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MechanicalGlossaryA|ROYALMECHANICAL

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Engineer,mechanicalglossary,Mechanicaltechnical,mechanicalterminology,Wordsand
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MechanicalGlossaryA
December21,2011
ABOUTSLEDGEThelargehammerusedbyablacksmithsmate,turnaboutwiththesmaller
hammeroftheblacksmith.
ABRASIVEAnaturalorartificialmaterialsuchassandstone,emery,aluminiumoxideor
siliconcarbide.
ABSOLUTEHUMIDITYActualquantityofwatervapourintheair,usuallyexpressedasso
manygrainsofmoistureinacubicfootofair.
ABSOLUTEHUMIDITYTheweightofthewatervapourwhichisassociatedwithunitquantity
ofair.
ABSOLUTEMOTIONMotionofabodyinrelationtosomeotherbodywhichisatrest.
ABSOLUTEPRESSUREPressuremeasuredfromthetruezeroorpointofnopressure.
ABSOLUTETEMPERATURESCALESUsedforcalculatingchangesinrefrigerantvapour
pressures.
ABSOLUTETEMPERATUREThetemperatureofasubstancemeasuredaboveabsolutezero.
ABSOLUTEVISCOSITYForceperunitarearequiredtomoveasurfaceatunitvelocity,when
itisseparatedbyafluidofunitthicknessfromastationarysurface.
ABSOLUTEZEROTEMPERATURETemperatureatwhichallmolecularmotionceases,
accordingtothekinetictheoryofgases.Apointwhichhasbeendeterminedonthe
thermodynamicscale(bytheoreticalconsiderations)beyondwhichafurtherdecreasein
temperatureisinconceivable.Thisisequalto459.6onthefahrenheitscaleand273.1onthe
centigradescale.
ABSORBERAdeviceforabsorbingarefrigerant,alowsideelementinanabsorptionsystem.
ABSORPTIONREFRIGERATIONSYSTEMOneinwhichtherefrigerant,asitisabsorbedin
anotherliquid,maintainsthepressuredifferenceneededforsuccessfuloperationofthesystem.
ABSORPTIONREFRIGERATORAplantinwhichammoniaiscontinuouslyevaporatedfrom1/20

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ABSORPTIONREFRIGERATORAplantinwhichammoniaiscontinuouslyevaporatedfrom
anaqueoussolutionunderpressure,condensed,allowedtoevaporate(soabsorbingheat),and
thenreabsorbed.
ABSORPTIVITYAbilityofamaterialtoabsorbheat.
ACCELERATEDFLOWTypeofflowthattakesplaceinnozzles.Theflowacceleratesand
pressurereduces.
ACCELERATINGPUMPAsmallcylinderandpistonfittedtosometypesofSIengine
carburettor,andconnectedtothethrottlesoastoprovideamomentarilyenrichedmixturewhen
theengineisaccelerated.
ACCELERATIONRateofchangeofvelocitywithrespecttotime,ofaparticlewhichisin
motion.Itisavectorquantity.
ACCELERATORPUMPInthecarburettor,asmallpumplinkedtotheacceleratorwhich
momentarilyinjectsachargeoffuelintotheintaketractinadditiontothatsuppliedbythenormal
meteringcomponents,andthusenrichesthemixturewhentheacceleratorpedalisdepressed.
ACCELERATORApedalconnectedtothecarburettorthrottlevalveofamotorvehicle,orto
thefuelinjectioncontrolwhereoilenginesareused.
ACCELERATORDeviceforrapidcontrolofspeed,forquickopeningandclosingofthe
throttle.Itisafootorhandoperated,springreturned,linkedtothethrottlevalveinthe
carburettor.Theminimumthrottleopeningiscontrolledbythesettingofthethrottlescrew.
ACCELERATORDeviceforrapidcontrolofthespeedofanengine,forquickopeningand
closingofthethrottlewhichregulatesthequantityofairfuelmixtureintotheenginecylinder.
ACCUMULATORAdeviceusedforstoringliquidunderpressure(sometimeusedtosmooth
fluidflow).
ACCUMULATORAdeviceusedforstoringliquidunderpressure(sometimesusedtosmooth
outpressuresurgesinahydraulicsystem).
ACCUMULATORAsteelshellpartlyfilledwithliquidrefrigerant,thespaceabovewhichis
maintainedbythecompressoratapressurecorrespondingtotherequiredrefrigerant
temperature.Theshellisplacedinasuctionlineforseparatingliquidentrainedinthesuctiongas.
ACCURATEWithouterrorwithintolerancesallowed,precise,correct,confirmingexactlyto
standard.
ACHESONGRAPHITEThatmadefromcokeinanelectricfurnance.
ACHMETHREADAscrewthreadhavinganincludedangleof29andlargelyusedforfeed
screwsonmachinetools.
ACICULARSTRUCTUREAmicrostructurecharacterizedbyneedleshapedconstituents.
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ACICULARSTRUCTUREAmicrostructurecharacterizedbyneedleshapedconstituents.

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ACIDAchemicaltermtodefineamaterialwhichgivesanacidreaction.
ACKERMANPRINCIPLESteeringgeometryinwhichtheouterendsofthesteeringarmsare
bendslightlyinwardsothatwhenthevehicleismakingaturn,insidewheelwillturnmore
sharplythantheouterwheel.Thisprincipleproducestoeoutonturns.
ACKERMANSTEERINGArrangementwherebyalineextendedfromthetrackarms,whenthe
wheelsaresetstraightahead,shouldmeetonthechassiscentrelineat2/3ofthewheelbasefrom
thefront,allowinginnerstubaxletomovethroughagreateranglethantheouter.
ACMETHREADGAUGEAgaugeusedforcheckingandtestingthe29angleandthewidthat
theendofathreadcuttingtoolwhilegrindingit.Itisalsousedforsettingthetoolsquarewiththe
axisoftheworkpiece.
ACROLEINAwarningagenthavingtheformulaCH2CHCHOisoftenusedwithmethyl
chloridetocallattentiontotheescapeofrefrigerant.Thematerialhasacompelling,pungent
odourandcausesirritationofthethroatandeyes.
ACTIVATEDAMMONIADesiccantwhichoperatesbyadsorptionofwatermolecules.Aform
ofaluminiumoxideAlO2
ACTIVATEDCARBONAhighlyabsorbentformofcarbonusedtoremoveodorsandtoxic
substancesfromgaseousemissionsortoremovedissolvedorganicmatterfromwastewater.
ACTUATORAdevicewhichusesfluidpowertoproducemechanicalforceandmotion.
ACTUATORSSecondarycontrolmechanismswhichfunctioninresponsetotherequirements
oftheprimarygroupinactuallycontrollingsomepartoftherefrigerationsystem.
ACUTEANGLEAnanglewhichislessthanarightangle,90.
ADDENDUMTheportionofthetoothofagearthatextendsfromthepitchlinetotheoutside.
ADDENDUMTheradialdistancefromthepitchcircletothetopofthetooth.
ADDITIVEAsubstanceaddedtofuel,oroilorgreasewhichimprovesthepropertiesofthe
same.
ADDITIVESChemicalcompoundsusedtoalterthecharacteristicsoflubricatingoils.
ADDITIVESChemicalsaddedtooilorfueltoincreaseitseffectivenessandobtaindesirable
qualities.
ADHESIVESMaterialsorcompositionsthatenabletwosurfacestojointogether.Anadhesiveis
notnecessarilyaglue,whichisconsideredtobeastickysubstance,sincemanyadhesivesarenot
sticky.

