Automotive technologies

Camber angle is the angle made by the wheel of an automobile; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear. It is used in the design of steering and suspension. If the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom (that is, away from the axle), it is called positive camber, if the bottom of the wheel is further out ...

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Body-on-frame is an automobile construction technology. Mounting a separate body to a rigid frame which supports the drivetrain was the original method of building automobiles, and its use continues to this day. The original frames were made of wood (commonly ash), but steel ladder frames became common in the 1930s. In the USA the frequent changes in automobile design made it necessary to use a ladder frame rather than monocoque to make it possible to cha ...

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A battery pack is a set of any number of (preferably) identical batteries or individual battery cells. They may be configured in a series, parallel or a mixture of both to deliver the desired voltage, capacity, or power density. The term battery pack is often used in reference to RC hobby toys and battery electric vehicles. Components of battery packs include the individual batteries or cells, and the interconnects which provide electrical conductivity between them. Interconnects are also found in batteries as they are the part ...

Including:

• Battery pack - Calculating State Of Charge
• Battery pack - Advantages
• Battery pack - Disadvantages

Read more here: » Battery pack: Encyclopedia - Battery pack

Image:Turbo starter.jpeg Automobile self starter - History. Both Otto cycle and Diesel cycle internal-combustion engines require the pistons to be moving before the ignition phase of the cycle. This means that the engine must be set in motion by an external force before it can power itself. Originally, a hand crank was used to start engines, but it was inconvenient and rather hard work to crank the engine up to speed. It was also highly dangerous. Even though cranks had an overrun mechanism to prevent it, when the ...

Including:

• Automobile self starter - History
• Automobile self starter - Electric starter
• Automobile self starter - Pneumatic starter
• Automobile self starter - Auxiliary starter engine
• Automobile self starter - Patents

Read more here: » Automobile self starter: Encyclopedia - Automobile self starter

BEVs were among the earliest automobiles, and before the preeminence of light, powerful internal combustion engines, electric automobiles held many vehicle land speed and distance records in the early 1900s. They were produced by Anthony Electric, Baker Electric, Detroit Electric, and others and at one point in history out-sold gasoline-powered vehicles. Some feel that the introduction of the electric starter by Cadillac in 1913, which simplified the difficult and sometimes dangerous task of starting the internal combustion engine, wa ...

Including:

• Battery electric vehicle - History
• Battery electric vehicle - Efficiency
• Battery electric vehicle - Fuels
• Battery electric vehicle - Range
• Battery electric vehicle - Battery charging
• Battery electric vehicle - Battery life
• Battery electric vehicle - Safety
• Battery electric vehicle - Future
• Battery electric vehicle - Owners
• Battery electric vehicle - Controversy
• Battery electric vehicle - United States
• Battery electric vehicle - Outside the United States
• Battery electric vehicle - Production vehicles
• Battery electric vehicle - Prototypes
• Battery electric vehicle - Production announcements
• Battery electric vehicle - Hobbyists research and racing
• Battery electric vehicle - EV news stories

Read more here: » Battery electric vehicle: Encyclopedia - Battery electric vehicle

For the fictional weapon called a caster, please see Spellgun Caster (or castor) angle is the angular displacement from the vertical axis of the suspension of a steered wheel in a car or other vehicle, measured in the longitudinal direction. It is the angle between the pivot line (an imaginary line that runs through the center of the upper ball joint to the center of the lower ball joint) and vertical. Car racers sometimes adjust caster angle to optimiz ...

Including:

• Caster angle - History

Read more here: » Caster angle: Encyclopedia - Caster angle

Vehicle dynamics - Definitions. Ackermann steering geometry Camber angle Caster angle Circle of forces Electronic Stability Program Live axle Oversteer Roll center Toe Understeer Unsprung weight Weight transfer important publications in vehicle dynamics Vehicle dynamics - Performance driving techniques. Cadence braking D ...

Including:

• Vehicle dynamics - Definitions
• Vehicle dynamics - Performance driving techniques

Read more here: » Vehicle dynamics: Encyclopedia - Vehicle dynamics

A contact breaker (or "points") is a type of electrical switch, and the term typically refers to the switching device found in the distributor of the ignition systems of non Diesel-powered internal combustion engines. Contact breaker - Purpose. The purpose of the contact breaker is to interrupt the current flowing in the primary circuit of the ignition coil. When this occurs, the collapsing current induces a high voltage in the secondary winding of the coil, which has very many more tu ...

