The Offy was a high stung engine that required a lot of frequent adjustement to keep running right. It was a "mechanical marvel" indeed. But computer controlled fuel injected engines ran a bit better for a lot longer with less work required. Also, I think that the newer engines were a bit cheaper.
There is not enough down-force for the IndyCar drivers to be pedal-to-the-metal around the turns at Indianapolis. The drivers must lift and negotiate the turn...or be in the wall! Even with the new safer barriers around the turns, it's still a very hard hit when into the wall. If the car does not handle well, all that power won't help the driver stay up to speed.
The fuel cell (tanks) are much smaller than yesteryear for safety sake. A smaller fuel supply means more pit stops.
Yep...NASCAR usually has more lead changed in one race than F1 has in one season! In F1, usually the pole sitter wins the race, that's not the case in NASCAR.
IndyCar has chosen to go with smaller displacement engines, this year allowing turbochargers with a slightly smaller displacement. Cost containment is a major factor, and there is a cost limit to how much the teams will be charged for each engine...the same for the chassis.
As for "big bore" American racing...that's NASCAR.
I can see where the headline is confusing, Dan. As you seem to know already, the top level of horsepower for a car in the Indy race series is different than that of the Indy 500 because of permissable boost levels. The Indy 500 is 550-560 HP; the Indy car series is about 700 HP. We put 700 HP in the headline because it's the top output. Sorry for the confusion.
As for durability, I believe the new rule for IndyCar engines is that the engines must last 1,850 miles. The Chevrolet cars all started last for the Long Beach Gran Prix due to an engine change for all the Chevy's. Will Power still won driving a Chevrolet.
Watching people drive remote controlled cars (robot cars) would be as boring as watching people play video games.
There is no replacement for big racing (sporting) names like Andretti, Foyt, Unser and Fittipaldi. Race fans generally have their favorite driver, as well as their favorite brand of car/engine. Big-name sports stars provide the performance and fill the stands.
For those not interested in professional sports, including auto racing, don't watch and don't attend. To each thier own.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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