Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2011
Diesel Mechanic's Favorite Diesel Engine
This a rather boring video but just listen to that diesel engine purr! Sit back with your favorite beverage and enjoy... The Cummins C Diesel engine 250 HP running in one of our pusher school buses (early nineties model). This engine is one of my favorites in the fleet, one reason is it's mechanical fuel injection. For the Mechanic... much easier to work on compared to today's units.
I had one of the Mechanics from the Cummins dealership ask me if any of our buses with this engine model were coming due for auction, he was interested in picking one up because of the non-electronic fuel injection system. These are popular models mainly because of the basic mechanics involved when working on them. The Bosch fuel injection pump is straight forward and works off a mechanical linkage operated by an air throttle pedal. The fuel shutdown is controlled by relays and is a very basic hard wired electrical system.
I know I'm dating myself here but electronics just needs a wisp of condensation and you're going to end up with some trouble. The precise technology of today is amazing stuff and controlling operating systems with printed circuits can't be beat compared to older technology but I sure miss it. Let's just say for all of us modern Mechanics you've got to stay sharp!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
DC Generators Fundamentals
Looking at DC Generators Fundamentals you can easily relate to Hybrid Automobiles which are powered by a fuel driven engine to create DC current that charges the batteries that drive the electric motors that drive the wheels.
Diesel locomotives are, for example, an example of a hybrid drive train, as the diesel engine does not cause the wheels to spin, but instead generates electricity that turns electric motors that then cause the wheels to spin.
There are two kinds of hybrid drive trains:
* Serial hybrid: The thing which turns the wheel is an electric motor, and the gasoline engine is used purely to generate electricity.
* Parallel hybrid: Both the electric motor and gasoline engine can cause the wheels to turn.
These "new" hybrid cars are all of the parallel design pattern. Not a one, so far, is of the serial design pattern even though that would be a much simpler vehicle to design and build. A simple-and-obvious-to-construct serial hybrid vehicle would be an otherwise pure electric car, and carry a portable generator.
When the batteries run low, fire up the portable generator and make some electricity. You could recharge the battery pack from the power grid, or from the generator, your choice. This could turn a limited range electric vehicle into one that could drive long distances.
However there are several steps of converting power (e.g. mechanical to electrical, and AC to DC). Each conversion step involves some lossage, and maybe this isn't the most efficient use of fuel.
The automakers are also working with a third type of hybrid, that they call "mild hybrid". [No information available yet]
It's not electric unless you can plug it in.
That is, many people seem to think the hybrid-electric vehicles on the market now are electric. Well, honestly, are they? None of them let you plug the car in to charge the batteries, none of them drive for any significant distance on pure electric, so how can one honestly think of them as an electric vehicle?
The electricity used in the electric motor, in all of these vehicles, comes from gasoline burned in the gas or diesel engine. These are not electric vehicles, despite the presence of that electric motor.
One day there will be 100% electric vehicles but technology will have to come up with a super/cost effective deep cell battery that will absorb and retain an amazing amount of amperage.
Here is a Youtube Video on a very old DC Generator that was steam engine driven back in 1917. It's a great example on how a driven DC Generator can be used to charge the battery pack [i.e. hybrid vehicle] or supply an amperage to a load. In this video the load is obviously the light being held for the demo...
DC Generators Fundamentals
Diesel locomotives are, for example, an example of a hybrid drive train, as the diesel engine does not cause the wheels to spin, but instead generates electricity that turns electric motors that then cause the wheels to spin.
There are two kinds of hybrid drive trains:
* Serial hybrid: The thing which turns the wheel is an electric motor, and the gasoline engine is used purely to generate electricity.
* Parallel hybrid: Both the electric motor and gasoline engine can cause the wheels to turn.
These "new" hybrid cars are all of the parallel design pattern. Not a one, so far, is of the serial design pattern even though that would be a much simpler vehicle to design and build. A simple-and-obvious-to-construct serial hybrid vehicle would be an otherwise pure electric car, and carry a portable generator.
When the batteries run low, fire up the portable generator and make some electricity. You could recharge the battery pack from the power grid, or from the generator, your choice. This could turn a limited range electric vehicle into one that could drive long distances.
However there are several steps of converting power (e.g. mechanical to electrical, and AC to DC). Each conversion step involves some lossage, and maybe this isn't the most efficient use of fuel.
The automakers are also working with a third type of hybrid, that they call "mild hybrid". [No information available yet]
It's not electric unless you can plug it in.
That is, many people seem to think the hybrid-electric vehicles on the market now are electric. Well, honestly, are they? None of them let you plug the car in to charge the batteries, none of them drive for any significant distance on pure electric, so how can one honestly think of them as an electric vehicle?
The electricity used in the electric motor, in all of these vehicles, comes from gasoline burned in the gas or diesel engine. These are not electric vehicles, despite the presence of that electric motor.
One day there will be 100% electric vehicles but technology will have to come up with a super/cost effective deep cell battery that will absorb and retain an amazing amount of amperage.
Here is a Youtube Video on a very old DC Generator that was steam engine driven back in 1917. It's a great example on how a driven DC Generator can be used to charge the battery pack [i.e. hybrid vehicle] or supply an amperage to a load. In this video the load is obviously the light being held for the demo...
DC Generators Fundamentals
Thursday, December 06, 2007
School Bus Racing
School Bus Racing from Michigan, it hurts to watch this video since I've spent so much of my time fixing school buses! But it's rather ironic to see the recklessness on the track compared to the stringent rules and regulations school bus drivers have to follow.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)