That would certainly be a hard thing to get used to, Chuck. I used to take my car out of gear while descending mountain passes in Colorado. I would sometimes turn off the engine and just coast. Then one day I got a new car. I tried the same thing. Problem was, the new car had a feature where the steering would lock up when you turned the engine off. I came pretty close to driving off a cliff.
I don't know the details of how it will work, Rob, but the general idea is that it could shut down, even at speeds of 75 mph, when the driver pulls his or her foot off the gas and coasts. To make it happen, the vehicle has to synchronize the starter motor to the powertrain's spinning ring gear during deceleration. To do that, a very good crankshaft sensor is needed. Suppliers tell us that this feature won't be available in the first generation of start-stop technology. But subsequent generations will have it. By shutting down during coasting, automakers say they can reduce fuel consumption by an additional 10%.
I wish I had, Rob. I'm really curious about this concept of shutting down the engine while gliding at high speeds. Bosch engineers told me earlier this year that they, too, foresee shutting down engines at as much as 75 mph.
Why are EV charging cables so expensive? If there are complex electronics involved, why isn't that built into the car, so you could just plug in with a standard 110 or 220 extension cord? Simple power supplies can auto-sense whether you've plugged into 110 or 220, but a $40,000.00 car can't? Can anyone offer insight or point me to a link that discusses this?
With something you love, there's a fine line between work and play. It's a testament to the power of the technology that engineers are having that much fun all the while pushing the boundaries of what's possible and learning the new environments.
I agree, naperlou. The Freescale competition was cool. And the engineers were serious about it. Although the sign said, "Engineers at play," it didn't seem like they were playing.
Beth, I have to admit that I'm not a likely candidate for colorful interior LED lighting, either. Some consumers like it, though. Ford's My Color has been very popular on the Mustang.
Agreed, gsmith120. I see the light now too in terms of some applications where internal LEDs could lend an assist. Although in today's world, most passengers would be using some sort of electronics device--smart phone, tablet, e-Reader--all of which have backlit capabilities hence they don't really need an onboard light for clarity.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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 ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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