Including:

• Contact breaker - Purpose
• Contact breaker - Operation
• Contact breaker - Disadvantages of contact breakers

Read more here: » Contact breaker: Encyclopedia - Contact breaker

Disclaimer: The following entry is entirely intellectual knowledge by User:PbS; neither he nor any other person is known to have put this knowledge to practice, No claim of accuracy is made or implied. Use this info at your own risk. In order to size a wheel for an automobile, an owner needs to know a few fundamental things: The bolt pattern The diameter of the bolt circle The offset The size of the wheel The centerbore Wheel sizing - Bolt pattern. ...

Including:

• Wheel sizing - Bolt pattern
• Wheel sizing - Bolt circle
• Wheel sizing - Lug nuts or bolts
• Wheel sizing - Offset
• Wheel sizing - Wheel size
• Wheel sizing - Centerbore

Read more here: » Wheel sizing: Encyclopedia - Wheel sizing

A catalytic converter is a device used to reduce the emissions from an internal combustion engine. Most commonly used in an automobile's exhaust system, catalytic converters are now commonly used on generator sets, forklifts, mining equipment, trucks, buses, trains, and other machines that have engines to provide an environment for a chemical reaction where unburned hydrocarbons are more completely combusted. Automobile converters use platinum or palladium and rhodium as catalysts. Hence the combustion (redox) process continues, but o ...

Including:

• Catalytic converter - Purpose and function of catalytic converters
• Catalytic converter - Catalyst Poisoning
• Catalytic converter - Technical details
• Catalytic converter - Regulations
• Catalytic converter - Patents

Read more here: » Catalytic converter: Encyclopedia - Catalytic converter

Four wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 ("four by four"), all wheel drive, and AWD are terms used to describe a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously. While many people think exclusively of off-road vehicles, powering all four wheels provides better control on slick ice and is an important part of rally racing on mostly-paved roads. Four wheel drive (4WD or 4x4 for short) was the original term, often used to describe truck-like vehicles ...

Including:

• Four wheel drive - Design
• Four wheel drive - History
• Four wheel drive - Terminology
• Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia
• Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia - Four wheel drive

Several different methods of automobile ancillary power exist. The ultimate source of power for most of them is the automobile's main power source—normally an internal combustion engine of some kind—but some way of transferring power to the vehicle's ancillary systems is required. This may be through direct mechanical connection, electricity, hydraulic systems, vacuum, or compressed air. The trend in modern vehicles is toward making all ancilliaries run on electrical power, simplifying the vehicle's systems and making them ...

Including:

• Automobile ancillary power - Mechanical
• Automobile ancillary power - Electrical
• Automobile ancillary power - Hydraulic
• Automobile ancillary power - Vacuum
• Automobile ancillary power - Compressed air

Read more here: » Automobile ancillary power: Encyclopedia - Automobile ancillary power

In automotive engineering, the bodywork of an automobile is the structure which protects: The occupants Any other payload The mechanical components. In vehicles with a frame or chasis, the term bodywork is normally applied to only the non-structural panels, including doors and other movable panels, but it may also be used more generally to include the structural comp ...

Including:

• Bodywork - Construction
• Bodywork - Body styles

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General Motors introduced the first automatic headlight dimmer – called the Autronic Eye – in 1952, on its Cadillac and Oldsmobile models; Buick, Pontiac and Chevrolet models began offering this feature in 1953. Cars with the Autornic Eye were easily identified by a periscope-like phototube that sat on the dashboard's left side, just inside the windshield. One criticism of early automatic headlight dimmers – GM's Autronic Eye in particular – was that the headlights tended to erractically flicker betwee ...

See also:

Automatic headlight dimmer, Automatic headlight dimmer - General Motors Autronic Eye / GuideMatic, Automatic headlight dimmer - Other makes

Read more here: » Automatic headlight dimmer: Encyclopedia II - Automatic headlight dimmer - General Motors Autronic Eye / GuideMatic

Spoilers generally work by disrupting the airflow going over a car. This disruption has two primary effects: reducing the amount of lift naturally generated by the shape of the car, and increasing the amount of positive pressure downward through the vehicle The result of these two effects is the same: increasing the force between the tire and the road surface, thereby increasing traction. This increase in traction allows a vehicle in motion to brake, turn, and accelerate more aggressively without tire slippage. Additionally, this is ...

