Engineering

Hi. Is there an external distinctive, simple visual sign on a domestic refrigerator compressor to tell if it is scroll or reciprocating, other than researching the label and its manufacturer/model data sheet ?

Hello, I just happened upon this forum, and I have to say it seems pretty amazing all the topics it covers, I wish I had found it sooner! I already know this will become a useful resource for me. Unfortunately, I already must ask for the help and time of any forum members willing to offer it, and this thread will probably seem pretty trivial in comparison to how technical this forum is. I must conduct a short Q&A for a class assignment of someone within the field of my chosen career, aerospace engineering. They are simple questions about what you like the most about this career, what a typical day on the job is, etc. If anyone within this field can spare just a c…

i need help making an inverse switch. i don't know what to google for to get a proper result and i've been digging around a bit and didn't find anything. i need to make a circuit where when a switch is closed, the circuit is incomplete, and when that switch is opened, the circuit is complete.

I'm not sure if this has been addressed previously, but there is an engineer who goes by the name of Dan who claims he can build a real starship Enterprise within the next 20 years. All he requires is the necessary funding, which is about $50 billion for each year, which I think is insane! Anyway, he has a website and while I found it an informative and entertaining read, I think this guy has lost his marbles. See link below: http://www.buildtheenterprise.org/ Granted, I'm no engineer, but I would imagine that the starship Enterprise design would not be spaceworthy at all, considering such design flaws (in the attached photos below) such as the thin neck sect…

I'm a new comer of aerospace engineering in postgraduate study. I wonder which is more important for engineering research work, the background knowledge,i.e.,the underlying mechanism(e.g. dynamics) or methods we employ(i.e. control theory)? In other words, is the understanding of the model of the problems, or is the methods we use for the solution, more important? For instance, I may study on the navigation of spacecraft descending on Mars. Then what should I concern more? The dynamics of the descending objects or the methods of state estimation(e.g. filtering)? Hope someone can help me what the most important thing is in engineering. Thanks in advance!

Hello, please I want to know how to calculate the overall efficiency of a concentrated solar power plant (CSP) which uses parabolic trough concentrator,so please if you can provide me with detailed information and calculation method. My CSP power plant is running under basic rankine cycle,with a pump,parabolic trough concentrator, a turbine and a condenser. The boiler,in this power plant is replaced by the parabolic trough concentrator to generate steam before entering the turbine. The idea is to find how the integration of parabolic trough concentrator,will affect the efficiency formula of the basic rankine cycle,maybe it will multiplied by the collector efficiency,…

ow exactly did modern electricity become available? Let's say I was stuck on an island which contained every naturally occurring element. How could I make modern lighting from scratch?

Is a hovercraft's skirt a part of the vehicle itself? I'm asking because somebody else online just said this: "A flexible skirt around the bottom of the pressure plenum will confine the air pressure, ride over small obstacles, and lift the whole assembly higher." He said "the whole assembly", which I thought meant the hovercraft's body. Does this mean the skirt is not a part of the craft itself? I thought it was because it was still attached to the vehicle.

I have been very interested in learning about robotics for the past 2 years. However, I have no idea where to start. I'm not too sure if I should start by searching for basic robotics lectures or if maybe I should look up some electrical engineering first or something else entirely. If someone could help me take my first step in the right direction because I would more than love to get started this summer. Also, I do have a decent background in physics and mathematic along with a bit of a coding background if that helps.

Which material, hardness, shape, porosity, tilt angle... would you say plain water dripping on it causes finer, more, farther reaching bounced droplets/splash ? (for a given height, say 1 metre) Seems like more than calculating, would be empirical knowledge (As to better ~evenly wet the surrounding area)

Who can help me how i can measure acidity in soft drinks, juice via equipment? I do it by using alkali. But i need to know is there any equipment for it?

I am building a robot with multiple types of sensors, 2 motors for locomotion, 2 motors to control a robotic arm. I want to know how do i factor in all these components to determine a length of how long my battery will last. Lets say I was using a 7.2 V/1600 mAh, now how could I determine its length of life using the voltage and current of each component. I am using a variety of color,IR, tilt sensors and such. So could someone give me a good solution.

