First stock car was built at the beginning of the 20th century at the Ford plant. The first car was assembled in 1908. It was Ford Model T. The car was produced until 1928 and became a legend.
Brilliant manager and mechanic Henry Ford always said, "A car can be any color as long as it's black." He made the main emphasis on the universality of the car, completely rejecting individuality. That is what killed him.
Despite the versatility of the device ford car Model T and its simple but reliable functionality, in the 20s it had a competitor in the form of General Motors cars. This company offered each customer unique car with unusual internal device.
In those days, there were only manual transmissions and weak engines. The speed of cars rarely exceeded 50 miles per hour. Now everything has changed. Modern cars are a masterpiece of engineering, the insides of which are filled with the most modern electronics and highly complex control systems.
The technical parameters have long gone beyond fantasy. Now acceleration to 100 kilometers in 4 seconds is a reality that will not surprise anyone. At the same time, there are hundreds of companies on the market that sell the most different cars. Yet despite all this diversity, general device their cars are very similar.
What is a car made of
Of course, in the device modern machine includes a wide variety of components and parts, but even among them the main ones can be distinguished:
- transmission,
- body,
- chassis,
- control systems,
- electrical equipment.
Each of these elements performs important role which is hard to overestimate. To understand how important right job each detail, let's look at them in more detail.
Body
The body is the supporting part of the car. It is to it that all components and assemblies are attached. Now automotive manufacturers they try to do everything possible to select the most durable and lightweight composite spav, which will serve as the basis of the product.
The fact is, ordinary metal weighs quite a lot. The increase in weight has a negative effect on the dynamics, top speed and acceleration, and manage heavy vehicle very difficult. As a result, non-standard approaches to the creation of bodies are now increasingly being used. For example, carbon fiber is used in the construction.
Perhaps the most bright car where this technology was applied was Lykan Hypersport. You may have seen this car in Fast & Furious 7. The use of carbon fiber to create a body made it possible to greatly lighten the car, significantly increasing all its characteristics. By the way, the cost of the car is more than three million.
In fact, the body is a frame that holds the entire device of the car together. At the same time, it must have sufficient rigidity to withstand really heavy loads. At speeds over 200 kilometers per hour, the life of the driver depends on its strength.
The body used in the device of the car must not only be lightweight and durable, but also have the correct aerodynamic shape. The speed and control depend on how effectively the body of the machine will cut through the air flows.
Traditionally, the body, which is part of the car device, can be divided into the following elements:
- spars,
- roof,
- brakes,
- hinged parts,
- engine compartment,
- bottom.
In order to achieve greater rigidity, reinforcing elements are welded to the bottom of the car. They provide increased strength and more security the whole structure.
Each of these elements is related to each other. So the spars are one solid structure together with the bottom. In some cases, they are welded to it. The main task of these parts in the device of the car is to create a support for the suspension.
If we talk about attachments, then wings immediately come to mind. Also, you can not ignore the trunk, doors and hood. They are attachments, but very closely related to the car body.
Attention! To achieve greater structural stability, the rear wings are welded to the body, and the front wings are made removable.
Such nuances must be taken into account if you want to tune your iron horse. Not only that, to modding parts are attached to hinged body parts. Suffice it to recall the same spoiler. Even neon inserts are mounted around the perimeter of the bottom.
Hull tuning gives the greatest visual effect. Besides additional elements, like a bumper with a low landing can provide designs with much better aerodynamic qualities.
No running anywhere
The chassis in the device of the car plays the role of the foundation. It is due to it that the car can move. For example, wheels, suspension and axles are all its elements. Without them, the movement itself would be impossible.
The system can have both front independent suspension and rear dependent. Now most cars use the first option, as it gives the best handling vehicle.
The main difference independent suspension is that each wheel is attached separately. Moreover, in the device of the car, all wheels have their own mounting systems.
Dependent suspension is considered a kind of archaism in automotive circles. Nevertheless, some companies still use it in order to save money and simplify the car device as much as possible. However, it provides high reliability designs. Moreover, the tricks of some manufacturers make it possible to achieve truly outstanding results using this outdated technology.
I want to remember the same German concern bmw. This company has been producing cars for many years, in the device of which lies precisely the rear dependent suspension.
Nevertheless rear wheel drive cars The German brand is famous all over the world. Moreover, many drivers buy these cars with rear device the suspension is just from the pleasure that the driver gets while driving this monster.
Attention! Rear-wheel drive makes it possible to experience the real pleasure of driving a powerful, fast and predatory machine.
