The Engineer articles from November 2004

The Engineer archives from November 2004

On the road to 21st century travel? What a relief.(COMMENT)
November 5, 2004... IT'S OFFICIAL. The UK's best new public building is a road. The A650 Bingley relief road, to be precise, which won this year's first prize in the Prime Minister's Better Building Awards, a scheme cooked up by Tony Blair in a bid to raise the...

Darling of the commuters: transport secretary announces Japanese 'bullet' trains to cut journey times on UK network.(THE BIG PICTURE)
November 5, 2004... COMMUTERS travelling between London and Kent are to get their own 'bullet' trains capable of travelling at speeds of up to 140mph. Transport secretary Alistair Darling has announced that Hitachi, which makes Japanese Shinkansen, will build...

USAF ensures survival of the most expensive.(THE BIG PICTURE)
November 5, 2004... THE FIRST of a fleet of the world's most expensive fighter jet, the FA-22, is being commissioned by the US Air Force. The [pounds sterling]142m Raptor can fly at 1,500kph and remain undetected by radar, fire precisely-targeted smart bombs,...

The Beagle was landed in it.(THE BIG PICTURE)
November 5, 2004... THE MARS probe Beagle 2 was doomed by the government's failure to invest in the project at an early stage, a Commons science and technology select committee said this week. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This failure undermined the project's...

Defra outlines plans to store carbon dioxide under the sea bed.(IN BRIEF)
November 5, 2004... The UK environment minister Elliot Morley this week sought international support for plans to store carbon dioxide under the sea bed. Defra officials outlined the plans at a meeting in London to discuss the 1972 London Convention, a treaty that...

Space shuttle blast-off delayed by hurricane damage.(IN BRIEF)
November 5, 2004... The space shuttle is to return to flight next May or June, NASA has announced. The agency's Space Flight Leadership Council said the shuttle would be ready for launch between May 12 and June 3 2005. NASA originally planned to resume flights in...

Swift probe uses BAT to find source of gamma ray bursts.(IN BRIEF)
November 5, 2004... Meanwhile NASA's Swift mission, also delayed due to the hurricanes, could lift off as early as November 11. The $250m probe aims to discover the origin of gamma ray bursts, which can release as much energy in a few minutes as the Sun emits in...

Defying gravity: UK team claims engine based on microwaves could revolutionise spacecraft propulsion.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... A UK COMPANY has obtained government backing to build a propellant-less engine based on microwaves that could lead to anti-gravity transport, and revolutionise spacecraft propulsion. The Emdrive engine works by the relative movement of...

Bend it, shape it: European consortium to develop high-performance flexible displays.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... A CONSORTIUM of 20 European electronics companies and universities is to pool its resources in an attempt to cherry-pick the most promising flexible display technologies. The FlexiDis project will research and develop the materials and...

Spinning a yarn: US firm creates PZ fibres for fabrics.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... A US COMPANY has put a new spin on power-scavenging clothing by creating flexible piezoelectric fibres hundreds of metres long to weave into fabrics. Piezoelectric (PZ) materials yield an electrical current when deformed, and researchers...

Silent transporter: Avcen is developing an ultra-quiet aircraft able to take off and land on short strips.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... AN ULTRA-QUIET AIRCRAFT, capable of taking off from strips of land one tenth the length of conventional runways, could be used to provide air taxi services within cities, according to its UK developer. The Jetpod concept, the brain-child of...

Hi robot: researchers get EC funding to develop robots that can understand speech and cosy up to humans.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... UK RESEARCHERS have received [euro]1m ([pounds sterling]700,000) to investigate intelligent robots that can understand the ambiguities of natural speech and work more effectively alongside humans. The four-year project forms part of a wider...

It's a buggy's life.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... AN UNMANNED military ground vehicle that could be used for surveillance, rescue, and even be equipped with weapons, is expected to enter full production in 2006. Called R-Gator, the autonomous buggy, jointly developed by US tractor...

Shipping forecast: US destroyers could run on a diesel fuel cell for more energy and less pollution.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... A FUEL CELL designed to burn dirty, high-sulphur diesel could allow the development of naval destroyers that are quieter, require half the fuel, pollute less and have a smaller heat signature for enemies to detect. Other fuel cells have...

Making light work.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... A LASER made from cheap silicon could open up the potential for widespread optical computing using light rather than electricity to process information, according to its US developers. The breakthrough could also allow cheaper access to the...

Triple treat: BT develops technology that could transmit more satellite information for the same cost.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... BT HAS DEVELOPED technology it claims will triple the capacity of satellite communications links, allowing far more information to be transmitted for the same cost. The technology uses a frequency modulation technique similar to that used...

