The SCIENCE of ENERGY and POWER

FLUID SYSTEMS

  1. Fluid Flow
  2. Manufacturing
  3. Engineering Design Communications
    Construction -- From SimScience, a series of great units on fluid flow technologies! "Welcome to the world of Fluid Flow! In the field of fluid flow, research is done on the interaction between flows and bodies. The extent of topics is very broad, ranging from the movements of blood cells through capillaries to supersonic flight. These pages are aimed at giving you some examples and explanations on fluid flows."
  4. Aerodynamics & Fluid Mechanics -- A tremendous overview of fluid mechanics, covering the following topics: Properties of Fluids, Non-Dimensional Numbers, Conservation of Mass, Streamlines, Streaklines, Streamtubes, Integral Form of Continuity, Differential Form of Continuity, Summary, Integral Equations Governing Flow, Potential Flow.
  5. National Fluid Power Association - For Students -- A great series of modules on Fluid Power Technology, including: What is fluid power? Where is fluid power used? Take a look at today's fluid power, The fluid power industry by the numbers.
  6. Gallery of Fluid Dynamics -- "Because of this visual appeal of all things fluid, many people have generated Fluid Flow Galleries; this is my version of the genre. The approach here is to include images, pictures, and animations illustrating a wide variety of phenomena. I've also added explanations and discussions of the physics."

    Bernoulli's Principle
  7. Bernoulli's Principle -- How can an airplane fly? How can a baseball pitcher throw
    a curveball? How do fatty deposits increase blood pressure?
    All these can be either completely or partially explained with
    Bernoulli's Principle." This site provides audio and visual lessons on Bernoulli's Principle. Also check out the BBC Bernoulli Page and the Baseball Physics Page for more information!
  8. Bernoulli's Principle - Physics by Demonstration -- Lots of information, and an animated demonstration! From the site: "The relationship between the velocity and pressure exerted by a moving liquid is described by the Bernoulli's principle: as the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure exerted by that fluid decreases. Airplanes get a part of their lift by taking advantage of Bernoulli's principle. Race cars employ Bernoulli's principle to keep their rear wheels on the ground while traveling at high speeds."

    Hydraulics and Pneumatics
  9. Hydraulics -- Dozens of informative, animated demonstrations in Hydraulics, including: What is hydraulics? Energy conversion in a hydraulic system, The gearpump, The gearpump with three wheels, The axial piston pump, The axial piston pump with variable displacement, The vane pump, The gearmotor ... and much more!
  10. Introduction to Fluid Power -- A comprehensive online resource on Fluid Power ... Be Warned - There are a ton of ads on this site! The content is tremendous, so ignore the credit card banners and go straight to the info!
  11. Pneumatics and Hydraulics: A History -- This site provides a narrative history of hydraulics and pneumatics. It is part of the great Museum of Matter, Machines and Power site!.
  12. How Stuff Works - Hydraulic Cranes -- From "How Stuff Works", a great overview of the science behind these massive machines. Includes the following units: It's All About Hydraulics, Parts of a Hydraulic Truck Crane, In the Operator's Seat.

    ENERGY AND POWER: THERMAL SYSTEMS
  13. Energy Matters - Geothermal Power -- From the Energy Matters Thinkquest Site, a series of units on Geothermal Power, and its advantages and disadvantages.
  14. Heat -- An illustrated hypertextbook that covers The nature of heat, Temperature, Heat Capacity, Heat Transfer, Conduction, Convection, Radiation, 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.
  15. Properties of Heat and Matter -- Dozens of animated demonstrations on topics in Heat and Matter, including: Calorimetry, Carnot Cycle, Conduction, Convection, Engines and Pumps, Fluid Dynamics, Fluid Statics, Heat Capacity, Heat and Work, Heat of Fusion ... and much more!
  16. ThermoSense -- A great glossary detailing hundreds of thermal terms!
  17. How Stuff Works - Thermostats -- Open up a virtual thermostat, and discover the science behind it!
  18. Stay Cool! Air Conditioning America -- From the National Building Museum, the companion site to this exhibit: "Air conditioning transformed 20th-century America. A defining technology of modern times, mechanical cooling has launched new forms of architecture and altered the ways Americans live, work, and play." Also see How An Air Conditioner Works and How Stuff Works - Air Conditioners.

