How to read engineering book for a non-engineer?

[Asura]

For the summer, I'm interested in learning more about how cars work. I managed to get my hands on Hiller's Fundamental of Vehicle Technolgy book. It's not too long and it's not too simpler either.

If it helps my background is in Maths so I guess I can pick up the mathematical bits without much issue, but not sure about the other aspects. My goal is to learn more about the engine and just the physics of the car. How would I go about reading it?

[spikeyhead]

If you can understand the maths, that's the science half of engineering. The other half is doing it economically, and I've never seen that covered in any engineering book.

To help the understanding of the maths, I'd be tempted to put together a model of it that you can play with interactively. do it using python and dash and it's really easy to create something that allows the variables to be adjusted to see what effects they produce.

[Asura]

spikeyhead said:

If you can understand the maths, that's the science half of engineering. The other half is doing it economically, and I've never seen that covered in any engineering book.

To help the understanding of the maths, I'd be tempted to put together a model of it that you can play with interactively. do it using python and dash and it's really easy to create something that allows the variables to be adjusted to see what effects they produce.

I'm definitely thinking of using python to create these models!

When you say by doing it economically, what do you mean?

[Asura]

dibbers006 said:

There's a game you want for this.

I'll find it when my battery has charged and post back.

ETA

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://www.automationgame.com/

Edited by dibbers006 on Saturday 9th April 14:01

Thank you for that!

Now I can apply the knowledge directly. I use to play a similar game called Street Legal Racing Redline - been a while though. I will also try using python as well to improve my python skills.

[spikeyhead]

Asura said:

spikeyhead said:

If you can understand the maths, that's the science half of engineering. The other half is doing it economically, and I've never seen that covered in any engineering book.

To help the understanding of the maths, I'd be tempted to put together a model of it that you can play with interactively. do it using python and dash and it's really easy to create something that allows the variables to be adjusted to see what effects they produce.

I'm definitely thinking of using python to create these models!

When you say by doing it economically, what do you mean?

Anyone can design soemthign that works, but it takes an engineer to design something that can be made cheaply. I suspect that aspect of engineering isn't going to be of great concern to you.

A product I designed years ago sold 30,000 off a year at about £350 each. We employed someone to reduce its cost on a continual basis. If he reduced the cost by 1% a year that more than covered his salary, saving £140,000 a year. It's the unsexy side of engineering, but its vital if you're going to make lots of something.

[Asura]

spikeyhead said:

Anyone can design soemthign that works, but it takes an engineer to design something that can be made cheaply. I suspect that aspect of engineering isn't going to be of great concern to you.

A product I designed years ago sold 30,000 off a year at about £350 each. We employed someone to reduce its cost on a continual basis. If he reduced the cost by 1% a year that more than covered his salary, saving £140,000 a year. It's the unsexy side of engineering, but its vital if you're going to make lots of something.

Ahhhh. I imagine it shouldn't be too difficult then, as the other half of my joint honours is in Economics

At the end of the day, businesses are there to make a profit.