Transport

Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations. Transport infrastructure consists of the fixed installations necessary for transport, and may be roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines, and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations), and seaports. Terminals may be used both for interchange of passengers and cargo and for maintenance. Vehicles traveling on these networks may include automobiles, bicycles, buses, trains, trucks, people, helicopters, and aircraft. Operations deal with the way the vehicles are operated, and the procedures set for this purpose including financing, legalities and policies. In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private, depending on the country and mode. Transport plays an important part in economic growth and globalization, but most types cause air pollution and use large amounts of land.

1. What is transportation?

2. What modes of transport can you name?

3. What are terminals used for?

4. What vehicles can travel on these networks?

Vehicles

A vehicle is any non-living device that is used to move people and goods. Vehicles may include automobiles, bicycles, buses, trains, trucks, people, helicopters, and aircraft. Unlike the infrastructure, the vehicle moves along with the cargo and riders. Vehicles that do not operate on land are usually called crafts. The vehicle must provide its own propulsion; this is most commonly done through a steam engine, combustion engine, electric motor, a jet engine or a rocket, though other means of propulsion also exist. Vehicles also need a system of converting the energy into movement; this is most commonly done through wheels, propellers and pressure. Most types of vehicles cause air pollution and use large amounts of land. Vehicles are most commonly staffed by a driver. For passenger transport, the vehicle must have a compartment for the passengers. Simple vehicles, such as automobiles, bicycles or simple aircraft, may have one of the passengers as a driver.

1. What is a vehicle used for?

2. What vehicles are called crafts?

3. What means of propulsion can you name?

4. What is done through wheels?

Chassis

The main units of the chassis are: the power transmission, the run­ning gear and the steering mechanism. The power transmission includes the whole mechanism between the engine and the rear wheels. This entire mechanism consists of the clutch, gearbox, propeller (cardan) shaft, rear axle, final drive, differential and axle shafts. At the front end of the car is the engine. On the back of it is the flywheel. Behind the flywheel is the clutch. The clutch is a friction de­vice connecting the engine with the gears of the gearbox. The main function of the gearbox is to change the speed of the car. The power is always transmitted by the cardan shaft to the live back axle. The final drive reduces the high speed of the engine to the low speed of the driving wheels. The differential enables the driving wheels to turn at different speeds which is necessary when turning the car. The foundation of the automobile is the frame to which different chassis units are attached.

1. What are the main units of the chassis?

2. What does the power transmission include?

3. What is the clutch?

4. What is the main function of the gearbox?