I'm pretty much on the same page as Brad. An engine may be referred to as a motor, since it does provide motive power. All motors are not engines, however. The term engine is usually applied to something that itself burns fuel to produce power. The two major types are internal and external combustion engines.
Interestingly, the term engine is also applied to some devices that produce only information as an output, as in "computational engine.
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It's interesting how this topic is developing because on the show I mentioned they said that what is an engine and what is a motor is constantly debated and each field of study is firm in its definition at least externally. However, they agreed that internally they use the terms interchangeably.
An engine uses an internal power source to acheive work.
A motor uses an external power source to acheive work.
That's how I describe it anyway....
hehehehe lets throw a steam engine into the mix. now wouldn't you agree that it uses a external power source
Buuuzzzzz... Because the combustion still occurs within the confines of the 'engine' even if it's called an external combustion engine. The firebox is usually enclosed to maximize the heat transfer. Now if you were transporting the stem through tubes to another location where the energy was utilized, that would be a different story.
Want to have some real fun with this consider hybrid cars, which use internal combustion engines to turn generators to provide power to electric motors.
An engine uses an internal power source to acheive work.
A motor uses an external power source to acheive work.
That's how I describe it anyway....
hehehehe lets throw a steam engine into the mix. now wouldn't you agree that it uses a external power source
Buuuzzzzz... Because the combustion still occurs within the confines of the 'engine' even if it's called an external combustion engine. The firebox is usually enclosed to maximize the heat transfer. Now if you were transporting the stem through tubes to another location where the energy was utilized, that would be a different story.
eug well all steam engines pipe the steam to the pistons. The fire box is enclosed in the boiler.
I would use motor to apply to any device used to convert energy into mechanical work.
Engine would be a motor that uses a thermodynamic cycle to do so. (i.e. Stirling, rankine etc) and of course has a low efficiency, creating much waste heat.
I have nothing to add to the motor/engine debate, but Detroit is called "Motor City" because of all the car manufacturers based there. "Motor City" is also where they got the name "Motown."
One definition of engine is "something used to effect a purpose"
The example they gave was "mournful and terrible engine of horror and of crime" E. A. Poe
One definition of motor is "one that imparts motion"
IMO motor refers to a device (or perhaps a person or animal), while an engine may be a motor or may be something else.
Motor, engine, whatever...a damned fuel pump for the one that lives under the hood of my car is costing me $465.00 to replace today so you don't wanna know what I want to call it! ;)
Being an engineering student and coming home from a long hard day of studying THERMODYNAMICS...I can't believe we are talking about engines on a photography site!
Don't get me wrong I love studying it...all the SI and CI engines, the Otto Cycle, turbochargers....i could go on all night and day!
Motor, engine, whatever...a damned fuel pump for the one that lives under the hood of my car is costing me $465.00 to replace today so you don't wanna know what I want to call it! ;)
Actually it's inside your gas tank, and at $465, that's cheap!