What would yield best efficiency in collecting moisture from fog ? The typical fabric used for such is the raschel, that one used for bagging potatoes, onions... How can the dimensions be optimized/engineered ? Larger holes allow more fog passing trough; smaller holes impede the fog flow but present more moisture capturing surface. There has to be an optimal ratio from thread/ opening. Probably depends on wind speed, humidity content. How would you chose the ratio ? Now, about material... Is a multifilament wick 'better' at capturing/transporting the collected moisture than a polyethilene thread ? Better could mean faster channeling, less evaporation, asep…

I've always had an idea at the back of my mind, for harvesting an untapped resource; Kinetic energy. Lately, I have had ideas on how to do it. Not ACTUAL ideas, since I'm in middle school, but more like an idea of the location of this resource, the Freeway. So, I searched up on devices that could harvest Kinetic energy, and I found this; http://www.perpetuum.com/tech.asp If possible, do you think this could be placed under roads and freeways? Please post opinions below.

anyway, a nuclear-powered pusher-plate craft would, by assumption, have a pusher-plate capable of absorbing high energy particle radiation. So, a pusher-plate craft could accelerate, then coast in an "end over" (stern first) orientation, using its pusher plate to "snow plow" the ISM. However, even to drive an aircraft-carrier-sized ship (100Ktons) to Mars and back ([math]\Delta v \approx 10 km/s[/math]) would require circa 100Gtons of nuclear warheads for fuel. i think that's about the entire global stockpile of nukes. So, all earth could spend trillions of dollars, to load a huge stockpile of fuel pellets aboard a craft, for one trip. (Moreover, 100Gtons probably ma…

I always wanted to build simple drawers and tiny supply elevators that could open and close, (rise and decend) at the push of a button. Now I have several practical uses for a circuit like that, but I'm still stumped on how to wire one. What I'd like to replicate is the drawer of a cd drive. Push a button, and the drawer extends and stops. Push THE SAME button, and it recedes back into its box. What is the name for this kind of circuit, and can someone post or direct me to a schematic. There's no need to cover the mechanics of the belts and pulleys, and I'm working with D.C. motors. Many, many thanks, Ernie

Hello guys, I've recently started learning about supercapacitors and their principles for an internship im doing right now and I had trouble understanding the seperator which is a porous membrane and its main function is to stop electronic conduction between the capacitor electrodes and prevent a short circuit but allow ionic conduction. So if it is ion permeable why does it stop electrons from passing through as they comparatively smaller than the electrolyte ions. Most of the commercial seperator membranes right now are made from cellulose derivatives or porous polypropylene. Does it have to do anything with the material properties of the membrane? or is it som…

Hi, another thing I need your help with about the hoverbikes in my show concept. I sometimes think I should make the bikes faster, but then it brings safety to issue because of the increased g-forces (assuming that's a possibility). The fastest I wanted to make them at one time was no more than 800 km/h. What should I do, design-wise, to make sure the riders are safer at such high speeds? Is there some other technology that would need to be acquired for this objective?

Hi! I'm starting robotics next year (sophomore year of high school) and I have no idea what to expect. I've never been good at assembling things and hands on activities so I'm very nervous. Can someone please tell me what I should expect or know? Thank you!

How does the industry drills a hole 0.1mm diameter on iron, brass, stainless ? Are drill bits the norm, or is there another way ? Say you want a hole as fine as a human hair...

Is it possible to install solar panels on rocket ships? so they can move through space without using gas but instead using the sun rays for charging.

Just kidding. My stepson got an electric scooter and I am trying to design a ramp to go up and down the stairs to the basement to store it overnight. I tried using just a 250cm long board but it slips on the stairs and I end up having to go and carry it up or down anyway. Any ideas on how to get it to stay the ramp/board to stay put while moving this thing up and down the stairs. I suck at Engineering obviously and any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Note: Because it is too heavy for the kid I had made it fairly long because It is easier to push it up the gradual slope then the actual height of the stairs (about 5 steps) without having to use the motor of the sco…

After talking to some people about Superconductivity...and how much of a pain it is to have to cool certain materials using Liquid this and that to extremely cold temps. just to get Superconductivity...I started to talk about a Holographic Circuit Board as well as using a method of EM broadcast to send such energy directly to where it was needed without needing such materials. Now there are a few things on the net about such types of Virtual Circuits. My question to the engineering crew here is...not if it possible but how long will it be before it is widely used? Split Infinity

This is a small experiment I would like to conduct. I was told if you can give a scientist a problem, they will always have an answer. No matter how unrealistic. I am here to ask all of you to ponder a practical and realistic way to get people off of the power grid. The ideas expressed should not have any selfish or greedy intent. I would like to think that as a community of knowledgeable people a solution can be found to help all of humanity. Anyways, I am not 100% sure how this experiment should work. All that I know is that it is an experiment that could have a historical impact on our world. Collective thought is an amazing thing. I assume a good starting pla…

Hello!! I am angineer in developing motor assemblies,now I had task in developing some new products to meets the needs of manufacturers. But I have never work in such a producer,so I had no Ideas for what they really need now. In the attachment are some of the product that want to combine together as a package.Will this package meet producer's need? éœçˆ¾IC.pdf