The early days of an automobile

UNIT 1

COMPONENTS OF THE AUTOMOBILE

Ex. 1 Read and memorize the following words.

Trackless – безрельсовый

Self-propelled – самодвижущийся

Vehicle – транспортное средство

Framework – каркас

Body – кузов

Combustion – горение, сгорание

Transmission – передача, трансмиссия

Ignition – зажигание, воспламенение

Intake – поглощение, впуск

Exhaust – выпуск, выброс, выхлоп

Piston stroke – ход поршня

Gear – механизм

Valve – клапан

Ex. 2. Find and read sentences with these words in the text given below.

TEXT

COMPONENTS OF THE AUTOMOBILE

Automobiles are trackless, self-propelled vehicles for land transportation of people or goods, or for moving materials. There are three main types of automobiles. These are passenger cars, buses and lorries (trucks). The automobile consists of the following components: a) the engine; b) the framework; c) the mechanism that transmits the power from engine to the wheels; d) the body.

Passenger cars are, as a rule, propelled by an internal combustion engine. They are distinguished by the horsepower of the engine, the number of cylinders in the engine and the type of the body, the type of transmission, wheelbase, weight and overall length.

There are engines of various designs. They differ in the number of cylinders, their position, their operating cycle, valve mechanism, ignition and cooling system.

Most automobile engines have six or eight cylinders. The activities that take place in the engine cylinder can be divided into four stages which are called strokes. The four strokes are: intake, compression, power and exhaust. "Stroke" refers to the piston movement. The upper limit of piston movement is called top dead centre, TDC. The lower limit of piston movement is called bottom dead centre, BDC. A stroke constitutes, piston movement from TDC to BDC or from BDC to TDC. In other words, the piston completes a stroke each time it changes the direction of motion.

Ex. 3. Find the English equivalents for the words and word combinations given below.

Двигатель внутреннего сгорания, коробка передач, мощность двигателя в л. с., колесная база, приводной цикл, система охлаждения, двухтактный (четырехтактный) двигатель, верхний предел, нижний предел, верхняя мертвая точка, нижняя мертвая точка.

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions.

1. What are automobiles?

2. What are three main types of automobiles?

3. Can you name the components of an automobile? What are they?

4. What are passenger cars distinguished by?

5. What is a passenger car propelled with?

6. What is the difference of various engine designs?

7. What is a stroke of an automobile?

8. What is top dead centre?

9. What is bottom dead centre?

Ex. 5. Match the synonyms.

1. component 2. lorry 3. car 4. different 5. exhaust

a) various b) discharge c) truck d) constituent e) automobile

Ex.6. Make up all possible questions to this sentence.

The activities that take place in the engine cylinder can be divided into four stages which are called strokes.

Ex.7. Translate into Russian paying attention to the word “as”.

1. As the mixture burns, high pressure is created. 2. The automobile uses gasoline as a fuel. 3. As long as the car is in order, you can be carried from one place to another. 4. No special cooling fans are, as a rule, required. 5. Some semiconductors are almost as good conductors as metals.

Ex. 8. Summarize the text.

UNIT 2

ENGINE OPERATION

Ex. 1 Read and memorize the following words.

Flywheel – маховое колесо, маховик

Crankshaft – коленчатый вал

Carburetor – карбюратор

Throttle – дроссель, регулятор

Lubrication – смазка

Flexibility – гибкость, легкость

Breaks – тормоза

Steering wheel –управление, рулевое колесо

Linkage – рычажный механизм

To lessen – облегчить, ослабить

Springs – пружины, амортизаторы

Shock – удар, толчок

Leaf spring – пластинчатая пружина

Coil spring – спиральная пружина, рессора

Torsion bars – торсионы (стержень, выполняющий функции пружины)

Air suspensions – пневматические подвески

Spark – искра

Ex. 2. Find and read sentences with these words in the text given below.

TEXT

ENGINE OPERATION

An automobile, powered by a petrol engine, begins to operate when the driver turns a flywheel connected to the engine crankshaft. As the crankshaft revolves, a mixture of fuel and air is drawn from a carburettor into the engine cylinders. The ignition system provides the electric sparks that ignite this mixture. The resultant explosions of the mixture turn the crankshaft, and the engine starts moving. By regulating the flow of the fuel and air with a throttle, the driver controls the rotational speed of the crankshaft.