Usually the rear suspension is a drive axle. In some cases, machine builders install a rigid beam, and this is quite enough to ensure optimal structural strength.
brakes
If the car itself and its entire device were located on the previous part, then the role of the brake system is completely different. Reliable brakes can prevent many accidents and save millions of lives.
Many automotive experts do not consider it necessary to single out given element into the car device. They just consider it part of the running gear. However, this is fundamentally wrong. After all, the importance of brakes in today's busy traffic is hard to overestimate.
Three elements are most often distinguished brake structure:
- Working - allows you to control the speed. This subsystem is responsible for a gradual decrease in speed up to a complete stop of the car.
- Spare - it is needed when the main system in the car device fails. Usually it is made completely autonomous.
- parking lot is hand brake, which keeps the car in one place while you are away.
In modern brake systems ah used set additional devices, which provide best job brakes. Special meaning have a variety of amplifiers and anti-lock system. These elements allow not only to increase the efficiency of the system several times, but also to increase its comfort for the driver.
Transmission
This device transmits torque from the shaft to the wheels. The design consists of the following elements:
- clutch,
- hinges,
- gearboxes,
- leading bridge.
Due to the clutch, the designers in the car establish a connection between the shafts of the engine and the gearbox. In turn, the gearbox greatly reduces the load on the engine, increasing its resource and providing the most rational fuel consumption.
It is worth recognizing that last years many variants of the gearbox device were invented. The first was the manual transmission. It was invented at the beginning of the twentieth century. The first car it was installed on was still the same legendary model American company "Ford" - T.
About 40 years have passed since then, and in the 50s the automatic transmission is invented. Now it's not the driver who decides when to turn on new gear, A hydraulic system. The advantage of such a device lies in its simplicity, as well as smooth switching.
Finally, the robot becomes the third round of the evolution of the checkpoint device. This box combines all the advantages of mechanics and automatic. The thing is that the gears are switched by a smart program. It determines the time needed to an accuracy of a few tenths of a millisecond and makes the transition. As a result, the driver gets huge fuel savings.
Important! There is also a variator, but it is rarely used where.
Engine
Perhaps this is the most important part of the car - its heart. From power this device depend to the greatest extent on the speed and dynamics of the machine. The essence of the principle of operation of this part is extremely simple. The engine converts thermal energy into electrical energy by burning fuel.
Electrical equipment and control systems
The fact is that every year these complexes of car devices are becoming more and more connected with each other. Smart systems control wiring voltage, battery operation and power consumption. This approach turns cars into thinking devices that decide where the driver is best to park and monitor cars driving nearby.
Results
The device of the car is a complex system, the study of which takes years. Nevertheless general scheme and the purpose of all nodes can be studied and understood even by a beginner. This knowledge can help both on the road and in car maintenance.
The invention of the automobile radically changed human life, both positively and negatively. negative side. Today, a car is not only a means of transportation, but also an indicator of status and position in society.
Almost every family has at least one car at its disposal, and there are cities where there have long been more cars than people.
In order to understand how to drive a vehicle and how to properly operate it, you need to know at least what it consists of and how it works. Each car owner has repeatedly been interested in the device of his iron horse. For some, basic knowledge is enough, and some prefer to study every detail of the car. Of course, in order to cover all the nuances of a car device, you will need to at least write a book, but in order to understand the basics and know the elementary, it is enough to read this article.
Perhaps for someone the device of a car is the highest mathematics, but if you spend a little time and delve into the essence, everything is quite simple. Now about everything in order.
1.Main components and systems
Although today there are many different brands and car models, almost all of them are arranged according to the same principle. We are talking about light vehicles. The scheme of the device of the car is conditionally divided into several parts:
Vehicle body or supporting structure. Today, the car body is its basis, to which almost all units and components are attached. The body, in turn, consists of a stamped bottom, front and rear spars, a roof, engine compartment and other attachments. Attached components include doors, fenders, hood, trunk lid, etc. This division is rather arbitrary, since all parts of the car, one way or another, are interconnected;
Chassis of the car. The name speaks for itself and suggests that the chassis consists of many components and assemblies with which the car has the ability to move. Its main components are considered to be the anterior and rear suspension, drive axles and wheels. Also, the chassis of the car includes the frame, to which most of the units are also attached. The frame is the predecessor of the body.
