"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 4

This list focuses on fuel systems (Chapters 20-27).

Here are links to all the sections of the textbook published by The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc.: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 10, Section 11, Section 12, Section 13
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. fuel
    a substance that can be consumed to produce energy
    The octane rating is a measurement of the fuel's ability to resist knock or ping (sound produced by abnormal, rapid combustion). A high octane rating indicates the fuel will not knock or ping easily. Use a fuel with an octane number as high as or higher than the automaker's recommendation.
  2. mixture
    a substance consisting of substances blended together
    For gasoline or any other fuel to burn properly, it must be mixed with the right amount of air. The mixture must then be compressed and ignited. The resulting combustion produces heat, expansion of gases, and pressure. If too much fuel or air is used to produce the combustion, engine power, fuel economy, and efficiency will suffer.
  3. ratio
    the relative magnitudes of two quantities
  4. detonation
    violent release of energy by a chemical or nuclear reaction
  5. petroleum
    a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
  6. distillation
    purifying a liquid by boiling it and condensing its vapors
  7. diesel
    an internal-combustion engine that burns heavy oil
    A diesel engine is a compression ignition engine because it uses the heat from compressed air to ignite the fuel. Gasoline engines are classified as spark ignition engines because they use an electric arc from the spark plug to ignite the fuel. Unlike a gasoline engine, a diesel engine does not have a throttle valve to control airflow and engine power; rather, it has an injection pump that delivers fuel directly into the engine combustion chambers.
  8. vaporize
    turn into gas
  9. viscosity
    resistance of a liquid to flowing
  10. contamination
    the act of polluting, as by unwanted substances or factors
  11. lag
    the time between one event, process, or period and another
  12. alternative
    serving or used in place of another
  13. synthetic
    combining separate elements to form a coherent whole
  14. alcohol
    a volatile compound made by distillation
  15. supply
    circulate or distribute or equip with
    The fuel supply system provides filtered fuel to the gasoline injectors, the diesel injection pump, or the carburetor. The air supply system provides clean combustion air to the engine. The fuel metering system controls the amount of fuel that enters the engine.
  16. meter
    measure with an instrument
  17. pump
    a device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction
  18. filter
    device that removes something from what passes through it
  19. tank
    a large vessel for holding gases or liquids
  20. capacity
    the amount that can be contained
    An average fuel tank capacity is 12-25 gallons (45-95 liters). Fuel pump volume, also called capacity, is the amount of fuel the pump can deliver in a specific amount of time.
  21. baffle
    a flat plate that directs the flow of fluid or energy
  22. canister
    a round container for storing dry foods such as flour
  23. eccentric
    not having a common center; not concentric
  24. clog
    fill to excess so that function is impaired
  25. volume
    a relative amount
  26. pressure
    the force applied to a unit area of surface
    Many gasoline injection systems maintain fuel pressure (as high as 60 psi or 414 kPa) even when the engine is not running. This amount of pressure could spray fuel out with great force and cause injuries or fires. Always relieve fuel pressure before disconnecting any electronic fuel injection line.
  27. atmospheric
    relating to or located in the mass of air surrounding Earth
  28. vacuum
    an empty area or space
  29. throttle
    a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
  30. distributor
    device spreading voltage to the spark plugs of an engine
  31. modulate
    fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
  32. continuous
    moving in time or space without interruption
  33. simultaneous
    occurring or operating at the same time
  34. sequential
    in regular succession without gaps
  35. delivery
    the act of bringing or distributing something
  36. idle
    state of an engine or other mechanism that is not running
  37. emulsion
    a mixture of liquids that do not normally stay mixed
  38. monitor
    equipment that keeps track of the operation of a system
  39. carburetor
    the part of a combustion engine that mixes air with gasoline
    A carburetor is a mechanical device that mixes air and fuel in the correct proportions for proper combustion; nowadays, it can be found mostly inside collector cars or competitive racing vehicles. While most modern cars are equipped with gasoline injection systems, knowledge of a simple carburetor will help in troubleshooting any air-fuel ratio problem.
  40. port
    hardware and circuitry that links one device with another
  41. acceleration
    the act of increasing the speed
  42. choke
    a valve that controls the flow of air into the carburetor of a gasoline engine
  43. primary
    of first rank or importance or value
  44. secondary
    being of second rank or importance or value
  45. flood
    fill quickly beyond capacity, as with a liquid
  46. nozzle
    a projecting spout from which a fluid is discharged
  47. governor
    a control that maintains a steady speed in a machine
  48. centrifugal
    tending to move away from the middle
  49. turbine
    an engine that causes a bladed rotor to rotate
  50. drain
    a pipe through which liquid is carried away
Created on Wed Nov 02 12:09:25 EDT 2016 (updated Thu Dec 22 14:47:36 EST 2016)

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