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1500 questions
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Would engineering bricks explode if used to build an oven?

I'm building a pizza oven and, to do so, I bought a whole load of engineering bricks (not these but similar). They've got five holes vertically through them, each hole is 2x6x6.5 cm (80 ml) and the walls, both end and dividing, are 2 cm thick by 6.5…
Toby Abel
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How can I get a stepper motor to engage with a freely spinning wheel?

I'm working on a project that uses a strong stepper motor to power a wheel that needs to be able to "coast" freely at times. The motor is too stiff when not engaged, and along with my gearing ratio, makes it impossible to get the free-spinning…
nonlinearmind
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Why does public transport uses compressed air to open doors instead of electromotors?

System with compressed air seems more expensive and harder to build and integrate neither using simple electromagnetic drives to open public transport doors.
PaulD
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Is this railway carriage side likely made of single metal sheet?

A neat image from Wikipedia: Here the railway carriage side looks like it is crafted from a single sheet of metal (if we ignore the doors and the windows and some minor parts like that small thing near the carriage number) - no seams, no rivets, no…
sharptooth
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Efficiency in a gas turbine or aircraft engine

Most modern aircraft engines, such as the one depicted below taken from Wikipedia, are composed of several compressor stages which are driven by a turbine (or several), and a combustion chamber in-between, in order to increase the temperature of the…
Nicolas
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Force required to crop/cut a mild steel bar

I have cropping/cutting wedges with a thickness of 4 mm cutting either side of a round mild steel bar (17.5 mm). Imagine two wedges being driven together with a round mild steel bar in the middle (similar to the design of bolt cutters) These wedges…
J Lancastle
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What does a Sad Face on a circuit board mean?

I have a Fisher and Paykel Washing Machine (model number WL80T65C, well past warranty) which got rained on (a lot) and one of the capacitors blew up. I've done an amateur replacement of the capacitor which might work but when taking the circuit…
Dave
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What does "tol" mean in a gear box?

In this NASA document, it is mentioned on page 221 (239 of the pdf) that a "23 tol gear box" was used. What does that mean? A google search for "23 tol gear box" (with quotes) comes up completely empty, and "tol gear box" shows only irrelevant…
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
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How do I best model a torque applied over a non-radial line?

I am looking to use FEA (specifically, Creo Simulate) to re-create the results of a static strength test on a part my company will be testing in our lab. Because the lab results are the ones we will be using to determine the utility and capability…
Trevor Archibald
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Contours of radial-flow impeller vane

I've been studying the design of turbopumps and their impellers, all the design equations and what-not; this question concerns the contours of the impeller vanes. I'm going to attempt to enter aerospace engineering in the future, so I figured I…
ecfedele
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Air Conditioning Modes of Failure

I have a question about air conditioning and the probable modes of failure. I recently installed a Nest thermostat in my home. I've noticed that it seems to prefer to have the air conditioner's compressor on for multiple short durations instead of…
iAdjunct
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Why do hydroelectric plants use turbines instead of an efficient 'water wheel' configuration?

I have been thinking about hydroelectric plants and I have been wondering why they are built the way they are. As in understand it, a stream of water is sprayed at a turbine, located at the bottom of a dam (Pelton Turbine.) This does not seem to…
Hoytman
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Can two different modeling programs be used to confirm the results of each other?

Computer Models Computer modeling is used in various engineering fields. I am specifically considering structural analysis or finite element analysis (FEA). Sometimes models are used to speed up repetitive calculations that could be done by hand.…
hazzey
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Localized stabilisation of Lunar lava tubes

A study from Purdue University suggests the Moon contains a number of wide underground lava tubes, up to 5000 m wide and about 1500 m high, in which subterranean cities could be constructed. Such tubes would protect potential residents from cosmic…
Fred
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How to calculate the pressure a pipe can withstand?

I was looking at high pressure pipes and their pressure ratings. I'd like to know how these pressure ratings are determined. I assume that pipes are tested until failure, and the failure pressure is multiplied by some safety factor to determine its…
jhabbott
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