The Engineer articles from December 2007

The Engineer archives from December 2007

COMMENT: It's all in the mix.
December 10, 2007... The Engineer's Year of Energy may be drawing to a close, but it is clear that the issues raised over the past 12 months will loom large on the technological, political and economic landscape for decades to come. Hopefully The Engineer's...

THE BIG PICTURE: Cool terminators.
December 10, 2007... Robots cut hazard time by locating and monitoring acetylene cylinders at fires Specially designed robots that can locate and monitor the temperatures of acetylene cylinders in a fire are being tested in a six-month trial by Network Rail...

THE BIG PICTURE: Toyota launches drive simulator.
December 10, 2007... A realistic driving simulator for researching driver's habits and reactions has been launched by Toyota at its Higashifuji Technical Centre in Japan. The simulator features an automatic Lexus LS460 car positioned on a platform inside a...

THE BIG PICTURE: Flexible circuitry.
December 10, 2007... Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have fabricated high- performance field effect transistors with thin films of Carbon 60. The development is said to represent another advance toward practical applications for large-area,...

IN BRIEF: #2m green energy boost.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... The EPSRC and E.ON UK have awarded a consortium of eight UK universities, led by Bath and Imperial College London, a #2.1m grant to support the 'transition pathways to a low-carbon economy' project. The funding is part of the #10m low-carbon...

IN BRIEF: Sleep system for set-top boxes.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Bristol's Ocean Blue Software has developed a 'deep hibernation' system for digital TVs and set-top boxes to reduce standby power consumption. Developed as part of the company's Sunrise software for digital TV, the Eco-TV module is designed...

IN BRIEF: Cranfield gets precision facility.(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, has officially opened Cranfield University's Hexagon Loxham Precision Laboratory, designed for ultra-precision research. The lab is sponsored by Hexagon Metrology. It has supplied it with an...

NEWS: Image upgrade.
December 10, 2007... Software providing clearer, more detailed ultrasound images could aid early detection of breast cancer New software and sensor arrays to achieve 'super resolution' images to aid the early detection of breast cancer is being developed by...

NEWS: Mobile foam.
December 10, 2007... Air-powered decontamination system could speed up decommissioning of nuclear plants A UK company has developed a mobile decontamination system that uses foam technology and could aid the lengthy process of decommissioning Sellafield....

NEWS: Wide receivers.
December 10, 2007... Research could mean faster transfer of data and improved battery life for ultra wide band devices Researchers at Warwick University are developing ways to optimise ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) devices by designing receivers that will extend...

NEWS: Energy drive.
December 10, 2007... Experiments with silicon, aluminium and iron test if nanofuels could be a future source of energy As the search continues for more renewable energy sources, scientists at Queen Mary, University of London are investigating whether...

NEWS: Mixed message.
December 10, 2007... University/industry collaboration investigates 'multi-fuel' engine technology A new generation of internal combustion engines that can use different mixes of fuels according to driving conditions is being developed by researchers at...

NEWS: Hand crafted.
December 10, 2007... Researchers aim to develop software for a sophisticated bionic hand Software that may give manufacturers a better grip on industrial processes is being developed by researchers at Portsmouth and China's Shanghai Jiao Tong universities. ...

VIEWPOINT: Fossil focus.
December 10, 2007... The continued emphasis on technological advancements holds the key to the future success of the oil and gas industry, says Robert Olsen By 2030, worldwide energy demand is estimated to be almost 40 per cent greater than today - close to...

LETTER: Can you shine a light?(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... Doing some private research into the suitability of various low-energy lamps, I investigated the current thinking on the specific output of incandescent lamp bulbs. I found the following in Wikipedia. 'A standard 100W incandescent light...

LETTER: Barriers to science.(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... Rumours about the death of the UK engineer have been exaggerated but, without cultural change, there is a danger that science and technology teaching will go the same way as Latin and Greek in UK state schools. In 1985 I dropped out of a...

LETTER: Museum must travel.(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... In your article about the head of the Science Museum (Interview, 15 October) Chris Rapley fails to address one crucial point when he talks about inspiring young people to enter science and engineering careers. The museum he runs is in...

LETTER: Tax junk mail.(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... The millions of tonnes of (often ludicrous) junk mail that arrives in homes and workplaces should be curbed with punitive carbon taxes. Much of it cannot even be recycled because it is so heavily glazed or laminated. The effect dwarfs all...

LETTER: Healthy old age.(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... In answer to your online leader 'Age Concern', to help technology assist the infirm aged, it is vital that ageing people live a healthier lifestyle than they do now. This will maximise their fitness and help combat ageing, thereby allowing...

LETTER: Find an engineer.(Letter to the editor)
December 10, 2007... UK engineering companies face many difficulties but one of the biggest is finding qualified, experienced engineers. Fewer students choose engineering as a career and the number of graduates cannot sustain UK engineering industries. ...

ENERGY TECHNOLOGY: Power point.
December 10, 2007... As The Engineer concludes its year-long investigation into future energy sources, Stuart Nathan asks the UK's leading experts where the technologies are going When The Engineer decided to make 2007 its 'Year of Energy', we pointed out...

ENERGY TECHNOLOGY: The fourth revolution.
December 10, 2007... In his recent speech on the environment, Gordon Brown said combating climate change 'will require nothing less than a fourth industrial revolution'. The challenge of decarbonising energy was equivalent to the development of the steam...

INSIGHT: Strain spotter.
December 10, 2007... Portable materials technology developed in the UK is poised to help check rail track safety. Jon Excell reports A portable device that can be used to measure the stress of a structural materials used in everything from oil rigs to cars is...

INTERVIEW: Carbon crusader.(Interview)
December 10, 2007... The Carbon Trust's director of innovation is out to persuade firms it makes economic sense to think green - and his organisation is there to help. Stuart Nathan reports Mark Williamson is the sort of person who puts his money where his...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - THERMOACOUSTICS: Pot boiler.
December 10, 2007... An all-in-one cooker, fridge and generator could have a huge impact on the lives of people in the world's poorest communities. Siobhan Wagner reports Hill walking in Nepal is not the sort of research one would usually associate with an...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY: Switch in time.
December 10, 2007... Next-generation RF intelligent plug aims to monitor power output of individual electrical devices and help cut energy consumption. Siobhan Wagner reports As millions across the UK begin decorating their homes inside and out with Christmas...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Don't play with safety.
December 10, 2007... UK toy makers who sub-contract production to the Far East may cut costs, but they can't maintain acceptable standards of quality and service, says Sim Oram With the Christmas season in full swing one thing that's on a lot of people's...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - POWER TRANSMISSION: Driving a bargain.
December 10, 2007... The diversity of innovative technologies now available across the sector means users can benefit greatly from smoother production and fewer breakdowns. Julia Pierce reports Over the last year, the power transmission industry has been...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - QUALITY CONTROL: Flaw finders.
December 10, 2007... The ever-increasing use of automated inspection technology aims to improve product consistency and ensure fewer quality failures. Colin Carter reports To ensure output remains consistent and the end-user benefits from good quality,...