ADIABATICCOMPRESSIONCompressionofavapourorgasinsuchcircumstancesthat

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ADIABATICCOMPRESSIONCompressionofavapourorgasinsuchcircumstancesthat
thereisinsufficienttimeforanysubstantialexchangeofheatbetweenitanditssurroundings.
ADIABATICCOMPRESSIONCompressionofairwithoutreceivingorgivingupheat.
ADIABATICCOOLINGMethodinwhichparamagneticsaltsareprecooled,andthen
demagnetized,therebyproducingfurthercooling.
ADIABATICEXPANSIONorCOMPRESSIONExpansionorcompressionwherethe
temperaturerisesduringcompressionandfallsduringexpansionwithoutanylossofheattothe
cylinderwallsorabsorptionofheatfromthewalls.
ADIABATICFLAMETEMPERATUREThemaximumpossibletemperatureattainedbythe
productsofreaction,whenthereactiongoestocompletionandalltheheatreleasedisusedtoheat
uptheproducts.
ADIABATICHEATDROPTheheatenergyreleasedandtheoreticallycapableof
transformationintomechanicalworkduringtheadiabaticexpansionofunitweightofsteamor
othervapourorgas.
ADIABATICPROCESSThermodynamicprocessinwhichnoheatistransferredtoorfromthe
systemduringtheprocess.AreversibleadiabaticprocessiscalledISENTROPICPROCESS.
ADIABATICSYSTEMisthesystemwhichisinsulatedfromitssurroundings.Inthissystemno
heattransfertakesplacei.e.,eitherintothesystemoroutofthesystem.Itcanhoweverexchange
workwiththesurroundings.
ADJUSTABLERAMPAloadingplatformthatispoweroperatedormechanicallyoperated.
ADMISSIONThepointintheworkingcyclesofasteamorICengineatwhichtheinletvalve
allowsentryoftheworkingfluidintothecylinder.
ADVANCE(injectiontiming)Tosetthetimingoftheinjectionpumporinjectorsforanearlier
injection.
ADVANCESettingtheignitiontimingsothatsparkoccursbeforethepistonreachestopdead
center.
AERATIONTESTBURNERApparatusbywhichthecombustioncharacteristicsofcommercial
gasescanbecorrelatedandcalibrated.
AERATIONAtermgenerallyemployedwithreferencetoaircirculationorventilation.Inmilk
cooling,itreferstoamethodwherethemilkflowoverrefrigeratedsurfacesisexposedtothe
atmosphere.
AERATORAdeviceforfluffing(ordecreasingthedensityof)andcoolingthesandbythe
admixtureofair.
AERODYNAMICDRAGistheairresistancetothemotionofthevehicle.Thisconsistsof
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AERODYNAMICDRAGistheairresistancetothemotionofthevehicle.Thisconsistsof
profiledrag,induceddrag,skinfrictiondrag,interferencedrag,andcoolingandventilationdrag.

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AERODYNAMICLIFTistheverticalcomponentoftheresultantforcecausedbythepressure
distributiononthevehiclebody.
AEROSOLAparticleofsolidorliquidmatterthatcanremainsuspendedintheairbecauseof
itssmallsize.Particulatesunder1micronindiameterarecalledaerosols.
AFTERBOILBoilingofthefuelinthecarburettororcoolantintheengineimmediatelyafterthe
engineisstopped.
AFTERBURNERInanautomobileengine,atypeofexhaustmanifoldthatburnsthe
hydrocarbonandcarbonmonoxideremainingintheexhaustgas.
AFTERBURNINGInaninternalcombustionengine,thepersistenceofthecombustionprocess
beyondtheperiodpropertotheworkingcycle,i.e.,intotheexpansionperiod.
AFTERBURNINGTheburningoffuelthatisleftinthecombustionspacewhenthefuel
injectionstops.
AFTERCOOLERAdeviceusedontheturbochargedenginestocooltheairwhichhas
undergonecompression.
AFTERCOOLERAdeviceusedonturbochargedenginestocoolairwhichhasundergone
compression.
AFTERCOOLERAdeviceusedonturbochargedenginestocooltheairwhichhasundergone
compression,beforeitsentryintotheenginecylinder.
AFTERCOOLERAtypeofsurfaceheatexchangerinwhichcompressedairiscooledafter
compression.
AGEHARDENINGChangeinthephysicalproperties,e.g.,hardnessandstrength,thatoccurs
incertainlightmetalsafterheattreatment.
AGGREGATESmallparticlessuchaspowdersthatareusedforpowdermetallurgy,thatare
looselycombinedtoformawhole,alsosandandrockasusedinconcrete.
AGINGOFAPERMANENTMAGNETItistheprocessofnormaloracceleratedchange,
undercontinuednormalorspecifiedartificialconditions,inthestrengthofthemagneticfield
maintained.
AGINGTheprocessofholdingmetalsatroomtemperatureoratapredeterminedtemperature
forthepurposeofincreasingtheirhardnessorstrengthbyprecipitation.Agingisalsousedto
increasedimensionalstabilityinmetalssuchascastings.
AIRASPIRATORSYSTEMAnairinjectionsystemusingavalveopenedandclosedbypulses
intheexhaustsystem.
AIRBLEEDAnopeningintoagasolinepassagethroughwhichaircanpassorbleedintothe