Cooling, electrical ignition and lubrication systems are of great importance for the good .performance of. a car. The lights, radio and heater add to the flexibility, comfort, and convenience of the car. The indicating devices keep the driver informed as to engine temperature, oil pressure, amount of fuel, and battery charging rate.

Brakes are of drum and disk types. The steering system consists of a manually operated steering wheel which is connected by a steering column to the steering gear from which linkages run to the front wheels. it is difficult to turn the steering wheel, and special hydraulic power mechanism are used to lessen this effort. Suitable springings are used against shocks. These are leaf springs, coil springs, torsion bars and air suspensions.

Ex. 3. Find the English equivalents for the words and word combinations given below.

Система зажигания, вращение коленчатого вала, воспламенить топливную смесь, регулировать впрыск топлива, система смазки, давление масла, температура двигателя, количество топлива, уровень зарядки аккумулятора, пластинчатая пружина, рессора, пневматическая подвеска.

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions.

1. When does an automobile begin to operate?

2. What ignites the mixture of fuel and air?

3. What do the resultant explosions of the mixture do?

4. How does the driver control the rotational speed of the crankshaft?

5. What types of brakes do you know?

Ex.5. Translate into Russian paying attention to the word “by”.

1. This high pressure created by the compressed gases causes the shaft to turn or rotate. 2. Petroleum, or crude oil, is put through a refining process by which the gasoline is distilled out. 3. The method of cooling by water is easy to accomplish. 4. A new car factory will have been constructed by the end of this year. 5. The crank is linked to the piston by means of the connecting rod. 6. The driver can make the car operate by turning the flywheel.

Ex.6. Ask questions on all the parts of the following sentences.

1. The piston can slide up and down inside the cylinder. 2. The automobile engineer sees in the car a triumph of engineering and production skill.

Ex. 7. Summarize the text.

UNIT 3

THE EARLY DAYS OF AN AUTOMOBILE

Ex. 1 Read and memorize the following words.

Supply – снабжение

Lag – запаздывать, отставать

Steam-driven – паровой, приводимый в движение паром

Gasoline – бензин

Motorist – автомобилист

Can – канистра

Spare tires – запасные шины

To fine – штрафовать

Transmission – коробка передач

Ex. 2. Find and read sentences with these words in the text given below.

TEXT

THE EARLY DAYS OF AN AUTOMOBILE

One of the earliest attempts to propel a vehicle by mechanical power was suggested by Isaac Newton. But the first self-propelled vehicle was constructed by the French military engineer Cugnot in 1763. He built a steam-driven engine which had three wheels, carried two passengers and ran at maximum speed of four miles. The carriage was a great achievement but it was far from perfect and extremely inefficient. The supply of steam lasted only 15 minutes and the carriage had to stop every 100 yards to make more steam.

In 1825 a steam engine was built in Great Britain. The vehicle carried 18 passengers and covered 8 miles in 45 minutes. However, the progress of motor cars met with great opposition in Great Britain. Further development of the motor car lagged because of the restrictions resulting from legislative acts. The most famous of these acts was the Red Flag Act of 1865, according to which the speed of the steam-driven vehicles was limited to 4 miles per hour and a man with a red flag had to walk in front of it.

Motoring really started in the country after the abolition of this act.

From 1860 to 1900 was a period of the application of gasoline engines to motor cars in many countries.

In 1896 a procession of motor cars took place from London to Brighton to show how reliable the new vehicles were. In fact, many of the cars broke for the transmissions were still unreliable and constantly gave trouble.

The cars of that time were very small, two-seated cars with no roof, driven by an engine placed under the seat. Motorists had to carry large cans of fuel and separate spare tires, for there were no repair or filling stations to serve them.

After World War I it became possible to achieve greater reliability of motor cars brakes became more efficient. Constant efforts were made to standardize common components. Multi-cylinder engines came into use, most commonly used are four-cylinder engines.

Like most other great human achievements, the motor car is not the product of any single inventor. Gradually the development of vehicles driven by internal combustion engine — cars, as they had come to be known, led to the abolition of earlier restrictions. Huge capital began to flow into the automobile industry.

From 1908 to 1924 the number of cars in the world rose from 200 thousand to 20 million; by 1960 it had reached 60 million. No other industry had ever developed at such a rate.

