The Engineer articles from August 2005

The Engineer archives from August 2005

COMMENT: National security is more than a flick of a switch.
August 8, 2005... The security of our public infrastructure will be an issue for decades to come. That much is depressingly clear from the events of the past month. Our transport system, sports stadiums, offices, restaurants - anywhere, in fact, that...

Honda takes the engine over its wing.
August 8, 2005... Structural redesign makes for a fuel-efficient business jet with cabin space to spare HONDA has unveiled an experimental executive jet that showcases a huge array of technical innovations. The HondaJet made its debut at the world's...

Get yourself a living doll.
August 8, 2005... Japanese robotics experts have designed what is being hailed as the world's most lifelike android - so realistic that 'she' even appears to breathe. Rather than rigid plastic, Repliee Q1 is coated in a flexible silicon skin, which feels...

Scope for keeping a closer eye on Earth.
August 8, 2005... German scientists have developed a folding telescope that could dramatically reduce the cost of placing telescopes in space. The Dobson Space Telescope was designed by students from Berlin's Technical University, with help from the European...

IN BRIEF: Underwater forest gets the chop.
August 8, 2005... A robot equipped with a chainsaw is cutting down a submerged forest beneath Lois Lake in Canada, in an alternative to conventional logging. The three-tonne, 3.5m-long Sawfish robot uses pincer-like arms to grasp the base of a tree, and...

IN BRIEF: The ice watch cometh.
August 8, 2005... A satellite to test predictions that Arctic sea ice is melting has completed tests in Germany ahead of an expected autumn launch. ESA's Cryosat craft will give scientists a detailed picture of how the polar cap is responding to climate...

IN BRIEF: Longlife store for Windscale data.
August 8, 2005... Details of radioactive waste from the decommissioned Windscale Reactor have been stored on 'permanent' paper to ensure that the information remains intact for future generations. The data is to be placed on 11,718 sheets of special permanent...

Blow for UK airships.
August 8, 2005... Dirigibles specialist seeks foreign investment as lack of cash forces it into administration Efforts to create a UK airship industry suffered a major setback after Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), the country's largest manufacturer,...

News: Deep see.
August 8, 2005... UK-developed deep water survey system could save oil and gas companies time and money An Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) system developed in the UK could help cut the time and money spent by the offshore industry on the inspection of...

Waving hello to electricity - plus fresh water.
August 8, 2005... A wave energy system that sits on the seabed could simultaneously generate electricity and produce fresh water, according to the UK company commercialising the technology. The Australian-developed CETO system has just been bought for #5m...

Exhausting exercise.
August 8, 2005... UK engineers design system to reduce NOx emissions and improve diesel engine efficiency A new exhaust treatment system to reduce nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions will improve fuel efficiency in diesel engines, according to its UK...

Going for the re-burn.
August 8, 2005... Used tyres could replace coal as fuel for power plants Car tyres and other hard-to-dispose-of waste materials could be used to reduce NOx emissions from power stations, a UK research team believes. A project at Leeds University will...

US comes clean.
August 8, 2005... Asia-Pacific countries agree deal to 'complement' Kyoto Some of the world's biggest producers of greenhouse gases have unveiled plans to cut emissions by exporting new technology rather than setting limits on their own industries. ...

Stocking up for winter.
August 8, 2005... Heat stored from hot summer roads could be used to prevent or melt ice later in the year UK trials of a solar-powered under-road heating system that could be used to de-ice roads and heat buildings are due to begin later this month. ...

FOCUS: Time to stop power politics.
August 8, 2005... Mainland Europe is proving that renewables are effective and economical on a local scale, but except for a few isolated examples the UK is held back by regulations. Julia Pierce says drastic action may be needed Under its current...

BUSINESS: Module for success.
August 8, 2005... The advance of Bluetooth continues to boost growth at Cambridge Silicon Radio BLUETOOTH specialist Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) is expecting further strong growth on the back of booming demand for consumer products equipped with the...