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AIRBLEEDAnopeningintoagasolinepassagethroughwhichaircanpassorbleedintothe
gasolineasitmovesthroughthepassage,toweakentheairfuelmixture.
AIRBLEEDERAdeviceusedtoremoveairfromahydraulicsystem.Typesincludeaneedle
valve,capillarytubingtothereservoir,andableedplug.
AIRBRAKEAbrakingsystemwhichusescompressedairtosupplytheeffortrequiredtoapply
brakes.
AIRCELLAsmallauxiliarycombustionchamberusedincertaintypesofcompressionignition
engines,forpromotingturbulenceandimprovingcombustion.
AIRCIRCULATIONAmethodfornaturalorforcedmotionofair.
AIRCLEANERAdevicemountedontheintakemanifoldforfilteringoutunwantedsolid
impuritiessuchasdirtanddustfromairthatisbeingdrawnintotheenginecylinderthroughthe
inletmanifold.
AIRCOMPRESSORAdeviceusedtoincreaseairpressure.
AIRCOMPRESSORAmachine(drivenbyanyprimemover),whichcompressesairintoa
receivertobeusedatagreaterorshorterdistance.
AIRCONDITIONERAdeviceusedtocontrolthetemperature,humidity,cleanlinessand
movementofairinsidearoomoracar.
AIRCONDITIONINGUNITEquipmentdesignedasaspecificairtreatingcombination,
consistingofmeansforventilation,aircirculation,aircleaningandheattransferwithcontrol
meansformaintainingtemperatureandhumiditywithinprescribedlimits.
AIRCONDITIONINGThesimultaneouscontrolofall,oratleastthefirstthreeofthefollowing
factorsaffectingthephysicalandchemicalconditionsoftheatmospherewithinastructure:
Temperature,humidity,motion,distribution,dust,bacteria,orlesserdegreehumanhealthor
comfort.
AIRCOOLEDCOMPRESSORAcompressorwhosecylinderhascastintegralnumerousthin
finstoformexcesscoolingsurfaceexposedtoadraughtofcoolairwhichformsthemediumto
carryoffsomeoftheheatofcompression.
AIRCOOLEDCONDENSERSCondenserusedtocooltherefrigerant,thecoolingeffect
dependsonairdrawnthroughtubesandfinsforagooddistributionofair.
AIRCOOLEDENGINEAnenginethatiscooledbypassageofairaroundthecylinder,notby
passageofaliquidthroughwaterjackets.
AIRCOOLEDENGINEAnenginethatiscooledbythepassageofairaroundthecylinders,not
bypassageofaliquidthroughwaterjackets.
AIRCOOLERThecoldaccumulatorusedintheLindeprocessofairliquefactionforthe
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AIRCOOLERThecoldaccumulatorusedintheLindeprocessofairliquefactionforthe
preliminarycoolingoftheair.

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AIRDUCTSPipesorchannelsthroughwhichairisdistributedthroughoutbuildingor
machineryforheatingandventilation.
AIRENGINEAverysmallreciprocatingenginedrivenbycompressedair.
AIREXHAUSTERAsuctionfan,avacuumpump.
AIRFUELMIXTUREAirandfueltravellingtothecombustionchamberafterbeingmixedby
thecarburettor.
AIRFUELMIXTUREFinelyatomizedmistoffuelandairnecessaryforcombustion.This
mixtureconsistsofapproximately15partsairtoonepartfuel(15:1)atcruisingspeed.
AIRFUELRATIOAtfullloadoperation,theairfuelratioisatleast35to50percentgreater
thanthestoichiometricvalue.Airfuelratioinanormaldieselenginevariesfromaround100:1at
idlespeedtoabout30:1atfullload.
AIRFUELRATIORatio(byweight)betweenairandfuelthatmakesupenginefuelmixture.
AIRFUELRATIOTheproportionofairtofuelintheworkingchargeofaninternalcombustion
engine,orinothercombustiblemixtures,expressedbyweightforliquidfuelsandbyvolumefor
gaseousfuels.
AIRGATEAverticalchannelfortheremovalofgasesfromthemould;checkingofthefillingof
themouldcavitywithmetalandfeedingupthecastingwithmetalduringsolidification.
AIRHAMMERPowerhammer,usedforrougheningoutheavyforgingsinfoundrywork.
AIRHOLEHoleinacastingcausedbyairorgastrappedinthemetalduringsolidification.
AIRHORNInthecarburettor,thetubularpassagethroughwhichtheincomingairmustpass.
AIRINFILTRATIONTheinleakageofairthroughcracksandcrevicesandthroughdoors,
windowsorotheropenings,causedbywindpressureortemperaturedifference.
AIRINJECTIONSYSTEMAsystemwhichinjectsairintotheexhaustmanifoldorthermal
reactorsothatthecombustionofthecarbonmonoxideandunburnedhydrocarbonsinthe
exhaustcanbecompleted.
AIRINJECTIONSYSTEMThesystemwhichinjectstherequiredquantityoffuelintothe
combustionspacewiththeaidofcompressedair.
AIRJETAsmalljetintheairpassageofacarburettor.Thisjetmeterstheamountofairfedto
thediffuserinanairbleedtypecarburettor.
AIRLIQUEFIERAtypeofgasrefrigeratingmachinebasedontheSTIRLINGCYCLE,thecycle
ofthehotairengine.
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AIRMASSMETERINGInsomefuelinjectionsystems,fuelmeteringiscontrolledprimarilyby