    Solar Energy Systems
  19. Energy Matters - Solar Power -- A great ThinkQuest page that provides details on the science and promise of Solar Energy. Topics include: Theory Behind Solar Power, Problems with Solar Power, Advantages and Disadvantages, Solar Thermal Applications, Photovoltaic Applications.
  20. El Paso Solar Energy Association -- A great site that covers dozens of topics in Solar Energy! " The purpose of this site is to provide practical information on solar energy and energy efficiency. Whether you're designing or building a new home or need more information on solar water heating or heating a swimming pool we hope you find this information helpful."
  21. Learn About a Solar Energy System -- From the site: "The following information outlines the technical specifications of the Beverly, Massachusetts photovoltaic (PV) array. The photovoltaic system is comprised of five major subsystems: Photovoltaic Array; Electric Plant; Controls; Monitoring; and Protection. An engineering list of components of each subsystem is presented below, along with an overview of the PV field as an electricity generating plant."

    ENERGY AND POWER: ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
  22. Electricity Online -- From the fabulous ThinkQuest site: "Electricity surrounds us--shaping the universe in which we live and driving the modern society of which we are a part. Would you like to know more about the force that permeates the physical world so completely? Would you like to see electricity at work in modern technology? Would you like to understand electricity's part in the Theory of Everything? Look no further--you've come to Electricity Online."
  23. Electronics Workshop -- From the ThinkQuest site: "An introduction to electronics
    Also, tutorials giving important physics and chemistry concepts
    related to the field of electronics, an encyclopedia of electronics, Numerous reference tables, and a listing of tools to help you as you proceed"
  24. Voltage Circuit Simulator! -- A fabulous interactive demo based on Ohm's Law! "This excercise will help you determine the relationship between voltage (V), amperage (I) and resistance (R). This relationship is called Ohm's Law." Check out this great site!
  25. Electric Circuits - A to Z Science -- From Discovery School Online, an overview of Parallel Circuits, Series Circuits, and Circuit Mathematics.

    Coulomb's Law
  26. Electric Fields
  27. Calculating Electric Fields
  28. Electric Flux and Gauss' Law -- A series of illustrated lecture notes on several topics in electromagnetism - including an extensive discussion of Coulomb's Law.
  29. Lessons on Kirchoff's Law -- An incredibly detailed, well illustrated series of lessons and multimedia demonstrations on Kirchoff's Law!
  30. Ohm's Law -- A great summary of Ohm's Law.
  31. Static Electricity Multimedia Demos -- Check out these great demonstrations of the principles of static electricity!
  32. Multimeter VOM -- From the site: "Ammeters measure current, voltmeters measure voltage, and ohmmeters measure resistance. These devices are often combined into one instrument called a multimeter or VOM (volt-ohm-milliemmeter). Analog versions of ammeters and voltmeters typically utilize a galvanometer, which relies on magnetic effect. A needle is deflected by an amount proportional to the current passes through the device (coil). A good ammeter should have a resistance that is small compared to other resistance in the circuit. A good voltmeter should have a large resistance. This java applet shows how to utilize a galvanometer into a multimeter."

    ENGINEERING DESIGN

    GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS TOPIC
    1. Invention and Design -- This great site is "geared towards promoting a better understand the principles of the invention and design process, and include an innovative set of active learning modules that employ a "hands-on" approach."

      Universal Systems Design Model -- Learn about Universal Systems Design, and the 5 components: Goals, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Feedback

    2. The Design Process -- The design process explained - step-by-step! Introductory discussions on the following steps: The Problem, The Design Brief, Investigation, Developing Alternative Solutions, Choosing A Solution, Models And Prototypes, Testing And Evaluating, Manufacturing.
    3. Scientific Investigation -- From the site: "Students are introduced here to the basis of scientific investigation. Making hypotheses and predictions, identifying components of experimental design, and data collection are performed in the lab. This web page helps students with some common problems encountered with components of the experimental design, as well as how to present data (graphs and charts) and write a discussion."
    4. Overview of the Design Process -- A multimedia slide show that introduces students to the basics of technological design!
    5. Engineering Design Process -- An outline overview of the design process in engineering!
    6. Bad Designs -- Check out these products that were designed poorly … what would you have changed to make them easier to use?
    7. Evaluate an Existing Product -- Learn how to evaluate a simple product, and how to make suggestions for improving its design!
    8. Computer Aided Design (CAD) -- An online course in Engineering Design Graphics and Computer Aided Design, including tutorials on the following topics:Spatial Representation, Drawing - 2D Representation, Learning to Visualize, Modeling - 3D Representation, Rendering, Documentation.
    9. ePanorama Electronics Web -- An astonishing collection of links detailing the design and manufacture of hundreds of electronic items!