BUSINESS: Renishaw profits rise as overseas markets expand.
August 8, 2005... SUCCESS in its key overseas markets helped precision engineering group Renishaw boost its profits by more than half last year. The Gloucestershire company, which specialises in measurement and analysis technology, said it saw 'significant...

VIEWPOINT: Patchwork built.
August 8, 2005... The electricity industry does a remarkable job - considering it has to patch modern cabling into a 100-year-old network, says Allan Russell Despite all the issues that we encounter as engineers in our daily work, one of the single most...

BOOK REVIEW: ISSIGONIS - THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY.
August 8, 2005... ISSIGONIS - THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY Gillian Beardsley Icon Books/#16.99 This is the story of Alec Issigonis, the man who designed two of the UK's most important cars of the 20th century: the Morris Minor and the iconic Mini. ...

Letter: Horses for courses and the CCTV fallacy.(Letter to the Editor)
August 8, 2005... Why is the onus on engineers to learn how to present their work to financiers (Comment, 25 July)? The job of an engineer is to put together a product/system/invention that works. I had always thought that it was the job of business people...

Letter: The downsides of contracting.(Letter to the Editor)
August 8, 2005... Simon Adey's correspondence (Letters, 11 July) was a good read, but I don't really understand the point he was making. As a contractor he must know that many of the downsides he describes come with the territory and are part and parcel of...

Letter - TALKING POINT: Maybe it's the risk that's the buzz.
August 8, 2005... Julia Pierce's interview with Buzz Aldrin (Interview, 25 July) was very timely, given the current uncertainty surrounding the future of the space shuttle missions. I couldn't help thinking that if Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins...

Letter: The downsides of contracting go with the territory.(Letter to the Editor)
August 8, 2005... I wonder if your correspondent Simon Adey (Letters, 11 July) has ever heard of a document 'The Stages of a Project'? They are: 1) Enthusiasm 2) Disenchantment 3) Panic 4) Search for the guilty 5) Punishment of the innocent 6)...

Letter: London's transport is an Olympic task.(Letter to the Editor)
August 8, 2005... The success or otherwise of the London Olympics will be entirely down to how well we sort out the transport links to and from the site. Anyone who thinks we can't build the necessary stadiums in time for 2012 is missing the point. Our...

SUPER-TELESCOPES: Grand visions.
August 8, 2005... The space race is on between Europe and the US to develop the next generation of super-telescopes, but the engineering challenges will be daunting. Niall Firth reports The world has embarked on a new space race. but rather than competing...

INTERVIEW - PROF ROD KIMBER: King of the road.
August 8, 2005... Prof Rod Kimber, director of science and engineering at the Transport Research Laboratory, is the man who oversees the transport technology that helps keep the UK on the road. Here, he talks to Niall Firth With its acres of glass and...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Single minded.
August 8, 2005... BAE Systems' single-structure carbon fibre aircraft fuselage could cut assembly costs, increase range and reduce air fatigue, says Jon Excell UK aerospace engineers claim to have produced one of the world's most advanced aircraft...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - VEHICLE NOISE: Hub of the problem.
August 8, 2005... A UK team aims to reduce vehicle cabin noise by tackling the high- frequency vibrations generated through a car's wheel hubs. Christopher Sell explains In October researchers at Cambridge University will begin a project that aims to...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - SOFTWARE: Shape shifters.
August 8, 2005... Architects are pushing their art to its limits by exploiting the design possibilities of MCAD programs such as CATIA V5, says Charles Clarke Many marvel at the taut, jumbled curves of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao with its darkly...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - SPRINGS: The stress test.
August 8, 2005... Contrary to traditional thinking there is little to choose between round and rectangular wire springs when it comes to life expectancy. Paul Gay compares technologies in various applications Spring makers traditionally portray round wire as...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - RAPID PROTOTYPING: Rapid moves.
August 8, 2005... Computers, aircraft sub-assemblies and medical equipment have all benefited from RP-related technologies - and the next step could see production components being `grown', says Martin Oakham Rapid Prototyping covers a range of technologies...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: MARTELLO TOWERS ABOVE THE REST.
August 8, 2005... Last October Martello was approached by product development consultant Absolute Product Design regarding an optical scanner project it was designing. This needed production quality piece-parts for working systems to be used in field...