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AIRMASSMETERINGInsomefuelinjectionsystems,fuelmeteringiscontrolledprimarilyby
enginespeedandtheamountofairactuallyenteringtheengine.
AIRMETERAnapparatususedtomeasuretherateofflowofairorgas.
AIRPOLLUTIONContaminationofearthsatmospherebyvariousnaturalandmanmade
pollutantssuchassmoke,gases,dustetc.
AIRPREHEATERAdevicethatmakesthefinalheatrecoveryfromboilerfluegasesanduses
thesametopreheattheincomingfurnaceairforitsreactionwithfuel.
AIRPUMPAreciprocatingorcentrifugalpumpusedtoremoveair,andsometimesthe
condensate,fromthecondenserofasteamplant.
AIRRATEKilogramspersecondofairflowrequiredpernethorsepowerdeveloped.Also
calledFLOWRATE.
AIRRECEIVERAvesselintowhichcompressedairisdischarged,tobestoreduntilrequired.
AIRRESISTANCEThemotionofanautomobileisassociatedwiththedisplacementofair
particles,whichrequiressomepoweroftheengine.Airresistancedependsonthesizeandshape
ofthevehiclebody,speedofthevehicleandwindvelocity.
AIRSPRINGContainerandplungerareseparatedbyairunderpressure.Whencontainerand
plungerattempttosqueezetogether,aircompressesandproducesaspringeffect.Airspringhas
beenusedinsomesuspensionsystems.
AIRSTANDARDCYCLEAstandardcycleofreferencebywhichtheperformanceofthe
differentinternalcombustionenginesmaybecompared,andtheirrelativeefficienciescalculated.
AIRSTANDARDEFFICIENCYThethermalefficiencyofaninternalcombustionengine
workingontheappropriateairstandardcycle.
AIRSTARTINGVALVEAvalvewhichadmitscompressedairtotheairstarterforstarting
purposes.
AIRVENTArrangementthathelpstoremoveairfromthefuelinjectionsystem.
AIRWASHERAnenclosureinwhichairisforcedthroughasprayofwaterinordertocleanse,
humidifyordehumidifytheair.
AIRAgasconsistingofmechanicalmixtureof23.2%(byweight)ofoxygen75.5%nitrogenand
1.3%argon,21%(byvolume)ofoxygen,78.06%nitrogenand0.94%argon.
AIRAgasconsistingprincipallyofamechanicalmixtureof23.2percent(byweight)ofoxygen,
65.5percentofnitrogenand1.3percentofargon.
AIRFOILDRAGFORCEForceactingontheairfoilinthedirectionofmotion,represents
frictionalforces.
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AIRFOILLIFTFORCEForceactingontheairfoilinthedirectionperpendiculartothedirection

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AIRFOILLIFTFORCEForceactingontheairfoilinthedirectionperpendiculartothedirection
ofmotion.Basicforcecausingtheaeroplanetomaintainitslift.
AIRFOILAstreamlinedformboundedprincipallybytwoflattenedcurvesandwhoselength
andwidthareverylargeincomparisonwiththickness.Theairfoilmaybeasymmetricalairfoilor
anonsymmetricalairfoil.
AIRFOILDevice,similartoastubbywing.
AIRGAP(sparkplug)Distancebetweencentreandsideelectrodes,inasparkplug.Sparkjumps
acrossthisgap.
AIRLESSBLASTCLEANINGAprocesswherebytheabrasivematerialisappliedtotheobject
beingcleanedbycentrifugalforcegeneratedbyarotatingvanetypewheel.
AIRLESSINJECTIONInjectionofliquidfuelintothecylinderofanoilenginebyahigh
pressurefuelpump,sodispensingwiththecompressedairnecessaryintheearlydieselengines.
AlsocalledSOLIDINJECTIONorMECHANICALINJECTION.
AKROYDENGINEThefirstcompressionignitionengine,patentedbyAkroydStaurtin1890.
ALCOHOLVolatileliquidfuelconsistingwhollyorpartly,ofalcohol,abletowithstandhigh
compressionratioswithoutdetonation.
ALFOLTechnicalnameforthincorrugatedaluminiumfoilinnarrowstrips,usedforheat
insulation,forwhichitiseffectivebyreasonofthenumeroussmallaircellsformedwhenpacked.
ALIGNTobringtwoormorecomponentsofaunitintocorrectpositionswithrespecttoone
another.
ALLWEATHERTYREAtyredesignedtoprovidegoodtractionondry,wetanddirtandsnow
coveredroadways.
ALLANVALVEAsteamengineslidevalve,inwhichasupplementarypassageincreasesthe
steamsupplytotheportduringadmissiontoreducewiredrawing.
ALLOTROPICMETALSMetalswhichexistinonelatticeformoverarangeoftemperature,but
atacertaintemperaturethelatticeformchangestoanothertypewhichisstableoveranother
temperaturerange.
ALLOTROPYAbilityofamaterialtoexistinseveralcrystallineforms.
ALLOWANCETheintentionalordesireddifferencebetweenthemaximumlimitsofmating
partstoprovideacertainclassoffit.
ALLOYSTEELSteelcontainingsignificantquantitiesofalloyingelements(otherthancarbon
andthecommonlyacceptedamountsofmanganese,silicon,sulphurandphosphorus)addedto
effectchangesinmechanicalandphysicalproperties.
ALLOYAsubstancehavingmetallicpropertiesandiscomposedoftwoormorechemical

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ALLOYAsubstancehavingmetallicpropertiesandiscomposedoftwoormorechemical
elements,ofwhichatleastoneisametal.
ALLOYINGELEMENTSElementseithermetallicornonmetallicaddedintentionallytothe
basemetal,tomakeamarkedchangeinthepropertiesofthebasemetalandtosecurecertain
desirableproperties.
ALLOYINGOFMETALTheadditionofvaryingproportionsofotherelementstoabasicmetal
inordertoproduceanalloyhavingspecificproperties.
ALNICOSAlnicosmaterialsarecomposedmainlyofaluminium,nickel,cobaltandiron.Some
includeadditionsofcopperandtitanium.Theyarehighcoerciveforce,highmagneticenergy
alloys.
ALOXITEArtificialabrasivematerialusedinthemanufactureofgrindingwheels.Essentiallyit
consistsofalumina,oraluminiumoxide,thechemicalsymbolforwhichisAl2O3
ALPHAIRONThebodycenteredcubicformofpureiron,stablebelow1025C.
ALTERNATORAelectricalgeneratorthatproducesalternatingcurrent(flowofcurrentis
consideredtochangeindirectionwitheachhalfcycle).
ALUMELAnickelbasealloycontainingabout2.5%Mn,2%AI,and1%Si,usedchieflyasa
componentofpyrometricthermocouples.
ALUMINIUMALLOYAluminiumwhichisalloyedwithothermetalstogiveitstrengthand
desirableproperties.
ALUMINIUMBRONZEAlloycontaining90%copperand10%aluminium,extensivelyused
fordiecasting.
ALUMINIUMCYLINDERBLOCKAnenginecylinderblockcastfromaluminiumor
aluminiumalloy,andwhichusuallyhascastironsleevesinstalledforuseascylinderbores.
ALUMINIUMGrayishwhitemetal,verylightinweight,andhavinginitspureformlow
mechanicalstrength,frequentlyalloyedwithotherelementstoimproveitsphysical
characteristics.
AMBIENTSENSORAtemperaturesensorthatprovidesanoutsideairtemperaturesignalfor
anautomatictemperaturecontroltypeairconditioningsystem.
AMBIENTTEMPERATUREInadomesticorcommercialsystemhavinganaircooled
condenser,itisthetemperatureoftheairenteringthiscondenser.
AMBIENTTEMPERATURETemperature(usuallyoftheair)surroundingtheoperating
equipment.
AMMONIAMACHINEAnabbreviationforacompressionrefrigeratingmachineusing
ammoniaasarefrigerant.Similarly,freon,sulphurdioxidemachineetc.
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ammoniaasarefrigerant.Similarly,freon,sulphurdioxidemachineetc.

