I know this isnt members corner, but i know alot of you guys dont go in there and i need the advice from my fellow FI members so if the mods could leave this up for a little while i would appreciate it.

In my history class i have to write a paper -
"Pick a specific technology, and discuss how and to what extent non-technical factors shaped its development."

So i want to write about turbocharges since i could go on for days about them. Do any of you have any ideas of how to approach the matter?

Actual Assignment-

"Robert Pool sees the development of technology as a "collaboration--albeit an unwitting and often uncomfortable one--between engineers and the larger society." (p. 6). He says he expected to find that social issues speed up or slow down the progress of technology, but he discovered that society steered the direction of technological progress as well. Pick a specific technology, and discuss how and to what extent non-technical factors shaped its development. For example, Pool uses the failure of the steam-powered automobile as an example, arguing that it was a good technology that failed for non-technical reasons. Public reaction to genetically engineered foodstuffs is an obvious example, as is the Washington Metro subway system. I recommend picking a technology that interests you and that is fairly narrowly defined--I would rather have everyone's paper be on a different technology. You may, if you like, argue that the technology you picked should have been shaped by social issues more than it was (or by different social issues); eg. did the development of tomatoes that could be harvested by machine ignore the preferences of consumers?"

 

ttt

 

well, first off turbos technology started in the late 1800's (correct me if I'm wrong)yet the technology didn't make huge progress until there was a social need for high output engines. The early 1900's was a time when engines could not make enough N/A power, specifically for the trucking industry. So there was a definate social need to transport tons of goods to developing parts of the contry, long distances. this is where the turbo technology started to really develop.

or at least that's what I was told.

Hope this helps.

 

you could write about how turbo chargers got a bad rap back in the day when people who owned factory turbo cars had trouble with coked up turbo bearings because the OEM manufacturers didn't want to tell them they had to change their oil more often and were perhaps buying a high maintenance car. And because of the increased prices that came with properly cooling the turbo charger. ie using a water cooling jacket around the bearings. Now most factory turbo cars come with water cooled bearings.
It's in Corky Bell's book maximum boost. now you have an excuse to buy it

 

READ THE BOOK! (TIME LIFE) JK

There are also modern influences.

There is a new turbo trend going on in the car world if you hadn't noticed.
WRX, Lancer, SRT-4, turbo S2k
i think I made the last one up but you get the point

ohh BTW I know your gonna write this paper on a pc so you chould uplodad it when your done.

 

VERY good info guys... just what i was looking for. Yep, its off to the bookstore to buy maximum boost tomorrow. Do you guys know of any other good books i can use as a resource for this paper? Thanks.

 

Yes, purchase/obtain all of the following:

The High Speed Internal Combustion Engine - Ricardo
Internal Combustion Engines and Air Pollution - Edward F. Obert
Elements of Internal Combustion Engines - Rogowski
Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals - John B. Heywood
Internal Combustion Engines - Theory and Design - Vladimar Maleev
High Speed Diesel Engines - P.M. Heldt
High Speed Combustion Engines - P.M. Heldt
Internal Combustion Engines - Licty
The Adiabatic Engine, Past, Present and Future Developments - SAE
Automotive Supercharging & Turbocharging Manual - John D. Humpries
Advanced Engine Technology - Heinz Heisler
The Gasoline Automobile - Hobbs Elliot and Consolver
The Internal Combustion Engine - in Theory and Practice
Volume 1 & 2 - Charles Fayette Taylor
Internal Combustion Engines - Obert
Gasoline Engine Management - Bosch / SAE
Scavenging of Two-Stroke Cycle Diesel Engines - Schweitzer
Diesel Engine Operation and Maintaince - Vladimar Maleev
Marine Diesel Handbook - Loius R. Ford
Diesel Engineering Handboook - Editor L.H. Morrison
Heat-Power Engineering Vols 1-3 Barnard
Handbook of Engineering Fundamentals - Eshbach
Turbochargers - Macginnes

Several dozen paper backs by Vizard, Smokey, and others.
A complete collection of the NACA papers.
Actual copies of patents from the dawn of the 20'th century 1900 thru the
current of Bucci, Birhmann, MacGinnes and many others.