Dolphin chirps send a clear message.(NEWS)
November 5, 2004... LASER PULSES with a waveform similar to a dolphin chirp could soon allow aircraft, vehicles and buildings to send and receive broadband information, even in poor weather. Optical wireless systems, also known as Free Space Optics (FSO),...

Star wars falls short for exposed allies: if the US missile defence system is built, a new study says that Canada, Russia and swathes of Europe would be at serious risk of catastrophe. Julia Pierce reports.(FOCUS)
November 5, 2004... THE US MISSILE DEFENCE shield aims to prevent devastating loss of life following a missile attack from a rogue nation. Yet in a new study, physicists from the American Physical Society revealed that if Son of Star Wars is built, Canada,...

ABB hopes to double sales in China by 2008: Power and Automation technology giant outlines the steps it is taking to realise far east ambitions.(BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... POWER AND AUTOMATION technology giant ABB has revealed plans for a huge expansion of its operations in China and said the country is on course to become its most important market. ABB will recruit 5,000 new employees in China and aims to...

Ceres Power aims for expansion.(BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... CERES POWER, the UK energy company behind new low-cost fuel cell technology, is poised to accelerate its commercialisation plans by floating on the stock exchange. Sussex-based Ceres expects to raise up to [pounds sterling]15m to fund its...

Prints perfect: advanced inkjet technology to benefit from R&D funding.(BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... THE UK'S fast-growing inkjet printing industry will get the support of its own multi-million pound R&D centre, due to open early next year. Cambridge University, backed by a nine-company consortium, will use a [pounds sterling]2m EPSRC...

DTI report shows UK R&D activity comes second to US in key sectors.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... The UK comes second only to the US in corporate-led R&D activity in several key technology sectors, according to new government figures. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The annual R&D Scoreboard published by the DTI shows strong research-based...

Cobham breaks into homeland security with [pounds sterling]21m Spectronic deal.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... Cobham continued the trend of UK companies making inroads into the burgeoning homeland security market with the purchase of audio surveillance systems specialist Spectronic. The company will pay [pounds sterling]21m in cash for Spectronic,...

Parker hannifin secures [pounds sterling]540m 7E7 hydraulic sub-system contract.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... Parker Hannifin has secured the contract to develop the hydraulic sub-system for the new Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner. The global engineering giant said the deal could be worth more than $1bn ([pounds sterling]540m) when aftermarket support and...

Meggitt to pay [pounds sterling]2.9m for UAV technology firm Schreiner Canada.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... UK aerospace, defence and electronics group Meggitt will pay [pounds sterling]2.9m for Schreiner Canada, a specialist in unmanned vehicle technology. Schreiner, a subsidiary of CHC Helicopter, builds, services and operates unmanned air,...

Deltron gets new UK aviation business following [pounds sterling]3m Quiller buy.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 5, 2004... Deltron Electronics is buying Quiller a distributor of electro-mechanical components to manufacturing firms in a [pounds sterling]3.1m deal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Deltron said the addition of Quiller--which had sales of [pounds...

BREAKTHROUGH--STORIES AND STRATEGIES OF RADICAL INNOVATION.
November 5, 2004... BREAKTHROUGH--STORIES AND STRATEGIES OF RADICAL INNOVATION Mark and Barbara Stefik MIT Press/[pounds sterling]19.95 A breakthrough creates something new or satisfies a previously undiscovered need. That, at least, is the definition...

Innovate, don't imitate: business leaders have to rely on gut feeling to spot tomorrow's winning ideas. But to do this they must wise up to technology says Anne Miller.
November 5, 2004... THE BRITISH are recognised internationally as being highly creative. The workshop of the world may have long since disintegrated into niche manufacturing, but the UK still has scientists, engineers and creatives in abundance. [ILLUSTRATION...

Heated debate.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
November 5, 2004... Stephen Bullett is quite right when he wrote that solar energy is best stored as heat (Letters, 8 October) but I disagree that it should be at 60[degrees]C. For the majority of our year, that is unrealistically and unnecessarily high....

Transport of delight?(TALKING POINT)
November 5, 2004... I agree totally with the sentiments of Nicholas Long's letter 'Going public' (Talking Point, 22 October) on the efficiency of using public transport. It is all very well making public transport cost-effective, but for commuters such as myself...

Back to the future.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
November 5, 2004... Your book review of Backroom Boys (Viewpoint, 22 October) reminded me of a conversation I had with my late father in the 1970s when I was just starting out as a young engineer. He said that for his generation the challenge was to ensure we...