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AMMONIANH3Oneoftheearliestcompoundsusedasarefrigerant.
AMORPHOUSNoncrystalline,arandomorientationoftheatomicstructure.
ANALYSERDeviceusedinthehighsideofanabsorptionsystemforincreasingthe
concentrationofvapourenteringrectifierorcondenser.
ANEMOMETERAninstrumentformeasuringthevelocityofflowofagas,eitherby
mechanicalorelectricalmethods.
ANGLECUTTERTypeofmillingcutterusedforsingleordoubleangles.Thetermanglecutter
coversthreetypesofmillingcutters,thesingleorhalfangle,thedoubleangleandtheequalor
combinedangle.
ANGLEOFADVANCETheangleinexcessof90degreebywhichtheeccentricthrowofa
steamenginevalvegearisinadvanceofthecrank.
ANGLEOFATTACKTheangleofinclinationofthenonsymmetricalairfoilwiththedirection
oftheundisturbedflow.
ANGLEOFDEVIATIONThedifferencebetweenthefluidangleatoutletandthebladeangle
atoutlet.Thismaybepositiveornegative.SometimescalledDEVIATION.
ANGLEOFINCDIENCEThedifferencebetweenthefluidangleatinletandthebladeangleat
inlet.Thismaybepositiveornegative.SometimescalledINCIDENCE.
ANGLEOFREPOSETheminimuminclinationwhichaplanecanhaveconsistentwiththe
bodyonitslidingdowntheplanebytheforceofgravity.Itisthesameasthefrictionangle.
ANGLEOFTHREADTheincludedanglebetweenthesidesformingthegrooveofthescrew
thread.
ANGLEPLATERightangledmetalplateusedtosecurepartsduringmachiningorwhentaking
measurements.
ANGLEPLATESSomeworkhastobesetataparticularangletothesurfaceofthetable,and
thisisofteneffectedbyboltingittoanadjustableangleplate.
ANGLETheamountofopeningordivergencebetweentwostraightlinesthatmeetatavertex
orthatintersecteachother.
ANGULARACCELERATIONThetimerateofchangeofangularvelocity.
ANGULARVELOCITYOFPRECISIONTherateofchangeinthedirectionoftheplaneof
rotationofarotatingdisc.

ANGULARVELOCITYThetimerateofchangeofangulardisplacementofapointrotating

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ANGULARVELOCITYThetimerateofchangeofangulardisplacementofapointrotating
aboutafixedaxis(expressedinradiansperunittime)Angularvelocityofamachinepartisoften
expressedinrevolutionsperminute(RPM)andisdenotedbyn.
ANILINEPOINTThelowesttemperatureatwhichanoiliscompletelymisciblewithanequal
volumeofaniline.
ANISTROPYAmaterialthathasspecificphysicalpropertiesindifferentdirections.Rolledsteel
isstrongestinthedirectionofrolling.
ANNEALINGAheattreatmentinwhichmetalsareheatedandthencooledveryslowlyforthe
purposeofdecreasinghardness.Annealingisusedtoimprovemachinabilityandtoremove
stressesfromweldments,forgingsandcastings.Alsousedtoremovestressesresultingfromcold
workingandtorefineandmakeuniformthemicroscopicinternalstructuresofmetals.
ANNULARTYPECOMBUSTIONCHAMBERThecombustionchamberwhichismadeupof
fourconcentricsurfacessurroundingtheaxisoftherotor,formingthreechambersoneitherside
oftherotor,themiddlecasingactsasaflametubeandtheinnerandoutercasingsactasair
casings,withaseriesofburnersatthefrontend.
ANNULUSAfigureboundedbyconcentriccirclesorcylinders(e.g.,awasher,ring,sleeveetc.).
ANODICTREATMENTFormationofaprotectivelayerofoxideonthesurfaceofaluminium
anditsalloysbyelectrolyticaction,inordertoresistcorrosion.
ANODIZINGTosubjectametaltoelectrolyticaction,astakesplaceattheanodeofacell,in
ordertocoatitwithaprotectiveordecorativefilm,usedfornonferrousmetals.
ANTECHAMBERAsmallauxiliarycombustionchamber,usedinsomecompressionignition
engines,inwhichpartialcombustionoffueltakesplaceandthisisusedtoforcetheburning
mixtureintothecylinder,sopromotingmoreperfectcombustion.
ANTHRACITECOALSSlowburningcoalswhichyieldverylittleash,moistureandlessthan
10percentvolatiles,generallyusedinclosedstoves.
ANTICORROSIONADDITIVESChemicalcompoundsaddedtolubricatingoiltoreduceor
preventthechemicalreactionofacids(formedbytheoxidationofoil)whichdestroysome
bearingmaterials,suchasleadinleadcopperbearings,usedforcrankshaftsandconnectingrods
ofengines.
ANTIDAZZLEMIRROROnehavingaphotoeltriccontrolcircuitwhichchangesitfromafully
reflectingconditiontopartialreflectionfromaglassairinterfacewhenactuatedbytheheadlamp
beamofafollowingvehicle.
ANTIDIVESYSTEMAsysteminstalledwithsomebrakesthatusesfrontforkdampingand
thefrontbrakeassemblytopreventexcessiveforkcompressionandtoimprovehandlingwhen
brakesareapplied.
ANTIICINGSYSTEMAcarburettorunitdesignedtopreventformationoficeonasurfaceor12/20

