Resources
This page is provided as a helpful resource for designers and hobbyist to make their life easier when searching for relevant engineering design information.
For job hunting resources, please see the list of job openings.
For job hunting resources, please see the list of job openings.
Racecar and Automotive Design Information
Race car design and fabrication calculators and some critical information.
- PDF form & calculator for measuring suspension points Input coordinates of A-arm (wishbone) mounting points and email to Barani Design for kinematic analysis of suspension or for your own reference.
- Corner Exit Speed effect on Lap Time Calculator Calculate effects of corner exit speed vs increase of engine horsepower on end of straight speed, and lap time.
- Weight Distribution Calculator, Front/Rear & Left/Right Calculate effects of moving weight (fuel, driver, ballast) around a racecar, airplane, motorcycle or any vehicle.
What You Need To Know About Composites
Critical information everyone should know to properly and cost effectively design composite structures.
- Epoxy, Vinyl Ester, Polyester Resin Comparison ...adhesive, mechanical, micro-cracking resistance, fatigue resistance & degradation from water ingress.
- A Basic Introduction to Composites ...fiber glass, carbon fiber, kevlar (aramid) and general fiber reinforced composite material comparison and properties and loading information.
- Fiber Properties Comparison in Composite Materials ...fiber glass, carbon fiber, kevlar (aramid) side by side comparison.
Alternate & Sustainable Energy
What you need to know about hybrid cars, wind & solar energy and its deployment in your community.
- Small Wind Turbines (Critical Knowledge) Anemometer & wind turbine placement. Why wind sensor accuracy is important? How to gain that extra edge in power output. Pitfalls and risks.
- Wind Energy Calculator Compare the performance of two different wind turbines at your local wind conditions.
- Alternate Energy 101 .net Our sister site dedicated to providing basic information about various alternate energy and sustainability topics.
Bearing Design (Tribology)
Rolling, Hydrodynamic, Reliability, Bolted joints...calculators and resources.
- Tribology-ABC rolling, hydrodynamic, reliability, bolted joints...book, calculators & resources.
- SKF bearing manufacturer rolling bearing, reliability, bolted joints...calculators & resources.
Electrical Engineering & Network Setup Resources
Information and calculators related to setting up sensor networks.
- Network Signal Speed, Baud & Bit Rate Calculator Calculate the signal speed and round trip travel time based on network wire length. Determine whether a terminating resistor is required to damp out signal reflections for a given network wire length.
CFD Software
Accessible CFD Analysis software for the weekend warriors and moonlighters.
- OpenFoam -full capability 3D open source CFD software for Linux. (also being ported for Windows).
- JavaFoil -easy to use 2D airfoil design software for Mac and PC.
- Xfoil -good old and proven Xfoil by Mark Drella from MIT for Mac and PC.
- SymScape SymLab -low cost (<$100) analysis suite (CFD, FEA...) poised for significant growth.
3D CAD Software
Accesable 3D Design software for the weekend warriors and moonlighters. Solidworks and ProE may also be available with significant cost savings for personal non-commercial play.
- Alibre Light -free light version of a fully functional 3D CAD Part design software package. Basic version sell for under $200.
- VX Innovator -full featured 3D CAD Surface and Part design engineering software for under $500 with very powerful tools though a slightly dated user interface.
Misc Software
Free practical tools to make an engineer's job easier.
- Convert for Windows - simply, clearly and easily convert between any engineering units. Has ability to add custom units & conversions.
- ExamDiff - very clearly compare contents of files line by line.
