APPLICATION OF ENGINEERING CURVES

Definition of Engineering Curves – When a cone is cut by a cutting plane with

different positions of the plane relative to the axis of cone, it gives various types of
curves like Triangle, Circle, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola. These curves are
known as conic sections

Different methods to have types of conic sections on a cone we need to cut

a cone as per following:

To get Triangle: We have to cut cone from apex to centre of the base (vertically)

To get Circle: We have to cut cone by a cutting plan which should parallel to base
or perpendicular to axis of cone.

To get Ellipse: We have to cut cone in such a way that the cutting plane remains
inclined to axis of cone and it cuts all generators of cone.

To get Parabola: We have to cut a cone by a cutting plane which should inclined
to axis of cone but remains parallel to one of the generators of cone.
To get Hyperbola: We have to cut a cone by cutting plane which should parallel
to axis

Application Of Engineering Curves

There are many applications of engineering curves in industry. The hyperbolic

shape for example, finds application in design of cooling towers. Even Mirrors
used in long telescopes are hyperbolic in shape. ... Another curve is the cycloid
which is used by engineers and designers for designing roller coasters

There are many applications of conic sections in both pure and applied
mathematics. Here we shall discuss a few of them. The orbits of planets and
satellites are ellipses. Ellipses are used in making machine gears.

Arches of bridges are sometimes

elliptical or parabolic in shape. The
path of a projectile is a parabola if
motion is considered to be in a plane
and air resistance is neglected.
Parabolas are used in the design of
parabolic mirrors, searchlights, and
automobile headlights.

Hyperbolas are used in combat in

“sound ranging” to locate the position of
enemy guns by detecting the sound of
gunfire. If a quantity varies inversely as
another quantity, such as pressure and
volume of Boyle’s law for a perfect gas
at a constant temperature, the graph is a
hyperbola.
Some astronomical bodies revolve around the
sun in a hyperbolic path. One interesting
application is if a torch light is placed against
the wall its shadow on the wall forms
a hyperbolic curve.

CAR HEADLIGHTS

The principle used for the car headlight is also

used for torches etc. The light is placed in the
focus of a parabolic mirror, as the light travels
and meets the mirror, it is reflected in lines
parallel to the axis (in straight lines ) as can be seen in
the diagram to the left. This is why the light beam
from the headlights of cars and from torches is so
strong.

TELEVISION AND RADIO ANTENNAE

These use the same principle as the lights, in that

beams are sent out parallel to the axis, and beams
coming in are reflected into the focus.

Dulles Airport

Dulles Airport, designed by Eero Saarinen, is in the

shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid. The hyperbolic
paraboloid is a three-dimensional curve that is a
hyperbola in one cross-section, and a parabola in
another cross section.

Lampshade A household lamp casts hyperbolic

shadows on a wall.

Gear transmission

Two hyperboloids of revolution

can provide gear transmission
between two skew axes.