In England there is the famous "Beaulieu Motor Museum" — the home for veteran cars.

The founder of the Museum is Lord Montague, the son of one of England's motoring pioneers, who opened it in 1952 in memory of his father. Lord Montague's father was the first person in England to be fined by the police for speeding. He was fined 5 pounds for going faster than 12 miles per hour!

In the Museum's collection there is a car called the Silver Ghost which people from near and far go to see. It was built by Rolls-Royce in 1907, and called the Silver Ghost because it ran so silently and was painted silver.

There is a car called The Knight. It is the first British petrol-driven car. Its top speed was only 8 m.p.h. In the Museum there is also a two-seater car, built in 1903.

Ex. 3. Find the English equivalents for the words and word combinations given below.

Приводимый в движение паром, максимальная скорость, великое достижение, законодательные акты, запреты, транспортные средства, применение бензиновых двигателей, автомобильные заправочные станции, надежность автомобилей, многоцилиндровые двигатели, четырехцилиндровый двигатель, отмены запретов, автомобильная промышленность, быть оштрафованным за превышение скорости, свыше 12 миль в час.

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions.

1. Who was the first to suggest the idea of propelling vehicle by mechanical power?

2. Who was a self-propelled vehicle constructed by?

3. When and in what country was a steam engine built?

4. What do you know about the Red Flag Act of 1865?

5. When did it become possible to achieve greater reliability of the cars?

6. What was the number of the cars by 1960?

7. What can you say about the Museum of veteran cars?

8. What was the speed of the first British petrol-driven car?

Ex. 5. Match the synonyms.

1. gasoline 2. spare 3. supply 4. fine 5. abolition 6. automobilist

a) provision b) penalty c) motorist d) petrol e) reserve f) cancellation

Ex.6. Make up all possible questions to this sentence.

The carriage was a great achievement but it was far from perfect and extremely inefficient.

Ex. 7. Summarize the text.

UNIT 4

TYPES OF ENGINES

Ex. 1 Read and memorize the following words.

Expenditure – расход, затрата

Combustion chamber – камера сгорания

Integral – неотъемлемый, полный, целый

Turbine – турбина

Power-plant – силовая установка

Electric-generating – энергогенерирующий

Fixed – неподвижный, закрепленный

Close – закрытие, запирание

Fitting – монтаж, подгонка, сборка

Piston – поршень

Torque – крутящий момент

Provision – предосторожность

Gear to – соединять, входить в зацепление

Clutch – сцепление

Disengage – выводить из зацепления, расцеплять

Crank – пусковая рукоятка

Rope wound – заводной трос

Flywheel – маховик

Inertia starter– инерционный стартер (с маховиком)

Explosive starter – взрывной стартер

Blank cartridge – патрон с холостым зарядом

Ex. 2. Find and read sentences with these words in the text given below.

TEXT

TYPES OF ENGINES

Internal-combustion engine, any type of machine that obtains mechanical energy directly from the expenditure of the chemical energy of fuel burned in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the engine. Four principal types of internal-combustion engines are in general use: the Otto-cycle engine, the diesel engine, the rotary engine, and the gas turbine. The Otto-cycle engine, named after its inventor, the German technician Nikolaus August Otto, is the familiar gasoline engine used in automobiles and airplanes; the diesel engine, named after the French-born German engineer Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel, operates on a different principle and usually uses oil as a fuel. It is employed in electric-generating and marine-power plants, in trucks and buses, and in some automobiles. Both Otto-cycle and diesel engines are manufactured in two-stroke and four-stroke cycle models.

The essential parts of Otto-cycle and diesel engines are the same. The combustion chamber consists of a cylinder, usually fixed, that is closed at one end and in which a close-fitting piston slides. The in-and-out motion of the piston varies the volume of the chamber between the inner face of the piston and the closed end of the cylinder.

Unlike steam engines and turbines, internal-combustion engines develop no torque when starting, and therefore provision must be made for turning the crankshaft so that the cycle of operation can begin. Automobile engines are normally started by means of an electric motor or starter that is geared to the crankshaft with a clutch that automatically disengages the motor after the engine has started. Small engines are sometimes started manually by turning the crankshaft with a crank or by pulling a rope wound several times around the flywheel. Methods of starting large engines include the inertia starter, which consists of a flywheel that is rotated by hand or by means of an electric motor until its kinetic energy is sufficient to turn the crankshaft, and the explosive starter, which employs the explosion of a blank cartridge to drive a turbine wheel that is coupled to the engine. The inertia and explosive starters are chiefly used to start airplane engines.

