The Engineer articles from May 2009

The Engineer archives from May 2009

COMMENT: Thinking the unthinkable.
May 4, 2009... An organisation called the Science Media Centre runs a helpful service for journalists who want to find information on highly technical issues that are outside their normal sphere of expertise. Not surprisingly, over the last week it has...

NEWS: Trump car.
May 4, 2009... Isis Innovation is commercialising the electric motor of Morgan's LIFECar An electric motor that was originally designed for a hydrogen-fuelled sports car is being redeveloped to power a variety of electric and hybrid vehicles and to...

NEWS: Mind monitor.
May 4, 2009... A new brain implant can monitor the condition of Parkinson's patients A new brain implant could stop tremors in people suffering from Parkinson's disease and provide doctors with 24-hour remote monitoring of their condition. The...

NEWS: Picture perfect.
May 4, 2009... Video-compression technology that ensures high-quality pictures without the need for hardware upgrades is being developed by researchers at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Digital compression technology, which takes the form of...

NEWS: Blood spot.
May 4, 2009... Researchers are developing nanosensors that will help detect blood clots at an early stage Approaching a million people in the UK are being treated with the oral anticoagulant Warfarin to reduce the risk of stroke and other blood clot...

NEWS: Medical magnets.
May 4, 2009... Superconducting magnets could reduce the cost, size and weight of MRI scanners Technologies that use magnets could be made smaller and at lower cost thanks to superconducting magnets developed in Cambridge. The innovation from...

NEWS: Digital hubs.
May 4, 2009... Three new research centres devoted to digital technologies will benefit sectors ranging from healthcare to transport, the government has claimed. Located in Nottingham, Newcastle and Aberdeen, the centres will cost #36m and will focus on...

ANALYSIS: Carbon cop-out.
May 4, 2009... Critics say that the chancellor's carbon initiatives fail to address key growth areas Alistair Darling's plans to implement the 'the world's first carbon budget' has drawn criticism for failing 'green' industries and alienating...

VIEWPOINT: Engineering a deal.
May 4, 2009... Simon Keeling examines the current mergers and acquisitions activity in the UK - a good indicator of the state of the technology economy Like every other sector of the economy, the engineering and technology community is eagerly awaiting...

LETTER: Budget let-down.(Letter to the editor)
May 4, 2009... I don't suppose I am the only engineer to feel completely let down by the recent budget. At a time when many industries are crumpling under the strain, all we seemed to get were some pledges to support green industries, as though they...

LETTER: Frustration reigns.(Letter to the editor)
May 4, 2009... Your leader and article about the work and views of Dr Clive Hickman of Tata may produce some differing views, but there will be a huge majority who understand what he is saying and feel just as frustrated. Part of my working life is...

LETTER: Solar aside.(Letter to the editor)
May 4, 2009... Your article 'Lighting the Way' (Features, 6 April) mentions that the 'first proper production vehicle to feature solar technology is the latest model of the Toyota Prius'. I would point out that VAG Group vehicles, including VW and Audi,...

LETTER: Change happens.(Letter to the editor)
May 4, 2009... I read with delight that Paul Reeves of Cambridge (Letters, 20 April) proposes a 'can-do' attitude. I am a very 'can-do' person, and wish that the world were truly inhabited by many more 'can-do' people. I applaud Reeves's assertion that...

LETTER: Hybrid reaction.(Letter to the editor)
May 4, 2009... Our online leader article 'Our friend electric?' considered the government's plan to give up to #5,000 to anyone swapping his or her petrol or diesel car for an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. While the scheme calls for technology...

GEOENGINEERING: Hot topic.
May 4, 2009... Engineers are investigating 'last resort' technologies to put climate change into reverse, but some claim they are clouding the issue. Stuart Nathan reports We all know the arguments. Greenhouse-gas levels are rising. The planet is...

INSIGHT: Rocky road.
May 4, 2009... An engineer has incorporated Formula 1 and office-furniture technology into a wheelchair to allow it to move more smoothly over bumpy ground. Stuart Nathan reports As touched on in our recent report on F1 technology transfer (Applied...

ELECTRIC CARS: Spark your engines.
May 4, 2009... As a competition is launched to inspire super-efficient vehicles, designers are finding that the development of electric cars is becoming a lot more feasible. Jon Excell reports When the traffic wardens start circling it's usually time to...

INTERVIEW: Changing track.(Interview)
May 4, 2009... Iain Coucher, chief executive at Network Rail, looks to the future and explains how new technologies are changing the face of the UK's railways. Jon Excell reports Welcoming The Engineer into his office - a bright and modern eyrie...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Pod cast.
May 4, 2009... Design innovations are helping to make the Azipod marine drive more efficient as cruise operators call on it to propel ever larger vessels. Berenice Baker reports THE PROPULSION system of the world's largest cruise liner will achieve new...

MINATURE ROBOTS: Micro mover.
May 4, 2009... Researchers will further shrink a robot that is able to manipulate tiny objects without the use of an onboard power supply to target biological applications. Berenice Baker reports A tiny flying robot that can wield a variety of...

ELECTRONICS: Cool conductor.
May 4, 2009... Researchers have created a prototype material made up of a diamond and copper mixture for the cooling of electronic devices in extreme environments. Siobhan Wagner reports Diamond can enhance the conductivity of copper and make the...

RAPID PROTOTYPE: Rain check.
May 4, 2009... Rapid plastic injection moulding techniques help to produce plastic seals for a data-logging device that will measure water levels across Britain A rapid plastic injection moulding process has been used to develop unusually shaped seals...

LINEAR MOTION: Bearing gifts.
May 4, 2009... Advanced bearings are helping a German supplier of bagging machines meet the stringent demands of the food and drink industry There are few industries that place as many demands on equipment suppliers as the food and drink sector. This is...

