The Engineer articles from November 2007

The Engineer archives from November 2007

COMMENT: University challenge.
November 12, 2007... On any particular day you do not have to search too hard for headlines that paint a downbeat picture of the UK's education system. Failing schools, illiterate and innumerate children and universities offering 'Mickey Mouse' degrees are...

THE BIG PICTURE: Style station.
November 12, 2007... Award-winning train shed at St Pancras has been lovingly restored in a massive engineering project 'Nothing can be finer than the quality of the work, both in brick and stone. Great care has been taken in preserving the bond of the...

THE BIG PICTURE: Clear views ahead.
November 12, 2007... Display technology usually found on military fighter jets may one day be fitted in rail cabs to help drivers avoid distractions, say engineers. Watching the track ahead for signals and potential hazards is a vital part of a train...

THE BIG PICTURE: Hydrogen hails shipping.
November 12, 2007... In a world first, hydrogen fuel cells, a technology that has made substantial inroads in the automotive industry, have been adapted to power a lighthouse. The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has successfully demonstrated the ability...

IN BRIEF: #1.3m for TB research.(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... A portable device capable of analysing patients' sputum to detect traces of TB is to be developed by The Open University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine thanks to #1.3m award from The Wellcome Trust. The shoebox-sized...

IN BRIEF: Cheaper hybrid batteries.(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... The Department for Transport is part-funding a two-year project between Qinetiq and Ricardo to cut the costs of Lithium-Ion batteries used in hybrid vehicles. Project RED-LION (Reduced cost Li-Ion) aims to demonstrate the application of new...

IN BRIEF: LHC ready for the freeze.(Brief article)
November 12, 2007... Robert Aymar, CERN's director-general, last week sealed the last interconnect in the cryogenic system of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's most powerful particle accelerator. The system is designed to cool 36,800 tonnes of material...

NEWS: High fibre diet.
November 12, 2007... UK university/industry collaboration aims to make home internet speed 1,000 times faster A consortium of UK universities has received nearly #5m of government funding to develop technology that could make home internet at least 1,000...

NEWS: Step in the right direction.
November 12, 2007... Foot monitoring device for diabetics that could mean fewer amputations is set to trial in the US AN insole for diabetics that precisely monitors the temperature of a wearer's foot could help prevent tens of thousands of foot amputations...

NEWS: One-track mind.
November 12, 2007... CCTV system claims to autonomously keep tabs on people in a crowd, even if they change appearance BAE Systems has developed a CCTV camera system that it claims can autonomously track individuals even if they change their appearance or try...

NEWS: Sweet inspiration.
November 12, 2007... Honeycomb-structured material may improve performance of composites A Bristol University-led EU project has developed a material that could provide industry with an alternative to currently available core materials used for building...

NEWS: Travel tracker.
November 12, 2007... A wireless network aims to co-ordinate the vast amount of information required at airports As airports begin to integrate new security measures such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to track people and luggage, they will need a...

NEWS: Know the face.
November 12, 2007... New software aims to boost the accuracy of automated facial recognition systems Big brother may be watching you but it doesn't mean he recognises you, which is why researchers at University College London (UCL) are developing new...

NEWS: Prize mission.
November 12, 2007... Successful trials boost Thales' hopes for an #85m MoD radar contract The Royal Danish Navy has completed successful sea trials of Thales' SMART-S MKII compact multi-beam Doppler radar aboard the multi-purpose frigate Absalon. Thales...

NEWS: Efficiency drive.
November 12, 2007... Research into DC-DC converter could improve performance of hybrid vehicles A consortium of UK companies and universities is developing a new form of DC-DC converter for use in hybrid cars. The research, part-funded by the Technology...

VIEWPOINT: Invest in excellence.
November 12, 2007... To ensure UK industry retains a world-class workforce it is imperative that we improve training and education before it is too late, argues Bob Gibbon I am often asked 'What if we train our staff and they leave?' For me, the simple...

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: High powered.
November 12, 2007... As the need to save energy becomes an integral part of building design wind can be an indispensable factor, helping to drive ventilation and heating or generating power via turbines. Stuart Nathan reports The film is scratched and...

INSIGHT: Body clock.
November 12, 2007... A marriage of electronics and textiles has led to a new system to monitor an athlete's vital signs. Jon Excell reports When he crossed the finishing line at last week's New York Marathon Tim Borland could have been forgiven a slight...