COMMENT: Stealing airliners' thunder.
August 22, 2005... Soaring fuel costs, security fears and strikes are just a few of the issues preoccupying the commercial aviation sector at the moment. Another, less obvious, area of focus is noise. The words quiet and airliner may seem strange bedfellows....

Easy rider: BMW launches technology-rich off-road bike.
August 22, 2005... A motorcycle poised to launch in the UK will feature some of the most advanced engineering ever available to off-road biking enthusiasts, according to manufacturer BMW. The German automotive group will put its on and off-road HP2...

Gnome is where the heart is.
August 22, 2005... BSkyB has launched a wireless audio receiver that allows users to listen to their Sky digital radio or television channels anywhere around the home. The device, called the Sky Gnome, is scheduled to launch in October. It has a range of...

Nanotubes come to a sticky end.
August 22, 2005... Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have created a functional electronic circuit using carbon nanotubes. The US research team claimed that the development marks a breakthrough in the worldwide push towards nanotube-based...

IN BRIEF: Boost for Scottish R&D.
August 22, 2005... Eight Scottish universities have been given almost #8m to help develop the country's technology research facilities. The money from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council will be divided among six groups ranging from gravitational...

IN BRIEF: Armed against paralysis.
August 22, 2005... A device that uses electrical signals to stimulate muscle movement should allow paralysis sufferers to improve their fitness through exercising their arms. The breakthrough was made by engineers at the University of Glasgow and the Queen...

IN BRIEF: Robots called up down under.
August 22, 2005... Australian minister of defence Robert Hill said the government is investing increasing amounts in R&D into robotic technologies to be deployed on land, sea and air for tasks such as gathering data, surveillance, mine sweeping and defusing...

NEWS: Reaction time.
August 22, 2005... Grant of #6m enables UK specialists to research technologies for a new generation of reactors A consortium of UK nuclear specialists is to receive funding to research the technologies that could pave the way for a new generation of...

NEWS: All quieter on the flight front.
August 22, 2005... Tests by NASA and Boeing aim to reduce noise levels at take-off and landing NASA and Boeing are to begin a major flight test programme to demonstrate the effectiveness of new noise-reduction technologies for commercial airliners. If...

NEWS: Nosewheel motor to cut airport noise and running costs.
August 22, 2005... Electric motors embedded in aircraft nosewheels could cut airport noise and emissions by reducing the need for planes to run their engines on the ground. Tests by Boeing and Gibraltar-based engineering company Chorus have shown that a motor...

NEWS: Mist opportunity.
August 22, 2005... Darpa to test UK firm's device that uses steam-injection technology for decontamination The American military is to evaluate a UK-developed system that deluges chemical or biological agents with six trillion droplets of decontaminant per...

NEWS: BAE comes to the defence of US Marines.
August 22, 2005... BAE Systems is to develop new vehicle armour for the US Marines. The UK defence group has won a three-year contract from the US Office of Naval Research to look into how electromagnetic armour (EMA) can be combined with other armour...

NEWS: On guard.
August 22, 2005... MoD signs contract for more accurate device to alert the army when it is under biological attack in the battlefield A biosensor detection system that learns from its environment is being developed to provide UK soldiers with accurate data...

NEWS: Re-fusing to be self-reliant.
August 22, 2005... Engineers at Southampton University have designed a fuse box that manages domestic power needs A fuse box that can 'learn' to manage a domestic electricity supply efficiently could help to slash fuel bills by 20 per cent, its UK...

NEWS: Clean cut.
August 22, 2005... A new method of sterilising surgical instruments holds hope of controlling spread of CJD Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have developed a new plasma- based process that is claimed to cleanse surgical instruments of the...

NEWS: Taking the heat out of driving through tunnels.
August 22, 2005... A project team including Fiat and Renault has developed a telematics system designed to prevent the type of accidents in major road tunnels that can lead to catastrophic fires. The EU's Safe Tunnel research project was initiated after the St...

