Pollution would seem to be an inevitable result of 21st-century life. Sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides and PM10s are destroying the quality of our air; industrial and farm effluent together with excessive use of fertilisers are contaminating our rivers; and general domestic waste, used for landfill, are all visible sources of our times. However, one source of pollution - not quite so readily observed and not generally recognised as such, but increasing daily - is that of electromagnetic...
What is the difference between a sealant and an adhesive? You may be thinking that this is a trick question, with a clever single-word rejoinder, but I can assure you that nothing is further from my thoughts. You see, when it comes down to it, the difference between a sealant and an adhesive can often be one of intent. The sealant is present to prevent the passage of a liquid (or gas), while the adhesive is more about mechanical strength and retention. I am reminded of the time many years...
Dare I say it but a good cylinder block can be likened to a good husband or partner. For as much as it is desirable to have the best of all the qualities in a spouse, in the end the woman has to make the best of what she can get and adapt it to suit. In a good cylinder block it is desirable therefore to be strong, mechanically stiff with a high resistance to wear on the rubbing surfaces, resistant to corrosion and have excellent thermal conductivity. Furthermore it must have low density,...
An issue often not immediately considered when discussing an engine component such as a cylinder head or engine block, or any cast or forged part of them, is the way the machined features are positioned into the rough part. These features need to be positioned - or 'targeted' - correctly onto the casting, in order to get to a fully functioning component as the end product. So what are the important points during this initial machining, which will create the basis for all other...
The British Touring Car Championship is in a state of flux at the moment, with cars running to different sets of rules and with different engine regulations in play. As we might expect, no 'side' is happy when the others are winning. It would appear that teams operating under the new rules, with the so-called Next Generation Touring Cars (NGTC) such as the Toyota Avensis campaigned by Dynojet Racing and driven to good effect this year by Frank Wrathall, are becoming more successful,...