A car is a system in which many components work harmoniously. Some of them set the car in motion, others ensure safety, while others are responsible for ease of use and comfort.
Instructions
Step 1
The basis of the car is the supporting structure - the chassis. It takes over all the loads from passengers, cargo, body and other components. In some cars, the body itself takes on the loads, and then it is called a monocoque body. In this case, any modification of it that reduces its strength (for example, conversion into a convertible) must be accompanied by the addition of elements that take on the load elsewhere. Axles are located on the chassis - front and rear. The first one is rotary. Effort from the steering wheel is transmitted to it through the steering gear or power steering.
Step 2
Mechanical energy for driving a vehicle is generated from the chemical energy of a fuel in an internal combustion engine. It can run on petrol, gas or diesel. Modern cars use four-stroke engines, but in the past there were Trabant and Wartburg cars with two-stroke engines. The work of the injectors and spark plugs of a modern engine is coordinated by a miniature computer - an electronic control unit. Previously, relatively simple mechanical, electrical and electronic components were used for this. The mechanical energy generated by the engine can be used directly to move the machine, or first converted by the generator into electrical energy, and then by the electrical engine - again into mechanical energy. The second principle is applied in hybrid vehicles. There is also a small generator in a regular car. All consumers are powered from it, and the battery is also charged. The energy stored in this battery is used, among other things, to start the engine with the starter. The battery is protected from overcharging by a voltage regulator that automatically controls the excitation winding of the generator. Also, some of the mechanical energy from the engine can be transferred to the power steering pump.
Step 3
Hybrid vehicles come in two flavors. In the first one, the internal combustion engine can drive the car directly, and the electric motor can "help" it under heavy loads. In the second, the wheels always rotate only from the electric motor. In both cases, the traction battery is charged from the generator, and when required, it is discharged to the electric motor. This allows the internal combustion engine to be made low-power, relieving it of peak loads (the traction battery serves as a buffer). The engine always works in a mode close to optimal, and in a hybrid car of the second type, it can even be turned off when the charge in the traction battery is sufficient, and started when it needs to be recharged.
Step 4
Through a gearbox - mechanical or automatic - mechanical energy is transmitted to the front or rear axle, and in four-wheel drive vehicles to both axles. The manual transmission is equipped with a manual shift lever, and the car with it has a third clutch pedal. It must be pressed when changing gears, otherwise the box will fail. The automatic transmission takes over much of the work of changing the gear ratio. In cars with it there are two pedals: gas (for adjusting engine speed) and brakes.
Step 5
The brake system in passenger cars is hydraulic. It is forbidden to make independent changes to it by the rules of the road. For safety reasons, it is double-circuit. If one of the circuits fails, the second continues to work, albeit with an increase in the braking distance. In larger vehicles, such as buses, trolleybuses, the braking systems are pneumatic. This is due to the fact that they have compressors that drive other mechanisms, including doors. In addition to the braking system, other components are also responsible for the safety of the driver and passengers: a safety steering column, airbags, seat belts and their tensioners. There is an opinion that the passenger who is wearing a seat belt does not trust the driver and his skills, insults him. This is wrong! No one is completely insured against an accident, and if it does occur, the belt significantly reduces the severity of injuries, if not even prevents them altogether.
Step 6
Other components of the car include lights, wiper, rear window heater, heater (and sometimes air conditioning), catalytic converter, dashboard with speedometer, tachometer and other measuring instruments, alarm, radio tape recorder, etc. White lights can be located only at the front (except for the license plate light, which is white at the back), red only at the rear, and yellow at the front, rear, and sides. The purpose of the lighting devices is to illuminate the road, indicate the dimensions of the car, as well as inform pedestrians and other drivers about turns and stops. The ignition switch allows the engine to be started only by those who have the key.
