What is Automobile Engineering with brief history of Automobile..- Mechdor

 Introduction:-

An Automobile (also called automotive) is a self -propelled vehicle that is used for the transportation of passengers and goods on the ground. A self -propelled vehicle is one in which power is produced within itself for its propulsion. The various types of self-propelled vehicles are scooters, motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, tractors, locomotives, motor boats, ships, aeroplanes, helicopters,  rockets, etc.  Since an automobile is propelled on the ground only, it differs from other self -propelled vehicles like aeroplanes, ships, locomotives, motor boats, etc.

An automobile is a combination of a large number of parts. It can be divided into two major constituents, i.e, the. body and the chassis. The body is the part where passengers have their seats, or where the luggage and cargo to be carried are placed. The chassis is the main machine portion, which has constituents like frame, wheels, axles, engine, steering, fuel tank, radiator, etc.

In general, an automobile is made up of the following components:-

• Body structure and Framework.
• Engine or source of power.
• Transmission system.
• Body or superstructure
• Auxiliaries.
• Controls.

The basic body structure of an automobile is of two types:-

1. Body and frame type.
2. Unit type (frameless structure also known as monocoque body ).

In the body and frame type design, the body is bolted to a separate frame. Most of the suspension, bumper and brake loads are transmitted to the frame. In the type design, the sheet metal parts are welded together, forming a framework to which an outer skin is attached, which consequently improves the fuel consumption and makes driving easy. It also increases the safety levels because of better impact absorption.
  

    Performance of Automobile:-

The pressure developed by the burning of fuel in the engine cylinder is transmitted to the crankshaft by the piston and connecting rod, and a turning force or effort known as torque is produced. The crankshaft is coupled to the driving road wheels through the clutch, gearbox, propeller shaft, differential and axle shafts in an automobile. Thus, torque produced by the engine is transmitted through the drive line to the road wheels to propel the vehicle. The torque depends upon the pressure exerted on the piston and the length of the crank arm, and it is measured in newton-metre (N-m). The actual power delivered by the engine is also known as brake power (B, P), and it is measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (KW). 

The torque increases with the increase in engine speed up to a certain point, after which it starts to fall,n even though the engine speed continues to increase. The number of revolutions per minute (r.p.m) at which the torque begins to decrease depends upon the engine design. At higher speeds, engine vacuum falls, and less fuel enters the cylinder, resulting in a lesser force available at the piston, and thus, there is a fall in torque. The power and torque curve of a particular petrol engine with respect to engine speed.

The torque available at the contact between the driving wheels and the road is known as tractive effort. The gearbox and final drive at the differential act as leverage to multiply, which is inversely proportional to the speed. If the gear speed is lowered, the torque shall be increased in the same ratio and vice versa. 

Brief  History of the Automobile

The famous years in early automobile history are as follows:-

        YEAR     EVENT

• 1769   -  French engineer Captain Nicholas Cugnot of France built the first road vehicle propelled by its own power (Attained a speed of about 2.5 m.p.h in 15 min.).
• 1801   -  First steam carriage built by Richard Trevithick in England.
• 1804   -  Oliver Evans built the finest American self-propelled steam vehicle.
• 1827   -   Onesiphare Pacqueur of France invented the first differential.
• 1832   -   First 3-speed Transmission patented by W.H. James in England.
• 1880   -   German and French efforts developed an internal combustion engine vehicle (which was used to carry fruits). The present-day automobile is the development of this vehicle.
• 1885   -   Benz in Germany developed a tricycle propelled by an internal combustion engine.
• 1886   -   One of the first gasoline engine powered automobile by Gottlieb Daimler of Germany.
• 1894   -   Panhard and Levassor in France developed a car which incorporated the chief features of the modern automobile.
• 1895   -   First motor car race held.
• 1897   - The first car arrived in India. 
• 1900   -   The design of the automobile was so improved that it awakened the public to the fact that this new form of transportation was really practical for use.
• 1902   -   First volume of production car "The Curved Dash Oldsmobile" in America.
• 1906   -   The production and sale of these vehicles became a business.
• 1908   -   Ford "T" model car produced in America by Ford Motor Company (Ford started his model with an initial run of 20000 vehicles, an Output unheard of at that time).
• 1911    -   First electric self-start installed in an automobile.
• 1920    -   There was a gradual change and refinement in automobile design. 

Germany is the birthplace of the automobile. It was invented there, it went through its first paces there, and it was developed there to a high level of technical maturity. The list of German automobile pioneers is a long one. Starting with Nicholas Cugnot, August Otto, Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, Rudolf Diesel and going all the way up to Ferdinand Porsche andFelixn Wankel."

Automobile in India:-

• In India, the first motor car appeared in 1897. For about 50 years, from 1897, India was an important market for automobiles.
• The late Bharat Ratna Sir M Vivesvaraya established an automobile industry in India, but the government did not approve the plan.
• In 1943 and 1944, two automobile factories, namely, Hindustan Motors Limited, Calcutta and Premier Automobile Limited, Bombay, were set up in India.

At present, several automobile companies are manufacturing automobiles.

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