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LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
LEARN ✦ BUILD ✦ INNOVATE ✦ DISCOVER ✦ CREATE ✦
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Mechanical Engineering — Gear & Linkage Design

Mechanical engineering relies on mechanisms — gears, cams, and linkages — to transmit and transform motion in machines from clocks to industrial robots. This simulator covers gear trains for torque and speed conversion, and four-bar linkages for converting rotary motion into complex coupler-curve paths. Changing tooth counts or link lengths immediately updates the kinematic output.

What you can do in this simulation

  • Build gear trains with spur gears and set tooth counts to define gear ratios
  • Observe input-to-output speed and torque relationships in compound gear trains
  • Assemble a four-bar linkage by setting crank, coupler, and follower lengths
  • Trace the coupler-point path as the crank rotates through 360 degrees
  • Measure mechanical advantage and identify toggle positions in the linkage

Concepts covered

gear ratio · torque · four-bar linkage · kinematic analysis · mechanical advantage · velocity ratio

Free to use in your browser — no signup required. Found a bug or have an idea to make it better? Tell us.

Internal Combustion Engine

Thermodynamics • Mechanical Design

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How it Works

This simulation demonstrates the Four-Stroke Cycle (Otto cycle for Petrol, Diesel cycle for Diesel) used in most internal combustion engines.

  • Intake: Air/Fuel mixture is drawn in.
  • Compression: Piston compresses the mixture.
  • Power: Ignition causes rapid expansion.
  • Exhaust: Burnt gases are expelled.

Petrol vs Diesel

Toggle between modes to see key differences:

  • Petrol: Uses a Spark Plug to ignite the pre-mixed fuel/air. Lower compression ratio.
  • Diesel: Uses Compression Ignition. Fuel is injected into highly compressed (hot) air. Higher efficiency.

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Internal Combustion Engine — 4-Stroke Cycle

The internal combustion engine converts chemical energy in fuel into mechanical work through a repeating four-stroke cycle of intake, compression, power, and exhaust. This simulation animates each stroke and plots the corresponding P-V (indicator) diagram so you can see how pressure and volume change inside the cylinder throughout the cycle. Adjusting compression ratio and spark timing reveals how these parameters drive thermal efficiency and peak cylinder pressure.

What you can do in this simulation

  • Animate the piston through intake, compression, power, and exhaust strokes
  • Adjust compression ratio and observe changes in peak pressure and thermal efficiency
  • Advance or retard ignition timing and see the effect on the power stroke P-V curve
  • Display instantaneous cylinder pressure, temperature, and volume at any crank angle
  • Compare the actual cycle against the ideal Otto cycle on the same P-V diagram

Concepts covered

four-stroke cycle · compression ratio · ignition timing · P-V diagram · thermal efficiency · internal combustion

Free to use in your browser — no signup required. Found a bug or have an idea to make it better? Tell us.