Photo: How a simple heat exchanger works. A hot fluid (shown in red) flows through a tube coiled inside a larger shell through which another, colder fluid (shown in blue) is running in the opposite direction. Heat is exchanged by the fluids: the hot fluid cools down and the cold fluid...
How a Circuit Breaker Works By: Tom Harris & Talon Homer | Updated: Mar 5, 2024 A circuit breaker is an incredibly simple tool used to control the flow of power to a household or business. Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images The circuit breaker is an essential device in the mod...
How Does AC Work in a Car? A car's air conditioning works by manipulating pressure and temperature to move refrigerant between a liquid and gaseous state. The refrigerant enters the evaporator as a liquid, and the heat of the car transforms it into a gas. In its gaseous state, refrigerant...
A diagram of a crossbow by Leonardo DaVinci. Image courtesy Sandia National Laboratories The crossbow, a weapon popular with Wookiees, vampire slayers and some modern hunters, looks like a cross between a bow and a rifle. Like a bow, it uses a fast-moving string to launch projectiles, ...
A diagram of a crossbow by Leonardo DaVinci. Image courtesy Sandia National Laboratories The crossbow, a weapon popular with Wookiees, vampire slayers and some modern hunters, looks like a cross between a bow and a rifle. Like a bow, it uses a fast-moving string to launch projectiles, ...
The short version is that air conditioning operates on a very simple principle: When a gas (in this case referred to as a refrigerant) is compressed, it becomes warmer and when it expands it becomes cooler. This principle can be used to remove the heat from a room, a car, or even a...
vaporize and change to a gas. A fan draws warm data center air through a water- or coolant-moistened pad, and as the liquid evaporates, the air is chilled and pushed back into the data center. It can cost a fraction of an air-cooled HVAC system and works best in low-humidity...
A conventional thermostat is a simple temperature-controlled two-way valve that opens at a specified temperature. In most cars, a thermostat is installed on the engine and is connected to the upper or lower radiator hose. Read how the thermostat works and see the diagrams below. ...
This diagram shows the basic parts and design of a circuit breaker. HowStuffWorks The power distribution grid delivers electricity from a power plant to your house. Inside your house, the electric charge moves in a large circuit, which is composed of many smaller circuits. One end of the cir...
Turbocharger A/R ratio diagram A/R ratios are typically discussed in reference to turbine housings as the A/R ratio of the turbine housing significantly impacts turbocharger performance, whereas compressor performance is less sensitive to changes in compressor housing A/R ratios. As a result, turb...