Emission Standards how far will they go

There are many issues that face Mechanical Engineers and society today. The issue of combustion engines and emissions is an issue that Mechanical Engineers look at every day. Let’s take a look at diesel engines in particular.

Diesel engines have been known for producing exhaust containing fine particles that can cause short term dizziness, nausea, and coughing.  Diesel engines have also been known to cause long term conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cardiopulmonary disease, and lung cancer.  So what does society do; get rid of diesel engines and set back multiple industries that rely on diesel engines?

Instead of getting rid of diesel engines society has chosen to place emission standards on engines to clean up the exhaust fumes produced by these engines. This has caused Mechanical Engineers to take a close look at the designs of diesel engines and the exhaust fumes produced by these engines.

Engineers have made changes to the diesel engines to reduce the “black smoke” produced from diesel engines at full power when pulling a load and at start up conditions.  The restrictions placed on diesel engines emissions have forced the diesel engine industry to look to alternatives such as biodiesels and the use of catalytic converters, and changing the refining process.

The refining process has been changed to remove the sulfur content from diesel fuels before they are ever burned in a diesel engine. This change removed the strong odor that was associated with diesel fuel in the past.

Catalytic converters have cleaned up some of the harmful particles from the exhaust. The function of the catalytic converter is to convert these harmful chemicals into less noxious substances. The strict standards of today have made the catalytic converter inefficient in meeting the emission standards and more steps have become necessary.

Biodiesels help meet emission requirements because they burn cleaner but are not sufficient enough to help diesel engines meet the requirements along with catalytic converters and the renewed refining process.

As emission standards continue to become stricter and force diesel engines to become more efficient how diesel engines will meet those standards becomes a big issue. Diesel engine designers need the funding to research new technologies for limiting exhaust gases while maintaining efficiency and performance of diesel engines.

Many companies are now leaning toward Precombustion Chamber (PCC), Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Technology and Injection Timing Retard Technology (ITR) to help meet the emission standards of today and tomorrow.

The issue of emission regulations is a constantly changing issue that causes a problem for diesel engine manufacturers and the industry that relies on the use of diesel engines.  Where does society draw the line on emission regulations?  If society continues on this strict emission regulation path how long will it be before industry is looking for a replacement for the diesel engine because they can’t meet the emission requirements. While engine emissions need to be regulated there has to be a standard time limit that allows engine designers and manufactures the time to produce the technologies needed to meet these requirements.  There also needs to be sufficient funding for research to meet these emission standards of the future if society wants to continue to use diesel engines for agricultural equipment and construction equipment.

Touch Screen Steering Wheels

German Researchers have developed a prototype of a touch screen steering wheel to help keep people from taking their eyes of the road while driving.  After recent studies performed by the researchers in Germany they have concluded that the touch screen steering wheel has reduced the need for the driver to take their eyes off the road.

The concept has been long awaited by car owners all over the world. With changing technology society has become more and more distracted behind the wheel. The new touch screen design allows drivers to display maps, play music and make phone calls without handling other objects such as phones, GPS devices and music players and adapters.

The new touch screen uses the same basic principles as most of today’s touch screen devices.  For instance to zoom in users simply pinch their fingers together on the screen and to zoom out simple perform the opposite action.  The new touch screen steering wheels also allow the user to play music by simply tracing a triangle with their finger on the screen.  The touch screen design is capable of performing up to twenty commands thus far with the capability for more in the future.

The researchers have also said that this new touch screen technology could be combined with visual heads up display technologies. They have also said that this technology could also act as a sensor to alert drivers of traffic and remind them to focus on the road.

The top use of this touch screen technology would be navigation as the user can simply use their thumbs to navigate the screen while keeping their hands gripped firmly to the steering wheel the whole time.  Another safety feature consumers may be wondering about is the thought of airbags. The developers have thought of safety and have designed the touch screen to be thin enough to break and allow the airbag to deploy in the same fashion as it would in a regular steering wheel.

This new technology was recently presented at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Vancouver.  The developers are talking with car companies about a near term implementation into vehicles even if not full scale at first.

When the new touch screen steering wheel technology makes it appearance in the automotive market people will be quick to judge its impact on safe driving. However, every critic has taken their eyes off the road to send a text, answer the phone, or adjust their radio or GPS system.  Now think of the possibility of have the ability to do all these things at your fingertips without ever having to take your hand off the steering wheel.  That is the focus of the new touch screen steering wheel developers and they feel that this possibility is already within reach.

Look for this option in your next new vehicle and be ready for the impact that this new device will have on the drivers of the future. What the next step is from here no one knows but the next step may be cars that drive themselves as society sits back and enjoys the ride.