Ex. 3. Find the English equivalents for the words and word combinations given below.

Получение механической энергии от затрат химической энергии сжигаемого топлива, неотъемлемая часть, бензиновый двигатель, работать по другому принципу, составные части двигателя, камера внутреннего сгорания, паровой двигатель, двигатель внутреннего сгорания, выводить из состояния сцепления, приводить в движение коленчатый вал с помощью пусковой рукоятки, инерционный стартер, вращение маховика вручную, задействовать патрон с холостым зарядом для запуска турбины.

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions.

1. What is an internal-combustion engine?

2. What types of engines are in general use now?

3. Who was an inventor of gasoline engine used in automobiles today?

4. What are the advantages of internal-combustion engines when starting?

5. What is the origin of diesel engines?

6. What is normal starting of an automobile engine?

7. What is manual starting of engines?

8. What methods of starting large engines do you know?

9. What kinds of starters are chiefly used to start airplane engines?

UNIT 5

OTTO-CYCLE ENGINES

Ex. 1 Read and memorize the following words.

Compress – сжимать, сдавливать

Four-stroke engine – четырехтактный двигатель

Simultaneously - одновременно

Exert – оказывать (действие)

Exhaust valve – выпускной клапан

Ratio - коэффициент

High-octane - высокооктановый

Antiknock - антидетонатор

Percentage – процентное содержание

Suck – поглощать, всасывать

Ex. 2. Find and read sentences with these words in the text given below.

TEXT

OTTO-CYCLE ENGINES

The ordinary Otto-cycle engine is a four-stroke engine; that is, in a complete power cycle, its pistons make four strokes, two toward the head (closed head) of the cylinder and two away from the head. During the first stroke of the cycle, the piston moves away from the cylinder head while simultaneously the intake valve is opened. The motion of the piston during this stroke sucks a quantity of a fuel and air mixture into the combustion chamber. During the next stroke, the piston moves toward the cylinder head and compresses the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. At the moment when the piston reaches the end of this stroke and the volume of the combustion chamber is at a minimum, the fuel mixture is ignited by the spark plug and burns, expanding and exerting a pressure on the piston, which is then driven away from the cylinder head in the third stroke. During the final stroke, the exhaust valve is opened and the piston moves toward the cylinder head, driving the exhaust gases out of the combustion chamber and leaving the cylinder ready to repeat the cycle.

The efficiency of a modern Otto-cycle engine is limited by a number of factors, including losses by cooling and by friction. In general, the efficiency of such engines is determined by the compression ratio of the engine. The compression ratio (the ratio between the maximum and minimum volumes of the combustion chamber) is usually about 8 to 1 or 10 to 1 in most modern Otto-cycle engines. Higher compression ratios, up to about 15 to 1, with a resulting increase of efficiency, are possible with the use of high-octane antiknock fuels. The efficiencies of good modern Otto-cycle engines range between 20 and 25 percent—in other words, only this percentage of the heat energy of the fuel is transformed into mechanical energy.

Ex. 3. Find the English equivalents for the words and word combinations given below.

Открытый выпускной клапан, движение поршня, подвергать компрессии топливную смесь, свеча зажигания, увеличение давления на поршень, выхлопные газы, коэффициент полезного действия современных двигателей, компрессионный коэффициент работы двигателя, механическая энергия, тепловая энергия сгораемого топлива.

Ex. 4. Answer the following questions.

1. What does “a complete power cycle” of ordinary gasoline engines mean?

2. Can you explain what is the first stroke of the cycle?

3. What is the movement of the piston during next two strokes (the second and the third)?

4. What is the final stroke of the engine?

5. What factors limit the efficiency of modern Otto-cycle engine?

6. What is the compression ratio?

7. What are compression ratios of good modern Otto-cycle engines?

Ex. 5. Find the antonyms to the underlined words.

1. complicated

a) expensive; b) simple; c) similar; d) numerous.

2. shortage