On the right track: the Galileo navigation system is more than Europe's answer to the US's GPS. It is set to bring satellite tracking into everyone's day-to-day life. But can it find the cash it needs? Helen Knight reports.(GALILEO)(Cover Story)
November 5, 2004... CONSPIRACY THEORISTS and others of a paranoid disposition, beware: the number of satellites capable of tracking your location is set to double by the end of the decade, thanks to the launch of Galileo. Europe's answer to the US military's GPS...

All the wrong signals: Galileo may be a technological success, but EU infighting has already chequered its progress and now a severe cash shortfall threatens to force cost-cutting. Helen Knight assesses the likelihood of a smooth launch.
November 5, 2004... ESA WILL DECIDE in around August next year which of the two satellites will be launched into Galileo's orbit. The space agency originally planned to build just one test satellite, but a delay of almost a year--caused by a disagreement between...

Well connected: the man who invented ethernet is now set on establishing the 'internet of objects', ZigBee, linking millions of chip-enabled electronic devices across the world. Andrew Lee reports.(INTERVIEW)
November 5, 2004... BOB METCALFE is delighted to meet The Engineer. 'I'm an engineer! I love engineering,' beams the amiable New Yorker. Metcalfe did, indeed, graduate in electrical engineering back in 1969. The fact that he is still keen to refer to himself...

Smooth operator: a semi-active suspension control system first used in truck seating is making its world debut in a production car's engine mounts. Christopher Sell reports.(MECHANICAL COMPONENTS)
November 5, 2004... DELPHI USED the Paris motor show to announce two production contracts with European car manufacturers to supply its real-time suspension Magneride technology. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The semi-active suspension control system, based on...

Sea stickness: European shipbuilding consortium heads initiative to replace welding with adhesive bonding to cut building costs and improve efficiency. Jon Excell reports.(MATERIALS)
November 5, 2004... AN EU PROJECT has concluded that shipyards could at a stroke reduce their impact on the environment and become more competitive by moving away from welding and using adhesive bonding for joining lightweight materials. The findings of the...

Designing with Elan: the commercialisation of Lotus's in-house suspension analysis software means that we can all tap into the iconic car maker's design know-how. Charles Clarke savours the ride.(SOFTWARE)
November 5, 2004... IF YOU'VE EVER had the opportunity to drive a Lotus you'll understand what world-class ride and handling are all about in a car. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many of the models have had their foibles over the years. Remember the Elan with...

Made to order: Prof David Wimpenny of De Montfort University's Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Group explains how by stealth rapid manufacturing is becoming a mainstream process.(RAPID MANUFACTURING)
November 5, 2004... BY NOW most engineers are aware of rapid prototyping as a method of producing models of new products by the precise sequential addition of layers of material. Since the introduction of rapid prototyping in the late 1980s the range of...

Life preserver: there's so much more to the cost of a pump than its initial price. John Howarth, manager of the Pump Centre, stresses the importance of Life Cycle Costing.(PUMPS)
November 5, 2004... IN AN AGE OF CHEAPER and cheaper overseas imports, the concept of Life Cycle Costing (LCC) has never been more important. This critical technique, which looks beyond the initial price of an item and takes into account the cost of maintaining...

We're good, but not by right.(COMMENT)
November 19, 2004... ON THE FACE OF IT, the UK aerospace industry is in pretty good shape. Take a look inside most of the world's major aircraft programmes and you are likely to find a pleasing amount of technology and expertise from this country. ...

Rolling in luxury: Rolls-Royce launches a two-door, four-seat convertible based on the Phantom.(THE BIG PICTURE)
November 19, 2004... ROLLS-ROYCE is to build a new open-top luxury vehicle using the latest technologies to reduce weight and improve performance. The RR02, which is expected to be ready for delivery to customers in 2007, will be a two-door, four-seat...

Sailing into the deep blue yonder.(THE BIG PICTURE)
November 19, 2004... A SOLAR SAIL spacecraft propelled by sunlight is to be launched early next year. Cosmos 1 is a project of the Planetary Society, founded by the late astronomer Carl Sagan and two former members of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ...

NASA goes hyper.(THE BIG PICTURE)
November 19, 2004... NASA'S HYPERSONIC scramjet shattered another speed record this week, in what could be the last flight before funding dries up. The X-43A reached Mach 9.8, around 7,000mph, using an air-breathing engine that scoops up and compresses...

Trials of missile destroyer designed to be carried on 747s.(IN BRIEF)
November 19, 2004... Boeing has successfully fired an aircraft-mounted laser designed to form part of the US missile defence shield. The Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) is built by Northrop Grumman and features optics that focus a spot of heat on a missile's...

