The Engineer articles from April 2009

The Engineer archives from April 2009

COMMENT: Roll out the barrel?
April 6, 2009... The fact that the renewable energy sector has run into the teeth of the most ferocious global economic storm for a century just as it was trying to find its feet is serious and, to say the least, highly regrettable. It seems like another...

NEWS: Power moves.
April 6, 2009... Hybrid fuel-cell power supply could provide up to eight hours of energy for laptops Business travellers without access to a dedicated power source will be able to continue working on their laptops using a new hybrid fuel-cell...

NEWS: Never say dye.
April 6, 2009... Polymers will no longer need to be dyed thanks to a polymerisation technique that uses colourants A polymerisation process developed by a Leeds University spinout could lead to polyester garments never fading in the wash and food...

NEWS: Wave of the future.
April 6, 2009... Belfast-based Pure Marine Gen is developing wave-energy technology that harnesses water movement in two directions to make electricity generated from the sea more cost effective. Government-funded low-carbon company Carbon Trust recently...

NEWS: Taking the heat.
April 6, 2009... New methods may allow plant equipment to be tested in extremely high temperatures Engineers could be able to test the integrity of components and plant that operate at high temperatures without shutting down operation, using new...

NEWS: Different approach.
April 6, 2009... A light aircraft uses an alternative design and materials to maximise its capabilities A canard aircraft design that claims to push the boundaries of performance and fuel economy is nearing completion following collaborative testing with...

NEWS: Decoding malaria.
April 6, 2009... The fight against malaria could be given a boost by a computer programme that claims to identify strands of the virus by matching them against known species. The software, developed by researchers at the Machine Learning Group of...

NEWS: Smart bandage.
April 6, 2009... Device provides doctors with important information about the wound- healing process A bandage that makes use of printed electronics could soon alert doctors to changes in the wound-healing process without the need to undergo extensive...

NEWS: Lean transformation.
April 6, 2009... Lean manufacturing principles could be applied throughout the entire product cycle, saving costs and reducing waste. This is the goal of a Cranfield University-led consortium that is embarking on a four-year, #7m project entitled 'Lean...

NEWS: Mass transport.
April 6, 2009... Glasgow researchers use medical tracer molecules and MRI to better understand biofilm efficiency Researchers at Glasgow University are using medical tracer molecules to track the passage of medium to large molecules through biofilms using...

NEWS: Cover up.
April 6, 2009... Researchers have developed coatings for the prevention of corrosion and diseases NEW COATINGS that are said to tackle metal corrosion and hospital- acquired infections were presented last week to the Society for General Microbiology in...

NEWS: Special delivery.
April 6, 2009... Royal Mail has joined forces with a number of major European postal and energy associations to speed up the development of hydrogen-fuel-cell postal vans. Working alongside postal group PostEurop and green vehicle experts FuelCellEurope...

NEWS: Going the distance.
April 6, 2009... A new energy-storage system will allow trams to travel distances of up to 2,500m without using overhead cables Trams could run without overhead contact lines and emit significantly less CO2 using a new hybrid energy-storage system. ...

NEWS: In deep water.
April 6, 2009... Cambridge University has begun a three-year project to improve modelling methods for ultra-deepwater mooring and riser developments in the oil and gas industry. In collaboration with BP Research and funded by engineering firm Noble...

VIEWPOINT: Role call.
April 6, 2009... With the current focus on financial problems, there has never been a better time to raise awareness of engineering, says Paul Jackson Is there STILL an issue, as is widely believed, with the general public knowing less about engineers...

LETTER: Source of frustration.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2009... The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games has produced a 23-page document under the title LOCOG Sustainable Sourcing Code. Sustainable sourcing is defined as the procurement of products and services with...

LETTER: Costly conversion.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2009... There is something deeply uncomfortable about the way hydrogen- powered cars are promoted as the emerging energy economy. Hydrogen is not an energy source but an energy vector or carrier. This means it has to be produced from one of the...

LETTER: Flexible learning.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2009... Andrew Porter (Letters, 23 March) wrote that students need to pursue a Masters degree in order to become a chartered engineer. This is, in fact, not true. While the four-year integrated Masters degree is one way to get chartered status,...

LETTER: Status solution.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2009... I have long agreed with people such as Peter Birt (Letters, 23 March) regarding the low status engineers have in this country. As he so rightly says, we professional engineers are classed in the same group as service personnel for plumbing,...

