What's the actual scope of work being proposed?
Creating a CAD concept and basic analysis for a 10kW boiler, engine, and generator is doable over a few months. Building them OTOH would require months of fabrication, cost more than my degree in materials, and cost more than most Capstones in...
The OEs have contact info on their websites for established bodybuilders to request sales models. If you're a hobbyist then no. Fleet sales and bodybuilder support arent a particularly big source of revenue so they need to risk liability vs profit.
It obviously depends on vehicle class/type but there are thousands fewer p/ns, I vaguely recall one of the vehicle chiefs saying it was ~30% fewer p/ns for cars.
The powertrain Tier1s are scrambling to reinvent themselves atm bc outsourcing has dropped significantly. Most banked on supplying...
Not related to pneumatics hence my earlier failing to mention/sidetrack, but I've done some related testing on fuel systems. On large natural gas industrial engines, packaging often requires piping a fuel/air mix several-tens of feet to the engine so autoignition, engine backfires, etc are...
1. Google "driven casters." There are many variations, but all have a motor (electric or hydraulic) driving a caster's axle/wheel, with or without a gearbox or chain drive.
2. A gear/chain drive connecting the spindles of two casters locks the rotation/orientation together to help with...
There's been big reductions in not only the powertrain half of development but also vehicle level testing as overall, EVs have fewer parts so less to integrate and test. I wouldnt say the auto industry is a bad place to be tho, its the US' largest manufacturing segment and pays better than most...
Avoiding layoffs in the auto industry stateside is like avoiding seasonal colds - an extraordinary few succeed but good luck to most. There are smaller Tier1&2s that layoff less but IME they usually pay lousy. My personal strategy:
1. Only accept top-paying roles. A top slot often means you...
Regarding attitude and humility...
Engineering offices are difficult places to work. Not only is the work difficult, mentally tiring, and requires constant personal development/growth/training, but its an environment ruled by logic with little regard for emotion. You could be technically...
In most countries, patent law requires the holder to make a "reasonable" effort to develop the invention themselves. Patents exist to incentivize innovation. Filing them with no intention of developing an invention (ie for amusement, to immediately sell, or to block a competitor) is generally...
1. Contrary to the media and politicos' lies, the economy is pretty horrendous atm. Many industries have been laying off en-masse with little hiring for almost four years now, so there's a ton of competition for engineering slots. Hopefully that turns around next year.
2. If your resume is...
Is there a way to turn off spelling/grammar checking?
I dont mind the red underlines and havent had issues the last few days, but today its randomly trying to combine words as I type. If I put a space between two words, before I finish typing the second word it frequently deletes the space and...
Define "useless."
I've seen stats claiming that ~70% of engineering grads stateside dont work in engineering, but dont recall seeing it broken down further. Canada has similar stats and I know members up north have studied this more than I, so maybe they can provide some detail.
Regardless...
You're proposing a recip engine with a different bottom end. Combustion chamber design and the effect of stroke, piston clearances, etc is well-understood so there's no significant gains to be had there. To have comparable thermal efficiency to modern recips you need to have similar piston...
Skepticism correlates directly to uncertainty. Even when you have a fully detailed 3d model, there's a ton of uncertainty that can only be resolved by testing a functional prototype. Lots of folks complete the first but not many ever start the second.
Cylinder-crank offset is normal but this...
Tolerances vary depending on the material and specific process used. You could stress relieve or not, cold or hot work, there are multiple forming processes to consider (folding, stamping, rolling, etc), and you can also have secondary straightening, heat treat, and other operations to...
I'm surprised the old forum software lasted as long as it did being such an antiquated turd. It had a really annoying habit of randomly submitting posts while I was midway through typing, crashing when I submitted a post (thereby losing the post), and other failures. Not being able to truly...
What's considered a "threat?"
Is it a threat for management to hold staff to the highest standards and regularly layoff for flawed, late, or over-budget work?
If someone cant provide data and logic as to why a project plan is unrealistic, is it a threat for the boss to tell them to shut-up and...
I'd wager that most of your coworkers prefer white-noise to somebody else's music, so would find a few willing to support your position before demanding the music end. If I'm doing mindless tasks I put on audiobooks or music, but when I need to concentrate or collaborate I need white-noise...
If you want to become an engineer then I'd pursue a standard bachelor's program. MS programs are largely fluff, and rushing through an accelerated undergrad is a mistake. Undergrad is not only where you learn the fundamental sciences like kinematics, material science, thermo, etc; its where...