Some Amazing Facts
Worlds Smallest Petrol Engine…
Scientists have created the smallest
petrol engine in the world (less than a
centimeter long not even half an
inch),small enough to power a watch
or any small gadget.The mini-motor
which runs for two years on a single
squirt of lighter fuel is set to
revolutionize technology associated
with it. It generates 700 times more
energy than a conventional battery. It
could be used to operate laptops and
mobile phones for months doing away
with the need for charging.
Experts believe it could be phasing out
batteries in such items within just six
years. The engine, minute enough to
be balanced on a fingertip, has been
produced by engineers at the
University of Birmingham. At present,
charging an ordinary battery to deliver
one unit of energy involves putting
2,000 units into it. The little engine,
because energy is produced locally, is
far more effective.
One of the main problems faced by
engineers who have tried to produce
micro motors in the past has been the
levels of heat produced. The engines
got so hot they burned themselves out
and could not be re-used . The
Birmingham team overcame this by
using heat-resistant materials such as
ceramic and silicon carbide.
