Power Electronics Technology

It provides power electronics engineers, designers and system integrators information on the engineering, design and integration of power electronics systems applications, such as battery-powered systems; consumers, commercial and industrial power electronics systems, and power systems for electrical and automotive transportation. Request Free!

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Download Ebooks: Aircraft Engineering Principles

The books in the series have been designed for both independent and tutor assisted studies. For this reason they should prove particularly useful to the “self-starter” and to those wishing to update or upgrade their aircraft maintenance licence. Also, the series should prove a useful source of reference for those taking ab initiotraining programmes in JAR 147 (now ECAR Part-147) and FAR 147 approved organizations and those on related aeronautical engineering programmes in further and higher education establishments.

This book has primarily been written as one in a series of texts, designed to cover the essential knowledge base required by aircraft certifying mechanics, technicians and engineers engaged in engineering maintenance activities on commercial aircraft. In addition, this book should appeal to the members of the armed forces, and students attending training and educational establishments engaged in aircraft engineering maintenance and other related aircraft engineering learning programmes.

In this book we cover in detail the underpinning mathematics, physics, electrical and electronic fundamentals, and aerodynamics necessary to understand the function and operation of the complex technology used in modern aircraft. The book is arranged into four major sections:

  1. • Introduction
  2. • Scientific fundamentals
  3. • Electrical and electronic fundamentals
  4. • Fundamentals of aerodynamics

In the Introductory section you will find information on the nature of the aircraft maintenance industry, the types of job role that you can expect, the current methods used to train and educate you for such roles and information on the examinations system directly related to civil aviation maintenance engineering. In addition, you will find information on typical career progression routes, professional recognition, and the legislative framework and safety culture that is so much a part of our industry.

In the section on Scientific fundamentals we start by studying Module 1 of the JAR 66 (now ECAR Part-66) syllabus (see qualifications and levels) covering the elementary mathematics necessary to practice at the category B technician level. It is felt by the authors, that this level of “non-calculator” mathematics is insufficient as a prerequisite to support the study of the physics and the related technology modules, that are to follow. For this reason, and to assist students who wish to pursue other related qualifications, a section has been included on “further mathematics”. The coverage of JAR 66 Module 2 on physics is sufficiently comprehensive and at a depth, necessary for both category B1 and B2 technicians.

The section on Electrical and electronic fundamentals comprehensively covers ECAR 66 Module 3 and ECAR Part-66 Module 4 to a knowledge level suitable for category B2 avionic technicians. Module 5 on Digital Techniques and Electronic Instrument Systems will be covered in the fifth book in the series, Avionic Systems.

This book concludes with a section on the study of Aerodynamics, which has been written to cover ECAR Part-66 Module 8.

In view of the international nature of the civil aviation industry, all aircraft engineering maintenance staff need to be fully conversant with the SI system of units and be able to demonstrate proficiency in manipulating the “English units” of measurement adopted by international aircraft manufacturers, such as the Boeing Aircraft Company. Where considered important, the English units of measure will be emphasized alongside the universally recognized SI system. The chapter on physics (Chapter 4) provides a thorough introduction to SI units, where you will also find mention of the English system, with conversion tables between each system being provided at the beginning of Chapter 4.

To reinforce the subject matter for each major topic, there are numerous worked examples and test your knowledge written questions designed to enhance learning. In addition, at the end of each chapter you will find a selection of multiple-choice questions, that are graded to simulate the depth and breadth of knowledge required by individuals wishing to practice at the mechanic (category A) or technician (category B) level. These multiple choice question papers should be attempted after you have completed your study of the appropriate chapter. In this way, you will obtain a clearer idea of how well you have grasped the subject matter at the module level. Note also that category B knowledge is required by those wishing to practice at the category C or engineer level. Individuals hoping to pursue this route should make sure that they thoroughly understand the relevant information on routes, pathways and examination levels given later.

Further information on matters, such as aerospace operators, aircraft and aircraft component manufacturers, useful web sites, regulatory authorities, training and educational establishments and comprehensive lists of terms, definitions and references, appear as appendices at the end of the book. References are annotated using superscript numbers at the appropriate point in the text.

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Marine Diesel Engine Maintenance

In a conventional marine diesel engine the power is produced by hot compressed air igniting fuel sprayed under very high pressure into the cylinder head. A marine diesel engine does not use a carburetor to mix fuel and air or spark plugs to ignite the mixture. Instead it employs the pistons to compress the air to 3000 kPa which causes it to become extremely hot and the fuel is ignited as soon as it is injected into the cylinder.

Some marine diesel engines are fitted with a heater plug in the inlet manifold or a glow plug in the pre-combustion chamber of each cylinder to provide additional heat to the combustion air during starting.

Diesel engines are heavier and slower revving than petrol engines but they are also more reliable because they do not rely on external carburetion or an electrical spark for ignition.

Newer engines use an electronic fuel injection system whereby fuel and air are mixed more thoroughly in the pre-combustion chamber before entering the cylinder. This system maximizes power and fuel economy and is also less polluting.

Every boater should have an understanding of how their engine works so let’s start by explaining the mechanical cycles.

