Combustion is a subject that can be intimidating. The form of combustion that most people are familiar with is burning wood or paper. Believe it or not, most combustion processes are much simpler than those. We’ll get to that later. With most combustion processes, a fuel reacts with an oxidant. Take...
Most, if not all, of us know that deep rumbling sound of a V8-powered muscle car or even your garden variety V8-powered daily driver. There is almost something primal about the deep throaty sound of a V8. In modern times V8 engines are becoming more and more of a rare breed, with turbo-charged four...
As technology advances, drones have been made available to the average person. A drone can be a powerful tool with loss investigations. With many losses, safety concerns may prevent access to examine a site, equipment, or other important items. With drone advancements, we are now able to examine and...
“The wheels on the bus go round and round … until they don’t” – Case study involving the separation of the rear axle from a school bus This case study involves the separation of the rear axle from a school bus. The school bus was slowing down while approaching an intersection when the rear axle...
I recently noticed that the glass on my oven door was hazy and needed to be cleaned. However, after cleaning both sides of the door, the haze was still there. Upon closer examination, it became apparent that the haze was located on the inside surface of the glass sheet that was a part of the multi...
A colleague once commented to me, “that new assignment that you have at the rendering plant, just go ahead and throw up before you get there, it will save some time.” This engineer did not fully understand what the colleague was talking about until he arrived at the rendering plant during the summer...
During the winter months, we see a number of malfunctions of the boilers and furnaces used to heat our homes and buildings. A common malfunction is a phenomenon known as a puffback. A puffback is the result of the ignition of a large amount of vaporized oil or gas vapors in the firebox, thereby...
I’m not talking about the Queen and David Bowie song, or the pressure we all feel at times during our lives, I’m talking about pressure vessels. What is a pressure vessel and why should I care? Well, I’m willing to bet that you have at least one pressure vessel and maybe more in or around your home...
Centrifugal compressors (aka- turbocompressors) though you may not be familiar with them, we need not look far to find examples in our daily lives. They can be found on planes, trains and automobiles in various sizes and shapes. They are particularly popular on aircraft where they are used to do...
The U.S. exports about 4 million bushels of grain a year, including wheat, rice, corn, soy and other commodities. Grain is typically transferred by rail from farming areas to shipping terminals located on the coast or major waterways. The grain is temporarily stored in silos at the grain terminal...
The job of a forensic or investigative engineer can be fascinating. Each investigation brings its own set of challenges and, at times, gathering facts and background information can be one of the more difficult aspects of a case. In gathering our own observations, evaluations, and examinations of...
Threaded fasteners (e.g., bolts, nuts, and screws) are so common that imagining a world without them is hard. Yet, our society is highly dependent on them. Consider the lug nuts that keep the wheels attached to our vehicles while driving or the bolts that hold together structural steel members in...
Most automobiles and light-duty trucks are equipped with an electronic recording device, also referred to as a “Black Box,” or an “airbag control module” that may contain data related to a crash. The data in a vehicle’s Black Box plays a big role in collision reconstruction. Bosch Crash Data...