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ANTIICINGSYSTEMAcarburettorunitdesignedtopreventformationoficeonasurfaceor
inapassage.
ANTIOXIDATIONADDITIVESChemicalcompoundsaddedtodecreaseoxidationoftheoil.
Thesehaveagreateraffinityforoxygenthandoestheoil.
ANTISIPHONSYSTEMUseofasmallpassagedesignedintoacarburettortopreventfuel
fromsiphoningfromthefloatbowlintotheengine.
ANTIINCRUSTATORAsubstanceusedtopreventtheformationofscaleontheinternal
surfacesofsteamboilers.
ANTIBACKFIREVALVEValveusedinairinjectionreactioncexhaustemissioncontrolsystem
topreventbackfiringduringtheperiodimmediatelyfollowingsuddendecleration.
ANTIFREEZELIQUIDAsubstanceaddedtotherefrigeranttopreventformationoficecrystals
attheexpansionvalve.
ANTIFREEZEAchemicaladdedtothecoolantinordertoloweritsfreezingpoint.
ANTIFREEZEAchemical,addedtothecoolant(usuallyethyleneglycol)toloweritsfreezing
pointandtherebypreventthecoolantfromfreezingincoldweather.
ANTIFRICTIONBEARINGSBall,rollerandneedlebearingsexhibitverylowfrictionandare
suitableforveryhighspeeds,andhighloading.
ANTIKNOCKCOMPOUNDAnadditiveputintogasolinetosuppressknockingordetonation
e.g.,Tetraethyllead.
ANTIKNOCKSUBSTANCESSubstancesaddedtopetroltolessenitstendencytodetonate,or
knockinanengine,i.e.,Tetraethyllead.
ANTIKNOCKVALUETherelativeimmunityofavolatileliquidfuelfromdetonation,or
knocking,inapetrolengine,ascomparedwithsomestandardfuel.
ANTIKNOCKInenginefuels,thatpropertywhichopposesknockingi.e.,autoignition.
ANTILOCKBRAKESYSTEM(ABS)Ifthebrakesareappliedsohardthatthewheelstendto
stopturningandthusaskidstartstodevelop,theantilockbrakesystemcomesintooperationand
partlyreleasesthebrakes.Thismakesthewheelscontinuetorotate.However,intermittent
brakingcontinues.Butitisheldbelowthepointwheretheskidwouldstart.
ANTIMISTPANELApanelfittedtotherearwindowenclosingavolumeofstillairbetween
itselfandtheouterglass.
ANTIMONYBrittle,bluishwhitemetallicelementdesignatedSb.Meltingpoint630C.Usedas
aconstituentinsomealloys,forinstance,bearingsandstoragebatteryplates.
ANTIPERCOLATORDeviceforventingvapoursfrommaindischargetubeorwellofa

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ANTIPERCOLATORDeviceforventingvapoursfrommaindischargetubeorwellofa
carburettor.
ANTIPERCOLATORDeviceforventingvapoursfrommaindischargetube,orwell,ofa
carburettor.
ANTIPIPING(material)Usuallyreferstoaninsulatingmaterialplacedonthetopofasprueor
riserthatkeepsthemetalinliquidorsemiliquidformforalongperiodoftimeandminimizesthe
formationoftheusualconicalpipeorshrinkinthetopofasprueorriser.
ANTIPRIMINGPIPEApipeplacedinthesteamspaceofaboiler,soastocollectthesteam
whileexcludingentrainedwater.
ANTIROLLBARTorsionbarmountedtransverselyinthechassisinsuchawaysoasto
counteracttheeffectofoppositespringdeflections.
ANVILHeavyblockonwhichtohammerandshapemetals.
APIGRAVITYGravityexpressedinunitsofstandardAmericanPetroleumInstitute
(hydrometer).
APIGRAVITYTheAmericanPetroleumInstitute(API)hasestablishedtheformulafor
calculatingthespecificgravityofafueloroilasDegree
APIHEAVYDUTYTYPEOILMotoroilhavingoxidationstability,bearingcorrosion
preventiveproperties,anddetergentdispersantcharacteristicsnecessarytomakeitgenerally
suitableforuseinbothhighspeeddieselandgasolineenginesunderheavydutyservice
conditions.
APIPREMIUMTYPEOILMotoroilhavingtheoxidationstabilityandbearingcorrosion
preventivepropertiesnecessarytomakeitgenerallysuitableforuseininternalcombustion
engineswhereoperatingconditionsaremoreseverethanregularduty.
APIREGULARTYPEOILMotoroilgenerallysuitableforuseininternalcombustionengines
undermoderateoperatingconditions.
API=((141.5/specificgravityat60/60degreeF)131.5).Thesymbol60/60degreeFisinterpretedas
theratiooftheweightofagivenvolumeofoilat60degreeFtotheweightofthesamevolumeof
waterat60degreeF.
APIEZONOILSTheresidueofalmostzerovapourpressureleftbyvacuumdistillationof
petroleumproducts.
APPLIEDTHERMODYNAMICSAlsocalledengineeringthermodynamicsdealswithspecial
applicationssuchasenergytransferaspowergeneration,refrigerationand,compressionand
expansionofgasesandfluids.