Most reciprocating piston internal combustion engines work on one of two mechanical cycles-either the four-stroke cycle or the two-stroke cycle. These cycles designate, in correct sequence, the mechanical actions by which the fuel and air gain access to the engine cylinder, the gas pressure – due to combustion – is converted to power and, finally, the burnt gas is expelled from the engine cylinder.

The Basic Four-Stroke Diesel Engine

From its name, it is obvious there are four strokes in one complete engine cycle. A stroke is the movement of the piston through the full length of the cylinder and – since one such movement causes the crankshaft to rotate half a turn – it follows that there are two crankshaft revolutions in one complete engine cycle.

The four strokes in the order they occur are:

1. Inlet stroke. With the inlet valve open and the exhaust valve closed, the piston moves from top dead center (TDC) to bottom dead center (BDC), creating a low-pressure area in the cylinder. Clean, filtered air rushes through the open inlet valve to relieve this low-pressure area, and the cylinder fills with air.

2. Compression stroke. With both valves closed, the piston moves from BDC to TDC, compressing the air. During this stroke the air becomes heated to a temperature sufficiently high to ignite the fuel.

3. Power stroke. At approximately TDC, the fuel is injected, or sprayed, into the hot, compressed air, where it ignites, burns and expands. Both valves remain closed, and the pressure acts on the piston crown, forcing it down the cylinder from TDC to BDC.

4. Exhaust stroke. At approximately BDC the exhaust valve opens and the piston starts to move from BDC to TDC, driving the burnt gas out of the cylinder through the open exhaust valve.

The Two-Stroke Diesel Engine

The two-stroke engine uses two piston strokes to complete one power stroke and, therefore, fire twice as often as a four-stroke engine. A two-stroke engine is smaller and simpler with fewer moving parts. A two-stroke engine has the potential to produce twice as much power as a four-stroke engine of the same size, however, because of the extra fitting required in a two-stroke diesel engine, for example blowers and governors, they become more expensive to produce. There has been a shift towards four stroke diesel engines which have become more efficient and smaller.

Protect Your Marine Diesel Engine

Protect your engine by avoiding long periods (more than 10 minutes) of idling in a “no-load” situation. This is often done to charge batteries or cool refrigeration but if done repeatedly it will glaze the bores of the engine and cause premature engine failure. If the vessel is in a berth the engine can be put in gear to create load at idle.

All boat owners should have an understanding of basic marine diesel engine maintenance to keep themselves and their families safe on the water.

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SAP for Utilities Solution Portfolio Asset & Work Mgmt White Paper

At the same time, those assets still must be managed to keep U.S. electrical and natural gas systems operational while everything from terrorists to massive hurricanes to economic and political forces seem bent on making that difficult. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) has become a central concern for utilities. This Energy Central white paper explores EAM and SAP’s solution to address these challenges. Request Free!

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Modern Era of Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is a highly interdisciplinary branch of engineering that

applies electrical, mechanical, chemical, optical and other engineering principles to

understanding, modifying, and controlling biological (both human and animal) systems

as well as to the design and manufacture of products that monitor physiological functions

and assist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The field is quite broad, encompassing biomechanics; biomaterials; biomedical

instrumentation (such as biosensors); medical imaging; biotechnology (the creation or

modification of biological material for beneficial uses, such as tissue engineering);

prosthetic devices and artificial organs; and rehabilitation engineering (the design and

development of therapeutic and rehabilitation devices and procedures).

 

It is a new kind of engineering and therefore graduates with a degree in biomedical engineering are well sought after with a variety of career options open to them. Biomedical engineering teaches you the engineering processes in sensitive bodies, as opposed to other engineering degrees. This enables you to apply your knowledge of sensitive systems into many fields of engineering, enabling you to be the best kind of engineer. Currently, not only is medicine making advances, but so is machinery, and this occupation allows the combination of the two to help further medical achievements, and create treatments, artificial limbs, and artificial organs etc.

 

The biomedical engineering program (B M E) is interdisciplinary in scope. The participating faculty are from the Colleges of Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, Education and Agriculture. Biomedical engineers are concerned with the application of engineering concepts and analytical techniques to biological and medical problems. They are interested in developing new concepts, instrumentation, and materials for use with living systems. In addition, they seek to understand those phenomena of living systems which have functional capabilities desirable in the design of physical systems. Graduates of the program are able to understand scientific literature, formulate hypotheses, complete independent research or design projects and report their results. They engage in research or design careers in the various fields of biomedical engineering.A biomedical engineer is a must in a hospital. No hospital can perform without having a biomedical department, particularly hospitals which are into tertiary and secondary care. We have to look at a biomedical engineer as a resource which is on line with the management resource of an organisation and not as an engineer. Lot of hospitals use biomedical engineer as if he is just a component of engineering services of a hospital. He is a very intelligent resource which looks after the most expensive part of the hospital and so we need to use the resource adequately. He not only takes care of your equipment but forms an integral part of the hospital’s management team. He also needs to constantly keep abreast of the new technologies that are happening. An institution head should look at a biomedical engineer as a guide.Biomedical engineering is a trendsetter in establishing a symbiotic relationship between engineering, medicine, biology, and physics. The main objective of the subject is to bring about an improvement in the overall quality of healthcare. Biomedical engineers can derive creative satisfaction by designing prosthetics, synthetic blood vessels, automated patient monitoring systems, blood chemistry sensors, ultrasound, and artificial intelligence for clinical decisions. State-of-the-art infrastructure helps engineers to delve profoundly into the highly regulated feedback mechanism at the genetic level and render humanitarian research activities.

