Cover Image

The evolution of automotive technology : a handbook /

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mom, Gijs, 1949- (Author)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Warrendale, Pa. (400 Commonwealth Dr., Wallendale PA USA) : Society of Automotive Engineers, [2014]
Series:Society of Automotive Engineers. Electronic publications.
Subjects:
Automobiles > Design and construction > History.
Automobiles > Social aspects.
Automobiles > Technological innovations.
Electronic books.
Online Access:Connect to the full text of this electronic book
Table of Contents:
  • Preface
  • Chapter 1. The evolution of automotive technology. 1.1. Introduction: why this book, and how?; 1.2. Structure and system; 1.3. A quasi-evolutionary approach; 1.4. The dual nature of technology; 1.5. One and a quarter century of cars; 1.6. Conclusions; References
  • Part I. Structure. Chapter 2. The engine: mixture formation. 2.1. Introduction: finding the car's basic layout; 2.2. Constructing a taxonomy of engines; 2.3. Making the engine work; 2.4. Carburation: constructing the mixture; 2.5. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 3. The engine: ignition. 3.1. Introduction: regulating the engine from its industrial application; 3.2. Robert Bosch and the magneto ignition; 3.3. Charles Kettering and the systemic approach of technical problems; 3.4. Struggle of the systems: constructing both a winner and his story; 3.5. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 4. The drivetrain: how to get the energy from the engine to the wheels. 4.1. Introduction: shaping the drivetrain configuration; 4.2. From belts and chains to prop shafts (and belts and chains); 4.3. The clutch: substitution and coexistence; 4.4. The final drive: a feast of gearwheel designs; 4.5. Universal joints, front-wheel drive, and the reconfiguration of the drivetrain; 4.6. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 5. The drivetrain: multiplying energy, de-multiplying speed. 5.1. Introduction: Costs and cheapness; 5.2. The transmission: how to circumvent gear shifting; 5.3. The automatic transmission: diverging car cultures; 5.4. Transmission manufacturers and automotive production; 5.5. Conclusions: expectations and the distant user; References
  • Chapter 6. The chassis: getting around the corner. 6.1. Introduction: pre-car developments; 6.2. Constructing the automotive chassis; 6.3. Steering: keep it simple, be precise; 6.4. Steering the car, theorizing dynamic behavior; 6.5 Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 7. Wheel suspension: who will absorb the shocks? 7.1. Introduction: The suspension as system; 7.2. How to guide the wheels? Big problems, many solutions; 7.3. Who should absorb the shocks? Defining the role of tires; 7.4. Conclusions; References.
  • Chapter 8. Stopping the car: how to generate and distribute braking energy. 8.1. Introduction: braking levels within the car structure; 8.2. The braking system: how to distribute braking energy over the wheels; 8.3. Drums and discs: substitution and coexistence; 8.4. Conclusions; References
  • Part II. System. Chapter 9. Automation: driver deskilling and the "Electronic revolution". 9.1. Introduction: trends in automotive technology; 9.2. Postwar automation, an electronic revolution? 9.3. The lay motorist and the navigation revolution; 9.4. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 10. Safety: from shell to capsule to cocoon, from danger to risk. 10.1. Introduction: closing the automotive body; 10.2. "Control the lunatic!" The hunt for the "accident-prone" motorist; 10.3. Protecting the motorists: active and passive safety; 10.4. Antilock braking ABS; 10.5. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 11. Environment: discovering the other. 11.1. Introduction: inventing the environment; 11.2. Engineering car noise while closing the body: liberating vision from sensual interference; 11.3. The diesel car as remedy: car cultures and the perception of technology; 11.4. Lean-burn versus catalyst: the struggle for a clean car; 11.5. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 12. Scientification: the co-evolution of engineering knowledge. 12.1. Introduction: how do engineers know?; 12.2. Rudolf Diesel: failure or success?; 12.3. Team work in laboratories: scientification of car dynamics; 12.4. Constructing the state of the art: conferences, education, and books; 12.5. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 13. Decarbonization: searching for radical alternatives. 13.1. Introduction: the importance of expectations; 13.2. The end of oil! In the early 1920s!; 13.3. The promise of the electric vehicle: a perpetual car of tomorrow?; 13.4. Conclusion; References
  • Chapter 14. Innovation: production, diffusion, use. 14.1. Introduction: how to construct trends?; 14.2. Diffusion; 14.3. Production; 14.4. Use; 14.5. Conclusions; References
  • Chapter 15. World mobility: shifting the focus. 15.1. Introduction: the West and the rest; 15.2. Road versus rail: clashing mobility cultures; 15.3. Global urban mobility: the case of the rickshaw; 15.4. Conclusion: the rest and the West; References
  • Chapter 16. Conclusions. References
  • Bibliography
  • Index
  • About the author.