LETTER: Changing our ways.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2009... I propose that climate change is inevitable; there is nothing that can be done about the outcome, only possibly the rate of change. In support of this, there was an Ice Age - it was about 20,000 years ago. Therefore, before that there was...

LETTER: A neutral stance.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2009... Our online leader article 'Crying Fowl' discussed the RSPB's call for an increase in the number of wind farms. The society said the threat that wind turbines pose to bird life is outweighed by the havoc that global warming could play on...

SOLAR CARS: Lighting the way.
April 6, 2009... The World Solar Challenge features the very latest in solar-powered vehicle technology. But are we likely to see such cars on our roads in the near future? Jon Excell reports Nothing much happens in the Australian outback town of Coober...

INSIGHT: Broad way.
April 6, 2009... The first British-owned communications satellite for over a decade will extend broadband coverage across all of Europe, including remote locations. Stuart Nathan reports Digital technology moves fast. From being a rather geeky, niche...

F1 TECHNOLOGIES: Applied formula.
April 6, 2009... A wide range of medical, mobility and production applications use the formidable materials expertise deployed in Formula One supercars. Stuart Nathan reports The most striking, and frequently controversial, example of high- technology...

INTERVIEW: Military exploits.(Interview)
April 6, 2009... Dr David Harris is responsible for taking the UK's most innovative defence technologies into non-military markets. Berenice Baker reports Despite its reputation as a clandestine realm of top secret science and shadowy operatives, the...

SENSORS: Sense of accuracy.
April 6, 2009... Micro-Epsilon has developed sensors with advanced signal conditioning circuitry for the closer detection of semiconductor positions. Siobhan Wagner reports A NEW line of non-contact displacement sensors can be used to detect the...

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: Contact killers.
April 6, 2009... Antimicrobial films using organometallic compounds could provide a safer and more effective method of fighting hospital infection. Siobhan Wagner reports The spread of MRSA in hospitals could be better controlled with new antimicrobial...

DRIVES, MOTORS & GEARS: Medical leave.
April 6, 2009... Radiotherapy device uses high-precision tungsten 'leaves' to modify radiotherapy beams to the exact shape of the tumour being treated Over the past decade, advances in medical technology have massively improved the treatment of cancer,...

CAD/CAM/PLM: Design for life.
April 6, 2009... PLM and CAD/CAM vendors are increasingly focusing on tangible benefits, such as productivity and time-to-market, when developing their design products. Charles Clarke reports It seems to be symptomatic of our industry that we need to...

COURSES: Matter of course.
April 6, 2009... Universities are responding to demand by offering courses for areas of engineering that are lacking skilled staff, such as the renewables and medical devices sectors The current state of the economy has caused ripples of alarm across the...

CAREERS: Travel plans.
April 6, 2009... Singapore's Land Transport Authority is actively seeking engineers to work on upgrading and enhancing the country's rail and bus network Rail engineers are currently among the more fortunate professionals within the engineering sector....

COMMENT: Words of warning.
April 20, 2009... There ARE distinctly mixed messages to be taken from The Engineer's interview with Dr Clive Hickman, veteran of the UK car industry and now head of engineering at Tata Motors. On one hand it is heartening to see a man steeped in the UK...

NEWS: Pond power.
April 20, 2009... A project team is examining ways of cultivating algae to produce oil on a large scale Algae could produce sustainable, industrial-scale biofuel if processes being developed in a E6m (#5.3m) Scottish-led research programme prove...

NEWS: Safe and ultrasound.
April 20, 2009... Ultrasonic modelling techniques are being developed to assess the behaviour of complex materials Researchers at Nottingham University are creating ultrasonic platforms that could examine the structure of complex materials and microscale...

NEWS: Change of heart.
April 20, 2009... A digital stethoscope that claims to improve the detection of abnormal heart murmurs is being developed by a bioengineer at Strathclyde University. Researcher Richard Boyle has designed the dual-probe device to improve diagnosis of early...

NEWS: Bright idea.
April 20, 2009... Researchers are developing nanosensors that use light-scattering techniques to detect hazardous molecules The transmission of light can be affected by the suspension of metal particles in a clear medium, an effect that has been used for...

NEWS: Compress for success.
April 20, 2009... The Turbo-Claw compressor aims to make PEMFCs a more viable fuel source for automotive applications A new design for a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) auxiliary component could make the technology less expensive to mass...