APRONCONVEYORAconveyorfortransportingpackagesorbulkmaterials,consistingofa14/20

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APRONCONVEYORAconveyorfortransportingpackagesorbulkmaterials,consistingofa
seriesofmetalorwoodslats(alsorubber,cotton,feltwireetc.)attachedtoanendlesschain.Also
calledSLATCONVEYOR.
APRONThefunctionofalatheapronistocarrythemechanismforslidingandsurfacing
motionsandscrewcutting.
ARBORPRESSAhandoperatedmachinecapableofapplyinghighpressureforthepurposeof
pressingpartstogetherorremovingparts.
ARBORAmetalbarrel,frame,orplatetosupportorcarrypartofamouldorcore.
ARCCUTTINGProcesswhichmeltsthemetalstocutwiththeheatofanarcbetweenan
electrodeandthebasemetal.
ARCEYEAburnontheexteriorsurfaceoftheoperatorseye,duetoitsexposuretoanopenarc.
AlsocalledFLASHEYE.
ARCGAPDistancebetweenthetipsoftwoelectrodes,normallybetweenanelectrodeandthe
workpiece.AlsoknownasARCLENGTH.
ARCOFCONTACTThearctracedoutalongthepitchcirclewhileonepairofteethofgear
wheelsisincontact(dividedintoarcofapproachandarcofrecess).
ARCPLASMAAgasthathasbeenheatedtoanatleastpartiallyionizedcondition,enablingit
toconductanelectriccurrent.
ARCSPOTWELDSpotweldingmadebyanarcweldingprocess.
ARCWELDINGAgroupofweldingprocesseswhichproducescoalescenceofmetalsby
heatingthemwithanarc,withorwithouttheapplicationofpressure,andwithorwithouttheuse
offillermetal.
ARCWELDINGMethodofweldingorunitingtwometallicpiecesinwhichthemetalismelted
bytheheatofanelectricarc.
ARCAcircularsectionofthecircumferenceofacircleboundedbytwoequalradii.
ARCAsustainedelectricdischarge,wherecurrentflowsthroughthegapbetweentwo
electrodes.
ARCHThecurveofaleafspring.Ifthecentreislowerthantheends,itiscalledpositivearch,if
thecentreishigherthantheends,itiscallednegativearch.
ARCING(brakes)Grindingnewbrakeliningstothesamediameter(arc)asthatofthebrake
drumsurface.
ARDOMETERAtypeoftotalradiationpyrometer.
ARGONAninertgasusedincertainweldingandheattreatmentprocesses.

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ARGONAninertgasusedincertainweldingandheattreatmentprocesses.
ARRESTINGGEARMeansofsustainingtheloadwhichdonotinterferewiththehoistinggear
butpreventitfromcomingdownduetogravitye.g.,ratchetandpawlarrangementsandfriction
type.
ARSENICAbrittle,grayishmetallicelementdesignatedAs.Meltingpoint814C.Usedasa
constituentinsomealloys,andinthemanufactureofleadshot.
ARTICULATEDCONNECTINGRODTheauxiliaryconnectingrodsofaradialengine,which
workonpinscarriedbythemasterrodinsteadofonthemaincrankpin.AlsocalledLINKRODS.
ASBESTOSAfibrousorganicmineralthatisnoncombustible,nonconductingandacid
resistant.
ASHANDSLAGImpuritiesthatdonotburnandusuallytroublesomeelementsincoalfired
boilers.
ASHFREEBASISWhenfuelsaredeliveredonanashfreebasis,itmeansthatthepercentageof
theashhasbeendeductedandtheotherconstituentshavetheirpercentagesrecalculatedon100
percenttotalwithouttheash.
ASHAninorganicnoncombustibleresidueobtainedbycombustionofanoilorfuelinthe
presenceofair.
ASPECTRATIOOFBLADERatioofbladeheighttobladechord.
ASPECTRATIOTheratioofthewidthtothelength.Ontyres,itisthefullyinflatedheight
dividedbythecrosssection.
ASSEMBLYAunitthatcontainsthepartsthatmakeupamechanismoramachine.
ATDCAfterTDC,Aftertopdeadcentre.
ATKINSONCYCLEAworkingcycleforinternalcombustionengines,inwhichtheexpansion
ratioexceedsthecompressionratio,moreefficientthantheOttoCycle,butmechanically
impracticable.
ATMOSPHERICCONDENSERAcondenseroperatedwithwaterwhichisexposedtothe
atmosphere.
ATMOSPHERICENGINEAnearlyformofsteamengineinwhichapartialvacuumcreatedby
steamcondensationallowedatmosphericpressuretodrivedownthepiston.
ATMOSPHERICGASBURNERSYSTEMAnaturaldraughtburnerinjector,inwhichthe
momentumofagasstreamprojectedfromanorificeintotheinjectorthroatinspiratesfromthe
atmosphereapartoftheairrequiredforcombustion.
ATMOSPHERICLINEAdatumlinedrawnonanindicatordiagrambyallowingatmospheric16/20

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ATMOSPHERICLINEAdatumlinedrawnonanindicatordiagrambyallowingatmospheric
pressuretoactontheindicatorpistonordiaphragm.
ATMOSPHERICPRESSUREForceexertedbytheweightoftheatmosphereoneverypoint
withwhichitisincontact.Itisgenerallytakenas1.03kscmatsealevel.
ATMOSPHERICPRESSURETheforceexertedbytheweightoftheatmosphereoneverypoint
withwhichitisincontact.
ATMOSPHERICRISERBlindriserwhichemploysatmosphericpressuretoaidfeeding.
ATOMThesmallestparticleofanelement.
ATOMICHYDROGENWELDINGAnarcweldingprocesswhichproducescoalescenceof
metalsbyheatingthemwithanelectricarcmaintainedbetweenelectrodesinanatmosphereof
hydrogen.Shieldingisprovidedbyhydrogen.
ATOMICHYDROGENWELDINGWeldingofmetallicpiecesinwhichheatisliberatedby
hydrogenatomswhencombiningintomolecules,isusedtofusethemetal.
ATOMIZATIONThebreakingupoffueljetintofineparticlesasitissprayedintothe
combustionchamber.
ATOMIZATIONThesprayingofaliquidthroughanozzlesothattheliquidisbrokenintoa
veryfinemist.
ATOMIZEDTinyparticlesoffuelmixedwithair,makingafinemist.
ATOMIZERAdevicewhichdispersesliquidfuelintofineparticles(pulverizedspray).
ATOMIZERAnozzlethroughwhichoilfuelissprayedintothecombustionchamberofanoil
engineorboilerfurnace.Itbreaksupthefuelintoafinemistsoastoensuregooddispersionand
combustion.
AUSTEMPERINGAheattreatingprocessconsistingofquenchingaferrousalloyata
temperatureabovethetransformationrangeinamediumsuchasmoltenlead,thetemperatureof
thequenchingmediumismaintainedbelowthatofpearliteandabovethatofmartensite
formationtoproduceatough,hardmicrostructure.
AUSTENITEAsolidsolutionofcementiteorironcarbide,Fe3Ciniron.
AUSTENITEAsolidsolutionofironandcarbonandsometimesotherelementsinwhich
gammairon,characterizedbyafacecenteredcrystalstructure,isthesolvent.Thisisstableonly
withinaparticularrangeofcompositionandtemperature,andisnonmagnetic.
AUSTENITICCASTIRONCastironcontainingsuchaproportionofalloyingconstituents
(nickel,chromium,copperormanganese)thatthestructureinthecaststateiscompletely
austeniticatordinarytemperatures.
AUSTENITIZINGTheprocessofformingaustenite(asolidsolutionofironandcarbonand

