JW question...

[windstuffnow]

  Hi JW,

    In one of your posts to iFreds "Electronic Stirling" you mentioned a reference to "Mark's Engineer handbook".   I have the Mechanical Engineers Handbood by Kutz and was wondering if there were any major differences between them?   I found a used one on amazon for 50 bux and was thinking of ordering it.   Is there any differences between them?   I also have the Machinists Handbook which has reference to just about anything mechanical in it.  I think I use that one more than the other one to reference formulas, anything from thermodynamics to structural although they don't get into the "nitty gritty" that the engineers handbook does.

Have Fun

Windstuff Ed

[JW]

Hi Windstuff,

 Ya, About Mark's. There is this term "wiredrawing", which relates to flow dynamics, simular to the action of an expansion valve. Although I have heard this term wire drawing, before, it is in Mark's. I do not have a copy of marks at this time. So I cannot elaborate further. You bet, the machinery hand book is also an excellent reference guide. I really cant elaborate to much on the difference, between Marks and Kutz. Of hand I say it cant hurt to have both, but you may be right, that the two could be basically simular.

JW

[windstuffnow]

  Thanks JW,  I went ahead and ordered the book.  I figured there's never to many references when you get stumped over a problem.

  I'm having problems calculating the pressure between the displacer and power piston on the compression stroke.   I've found a way to be able to open the system for a very brief time during the cooling and insert cool ambiant air just before the compression stroke.  Then during compression add an injection of pressurized air and at the final stage of isothermal recompression drastically increases the power stroke.   Starting at atmospheric to 9 lbs then the injector bringing it to 30 psi, compressed to 90 lbs then isothermally bring the pressure to over 300 psi.  I'm trying to eliminate all the valves with the exception of the injection phase by porting the piston although I may be able to eliminate that one also using the same method....  

Having way to much fun !!!

Windstuff Ed

[Dan M]

There's another good one.

It's called the "mechanical engineer's pocket reference" or something like that.  It's by Shigley.  I've never seen a pocket that could actually hold it, it's about 10 lbs.

From my experience, any of them are fine 9 times out of 10.  It's that 1 time out of 10 that you want something really obscure that you end up with all of them open on your desk.

It's fun (and sometimes useful) to find a really old one.  I've got a Marks from 1919.  It has entire sections devoted to things like steam power, and making and preserving ice (big business in 1919).

Also (and I'm going to be a little anal here), look at your "machinists handbook" that you mentioned and I think you'll find it's called "Machinerys Handbook".  I don't know why it bugs me, but 90% of everyone who has one calls it the wrong thing.  That's the book I always start with, then go to Marks or Kents, then if it's really obscure stuff get out Shigley's handbook (or I used to back when I had one).

Have Fun,

-Dan M

[JW]

Here's another good one,

 MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY second edition.

D.H. BACON and R.C. STEPHENS

ISBN- O-8311-3003-2

JW

[windstuffnow]

  Hi Dan,

     It looks like the pocket reference is sold in the UK but I can't find any reference to it in the US.  

     About the Machinery's, I know I read it Machinery's but for what ever reason when I talk about it it always comes out Machinist.. dono?  Mental glitch.  Sometimes my brain cells run like the ole hit 'n miss engines...

     The 1919 Mark's sounds like a fun read.. I like all that old stuff...

Have Fun

Windstuff ed