English for automobile engineering - Unit 8: Automobile introduction

ENGLISH FOR AUTOMOBLE ENGINEERINGLECTURER: LANG VAN THANG FACUTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGHO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRYEMAIL: thang.langvan@hotmail.comSUBJECTS UNIT 8AUTOMOBILE INTRODUCTIONENGLISH FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERINGwww.fme.edu.vnThe automobile industry is a fast developing industry. From the later 18th century, when the first automobile was put on road, this industry has developed tremendously. Now there are thousands of factories all over the world manufacturing numerous type of automobile. The automobile engines are also being used in engine powered machines for agriculture, construction and manufacturing processes. Various types of small engines are also being used in lawn movers, power saws, snow removers and similar equipments. The automobile industry is a developing and demanding industry which does not find its end or saturation point. There is a great demand for varied types of automobile products, vehicles and engines. INTRODUCTIONThere is also a great demand for trained and experienced person in this industry for diagnosing motor vehicle troubles, repairing and replacing engines, components, transmissions, propeller shafts, differentials, axles, steering system components, brake system components, air-conditioners, heater, body and glass work.The automobile is a self – propelled, wheeled, steerable vehicle used for transporting people and small cargoes on land. Automobiles are classified by number of drive wheels and axles, capacity, sizes, styles, number of doors, and intended use.INTRODUCTIONAll passenger cars, trucks, and buses have certain things in common: a power plant or engine; a chassis, which consists of the frame, drive-train, suspension, and steering, and includes the wheels and brakes; the power train, which transmits and distributes power from the engine to the car’s driving wheels, and a body, which provides some protection for driver and passengers and gives the vehicle shape and identity. INTRODUCTIONThroughout the world, many different types of engines have been used in automobile. Today, generally, they are internal- combustion engines that burn gasoline or diesel fuel. Most passenger car engines run on gasoline, are liquid- cooled, and are of four- stroke, overhead- valve, reciprocating type, with carburetor or fuel injection. Almost all automobiles use reciprocating engines, in which pistons move up and down inside tubular cylinders. The pistons are connected, by means of an articulated connecting rod, to a spinning crankshaft, which converts their back- and –forth movement to circular motion. Some vehicles have Wankel engines, which contain triangular rotating pistons that rotate inside combustion chambers.ENGINEThe diesel engine, which burns fuel oil, is more common in large trucks and buses. Diesel engines do not use spark plug ignition systems. Instead, they spray fuel into the cylinders, where it is ignited spontaneously by the heat of compression.ENGINEGasoline EngineENGINEGasoline EngineAn automobile chassis includes the car’s frame, power train, suspension, wheels, steering, and brake systems. Earlier cars had full, ladder- type frames on which the body was mounted in separate pieces. Modern cars are made from a welded steel uni-body that combines the function of the frame with the central cabin of the body. The sub-frame, front or rear, is a small steel brace that supports the engine or suspension and is welded to the car’s uni-body structure.The automobile’s wheels are attached to the chassis by a suspension system consisting of control arms, springs, and shock absorbers. Spring may be any of three types: coil, leaf, or torsion bar. Shock absorbers damp vertical wheel movement and restrict the pitch and roll of the car’s chassis while it is in motion.CHASSISThe steering system normally controls the angle of the front wheels relative to the centerline of the car. As the steering wheel is turned, a gear under the hood changes the rotary motion to the lateral motion, which is transmitted by steering arms to the front wheels, causing them to deflect to the left or right and making the car turn. Most cars today have power steering, which uses engine power to reduce the effort of turning of the steering wheel. Some vehicles use four-wheel steering, which allows the rear as well as the front wheels to steer, although too much lesser degree. While this system adds stability and maneuverability to a vehicle, it also adds weight, cost, and complexity.CHASSISTo power the brake system, hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder is forced through brake lines to the wheels, in proportion to the force applied on the brake pedal. The pressure of the fluid drives brake shoes or pads against disks or drums that are fixed to the wheels. Friction from the brake pads causes the moving wheels to slow or stop. With power brakes, power from