The Amp Hour #45

[jakeypoo]

Sorry guys, but I had to sign up as I was yelling at my computer. Long time listener, first time ranter.

[Talking about electric cars]

Chis: "...there's ones that actually drive the camshaft which is actually making the wheels move. Right?"

Me: "Crankshaft, NOT camshaft."

Chris (talking about Bob Simpson): "...he actually has a direct drive, where it actually drives on the cam shaft..."

Me: "Well, that would probably be the drive shaft"

Dave: "They don't actually ... drive the wheels through a cam shaft"

Me: "BLAAAARGH" *goes and signs up on the eevforum*

*Chris goes and says camshaft about a dozen more times"

I thought this was common knowledge. I may be a mech eng, but I don't tinker with engines much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camshaft
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankshaft
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_shaft

[EEVblog]

So you are a mech engineer and you have admittedly tinkered with engines.
Well, we ain't mech engineers at all, and I've never tinkered with an engine (I won't speak for Chris).
I don't know the first thing about cars.
But yes, if I sat and thought about it, I did know that drive shaft was the correct term, but because Chris said it first, my brain didn't engage.
I blame Chris  

Dave.

[Mechatrommer]

well, with conventional engine (fuel), if camshaft doesnt move, so doesnt the crankshaft, so doesnt the wheel, driveshaft or whatever. from indirect point of view, chris is right. if you want to be absolute, what drives the car/wheel is "fuel".

[jakeypoo]

  Well other than that small error, great episode as usual guys.

[ChrisGammell]

Bwahahaha, it was all my ploy to get you to sign up and rant! It worked!

No, seriously, I have no idea about cars. Dino (an auto mechanic) corrected me on The Amp Hour site as well. Sorry about that. At least I was consistent though...right?

Welcome to the fray. Stay a while!

[Alex]

At least you did not use 'garage terminology' for car parts. Stick to rotating shaft and you can't go wrong.

[bobski]

well, with conventional engine (fuel), if camshaft doesnt move, so doesnt the crankshaft

Well, assuming the engine even has a camshaft. 2-stroke gasoline engines have intake and exhaust ports on the wall of each cylinder, in which case the piston itself acts as the intake and exhaust valves which eliminates the need for a camshaft. Wankel rotary engines similarly use ports. I seem to recall hearing about electro-pneumatically operated valves on some new engine designs?