New Steiger Quadtrac Series Tractors

Case New Holland Corporation has released a new line of Quadtrac Tractors with increased performance and efficiency along with more operator comfort.  The first thing to point out about the new line of Quadtrac tractors is the use of the new 12.9 liter FPT Powertrain Technologies Tier 4A engine. 

The new Tier 4A engine meets the emission regulations of 2014 which gives owner’s comfort in knowing that the engine in their tractors will be the same for years to come.  The Tier 4A model of the 12.9 liter FPT Powertrain Technologies engine incorporates the fuel saving Case IH SCR Technology with a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank producing a ten percent decrease in operating cost.  The higher horsepower Steiger 550 and 600 engines use a two-stage turbocharger to give the operator responsiveness at low rpms and peak power at high rpms.  The new engines also offer a ten percent power growth when it is needed in difficult working conditions giving the operator the necessary power to get the job done on time.

The new line of Quadtrac tractors have also been equipped with a sixteen speed full powershift transmission giving the operator a smooth transition from gear to gear even while pulling a load in working conditions.  The new transmissions are set up with larger gears and clutch packs to transfer the increased power to the ground with long term durability.  The transmissions are completed with axles capable of carrying 66,000 pound operating loads.  These transmissions are capable of carrying more weight than any tractor on the market today giving operators and owners the capabilities to pull large equipment to cover more acres per day.  The Quadtrac uses a flange-type axle to be able to generate the torque required for the unbeatable traction produced by the revolutionary four-track design.

The four independent tracks offer the best traction a least amount of slippage on the market.  This design also distributes weight better for reduced compaction while pulling heavy equipment. The new track system uses a lug drive system that provides continuous drive force in all conditions while limiting friction, heat and wear for increased durability.

The new Quadtrac tractors have incorporated a suspended cab to stabilize the cab in all directions and reduce vibration and deliver a smoother consistent ride in rough conditions.  Along with the new suspended cabs Case IH has also incorporated a multi-control armrest bringing all the controls of the tractor to the operator’s fingertips.  Combine this with the forty degree right swivel seat to give the operator a better view of implements without straining their neck to look behind the tractor and Case IH has maximized operator comfort and performance.

The new Quadtrac tractors have raised the bar for performance and efficiency in high horsepower tractors on the market.  These tractors also provide the operator with increased comfort to work long hours in a comfortable environment.  Case IH continues to produce efficient powerful tractors that provide owners with a low cost option to handle large farming operations.  Look for the new Quadtrac tractors to be at the front of the high horsepower tractor industry in the future.

The World of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering is one of the biggest and fastest growing fields in the United States today.  Mechanical Engineering is a field that continues to grow because of the advancements in technology and growing needs of society. 

Many colleges in the United States offer Mechanical Engineering degrees but some of them have better placement rates in specific careers than others.  A Mechanical Engineering degree generally requires four to five years of coursework that is math intensive.  Mechanical Engineers are required to take courses such as fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, and design programs.  All these courses are tied into the rigorous coursework that is required to become a Mechanical Engineer.

Mechanical Engineering is a constantly changing field that has a projected growth in employment in 2012. Along with the growing employment opportunities will arise for new careers in multiple fields.  This growth can be attributed to the changing needs of society as populations continue to grow and the technologies that society uses everyday continue to change creating new product needs and wants. A few of the fields that Mechanical Engineering careers cover can be found at the link provided. Because Mechanical Engineering has such broad coverage, a degree in Mechanical Engineering can also be used in other Engineering disciplines.

Mechanical Engineering relies heavily on research, design and testing.  Mechanical Engineers use research to create new ideas or find economical ways to improve existing designs and ideas.  Mechanical Engineers use a variety of programs to create three dimensional models of these new and existing ideas.  Some of the most widely used programs are Pro/Engineering, SolidWorks, and CAD. These are just a few of the programs available to Mechanical Engineers to design real live working models of new ideas and technologies. Testing is the other cornerstone of Mechanical Engineering.  Mechanical Engineers design and execute tests to validate the new designs and improvements of existing designs to make sure they are safe and economical.

Mechanical Engineers strive to produce low cost products that are efficient and reliable.  These products range from automobiles to agricultural equipment to the toys that children play with, to the advanced technologies that companies and industries use every day.  The products designed by Mechanical Engineers are used every day around the world and because the world is constantly changing the need for new ideas is economical cost effective ideas is constant.

Mechanical Engineering is a field that offers a great starting salary to graduating college students along with a variety of career choices. Mechanical Engineering was ranked third in 2011 for highest average annual starting salary among graduates with a salary of $60,739.  These are a few of the reasons that students have for pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering but most look for a degree and career in Mechanical Engineering because it is a constantly changing field that will always be at the fore front of economic and technological development.

Mechanical Engineers can be summed up with the following quote by Freemon Dyson: “A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering.”