the engine is used to decrease the pedal pressure needed to stop the car.CHASSISThe power train includes a transmission- manual or automatic; a clutch on cars with manual transmissions; a differential; wheel axles; and in rear- drives cars, a drive shaft. While cars with a front engine, rear drive layout were the norm for many years, most cars today are front- engine , front- drive. Front drive creates more passenger space and offers better traction on snowy or wet roads. Some cars and light trucks designed to go off road or through bad weather use all- wheel drive, where all four wheels are coupled to the engine. Because of the great difference in engine speed and load between a car that is accelerating from a stop and one that is cruising at a steady speed, different gear ratios are needed to match engine output with the inertial of the vehicle. POWER TRAINMost automobile transmissions have between two and six gear ratios, along with reverse gear. When the vehicle is started from rest, a high gear ratio is needed. As speed increases, lower gear ratios are selected.Shifting gear is accomplished in manual transmissions by a gearshift lever and a clutch, both operated by the driver. When the driver presses down on the clutch pedal while shifting gears, the clutch disengages the engine and no power is sent to the transmission. Automatic transmissions have internal clutches that disengage the engine automatically as the gears changes.POWER TRAINPOWER TRAIN Automobile bodies are usually made of stamped steel or cast fiberglass. Body styles include two-door, four-door, hatchback, convertible, station wagon, and minivan. Sports cars have no hard tops and are usually low and wide. Designers attempt to produce models that are appealing to the eye, resemble other products from the same manufacturer, and are aerodynamically efficient. Low wind resistance makes for good fuel economy and reduces noise-causing turbulence, making a quieter inside environment for passengers.BODYBODYCHECKING READING AND COMPREHENTIONPut True or False to indicate if the statements below are True or False according to the facts in the reading textIn gasoline engines, fuel is ignited by compression whereas in diesel engines, it is ignited by a spark plug.The conversion of the back- and- forth movement of the piston into the circular movement is unnecessary in Wankel engines.The uni-body serves as the car’s frame and the central cabin.The power steering system makes it easier for the drivers to steer automobiles.CHECKING READING AND COMPREHENTIONPut True or False to indicate if the statements below are True or False according to the facts in the reading textThe steering gear converts the horizontal motion of the steering wheel into a rotating force that turns the wheels.Power brakes use pressure from the engine, requiring less effort by the driver.All wheel drive is an option the driver selects for certain bad road conditions.Automatic transmissions require drivers to press down on the clutch pedal while shifting gears.MATCHING1. Power plant	2. Power train	3. Chassis	4. Differential gear5. Gear ratio6. Suspension	7. Transmission8. Steering system9. Axle	10. Clutcha. the mechanical system, including gears and shafts, by which power is transmitted from the engine of a motor vehicle to the drive wheels.b. gears or other devices convert the rotating motion of the steering wheel into a horizontal force that turns the wheels.c. a system of springs and shock absorbers on a wheeled vehicle that reduces the impact of bumps and uneven running surfaces on the occupants and gives the wheels better contactMATCHING1. Power plant	2. Power train	3. Chassis	4. Differential gear5. Gear ratio6. Suspension	7. Transmission8. Steering system9. Axle	10. Clutchd. the number of revolutions of a driving gear required to turn a driven gear through one complete revolution.e. an arrangement of gears that allows two shafts driven by a third to turn at different speeds, for example, in a motor vehicle.f. the portion of a vehicle’s drive mechanism that transmits power from the engine to the wheels. It includes the clutch, transmission, driveshaft, and differential, and etc.MATCHING1. Power plant	2. Power train	3. Chassis	4. Differential gear5. Gear ratio6. Suspension	7. Transmission8. Steering system9. Axle	10. Clutchg. the frame and wheels that support the engine and body of a motor vehicle.h. a shaft on which a wheel or set of wheels revolves, especially a shaft under the body of a vehicle that connects a pair of wheels.i. a unit that supplies the power to move a self-propelled object, for example, a diesel- electric engine in a locomotive or an internal-combustion engine in an automobile.MATCHING1. Power plant	2. Power train	3. Chassis	4. Differential gear5. Gear ratio6. Suspension	7. Transmission8. Steering system9. Axle	10. Clutchj. a device that enables two rotating shafts to be connected and disconnected smoothly, especially one in a motor vehicle that transmits power from the engine to the gearbox.