Successful lunar voyage for groundbreaking ESA probe.(IN BRIEF)
November 19, 2004... ESA's Smart-1 probe successfully entered lunar orbit this week, proving a raft of new technologies. Smart-1 proved its solar-electric ion propulsion engine and, by using a spiral path, travelled a similar distance to that of an interplanetary...

Award for Engineer reporter.(IN BRIEF)
November 19, 2004... Richard Fisher, news reporter on The Engineer, was named Most Promising Student Journalist of the Year at the Periodicals Training Council's New Journalist Awards this month. The award recognises Fisher's work during his journalism course at...

Staying on the rails: smarter engineering could hold the key to keeping trains on the track after a crash. Special report by Helen Knight.(NEWS)(Cover Story)
November 19, 2004... THE RAIL INDUSTRY is investigating methods to improve the design of trains in a bid to keep them upright and in-line in the event of a collision. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is launching a research...

Bags of protection: research explores methods of protecting drivers.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... TRAIN DRIVERS could benefit from airbags to protect them in the event of a collision, according to research being carried out for the Rail Safety and Standards Board. AEA Technology is undertaking an investigation into the design of cabs...

High-flyer: rotorless helicopter planned for city emergency teams.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... A PROTOTYPE rotorless, easy-to-handle helicopter that can dock with skyscrapers is to be built by 2006, following successful tests of the plane's unique control systems. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The X-Hawk, currently under development by...

Crystal clear: groundbreaking process can produce 'super crystals' more economically.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... THE SEMI-CONDUCTING crystals at the heart of next-generation high-resolution scanning and imaging devices could be produced more cheaply and efficiently thanks to a new process introduced by a Durham University spin-out company. Arnab...

Longer arm for the law ...: military could extend surveillance camera reach with UK astronomy distortion reduction method.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... THE MILITARY and police could increase surveillance camera reach by five times using a UK astronomy team's method of reducing the Earth's atmospheric distortion in images of distant galaxies. Atmospheric turbulence like wind or heat can...

... and increased life for body armour.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... MEXICAN RESEARCHERS have developed a process to strengthen fabrics with ceramic nanoparticles that could dramatically increase the lifetime of body armour, nylon and vehicle tyres. The process bonds ceramic nanoparticles on to the fibres of...

Seeing the writing on the wall: digital graffiti is to be the biggest thing since SMS, claim Siemens researchers.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... GPS-BASED technology that allows mobile phone users to post virtual messages on buildings, doors and even potholes could be as big as SMS, its developer has claimed. 'Digital graffiti', the brainchild of researchers at Siemens' Corporate...

No-jam recipe.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... NOTTINGHAM IS TO host trials of a telematics system developed by BT, capable of transmitting traffic information between vehicles and control centres. The company is leading the Traffimatics project, which is developing technologies to...

It's a rollover: trials to go ahead on wind-powered Mars rover capable of travelling 100km.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... FINNISH researchers are building a wind-propelled 'tumbleweed' Mars rover capable of rolling hundreds of kilometres, which they claim is more efficient and easier to control than previous designs. The University of Helsinki's early...

Stairway to the stars.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... NASA IS BACKING a US company to develop a lunar 'elevator' concept that could pave the way for using the technology from Earth. Star Technology and Research's elevator could transport cargo to and from a lunar base from a station at the L1...

Chemical reaction: industrial production technology could be adapted to cut cost of stationary fuel cells.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... TECHNOLOGY borrowed from large-scale chemical production could help reduce the cost of stationary fuel cells, according to BASF researchers. Stationary fuel cells are tipped to replace boilers for generating heat and power for homes,...

Giving wind farms the bird.(NEWS)
November 19, 2004... FORMER SOVIET weapons scientists have developed wind turbines that are almost silent and have a low impact on bird life, removing critical barriers to the building of wind farms. Units could also be fitted on top of homes, supplementing...

Keep up--or die: the UK aerospace industry faces tough choices over which areas of capability to let wither so others have a chance of survival, according to a sobering new study. George Coupe reports.(FOCUS)
November 19, 2004... CERTAIN ECHELONS of the aerospace industry must have given a deep collective gulp earlier this month, especially among the 'lower tiers'. It was this sector that was presented with an ultimatum by the rest of the industry: keep up or die, said...

Industrial strength boosts Siemens: strong performances from traditional divisions drive up sales and profits.(BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... ENGINEERING and technology giant Siemens ended 2004 in robust shape--thanks to strong performances from some of its traditional industrial divisions. The German group, which employs about 18,000 people in the UK, said its operations in...

Aerospace recovery helps Hampson back into black.(BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... UK AEROSPACE and precision engineering group Hampson Industries crept back into the black and flagged up a mixture of confirmed and potential orders from the likes of Rolls-Royce and GKN. The glimmer of a recovery in the civil aerospace...

