Dienstag, 25. Januar 2011

Trees

Apfelbaum- appel tree
Kirschbaum- cherry tree
Buche- beech
Ahorn- maple
Bananenaum- banana tree

3 Trees ;)

Deutsch Englisch
die Eibe - yew tree
die Esche - ash tree
die Birke - birch tree

Mittwoch, 16. Juni 2010

Hybrid Vehicle


A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle.[1] The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.

Mopeds and electric bicycles are a simple form of a hybrid, as power is delivered both via an internal combustion engine or electric motor and the rider's muscles. Early prototypes of motorcycles in the late 1800s used the same principles.
In a parallel hybrid bicycle human and motor power are mechanically coupled at the pedal drive train or at the rear or the front wheel, e.g. using a hub motor, a roller pressing onto a tire, or a connection to a wheel using a transmission element. Human and motor torques are added together. Almost all manufactured models are of this type. See Motorized bicycles, Mopeds and[2] for more information.
In a series hybrid bicycle (SH) the user powers a generator using the pedals. This is converted into electricity and can be fed directly to the motor giving a chainless bicycle but also to charge a battery. The motor draws power from the battery and must be able to deliver the full mechanical torque required because none is available from the pedals. SH bicycles are commercially available, because they are very simple in theory and manufacturing.[3]
The first known prototype and publication of an SH bicycle is by Augustus Kinzel (US Patent 3'884'317) in 1975. In 1994 Bernie Macdonalds conceived the Electrilite SH lightweight vehicle which used power electronics allowing regenerative braking and pedaling while stationary. In 1995 Thomas Müller designed a "Fahrrad mit elektromagnetischem Antrieb" in his 1995 diploma thesis and built a functional vehicle. In 1996 Jürg Blatter and Andreas Fuchs of Berne University of Applied Sciences built an SH bicycle and in 1998 mounted the system onto a Leitra tricycle (European patent EP 1165188). In 1999 Harald Kutzke described his concept of the "active bicycle": the aim is to approach the ideal bicycle weighing nothing and having no drag by electronic compensation. Until 2005 Fuchs and colleagues built several prototype SH tricycles and quadricycles. [3]

Dienstag, 1. Juni 2010

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Public transport (also public transportation, public transit, or mass transit) is a shared passenger transportation service which are available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as Taxicab, car pooling which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.

Public transport modes include buses, ferries, trams and trains and 'rapid transit' (metro/subways/undergrounds etc). Intercity public transport is dominated by airlines, coaches, and intercity rail. High-speed rail networks are being developed in a many parts of the world.

Most public transport runs to a scheduled timetable with the most frequent services running to a headway. Share taxi offers on-demand services in many parts of the world and some services will wait until the vehicle is full before it starts. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low-demand and for people who need a door-to-door service.[1]

Urban public transport may be provided by one or more private transport operators or by a transit authority. Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger. Services are normally regulated and possibly subsidized from local or national tax revenue. Fully-subsidised, zero-fare services operate in some towns and cities.

For historical and economic reasons, there are differences internationally regarding use and extent of public transport. While countries in Old World tend to have extensive and frequent systems serving their old and dense cities, most cities of the New World have more sprawl and much less comprehensive public transport.

Ships

A ship is a large vessel that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. In traditional terms, ships were considered to be vessels which had at least one continuous water-tight deck extending from bow to stern. However, some modern designs for ships, and boats, have made that particular definition less accurate. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing, entertainment, public safety, and warfare.

Ships and boats have developed alongside mankind. In major wars, and in day to day life, they have become an integral part of modern commercial and military systems. Fishing boats are used by millions of fishermen throughout the world. Military forces operate highly sophisticated vessels to transport and support forces ashore. Commercial vessels, nearly 35,000 in number, carried 7.4 billion tons of cargo in 2007.

These vessels were also key in history's great explorations and scientific and technological development. Navigators such as Zheng He spread such inventions as the compass and gunpowder. Ships have been used for such purposes as colonization and the slave trade, and have served scientific, cultural, and humanitarian needs. New crops that had come from the Americas via the European seafarers in the 16th century significantly contributed to the world's population growth.

Dienstag, 18. Mai 2010

Underground Railway System

Facts about the Vienna Underground Railway System


Opened: 1898; electrified 1925, modernised 1976 onw.

Length of route (2000): 38.13miles / 61.6km total
(of these 20.31miles / 32.5km are below surface)
Total length of track (2000): 116.4miles / 186.3km
Gauge: 1.435m
Voltage: 750V DC
Number of stations (2000): 76
Number of coaches (2000): 690
Passengers p/a (2000): 395.6 million
Train intervals: Regular traffic: all lines: 5mins
Peak hours:
U1: 2-4mins; U2: 5mins;
U3,U4: 3-4mins; U6: 2-3mins
Evenings: all lines: 7-8mins
Maximum speed: 50 mph / 80 kph
Deepest point: Schwedenplatz (U1), 142 metres above sea level
Greatest elevation from ground level: Spittelau (U6), +13.6 metres
Maximum depth below ground level: Karlsplatz (U1), -24.6 metres

Oil Refineries

A refinery is a factory. A refinery takes a raw material (crude oil) and transforms it into petrol and hundreds of other useful products. A typical large refinery costs billions of pounds to build and millions more to run and upgrade. It runs around the clock 365 days a year, employs hundreds of people and occupies as much land as several hundred football pitches.

A REFINERY breaks crude oil down into its various components, which then are selectively changed into new products. This process takes place inside a maze of pipes and vessels. The refinery is operated from a highly automated control room.

All refineries perform three basic steps:

  • Separation (fractional distillation)
  • Conversion (cracking and rearranging the molecules)
  • Treatment