SUSTAINABILITYLIVE!: Sustainable growth.
May 4, 2009... Sustainabilitylive! aims to provide visitors with the information and advice they need to maximise environmental best practice in their businesses As companies increasingly feel the pinch, so pressure to cut production costs through...

SUBCON 2009: Contract for growth.
May 4, 2009... This year's Subcon will highlight the latest technologies and services for those looking to outsource in order to expand their business Although consumer-facing areas of engineering such as volume automotive manufacture may be bearing...

CAREERS: Strong defences.
May 4, 2009... Defence and aerospace companies are still actively recruiting and many remain positive about the future of the sector, despite the uncertain economic climate Britain's defence industry is known globally for its production of innovative...

COMMENT: Hitting the skids?
May 18, 2009... The UK motorsport industry has long been a source of justified pride for the nation's engineering sector. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as our roads filled up with foreign car marques and the idea of a UK-owned automotive industry faded...

NEWS: Cracking the code.
May 18, 2009... Plan to bring supercritical plants into line with National Grid criteria A major project is under way to boost the responsiveness of new 'cleaner' coal-fired power stations in a bid to bring them into line with National Grid standards,...

NEWS: Stay cool and save fuel.
May 18, 2009... AN INTELLIGENT air-conditioning system for hybrid cars could save drivers up to nine per cent of fuel in the summer months, according to its developers. The system was developed through the Sentience project - a research collaboration led...

NEWS: See the light.
May 18, 2009... A lightweight, holographic head-up display may enhance visibility and situational awareness A head-up-DISPLAY (HUD) system that generates critical flight data within a glass surface has been designed for small aircraft. The...

NEWS: Animal attraction.
May 18, 2009... UNMANNED underwater vehicles (UUVs) could eventually turn on their axis like a shark or crawl along the seabed like an octopus - that is, if a UK research programme is successful. An engineering team led by Gwyn Griffiths of the National...

NEWS: Robot removal.
May 18, 2009... Engineers have designed a robot that will be able to dismantle and dispose of nuclear reactors Engineers in charge of dismantling a redundant nuclear reactor at Dounreay have unveiled the design of a giant robot, nicknamed Reactorsaurus,...

VIEWPOINT: Course hook.
May 18, 2009... Perceptions of what a degree and career in engineering involve should change or future innovations may be at risk, says Leah Jamieson From China to Africa to Europe to the Americas, the slow drip of attrition is proving to be a dangerous...

LETTER: Shift your focus.(Letter to the editor)
May 18, 2009... Sorry, The Engineer, but despite your attempt to talk up the 'engineering to save the planet' stuff (cover feature, 4 May 2009) it all looks more like 'nice work if you can get it' for the academic fraternity. I would like to spend my...

LETTER: So much for balance.(Letter to the editor)
May 18, 2009... Jonathan Douglas (Letters, 4 May 2009) is right about the reason for the decline of 'good old-fashioned' British engineering know-how - that it has been crushed by the politically correct brigade and its obsession with rules that actually...

LETTER: Failing to deliver.(Letter to the editor)
May 18, 2009... In reference to the statement that 'Today, we are seeing the benefit of rail privatisation - there were some difficulties, but it is now starting to deliver' (Interview, 4 May 2009), deliver what? We have one of the most expensive railway...

LETTER: CCS for Scotland.(Letter to the editor)
May 18, 2009... Our online article 'Underground movement' looked at the release of a report from the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage, which claimed that Scotland could become one of Europe's centres for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as it...

TRANSPORT SYSTEMS: Light relief.
May 18, 2009... Could the introduction of 'pod cars' at Heathrow Airport herald a new era for urban transport in the UK? Jon Excell reports Seventy years ago, the UK was criss-crossed with a comprehensive and popular network of trams and railways that...

INSIGHT: Deep-sea monsters.
May 18, 2009... Giant subsea ploughs are playing a valuable role in laying pipelines in the offshore oil and gas sector. Berenice Baker reports While the crane, the digger and the dumper truck are instantly recognisable, their subsea cousins, the...

ADVANCED OPTICS: Mirror image.
May 18, 2009... UK optical technology expertise is at the heart of some of the world's most exciting space and energy projects. Stuart Nathan reports Tunnelled deep into the chalk of the South Downs, not far from Croydon, a set of workshops and testing...

INTERVIEW: Nuclear vision.(Interview)
May 18, 2009... Mike Lawrence of the National Nuclear Laboratory explains the activities and challenges undertaken by the nuclear technology services provider. Stuart Nathan reports With MORE THAN 40 years' experience in the nuclear sector in the US, you...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Reclaiming resources.
May 18, 2009... An industry/university consortium plans a breakthrough in remanufacturing technology to save energy and material costs. Berenice Baker reports A new integrated production system could see high-value machine parts remanufactured on site in...

FLUID DYNAMICS: Sound effects.
May 18, 2009... Researchers have developed a measuring device to maximise the efficiency of cavitation processes used in manufacturing. Berenice Baker reports A sensor that measures localised sonic cavitation could be used to monitor and improve the...

CONDITION MONITORING: Bearing up.
May 18, 2009... A condition-monitoring system that predicts when bearings need to be serviced or replaced is helping a steel mill reduce downtime The application of condition-monitoring technology has allowed a steel mill in north-east England to avert a...

MACHINE TOOLS: Virtual world.
May 18, 2009... Increasingly complex machine tools have created a requirement for CNC simulation software packages to improve the manufacturing process Recent advances in CNC simulation are providing manufacturers with a more effective method of...

CAREERS: Going places.
May 18, 2009... Australia and Asia may provide opportunities for the increasing number of skilled engineering professionals looking to further their career abroad It is a sad but inevitable fact that with economic conditions in the UK getting tougher,...