P. If the track crew can increase the engine power by a differential amount dP, what is the change in the time required for the run?" 2. The attempt...
  35. W

    Has this engine cylinder/ block design be done before,would it work?

    I believe artillery guns and barrels that are highly pressurised often use shrink fitting (heating up a tube causing it to expand allowing it to be fitted over a smaller tube which it will apply an inward pressure on when it cools) to oppose the pressure from inside the barrel. Could this...
  36. S

    Heat Engine efficiency Problem

    Please help me with the question below with a proper explanation and also suggest me a reference to read for the same. Thank you! A solar collector receiving solar radiation at the rate of 0.6 kW/m2 transforms it to the internal energy of a fluid at an overall efficiency of 50%. The fluid...
  37. I

    Understanding Heat & Work: An Engine Explained

    My book states: ''An engine is a device that turns heat energy into work'' I know the definitions of both heat and work (heat is the energy transferred by virtue of a temperature difference and work is the energy transferred when a force acts through a distance) but I'm struggling to...
  38. N

    Advice request - design a toy steam engine and do a pull event

    Advice request -- design a toy steam engine and do a pull event Hello, Please do forgive me if this is inappropriate use of this sight, I'm looking for general advice, any suggestions as to where I could get information and thoughts on the subject are welcome. I've taken a challenge to...
  39. G

    Reversing the Role of a Great Engine: Refrigerator or Heat Pump?

    Reverse of a great engine is refrigerator or heat pump?
  40. N

    Solving Heat Engine Questions: 156 Moles of Monatomic Ideal Gas

    Hi, I am hoping someone may be able to help me as i am quite stuck in this question. Suppose that 156 moles of a monatomic ideal gas is initially contained in a piston with a volume of 0.5 m3 at a temperature of 384 K. The piston is connected to a hot reservoir with a temperature of 1112 K...
  41. 9

    Fully Aquatic Engine prototype problem

    I want to know how you can turn down the amps and crank up the volts from any car battery. This is what I am going to use to slit Hydrogen and oxygen from water. (H2O) Also converting the O1 into O2. I believe a system that uses around 300w can produce the most hydrogen. Correct me if I am...
  42. K

    Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II engine power?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PTW-9DeFs0 How can I calculate the power of the engine? Specification: Spec in Wikipedia Dry thrust: 125 kN
  43. T

    What is the Minimum Time for Acceleration in an Auto Engine Power Problem?

    Homework Statement An auto manufacturer reports that the maximum power delivered by the engine of a car of mass 1230 kg is 92.4 kW. Find the minimum time in which the car could accelerate from rest to 29.1 m/s. In a test the time to do this is found to be 12.3 s. Account for the difference in...
  44. S

    Relation between SFC vs RPM in diesel engine?

    What is the relation between sfc vs rpm in diesel engine and why does it happen like that ? what is relation between air flow vs rpm ??
  45. K

    Gasoline engine - max torque and efficency

    I have the following question, intended for a car powered by a 4 cylinder, non turbo, gas engine. I would like to a rather conceptual answer, but anyway I will put some actual numbers. It´s said to achieve it´s max torque (200Nm) at 4000 RPM It´s max power is 150HP at 6500RPM I don´t know...
  46. A

    Engine Test Bed Fourier Analysis

    I have done a test on a 4 piston test engine which is expected to exhibit torsional resonance at 800RPM and a vertical translational resonance at 1200RPM. The data we gathered from the test bed machine was as follows: Theta | Signal 0 | -5 60 | -1 120 | 7 180...
  47. A

    Exploring Diesel Engine Friction and Fuel Mass Flow Rate

    Hi I have been plotting a Willans line, (engine power against fuel mass flow rate) and I noticed that the line is fairly linear up to about 75% and then it starts to increase a bit more dramatically. So I was wondering how does engine power at a fixed RPM effect fuel mass flow rate? Is...
  48. zoobyshoe

    What are acceptable compression test readings for a 4 cylinder engine?

    I've never done this before, and undertook it for the first time today, guided by books, google, and YouTube. My truck's a 4 cylinder. I did the first test after driving it for a while to warm it up. I got 150-150-146-140 psi for the four respective cylinders 1-2-3-4. The instruction I was...
  49. R

    Rocket engine gimballing - torque and angular acceleration question

    Hello Firstly i just registered, I am a final year computer science student and I am busy working on my thesis (the deadline is fast approaching) I am working this application of a rocket going into orbit and physics is not my forte. I need some help on converting the gimbal of a rocket...
  50. J

    Does Constant Engine Power Guarantee Constant Acceleration?

    Homework Statement a cars engine produces constant power therefore the cars speed will increase at a constant acceleration. is this true or false Homework Equations Power=w/t work=fd so P=mad/t The Attempt at a Solution so if p is constant it appears a must be constant...
Back
Top