With the help of drive axles, the load is transferred from the frame or body to wheels and vice versa. When it comes to suspension, many cars have MacPherson strut type suspension, which greatly improves the handling of the car. There are also independent (each wheel is individually attached to the body) and dependent (may be in the form of a beam or a drive axle, considered obsolete) suspension;
Vehicle transmission. Under the transmission of a car, it is customary to consider a power transmission. Its main task is to transmit torque from crankshaft to the drive wheels. In turn, the transmission also consists of several parts, in particular from the gearbox, clutch, driveline, differential, axle shafts and main gear. The latter are connected to the wheel hubs;
Car engine. The main task and purpose of the engine is the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy. Further, this energy is transmitted through the transmission to the wheels of the car;
control mechanism. Actually the control mechanism itself consists of a brake system and steering;
Vehicle electrical equipment. No modern car can do without electrics, the main parts of which are accumulator battery, electrical wiring, generator alternating current and engine management system. These are only the main parts of the car, each of which provides a system in the system and sometimes more than one. Some parts are worth dwelling on in more detail.
2. Brief overview of motor types
First of all, it is worth noting that the engine and the motor are one and the same. Motors are often referred to as motors. internal combustion or electric. It is no secret that the engine serves as a source of energy for the movement of the vehicle. Most vehicles provide internal combustion engines, which can be conditionally divided into:
Piston, in which expanding gases during the combustion of fuel cause the piston to move, which in turn sets in motion crankshaft car;
IN rotary engines the same gases set in motion a rotating part, the rotor itself.
Going deeper, there is a large number of types and subtypes of engines. According to the type of fuel, engines can be divided into diesel, gasoline, gas-balloon and gas-generator.
Also have gas turbine engines internal combustion, electric, orbital, rotary, rotary vane, etc. Today, the most common is a piston internal combustion engine.
3. A brief overview of the types of checkpoints
The gearbox or gearbox is one of the main parts of the car's transmission.. Basically, the checkpoint is usually divided into three types, namely:
Manual Transmission. The principle of its operation is that the driver shifts gears with the help of a lever, while constantly monitoring the engine load and vehicle speed;
The automatic transmission eliminates the need to constantly monitor speed and load, and there is also no need to constantly use the lever;
A robotic gearbox is a semi-automatic type of gearbox that combines the properties of mechanical and automatic box gears.
In fact, there are many more types and subspecies of checkpoints. Yes, they distinguish Tiptronic(the basis - automatic transmission with manual speed switch) DSG(equipped with 2 clutches, has an automatic shift drive and represents 6 manual gearbox) And variable speed drive(stepless transmission).
4. Brake system
As the name implies, the braking system is designed to slow down the vehicle or bring it to a complete stop. The brake system consists of brake pads, disks, drums and cylinders. Conventionally, the brake system can be divided into two types - it is working (designed to stop or slow down completely) and parking (designed to hold the car on uneven or difficult road surfaces).
Modern cars provide for the installation of braking systems, which consist of brake mechanisms and a hydraulic drive. At the time you click on brake pedal, hydraulic drive there is excess pressure, which arises due to brake fluid. This, in turn, triggers other brake mechanisms.
5. Clutch
If to speak in simple terms, the clutch is designed to disconnect the engine from the transmission for a short time, and then reconnect them. The clutch consists of a clutch mechanism and a drive. The drive is designed to transfer forces from the driver to a specific mechanism. In a car, each mechanism has its own drive, thanks to which it comes into action.
The clutch mechanism is a device in which the process of transmitting torque through friction takes place. The components of the clutch mechanism are the crankcase, casing, driving, driven and pressure disks.
All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg, since each of the items contains more than a dozen sub-items. For a general understanding of the device of the car, it is quite enough to know its main components and assemblies. Now you know exactly how and why your car moves, slows down and "eats" gasoline.
Material from the Encyclopedia of the magazine "Behind the wheel"
Despite the huge variety of types and models of modern cars, the design of each of them consists of a set of units, assemblies and mechanisms, the presence of which allows us to call vehicle"car". To the main building blocks relate:
- engine;
- mover;
- transmission;
- vehicle control systems;
- carrier system;
- suspension of the carrier system;
- body (cabin).
The engine is the source of mechanical energy needed to move the car. Mechanical energy is obtained by converting another type of energy in the engine (the energy of burning fuel, electricity, energy in advance compressed air and so on.). The source of non-mechanical energy, as a rule, is located directly on the car and is replenished from time to time.
Depending on the type of energy used and the process of its conversion into mechanical energy, the vehicle can use:
- engines that use the energy of burning fuel (reciprocating internal combustion engine, gas turbine, steam engine, rotary piston engine Wankel engine external combustion Stirling, etc.);
- motors using electricity, - electric motors;
- engines using the energy of pre-compressed air;
- engines using the energy of a pre-spun flywheel, - flywheel engines.
Most widespread in modern cars received piston internal combustion engines using liquid fuel of petroleum origin as an energy source (gasoline, diesel fuel) or combustible gas.