See also:

Spoiler automotive, Spoiler automotive - Operation, Spoiler automotive - Types of spoilers, Spoiler automotive - Racing, Spoiler automotive - Passenger vehicles, Spoiler automotive - Related terms

Read more here: » Spoiler automotive: Encyclopedia II - Spoiler automotive - Operation

When powering two wheels simultaneously, something must be done to allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds as the vehicle goes around curves. When driving all four wheels, the problem is much worse. A design that fails to account for this will cause the vehicle to handle poorly on turns, fighting the driver as the tires slip and skid from the mismatched speeds. A differential allows one input shaft to drive two output shafts with different speeds. The differential distributes torque (angular force) evenly, while distributing an ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - 4WD in road racing, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Design

Production and conversion battery electric vehicles typically achieve 0.3 to 0.5 kWh per mile (0.2 to 0.3 kWh/km). [3] [4] The U.S. fleet average of 23 mpg of gasoline is equivalent to 1.46 kWh/mi and the 70 mpg Insight gets 0.48 kWh/mi (assuming 33.6 kWh per U.S. gallon of gasoline), so battery electric cars vehicles are relatively efficient. When comparisons are made for the total energy cycle, the efficiency figures for BEVs drop, but such calculations are not commonly offered for ICE vehicles (e.g. the loss of efficiency from energy used to produce specialized fuels such as gasoline as compared to ...

See also:

Battery electric vehicle, Battery electric vehicle - History, Battery electric vehicle - Efficiency, Battery electric vehicle - Fuels, Battery electric vehicle - Range, Battery electric vehicle - Battery charging, Battery electric vehicle - Battery life, Battery electric vehicle - Safety, Battery electric vehicle - Future, Battery electric vehicle - Owners, Battery electric vehicle - Controversy, Battery electric vehicle - United States, Battery electric vehicle - Outside the United States, Battery electric vehicle - Production vehicles, Battery electric vehicle - Prototypes, Battery electric vehicle - Production announcements, Battery electric vehicle - Hobbyists research and racing, Battery electric vehicle - EV news stories

Read more here: » Battery electric vehicle: Encyclopedia II - Battery electric vehicle - Efficiency

Automotive lighting - Turn signals. Turn signals (properly "direction-indicator lamps," also "indicators," "directionals," "blinkers," or "flashers") are signal lights mounted near the left and right front and rear corners, and sometimes on the sides of vehicles, used to indicate to other drivers that the operator intends a lateral change of position (turn or lanechange). Electric turn signal lights were devised as early as 1907 (U.S. Patent 912,831), but were not widely offered by major automobile manufacturers ...

See also:

Automotive lighting, Automotive lighting - Forward illumination, Automotive lighting - Main-beam headlamps, Automotive lighting - Dipped-beam headlamps, Automotive lighting - Driving lamps, Automotive lighting - Front fog lamps, Automotive lighting - Cornering lamps, Automotive lighting - Conspicuity, Automotive lighting - Front position lamps and rear taillamps, Automotive lighting - Rear position lamps, Automotive lighting - Rear registration plate lamp, Automotive lighting - Sidemarker lights and retroreflectors, Automotive lighting - Daytime running lamps, Automotive lighting - Rear fog lamps, Automotive lighting - Signalling, Automotive lighting - Turn signals, Automotive lighting - Stop lamps, Automotive lighting - Reversing lamps

Read more here: » Automotive lighting: Encyclopedia II - Automotive lighting - Signalling

When powering two wheels simultaneously, something must be done to allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds as the vehicle goes around curves. When driving all four wheels, the problem is much worse. A design that fails to account for this will cause the vehicle to handle poorly on turns, fighting the driver as the tires slip and skid from the mismatched speeds. A differential allows one input shaft to drive two output shafts with different speeds. The differential distributes torque (angular force) evenly, while distributing an ...

See also:

Four wheel drive, Four wheel drive - Design, Four wheel drive - History, Four wheel drive - Terminology, Four wheel drive - Four wheel drives in Australia, Four wheel drive - Unusual Four wheel drive systems

Read more here: » Four wheel drive: Encyclopedia II - Four wheel drive - Design

Most automobiles today use rigid driveshafts to deliver power from a transmission to the wheels. A pair of short driveshafts is commonly used to send power from a central differential, transmission, or transaxle to the wheels. In front-engined, rear-drive vehicles, a longer driveshaft is also required to send power the length of the vehicle. Two forms dominate: The torque tube with a single universal joint and the Hotchkiss drive with two or more joints. This system became known as Systeme Panhard after the ...

See also:

Driveshaft, Driveshaft - Automotive driveshafts, Driveshaft - Marine driveshafts

Read more here: » Driveshaft: Encyclopedia II - Driveshaft - Automotive driveshafts