FOCUS: Reacting to the skills shortage.
August 22, 2005... The UK's slump in nuclear research is putting the country at risk of a serious decline in skilled people. Niall Firth reports on the creation of an institute that could change all that With Decommissioning, waste storage and a massive...

BUSINESS: Turbo Genset powers forward.
August 22, 2005... A hat trick of contracts boosts the books for the power systems specialist New business in some of its major target sectors - most notably a breakthrough in the aerospace industry - and a sharp fall in its losses helped power technology...

BUSINESS: Petards goes for the bigger picture with PI Vision.
August 22, 2005... Advanced surveillance technology company Petards has bought digital video recording specialist PI Vision. The deal could leave the newly merged business well placed to respond to demands to overhaul the UK's ageing CCTV infrastructure at a...

BUSINESS: United we stand.
August 22, 2005... Europe must meet the global business challenge by co-ordinating and adequately funding its research efforts, says Janez Potocnik Following the unsuccessful referendums on the constitution and the ill- fated European Council in June, I'm not...

LETTER: Talking about a revolution.(Letter to the Editor)
August 22, 2005... We will soon see the peak in oil production, as widely predicted by reliable and independent sources. After this, expectations range from economic meltdown to a rapid and orderly transition to nuclear and renewable sources. Unfortunately...

LETTER: Over and out.(Letter to the Editor)
August 22, 2005... The photograph of Honda's experimental business jet (The Engineer, 8 August) reminds me of the adage 'If it looks like it should work, it probably will'. Well, it looks sexy and we are told Honda has found two benefits (increased cabin...

LETTER: Vocal locals.(Letter to the Editor)
August 22, 2005... The problem with meeting local energy needs locally (Focus, 8 August) is more one of planning than technology. The planning regime in this country is tortuous enough on large-scale projects that could meet the needs of millions of people....

LETTER: A sound idea from Canada.(Letter to the Editor)
August 22, 2005... I write with regard to your article (Interview, 8 August) about the work of Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), with particular reference to the Soundprint acoustic monitoring system to detect fractures in high-tensile steel wires. ...

WIND POWER: In at the deep endin at the deep end.
August 22, 2005... The world's first deep water offshore windfarm is in the pipeline. Jon Excell reports on an innovation that could have considerable advantages over current technologyThe world's first deep water offshore windfarm is in the pipeline. Jon...

WIND POWER: The Wider Picture.
August 22, 2005... While the Beatrice field project's groundbreaking status is undisputed, some have argued that in terms of the wider wind energy industry it is a small part of a much bigger picture. Dr Gordon Edge, head of offshore at the British Wind...

INTERVIEW - STEVE MATTIN: Setting the style.
August 22, 2005... After nearly 20 years with Mercedes, Steve Mattin, Volvo's recently appointed design chief, has to get his head round a totally different development challenge. Here, he talks to Jon Excell From the Gallic chic of Renault to the Germanic...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Making light work.
August 22, 2005... A #6m research project is underway to help develop next-generation transport from materials such as aluminium, magnesium and titanium. Stuart Nathan reports While conventional steel has ruled the roost for more than a century, the...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - CERAMICS: Quality performer.
August 22, 2005... The growing number of new applications for ceramics is sparking renewed interest in their associated production technologies. Andrew Lee reports Advanced ceramics have worn the 'engineering materials of the future' mantle for some time,...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - PROCESS MANAGEMENT: In control.
August 22, 2005... A global automation revolution in major projects is taking place, where safety systems form an integral part of the monitoring and control system. Paul Gay reports When it comes to major process automation projects, such as new plant...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - AUTOMATION: Armed forces.
August 22, 2005... In both the US and Europe, robotics is becoming an increasingly popular choice for companies seeking to reduce operating costs and improve quality. Mark Venables explains FOLLOWING a lull three or four years ago, sales of robots and...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - FINANCE: Making assets work.
August 22, 2005... Instead of taking out a traditional overdraft to fund expansion and R&D, asset-based financing offers manufacturing firms a way to convert balance sheet assets into operating cash. Mark Venables explains In the ever-changing world of...