The “engine” system also includes subsystems for storing and supplying fuel and removing combustion products (exhaust systems).
The vehicle propulsion unit provides communication between the vehicle and external environment, allows it to "repel" from the supporting surface (road) and converts the energy of the engine into energy forward movement car. The main type of vehicle propulsion is a wheel. Sometimes combined propellers are used in cars: for cars high cross wheeled caterpillar propellers(Fig. 1.11), for amphibious vehicles, wheeled (when driving on the road) and water jet (afloat) propulsion.
transmission ( power transmission) of the car transfers energy from the engine to the propulsion unit and converts it into a form convenient for use in the propulsion unit. Transmissions can be:
- mechanical (mechanical energy is transferred);
- electrical (mechanical energy of the engine is converted into electrical energy, transmitted to the mover by wires and there again converted into mechanical energy);
- hydrostatic (rotation of the crankshaft of the engine is converted by the pump into the energy of the fluid flow transmitted through pipelines to the wheel, and there, by means of a hydraulic motor, it is again converted into rotation);
- combined (electromechanical, hydromechanical).
Mechanical transmission classic car
The most widespread on modern cars are mechanical and hydromechanical transmissions. The mechanical transmission consists of friction clutch(clutch), torque converter, final drive, differential, cardan gears, semiaxes.
Clutch - a coupling that makes it possible to briefly disconnect and smoothly connect the engine and the transmission mechanisms associated with it.
A torque converter is a mechanism that allows you to step or stepless change the engine torque and the direction of rotation of the transmission shafts (for driving in reverse). With a step change in moment this mechanism called a gearbox, with a continuously variable - a variator.
Main gear - a gear reducer with bevel and (or) cylindrical gears, which increases the torque transmitted from the engine to the wheels.
Differential - a mechanism that distributes torque between the drive wheels and allows them to rotate with different angular velocities(when driving on curves or on rough roads).
Cardan gears are shafts with hinges that connect transmission and wheel assemblies. They allow you to transfer torque between these mechanisms, the shafts of which are not located coaxially and (or) change their relative position relative to each other during movement. The number of cardan gears depends on the design of the transmission.
A hydromechanical transmission differs from a mechanical one in that instead of a clutch, a hydrodynamic device (fluid clutch or torque converter) is installed, which performs both clutch and stepless variator. As a rule, this device is located in the same housing with mechanical box gears.
Electric transmissions are used relatively rarely (for example, on heavy mining trucks, on off-road vehicles) and include: a generator on the engine, wires and an electrical control system, electric motors on wheels (electric motor-wheels).
With a rigid connection of the engine, clutch and gearbox (variator), this design is called power unit.
In some cases, several engines can be installed on a car. various types(for example, an internal combustion engine and an electric motor) connected to each other by a transmission. This design is called a hybrid propulsion system.
Vehicle control systems include:
- steering ;
- brake system;
- control of other vehicle systems (engine, transmission, cabin temperature, etc.). Steering is used to change the direction of the car, usually by turning the steered wheels.
[Brake system]] is used to reduce the speed of the vehicle until it comes to a complete stop and hold it securely in place.
Carrying system in the form of a spar frame
load-bearing body
The carrier system of the car serves to mount on it all other components, assemblies and systems of the car. It can be made in the form of a flat frame or three-dimensional
A car can be defined as: mechanical device, which releases the latent energy of gasoline and, by controlling the released energy, uses it to turn the wheels. Gasoline fuel it is injected in turn into each of the engine cylinders (figure above), and there it burns out. The energy released during combustion moves the piston of the cylinder. The piston goes down the cylinder like a fist when we stick our hand into the sleeve, and through the crankshaft, using the clutch mechanism, transfers energy to the gearbox.
After the gearbox, the energy of rotational motion is transferred to the drive shaft. It rotates with the differential mechanism. And the differential not only transfers energy to the drive wheel axles mounted perpendicular to the drive shaft, but also allows the left and right wheels to rotate with different speed if needed. For example, when a car is moving around a corner.
Cycle of operation of an internal combustion engine
During the intake of fuel, the piston goes down and a mixture of gasoline and air vapors is drawn into the cylinder. Then the piston rises - the mixture is compressed. A spark appears on the spark plug - the fuel mixture ignites, burns out - and the energy released during combustion causes the piston to go down. In the last, fourth stroke, the piston rises again and pushes the exhaust gases through the exhaust valve.
Combustible mixture formation
Ignition circuit
The accelerator helps the carburetor cook this moment quantity fuel mixture, which consists of vapors of gasoline and air. This mixture is then drawn into the cylinders and ignited there by spark plugs.
