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- 🪨 Simplified Insight into Center of Mass and Center of Gravity
🪨 Simplified Insight into Center of Mass and Center of Gravity
Mechanical engineering updates, hot jobs, best video games for engineers, and our Engineer of the Week is...
Shubhangi Dua
March 07, 2024
Today, we simplify two closely correlated concepts that mechanical engineers must understand to perfect their designs and make them safer: center of mass and center of gravity.
Flying cars are finally here, and people are ready to spend millions to get their hands on this latest technology. Industry updates also include biohybrid jellyfish, batteries that function even at -112 degrees Fahrenheit, and the world’s largest hydrogen-powered aircraft engine.
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INDUSTRY UPDATES
🔋 Chinese scientists engineer robust lithium battery that works at -112°F
New electrolyte-enabled batteries expand operational range by functioning in ultra-low temperatures.
🏎️ Alef: SpaceX-backed flying car could claim $1 billion in preorders
Days after its public debut, Alef Aeronautics received $850 million in pre-orders.
🛩️ The world’s largest liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft engine tested in the US
Ground test simulating a regional airline flight lasted almost two hours, paving the way for carbon-free flights in the future.
❅ Autonomous Sub for Icy Great Lakes
Sabertooth autonomous underwater vessel: development and testing solutions to minimize risks of research beneath the ice.
🪸 Biohybrid robotic jellyfish to gather data from deep sea
Robotic jellyfish to be used as data-gatherers for information that affects the Earth's climate.
SPOTLIGHT
Difference between Center of Mass and Center of Gravity
Ever wonder why some structures stay upright while others topple over? The answer is in the Centre of Mass (COM) and the Centre of Gravity (COG), concepts that reveal the hidden forces shaping the stability of mechanical systems.
Let us understand the concepts that directly influence the behavior, stability, and performance of structures and mechanical systems.
Definition and Calculation
Center of Mass (COM) is a term that represents a specific point of a system or object where its mass is distributed evenly. It influences the dynamic behavior of a structure, making it a crucial parameter for mechanical engineers to understand.
The center of Gravity (COG) is the point at which an object's entire weight can be considered to act under the influence of gravity.
Applications:
COM and COG are relevant in several mechanical engineering applications. While COM helps analyze the dynamic behavior of structures and systems, It's mainly utilized for balancing mechanisms, motion control systems, and stability analysis. One example is COM, which is used in automotive engineering to improve the design of car suspension systems for optimal comfort and handling.
COG is primarily used to assess the stability of structures and systems. It plays a pivotal role in determining the tipping stability of vehicles, the stability of machinery during operation, and the structural stability under different loading conditions. COG calculations help engineers design structures with a lower center of gravity for enhanced stability and reduced risk of tipping.
 | Engineer of the WEEK 1827 - 1915Sandford Fleming  Civil Engineer |
Born in Scotland, Sir Sandford Fleming arrived in Canada at the age of 18 and later became a fully qualified engineer. One of the country's top minds, he is known for giving the world its time zones, which were adopted worldwide in 1885. The standard time system divided Earth into 24 time zones; each positioned one hour from the next. In 1865, he became Chief Engineer of the Northern Railway of Canada, advocating iron over wood for bridge safety. In 1867, he became engineer-in-chief of the transcontinental railway, a plan pivotal to British Columbia joining Canada. | |
RECOMMENDATIONS
🧑🏽🚀 Space Engineers
This highly interactive sandbox game lets players build and explore space stations, ships, and planetary outposts. The game also serves as an excellent learning platform for structural engineering and space exploration.
🏗️ Poly Bridge
It is a bridge-building simulation game that presents practical challenges as players design and construct bridges that withstand different loads and obstacles.
🌌 Infinifactory
This game lets players build factories and assembly lines for products meant for their alien overlords. Solve puzzles and optimize production through logical thinking while trying to stay alive.
🏰 Besiege
A physics-based building game where players design and construct medieval siege engines to overcome challenges. It includes a 54-level single-player campaign and a multiplayer mode, allowing users to create their worlds with a level editor.
🌆 Cities: Skylines
A 2015 city-building game, Cities: Skylines, lets players design and manage intricate infrastructure networks, including roads, bridges, and public transportation systems. The game simplifies urban planning and civil engineering.
Here are the EVENTS you'll love:
Precision in Motion: Navigating the
World of Mechanical Engineering Innovations
Aug. 22 • 9 a.m. PT / noon ET
Designing Tomorrow: Insights for Engineers
Aug. 23 • 9 a.m. PT / noon ET
Merging Mechanics and Ingenuity: Webinar Series for
Mechanical Engineers
Aug. 22 • 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET
Spider-like robotic AI arms can be attached to and controlled by humans Remember Doctor Octopus and his robotic tentacles in the 2004 movie Spider-Man 2? A Japanese robotics company has engineered.
Spider-like robotic AI arms can be attached to and controlled by humans Remember Doctor Octopus and his robotic tentacles in the 2004 movie Spider-Man 2? A Japanese robotics company has engineered.
Spider-like robotic AI arms can be attached to and controlled by humans Remember Doctor Octopus and his robotic tentacles in the 2004 movie Spider-Man 2? A Japanese robotics company has engineered.
 | Written by KASHYAP VYAS Science & Technology Writer
|
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