 

It includes Electromedical Engineering, which includes bioelectric signal processing (EEG, EMG, ECG and such), imaging (such as CT Scan, Ultra sound scan, MRI, PET, X ray), interventional imaging like various forms of endoscopy, patient monitors, bioanalytical instrumentation like autoanalyzers, design and manufacture of biomedical disposables like syringes giving and taking sets. dialysis and blood collection and processing systems, artificial internal organs like heart valves, left ventricle assist devices, orthopedic and dental implants and a lot more besides.It is a multidisciplinary field, which can accommodate clinicians, engineers of various specialties, biochemists, microbiologists, toxicologists, veterinarians as well as bio technologists.It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to help improve patient health care and the quality of life of individuals.

 

Biomedical engineering is advancing rapidly and producing important innovations that improve our quality of life. From understanding the human genome to pioneering surgical tools, biomedical engineers are committed the advancement of research and education in biotechnology, biomolecular engineering, sensory systems, cardiopulmonary engineering, neuroscience, micro-and nano-systems and biomechanics and biomaterials.Biomedical engineering integrates physical, chemical, mathematical, and computational sciences and engineering principles to study biology, medicine, behavior, and health. It advances fundamental concepts; creates knowledge from the molecular to the organ systems level; and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants, devices and informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, for patient rehabilitation, and for improving health.

 

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Lexus Ls 460 Named 2007 Best Engineered Vehicle

In the United States auto market, the highest selling luxury brand is the Lexus. The brand is a division of the Japanese car company Toyota Motor Corporation. Its popularity among luxury car buyer is evident on the increasing acceptance of the Japanese brand in the United States auto scene.

One of the most notable models from the brand is the LS 460. The model is the ultra-luxury model of the brand. It made its debut at the 2006 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) and since then has received positive reviews and feedbacks from consumers. Recently, the vehicle is named as the 2007 Best Engineered Vehicle by the Automotive Engineering International Magazine.

The Lexus LS 460 received the distinction after it received the most votes from AEI’s subscribers. Kevin Jost, the Editor-In-Chief of the magazine, has this to say about the award: “The voters had good reason for choosing the Lexus LS 460. ‘The LS 460 brings consumers at least nine world-firsts, including safety breakthroughs such as an advanced obstacle-detection system, emergency-steering assist and rear pre-crash systems. For driving pleasure, there’s also an eight-speed automatic transmission.” Indeed, the LS 460 is packed with a variety of features never before seen in a luxury vehicle.

One of the cutting edge features employed by the Lexus LS 460, as stated by Jost, is the eight-speed automatic transmission. This technology allows the vehicle to accelerate quickly since it provides smooth gear changes in with a wide variety of gear ratios. The smooth transmission also reduces the amount of power wasted thus increasing fuel efficiency.

The pre-crash safety systems are also a first for an automobile and the LS 460 provides such. This means that the vehicle not only provides a good performance but also protects its occupants. The obstacle-detection system provides drivers with sufficient warning to avoid possible accidents. The driver-monitoring system is also a feature of the Lexus LS 460. With this technology, safety can be checked basing on the driver’s capacity to properly drive the vehicle.

Safety features also include the emergency-steering assist which checks oversteer and understeer. With the use of sensors and advanced electronic programs, this vehicle can provide valuable steering assistance to avoid or minimize the risk of accidents.

Aside from the said features, the Lexus LS 460 also employs an intelligent powertrain control system. This system adapts to the engine’s need for power and other variables to provide good performance and respectable fuel efficiency. Rear collisions are also one of the most dangerous accidents a motorist can encounter.

To reduce the risk of severe injury caused by rear end collisions, the Lexus LS 460 features a rear pre-crash safety system. Its roof climate diffusers are also one of the advanced features that the LS 460 boasts of. Another advanced feature that made the LS 460 the top choice for most luxury car owners is the VVT-IE electrically actuated camshaft phasers. These features fused with Lexus performance parts truly make this one of the most advanced cars in the world today.

Winning the coveted title is made even sweeter by the fact that it outclassed some of the most famous vehicles. The Lexus LS 460 took the first spot with the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra taking the second spot. The Silverado and the Sierra are acknowledged for their remarkable fuel efficiency.

These General Motors vehicles are known to squeeze 20 miles for every gallon. This is despite the fact that the Sierra and the Silverado are both full-size pickup trucks equipped with humongous V8 engines. Taking the third spot is the sports car from German car manufacturer Porsche, the Porsche 911 Turbo. The sports car made is acknowledged as one of the best engineered vehicles due to its advanced materials and aerodynamic engineering.

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