Control mechanism for two unequal movements
In order for a car to move smoothly around corners, its wheels on the outside of the track must travel faster and travel a greater distance than the wheels on the outside of the track. inside ruts. This is possible due to the presence in the car of a mechanism called a differential. It is a tricky set mechanical gears with gears and gears that connect the drive shaft to the axles of the rear wheels so that each wheel can rotate at its desired speed.
Nowadays, life without a car is unimaginable. This is no longer a luxury, but a simple means of transportation, trusted friend and an assistant who will come to the rescue in difficult situation. However, with the increase in the number of cars in the population, the number of owners who do not understand its device at all increases. However, it is simply necessary to know the structure of a car for beginners, at least for self-development and general erudition, as well as in order not to get into a mess in a car service in an attempt to explain on the fingers what exactly happened to the car in the event of a breakdown.
Despite the greatest variety, all cars are essentially the same, which means that the general structure of a car can be considered using a generalized example.
What is a car made of?
Any Cars have the following components:
- engine
- transmission
- chassis
- electrical equipment
- body
This is the order in which the car is always considered in any auto mechanics textbook, and for good reason: these nodes are in order of importance.
Engine
The engine of a car is its main part. It drives the vehicle itself and simultaneously supplies energy to the service units. The engine is almost always located in front, but sometimes its rear location is also found (mainly on sports cars). The most common today is the internal combustion engine (ICE) - it burns fuel, converting thermal energy into kinetic (rotation). Engines are petrol, diesel and gas. In these three cases, the difference lies only in the type of fuel used and the features of the engine's duty cycle. By the way, can diesel engine and put on the Niva. There are also automobile electric motors, but they are a minority, despite the undoubted advantages.
The engine torque must be used as efficiently as possible, because when driving slowly, the engine cannot work slowly, and when driving fast, it cannot work quickly. The transmission converts the speed of the engine, slowing it down or speeding it up. The transmission is a clutch, a gearbox and a final drive with a differential.
The clutch serves to mechanically disengage the wheels and the engine when the machine is not required to move. The gearbox allows you to drive at different speeds at the same engine speed. It can be mechanical (manual) and automatic. In the first case, the gears are switched on by the driver himself using a special lever, in the second, the gears are selected automatically depending on the driving speed and the load on the car. The second option allows you to make control easier, but the device itself of such a unit is much more complicated. The main gear sends torque directly to the wheels, and the differential allows them to rotate at different speeds (this is mainly needed in turns).
Also, the composition of the transmission may vary depending on the type of drive. The engine can turn only the front, only the rear, or all wheels together. In the first case, the rotation from the main gear goes through the axle shafts immediately to the front wheels. In the second case (if the engine is in front), a special cardan shaft leading to rear wheels throughout the car. On all-wheel drive vehicles(jeeps and crossovers) after the gearbox, another one is installed, transfer case, which distributes rotation between the front and rear wheels.
Chassis
It consists of components directly related to the movement - suspension, wheels, brakes. The suspension of the car serves to smooth out the reactive moments that occur when driving through bumps, in other words, it makes the ride softer and smoother. In addition, the suspension eliminates and reduces body roll and lean when cornering, keeping the car in a predetermined horizontal position. The suspension consists of shock absorbers and springs, as well as various levers and hinges. The characteristics of the suspension determine the smoothness of the ride and general behavior on road. Brake mechanisms serve to slow down the movement and stop the car in different situations. They are located directly next to the wheels.
electrical equipment
Electrical equipment is very important system equipment. In our time when electronic assistants more and more, the role of electrical equipment is getting higher. In the very general version it consists of a battery, a generator, ignition systems, lighting, control devices. Because various systems consume a lot of electricity, the engine during its operation rotates the generator, which provides all consumers, and also charges the battery, which serves to start the motor.
Body
The body is, roughly speaking, a metal box in which all of the above units are installed. The body together with attachments (doors, hood, fenders) form appearance car and protect the driver, passengers and all components from atmospheric influences. Almost all modern cars equipped with load-bearing bodies, i.e. all components are installed on it, unlike trucks, for example, where a frame is used - special element, to which the engine, cabin, body, suspension, etc. are attached. Usage load-bearing body allows significantly, by 10-20% to reduce the total weight.
Of course, numerous pictures and books can give a more complete picture of the structure of the machine, but general theoretical knowledge in most cases, it is enough to understand, for example, that problems with electrical equipment can be the reason that the engine “troits”, and knocks and rumbles when driving through bumps indicate malfunctions in the suspension. Therefore, the device of a car for "dummies", despite the complexity of the systems and the abundance of car services, can always help in a difficult situation.