Slimline tonic: after restructure, Invensys on course for stable future.(BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... UK AUTOMATION and controls group Invensys claims it is on course to put the troubles of the past few years behind it. While the company's latest set of financial results appeared to contain little good news, Invensys insisted it represents...

FKI to pull out of wind turbines and shut down DeWind.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... UK diversified engineering group FKI is to pull out of the wind turbine business and shut down its German specialist subsidiary DeWind. FKI bought DeWind in 2002, but said changes in the wind energy market had made its position...

Cambridge Silicon Radio makes its first venture into Wi-Fi.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... UK Bluetooth microchip pioneer Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) has made its first foray into the world of Wi-Fi, the longer range wireless networking technology. CSR, which has systems in almost two-thirds of the world's Bluetooth-enabled...

Transense signs global licensing deal with US's Honeywell.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... Transense, the UK company developing new sensor systems based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology, has signed a global licensing deal with US control systems giant Honeywell. The wide-ranging agreement covers the use of Transense's...

Turbo Genset confident of future, despite 12 per cent sales slump.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... Turbo Genset, the UK developer of new power generation and conditioning technologies, said it was confident about its long-term future despite a fall in sales. The Imperial College spin-out has seen sales fall 12 per cent this year due to...

Kidde buys South Africa's TSS Electronics in [pounds sterling]5m deal.(THE WEEK IN BUSINESS)
November 19, 2004... UK fire and safety engineering group Kidde has snapped up South African fire and explosion detection specialist TTS Electronics. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The purchase will cost Kidde [pounds sterling]700,000 upfront, with up to a further...

Venturing into the unknown: how Alphamosaic, thanks to groundbreaking mobile technology, moved quickly from a standing start to part of a US giant. Robert Swann reports.(VIEWPOINT)
November 19, 2004... ALL YOUNG companies eventually face a dilemma: how do you convince major customers to commit vital aspects of their product development worth many millions of dollars when you are venture capital-backed with only nascent income streams? ...

THE CAR DESIGN YEARBOOK 3.
November 19, 2004... THE CAR DESIGN YEARBOOK 3 Stephen Newbury Merrell Publishers/[pounds sterling]25 Essential coffee table fare for lovers of automotive innovation, this attractive book illustrates and assesses every totally new concept and...

Wrong track.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
November 19, 2004... High-speed train links are all very well, but the Channel Tunnel Rail Link will be unable to accommodate commuters at local intermediate stations for years, and the West Coast Main Line has resulted in cancelled connecting services locally. ...

Mission possible.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
November 19, 2004... It is sad to see the amount of publicity surrounding the failure of the Beagle mission, when the great successes of missions carried out with ESA such as XMM-Newton, Envisat and Rosetta go almost unnoticed. UK industry needs to raise public...

Weighty issue.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
November 19, 2004... I read the article 'Defying Gravity' (News, 5 November) about a microwave space propulsion unit with interest. Seeing that it was not in your 1 April issue, and bearing in mind that I am not very strong on relativity, I am still puzzling over...

Going public.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
November 19, 2004... In answer to your various pro-public transport correspondents (Letters, passim) I disagree that this form of travel, particularly city buses, is the answer to all our transport problems. My employer recently announced with great fanfare a...

Giant steps ...: manned lunar bases are a mouthwatering prospect for scientists that could further our understanding of space and provide a springboard to Mars. Richard Fisher reports.(LUNAR BASE)
November 19, 2004... WHILE THE footprints of Neil Armstrong have remained quietly preserved on the lunar surface for 30 years, they may soon be erased in a flurry of activity, as the world's space agencies get ready to return men to the Moon within the next 15...

Winning formula: Malcolm Roberts heads a division of BAE Systems that has helped put McLaren on the podium and also enabled the aerospace firm to bring state-of-the-art F1 technologies to aircraft. Helen Knight reports.(INTERVIEW)
November 19, 2004... NOT MANY companies can claim to use a Formula One racing car as a test rig. But, thanks to a partnership with McLaren, BAE Systems is using the team's racing car to trial emerging technologies and gain valuable operating hours for its systems...

Maintaining the balance: there's little doubt that preventive maintenance is a far better option than waiting for something to break down, but what technologies are available and how should they be used? Martin Oakham investigates.(MAINTENANCE)
November 19, 2004... TODAY'S CNC machine tools have extremely fast spindle speeds, feeds and rapid traverse rates, yet must also achieve high positioning accuracy and maintain tolerances throughout a production run. Such demands are of course the driving force...