MEASURABLE PARAMETERS PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR ENGINEERING

 

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR ENGINEERING UNIT 10. MEASURABLE PARAMETERS

 

A Supply, demand and capacity This article below is from the technology section of a business magazine. Calculating the capacity of an electricity grid – the amount of energy it needs to supply to users – might seem simple. Just add up the power supplied over a given period of time to give the total amount consumed by users. Then, divide the cumulative amount of power used during the whole period by the number of hours in the period. The result is an average level of consumption per hour. But there’s one problem with this method – and it’s a major one. B Input, output and efficiency Power lines and transformers are relatively inefficient, wasting energy – mainly by giving off heat. As a result, there is a difference between input – the amount of energy put into the grid by power stations, and output – the amount used by consumers. On a typical grid, the difference between input and output is about 7% - there is a 7% energy loss. But if electricity is generated at the place EXERCISES 10.1 An engineer is talking to a colleague about the design of a fuel tank for a water pump. Complete the explanation using the words in the box. Look at A opposite to help you. average constant consumption duration capacity consume cumulative rate   Fuel (1)____________ for this engine is about 1.5 litters per hour. Of course, sometimes it’ll (2)____________ a bit more, sometimes a bit less, depending on the workload. But 1.5 is an (3)____________ figure. And let’s say the (4)____________ of a work shift 10.2 The graph below shows water consumption in a washing process at a manufacturing plant. Write figures to complete the comments. Look at A opposite to help you. 1. Water consumption fluctuated between ______________ and ______________ litres per second. 2. Averaged out over the period shown, consumption was roughly ______________ litres per second. 10.3 Choose the correct words from the brackets to complete the explanations from a guided tour of a manufacturing plant. Look at A and B opposite to help you. 1. A lot of heat is generated in this part of the process. And all of that (input/output) is recycled – it provides a (demand/ supply) of heat for the next stage of the process. So it’s quite an (efficient/ inefficient) system.

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