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AUSTENITIZINGTheprocessofformingaustenite(asolidsolutionofironandcarbonand
sometimesotherelements).
AUTOGENOUSWELDAfusionweldmadewithouttheadditionoffillermetal.
AUTOIGNITIONTheselfignitionorspontaneouscombustionofafuelwhenintroducedinto
theheatedchargeinthecylinderofacompressionignitionengine.
AUTOMATICARCWELDINGMethodofarcweldinginwhichthearcmovesalongthejoint
tobewelded,feedstheelectrodestothearc,andgovernsthearclength,byautomaticmeans.
AUTOMATICCHOKEAcarburettorchokedevice(valve)thatautomaticallypositionsitselfin
accordancewithcarburettorneedsorenginetemperature.
AUTOMATICCHOKEAcarburettorchokedevice(valve)thatautomaticallypositionsitselfin
accordancewiththecarburettorneedsorenginetemperature.
AUTOMATICEXPANSIONVALVEApressureactuateddevicewhichregulatestheflowof
refrigerantfromtheliquidlineintotheevaporatortomaintainaconstantevporatorpressure.
AUTOMATICFEEDWATERREGULATORDevicethatregulatesfeedwatersupplytothe
boileraccordingtoload,andsodoesawaywithhandoperationofvalvesonfeedlines.Itis
controlledbytemperature,itsactiondependsuponexpansionandcontractionofsomemetalpart.
AUTOMATICGRABAcranegrabinwhichthegraspingandreleasingoftheloadareeffected
withoutmanualassistance.
AUTOMATICINJECTOROnethatisselfstartingafteritsoperationhasbeenstoppedbythe
interruptionofitswatersupply.
AUTOMATICLATHESpecializeddevelopmentfromcapstanandturretlathes,withafull
automaticcycleofturning,boringanddrillingoftheworkpiece,thefunctionoftheoperator
consistsofloadingortakingfinishedworkfromthemachine.
AUTOMATICLEVELCONTROLAsuspensionsystemwhichcompensatesforvariationsin
loadintherearofthecar,positioningtherearatapredesignedlevelregardlessofload.
AUTOMATICOXYGENCUTTINGCuttingwithanequipmentwithoutconstantobservation
andadjustmentofthecontrolsbyanoperator.
AUTOMATICREFRIGERATIONSYSTEMOnewhichregulatesitselftomaintainadefinite
setofconditionsbymeansofautomaticcontrolsandvalvesusuallyresponsivetotemperatureor
pressure.
AUTOMATICSCREWMACHINEFullyautomaticsinglespindleormultiplespindlebarstock
turretlathe.
AUTOMATICTRANSMISSIONApowertransmissionsystemforroadvehicles,inwhichthe
approximatelyoptimumenginespeedismaintainedthroughmechanicalorhydraulicspeed
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MechanicalGlossaryA|ROYALMECHANICAL
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AUTOMATICTRANSMISSIONAtransmissionnotusingamanuallyoperatedclutch.
AUTOMATICWELDINGMACHINEMachinedesignedtocarryouthighspeedelectricarcor
resistanceweldinginmassproductionprocesses,combiningrapidproductionwithaccurate
controloftemperature.
AUTOMATICWELDINGWeldingwhichpermitstheoperationwithoutadjustmentofcontrols
byanoperator.
AUTOMOBILEisaselfpropelledvehicle.Thepowerrequiredtopropelthevehicleissupplied
bytheengine(alsocalledprimemover).Scooters,motorcycles,cars,buses,trucksetc.,are
differenttypesofautomotivevehicles.
AUTOVACAvacuumoperatedmechanismforraisingfuelfromatanksituatedbelowthelevel
ofthecarbutettortoapositionfromwhichitmaybefedtothelatterbygravity.
AVAGADROSLAWEqualvolumesofdifferentgasesatthesametemperatureandpressure
containthesamenumberofmolecules.
AVAILABLEENERGYThatportionofaquantityofheatwhichcouldbetransformedintowork
bymeansofareversibleengine.
AXIALCOMPRESSORAmultistage,highefficiencycompressorcomprisingalternaterowsof
movingandfixedbladesattachedtoarotoranditscasingrespectively.Theflowoffluidis
essentiallyparalleltotheaxisofthecompressor.
AXIALDISCHARGETURBINEAsteamturbineinwhichtheabsolutevelocityofsteamflow
atexitisaminimumi.e.,thesteamdischargesintheaxialdirection.
AXIALFLOWCOMPRESSORAtypeofcompressorinwhichthefluidflowisalmostparallel
totheaxisofthecompressorandtheflowisdeceleratingordiffusingandpressurerisesare
obtainedbycausingthefluidtopassthroughanumberofexpandingspaceswithconsequent
reductioninvelocity.
AXIALFLOWTURBINESteamturbineinwhichthegeneraldirectionofsteamflowhasbeen
roughlyparalleltotheturbineaxis.
AXISThelinerealorimaginary,whichpassesthroughthecenterofabodyandaboutwhichthe
bodywouldrotateifsetrevolving.
AXLE(fullfloating)Axleusedtodriverearwheels.Itdoesnotholdthewheelsonnorsupport
them.
AXLE(semiquarteroronequarterfloating)Axleusedtodrivewheels,holdthemonand
supportthem.
AXLEFLANGEAflatsurfaceontheoutboardendoftheaxleshafttoallowwheelattachment.19/20

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AXLEFLANGEAflatsurfaceontheoutboardendoftheaxleshafttoallowwheelattachment.
AXLEGEARAgearinthedifferentialcarrierthatdrivesthedrivingwheels.
AXLERATIORelationshiporratiobetweenthenumberoftimesthepropellershaftordrive
shaftmustrevolvetoturntheaxleshaftsoneturn.
AXLESHAFTTheshaftusedtotransmitpowerfromthedifferentialtothewheels.
AXLETHREEQUARTERFLOATINGAxleusedtodriverearwheelsaswellasholdthemon
andsupportthem.
AXLEAcrossbarsupportingavehicleonwhichoneormorewheelsturn.
AXLEAshaftusedtosupportapartorpartsacrosstheframeorforks.e.g.,frontandrearaxles.
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