Tech talks

3D Printing is now one of he most discussed subjects in the modern world with its field offering us untapped potential for the future manufacturing and construction applications. Its almost as if everyday you hear a new story regarding any advancement in this field. Its applications are so diverse that you can find its use in almost any major industry. Automobile?, Sanitary?, Construction? You name it. Hell you can find its use in the medical industry as well. Within a decade or probably lesser than a decade, you will notice that the  3D printed ABS/PLA/PC models of human organs have replaced the aged and tattered PVC models. It is only a matter of time after which 3d printing will be the most discussed and developed fields among the younger generation due to the immense opportunities it will provide. Please do share your views and any ideas if any related to 3d printing. 

You might probably know the approach to how an object is manufactured by Subtractive manufacturing/ CNC Machining i.e by the process of removal of material in a particular method to obtain the desired shape and size by different cutting processes using a variety of tools. These refer to the conventional cutting and milling techniques performed on CNC Machine or if you are a Luddite probably a lathe machine. On the other hand we have quite a new form of technology for the manufacture of products which is economical and efficient called 3D Printing/ Additive Manufacturing. On comparison, in 3D Printing, objects are manufactured by the addition of several layers of the material/ fused filament of very finite thickness, hence the name additive manufacturing. In three words I think 3D PRINTING IS MAGIC . Is is the art of making any object or a design we see on a screen. 3D Printing became quite some buzz in the mid 2000s although it gained attention in 2006 due to its growing dema...

The usual drum brakes in our car are provided with a remarkable feature called 'servo' or 'self energizing' feature. It is this feature that is responsible for the smooth and flat application of brakes in automobiles. When the vehicle is moving left, in the forward direction, then the drum will rotate in the anticlockwise direction. When the brake pedal is suddenly pressed, the two brake shoes at the drum will have full contact with the drum. However, one of the brake shoes, the primary brake shoe tends to slip for a certain distance in the drum's direction. Due to this, the primary brake shoe will tend to apply a rearwards force on the secondary brake shoe at the bottom. The wheel cylinder at the top forces the piston against the top of both the brake shoes. Due to this, the secondary brake shoe experiences force on both the sides i.e the top and bottom side.  This ensures that the brakes are applied uniformly and much less effort is applied.

Before buying a car, many thoughts enter your head such as safety features, engine, transmission system, warranties, comfort, reversing sensors and cameras and most importantly the cost. In addition to this, you should also look into the drive wheel i.e whether you want a Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD). The choice you make depends on your driving skills, terrain, weather and the tires used. In a FWD, the power produced by the engine is transferred to the front wheels of the vehicle whereas in a RWD, the power from the engine is transferred to the rear wheels via a drive shaft.  Transverse engines are employed in FWD where the crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the axis of the vehicle. In RWD, longitudinal engines are used where the crankshaft axis is along the length of the vehicle which increases it's weight. Majority of the cars use FWD these days while RWD is used in sports cars. Each wheel drive has it's advantages and disadvanta...

The thermodynamics behind the functioning of the gas turbines is the Brayton cycle. This cycle consists of four processes which may be closed or open. In a closed cycle, the working fluid is circulated within the system after a complete cycle as in the case of steam turbines. In open cycle, the working fluid enters at the inlet and leaves at the exhaust of the cycle as observed in the cast of turbojets and turbofans. The cycle consists of 2 isobaric (constant pressure) and isentropic (constant entropy) processes. The following processes occur in the gas turbine:    1. Isentropic compression (1-2)    2. Isobaric addition of heat (2-3)    3. Isentropic expansion (3-4)    4. Isobaric removal of heat (4-1) Brayton cycle for P-V and T-s diagrams However, compression and expansion processes do not occur in isentropic manner, increasing the compression ratios is the most effective way to increase the output of Brayton cycle. This fig...

In the Trent 1000, there is 3 spool arrangement of compressors and turbines. This means that there are three sets of compressors and turbines which are connected by three separate shafts. They are the low pressure compressor (LPC) which is the fan and turbine (LPT), Intermediate pressure compressor (IPC) and turbine (IPT) and high pressure compressor (HPC) and turbine (HPT). This is on contrast to the two spool arrangement currently used in many aircrafts where a LPC/LPT and HPC/HPT are used only. All the three shafts are located within each other. The fan positioned at the front of the engine is run by the LPT via a gearbox so that it can operate at optimum speeds. Since the large diameter fan requires a large torque to start rotating, it limits the high speed attained by the LPT due to which its efficiency decreases. Additions of an additional set of compressor and turbine eliminates the influence of this problem but does not eliminate the problem itself! The problem is elim...

Rolls Royce are one of the leading manufacturers of turbofan engines apart from Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, CFM International and many more. One of their major milestones is the Trent 1000 which is designed and optimised to power the Boeing 787. It is the fifth member of the successful Trent family.   Let's understand certain facts about this turbofan engine before we dig deep into it's systems. It is a three shaft high bypass ratio axial flow British turbofan engine. Occupying a length of 473 cm and diameter of 285 cm, it is one of the most efficient engines discovered by man. It's fan consists of 20 blades made from Titanium alloys with small traces of Vanadium, Iron and Aluminium and is considered one of the lightest in the industry. Presence of chevrons at the rear of the engine helps reduce noise produced due to the temperature differences.      Below are some facts of it that will definitely blow your mind: During take off, tw...