Introduction
The performance characteristics and energy consumption of a proposed mechanical hybrid vehicle were investigated; the hybrid consisted of an internal combustion engine and a flywheel rotational energy storage device. Four operating modes were envisioned for the system: a start-up mode in which the flywheel would be brought to operational speed if it was not already at that speed, an acceleration mode in which the vehicle would be accelerated to cruising speed, a cruising mode in which the vehicle would travel at constant speed for a period of time, and a braking mode in which the vehicle would decelerate from cruising speed to a full stop and enter into an idling mode; in the braking mode, the vehicle would remain stationary for a period of time with the engine turned off, conserving fuel and significantly reducing atmospheric pollution. The vehicle then would reenter the acceleration mode, beginning a new cycle of accelerating, cruising, braking, and idling. Read More »
Latest Cases
Introduction
As the supply of fossil fuels decreases, it is quite possible that future stationary or mobile energy systems will use hydrogen fuel cells. Natural gas has been proposed as a transition fuel as it is currently plentiful and has an existing infrastructure. Read More »
Armed with CFD tools, the golf club maker applies aerodynamic principles to driver design, pushing the boundaries of range and performance. Read More »
Introduction
The data and equations from the Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures (BCRSMS), 2008 edition, cover minimum requirements for the structural design and construction of masonry elements consisting of masonry units bedded in mortar. This case explores a scenario that is not covered in the code. Read More »
Description of Case
Practical applications of gas-liquid flow for two different components or for a single substance are encountered frequently in the petroleum, nuclear, and process industries. The two gas and liquid phases may exist in a flow of different components (e.g., air and water) and/or when there is phase change caused by evaporation and condensation of a single fluid. In the effort to gain a fundamental understanding of the complexities involved in two-phase flow, void fraction is one of the key pieces of the puzzle. In industrial applications in which there is two-phase flow, the task of sizing the equipment for gathering, pumping, transporting, and storing the two-phase mixture requires the formidable task of predicting the phase distribution in the system from the specific operating conditions. For example, in nuclear reactor technology, a boiling water reactor (BWR) uses light water as neutron moderator and coolant, and the void fraction is significant in estimating the reactivity of the reactor. The method for estimating the void fraction correctly and accurately becomes a requirement in the attempt to predict the phase distribution with reliable accuracy. Read More »
Introduction
The overall performance of a weapon is of great interest to handgun and rifle users. That performance is defined by the magnitude of specific variables such as muzzle velocity, recoil force, and the maximum pressure developed inside the barrel. These performance characteristics are related for the most part to bullet weight, propellant weight, type of propellant used, propellant burn rate, barrel length, barrel inside diameter, and frictional force between the bullet and the inside diameter of the barrel.
Calculation of the recoil force should be given special consideration by firearm designers and users because excessive recoil has an adverse effect on accuracy. It is therefore important to obtain an understanding of why excessive recoil occurs and how it might be mitigated. A clue is provided by the observation of what appears to be an anomaly in the case of the recoil force developed in each of two handguns that fire the same ammunition and are identical in all respects except for the material from which they are constructed and their weight. The recoil force developed by the lighter gun is significantly higher than that of the heavier gun, although the expectation is that they are equal. Read More »
Armed with FEA and other 3-D design tools, manufacturer is free to push design concepts without the cost and labor associated with building physical prototypes.
For 140 years, A.T. Ferrell Company has manufactured the grain cleaners, sifting conveyors, roller mills, and steamers that farm operators, feed mills, and food, cereal, and oilseed processors use on a daily basis to bring food and agricultural products to market. The machines and tooling structures are huge and often custom configured. Many in the company affectionately use a Mr. Potato Head metaphor to explain the A.T. Ferrell product development process, as it is possible for a single machine to be brought to life in seemingly endless combinations, depending on customer need. Read More »
Description of Case
Nonboiling two-phase flow has many industrial applications, such as the flow of oil and natural gas in flow lines and wellbores, in which knowledge about nonboiling two-phase, two-component (liquid and permanent gas) heat transfer is required. During the production of two-phase hydrocarbon fluids from an oil reservoir to the surface, the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluids changes as a result of the difference in temperatures between the oil reservoir and the surface. The change in temperature results in heat transfer between the hydrocarbon fluids and the earth surrounding the oil well, and the ability to estimate the flowing temperature profile is necessary to address several design problems in petroleum production engineering. Read More »
Chemical engineers know better than anyone the difficulties in turning a promising lab curiosity into an actual product. Consider, for example, aluminum-water reactions as a means for generating hydrogen gas. For decades, researchers have been trying to tap the commercial potential of these reactions, which have the potential to produce hydrogen without the high costs and energy inefficiency of steam reforming and electrolysis techniques and systems. Over the years, there have been scores of patents and technical papers documenting efforts to harness the hydrogen-generating power of aluminum-water reactions. Read More »
General Project Description
Thoughtful management of energy consumption can generate considerable energy savings for consumers. However, several obstacles hinder the establishment of an effective energy management system, especially the unavailability of qualified resources and lack of access to information necessary for its establishment. Read More »