NEWS: Material benefit.
April 20, 2009... Swansea University has expanded its research into high-performance composite materials after receiving a #655,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly Government. Over the next three years, a team of six researchers at the university will work...

VIEWPOINT: Fuel for thought.
April 20, 2009... To achieve our long-term vision for a low-carbon transport system in the UK, it is crucial that we maximise the potential of new technologies that help us become less reliant on fossil fuels. Biofuels have the potential to account for...

LETTER: 'Can-do' attitude.(Letter to the editor)
April 20, 2009... I read with slight dismay the conclusion drawn by Howard Bradfield (Letters, 6 April) that 'saving the way of life we are comfortable with, and attempting to halt the inevitable' (climate change) are 'mutually exclusive'. The one point I can...

LETTER: Measure of discipline.(Letter to the editor)
April 20, 2009... In reference to Andrew Porter (Letters, 23 March), another reason UK car manufacture failed was the wayward and unco-operative trade unions, combined with government interference, (remember the queues of new Hillman Imps with failed...

LETTER: Centre stage.(Letter to the editor)
April 20, 2009... Our online leader article 'Coal comfort' focused on how the renewable energy sector is being forced back onto the sidelines by the current economic turbulence. In response to this, we urged the government to act fast to put low-carbon...

LETTER: Scheme isn't green.(Letter to the editor)
April 20, 2009... Our online article 'An unpalatable truth?' considered whether a European-style scrappage scheme that would offer car owners incentives to replace older vehicles could help revive the UK automotive industry. Below is a selection of your...

FEATURE: Star gazers.
April 20, 2009... The next generation of space telescopes are ready to launch, with a battery of new technology that will help explain the formation of stars and galaxies. Stuart Nathan reports In the mid-1700s, a young German musician, William Herschel,...

INSIGHT: Vital signs.
April 20, 2009... A multi-parameter Sensor Electronics Module that measures ECG, heart rate, breathing and temperature has been developed for medical and military applications. Berenice Baker reports As The Engineer goes to press, three British explorers...

SPACE EXPLORATION: Mining the moon.
April 20, 2009... With the space race back on, engineers are considering the potential of using lunar resources to fuel further exploration of the solar system. Jon Excell reports When, in July 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the Moon,...

INTERVIEW: Driven to succeed.(Interview)
April 20, 2009... Dr Clive Hickman of Tata Motors on what's next after the Nano and why the UK auto sector needs to shape up. Jon Excell reports Dr Clive Hickman is living, breathing evidence that the UK automotive industry still has something to offer the...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Quick fix.
April 20, 2009... Making use of lasers in the initial stages of aircraft component repair could speed the process by up to a third compared to manual methods. Berenice Baker reports GKN Aerospace and German company SLCR (Selective Laser Coating Removal)...

ELECTRONICS: Plastic surgery.
April 20, 2009... Companies and universities are being encouraged to create models of plastic electronic technologies as part of the LACE project. Berenice Baker reports PETEC, the UK's national Printable Electronic Technology Centre, is launching a...

WATER PROCESSING: Saline strip.
April 20, 2009... Siemens has combined its CEDI process with electrodialysis for a low- power desalination method for drinking water. Berenice Baker reports Siemens Water Technologies is researching a lower energy method to desalinate sea water using...

MACHINE VISION: Vision of success.
April 20, 2009... Machining vision systems are meeting many of the challenges facing component manufacturers in today's market Producing 25,000 components in one week throws up its own unique challenges, especially when those parts have reduced geometries...

CNC MACHINING: Opportunity knocks.
April 20, 2009... Continuing technical developments in production hardware and software are helping engineering firms take advantage of opportunities in the current recession While the rest of the economy struggles to find efficiencies wherever it can,...

PDM SHOW PREVIEW: Polymer paradise.(Conference news)
April 20, 2009... The Telford Centre is staging an opportunity to get up to speed with the latest events and technologies in the plastic design and moulding industries With more than 200 exhibitors, this year's Plastics Design & Moulding show is aiming...

CAREERS: Shelf life.
April 20, 2009... Food and drink manufacturers are seeking reliable, experienced and multi-skilled engineers to expand and restructure their businesses to cope with the recession In the coming year or so, the food and drink industry will face challenges in...