Projects | Engrenarium, Engrenarium Web and Interactive Powertrain

Project portfolio

The projects below were built to make mechanical systems easier to see, discuss and analyze. They complement the articles on planetary gears, gear trains, transmissions and cams by turning abstract relations into interactive situations.

The common goal is didactic clarity: organize geometry, constraints, speeds and ratios so students and teachers can move from conceptual interpretation to calculation with fewer hidden steps.

Current scope

Engrenarium software: desktop-oriented environment with more complete resources for planetary gear modeling.
Engrenarium Web: browser simulator for quick use and classroom demonstrations.
Interactive Powertrain: didactic calculator for engine, gearbox, differential and wheel speeds.

Desktop software

Engrenarium software

Engrenarium software is the broader environment for building and analyzing planetary gear systems. The articles on planetary gear design, CVT transmissions, Allison 1000, Ravigneaux and Ford Model T use this project as a visual and computational support for assembling gear sets, applying constraints and reading kinematic relationships.

The software helps turn a geometric arrangement into a model that can be discussed in terms of input, output, fixed elements, carrier motion and train value. Its role is not only to animate gears, but to support the reasoning that connects topology, tooth counts and angular speeds.

Model simple and compound planetary gear sets.
Test boundary conditions and couplings between elements.
Support teaching examples before moving to detailed design checks.

Open project page Read design module article

Web simulator

Engrenarium Web

Engrenarium Web is the browser version of the planetary gear simulator. It is intended for fast access in classes, study sessions and article examples where installing software would create friction. The web version keeps the focus on visualizing arrangements and discussing speed relations between the sun gear, planets, ring gear and carrier.

The tool is especially useful when the objective is to compare scenarios: changing the fixed element, testing different input and output choices, and observing how the carrier participates in the relative motion of an epicyclic train.

Runs directly in the browser.
Useful for demonstrations and quick conceptual checks.
Connects to the articles on planetary gears and transmission examples.

Open Engrenarium Web Read planetary gear article

Teaching calculator

Interactive Powertrain

Interactive Powertrain is a LASME teaching tool that links engine speed, gearbox reduction, differential reduction and wheel speeds. The project was designed as a worked visual example for understanding how a powertrain transforms rotation from the engine to the wheels.

The tool combines a driver panel, a gearbox diagram, a differential representation and calculated speed cards. It supports comparisons between straight-line motion and turns, making explicit why the left and right wheel speeds may differ even when the same engine and gear are used.