INTERVIEW: Cream of the crop.(Interview)
November 12, 2007... Bruce Grieve is director of a new innovation centre that will use engineering technologies to help agribusiness feed the world's growing population. Jon Excell reports Ever since humans first began living in organised societies,...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Gear change.
November 12, 2007... Torotrak claims its transmission technology could boost environmental performance by improving fuel economy of public transport. Siobhan Wagner reports UK gearbox designer Torotrak claims its transmission technology could boost the...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - LINEAR MOTORS: Two-way travel.
November 12, 2007... For the first time, standard linear motors can simultaneously provide movement along two axes, thus reducing the number of motors. Siobhan Wagner reports A technique that for the first time allows standard linear motors to provide...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - HYBRID POWER SYSTEMS: Triple alliance.
November 12, 2007... German company unveils triple hybrid power system designed for forklifts, but with a wide variety of heavy-duty applications. Siobhan Wagner reports A triple Hybrid power system, combining a fuel cell, battery and supercapacitors has been...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Steel appeal.
November 12, 2007... We may value metal, but the industry must get its act together if it is to compete with plastics in terms of promotion, innovation and new- project advice, says Tim Jones With so many of our everyday consumer goods - from TVs to...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - CFD/FEA: Model solutions.
November 12, 2007... Improved software and increased hardware capacity have allowed the development of more effective systems for a wider variety of users. Charles Clarke explains what's on offer The most basic issues governing what is possible in computer...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - FLUID POWER: Total package.
November 12, 2007... With competition from overseas markets manufacturers must become more inventive, offering customers whole-system rather than just single products. Julia Pierce reports The UK is leading radical developments in the field of fluid power...

CAREERS: Fertile fields.
November 12, 2007... Jobs are plentiful in the oil and gas industry and increasingly engineers can take their pick of employers who are competing to recruit and retain staff. Julia Pierce reports The UK oil and gas industry has contributed #25bn to the...

COMMENT: Making innovation mean business.
November 26, 2007... Ever since 1963 when prime minister Harold Wilson spoke about the 'white heat of technology' the UK has battled to harness the power of innovation for the national good. Of course, every economically developed nation has been engaged in...

THE BIG PICTURE: Gone fishing.
November 26, 2007... A remote sensing platform modelled on the manta ray may help inspect undersea pipelines and cables A remote-controlled 'fish', whose form and kinematics are modelled on the movement of the manta ray, has been developed by a German...

THE BIG PICTURE: First mission for UAV.
November 26, 2007... A UK-developed autonomous unmanned aircraft has seen operational use for the first time after flying a mission in Afghanistan, said BAE Systems. Although BAE admits the high endurance rapid technology (HERTI) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)...

THE BIG PICTURE: Shield passes heat test.
November 26, 2007... Boeing has delivered what it says is the largest ablative heat shield ever constructed for a spacecraft. It has been made for NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry into Earth's...

IN BRIEF: Synthetic fuel study.(Brief article)
November 26, 2007... Companies including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Qatar Airways and Shell are to study the potential benefits of using gas-to-liquid synthetic jet fuels in aviation engines. They will evaluate potential improvements in fuel economy and overall...

IN BRIEF: Faster test results.(Brief article)
November 26, 2007... Portable devices that will allow doctors to test patients for bacteria and viruses are to be developed by Newcastle University spin-out Orla Protein Technologies and Japan Radio (JRC). They will be used to perform tests on patients without...

IN BRIEF: Digging deeper.(Brief article)
November 26, 2007... Chevron Corporation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have launched an energy research programme to develop remote, ultra- deepwater exploration and production technology.The $5m Chevron Remote and Ultra-Deepwater Research...

NEWS: Laser leap.
November 26, 2007... Diode with the world's shortest wavelength could be used as a monitor for biowarfare A project to develop laser diodes with the world's shortest wavelength is due to start next month at Sheffield and Bristol universities. If successful,...

NEWS: Roll out the barrels.
November 26, 2007... First full-field subsea separation and injection system aims to boost North Sea oil production AN EXTRA 35 million barrels of oil could be extracted from the Tordis Field in the North Sea thanks to a new subsea separation system which...

NEWS: Milk stout.
November 26, 2007... UK universities to develop tough, biodegradable nanocomposite from coconut gel Engineers at Imperial College London and Manchester University are planning to use a gel product from coconut milk to develop a biodegradable nanocomposite. ...

NEWS: Busy bodies.
November 26, 2007... Academia/industry project investigates truly hands-free system for mobiles Glasgow University and the Nokia Research Centre in Helsinki are hoping to develop new ways for people on the go to get the most from their mobile phones and...

NEWS: Border patrol.
November 26, 2007... Continuous monitoring technology turns fibre-optic cables into acoustic security sensors Qinetiq has teamed up with Sensoptics to develop and distribute technology designed to provide greatly enhanced levels of security around perimeter...

NEWS: Flow formula.
November 26, 2007... A mathematical forecasting system will analyse the causes of traffic waves that cause congestion a mathematical framework for forecasting traffic flow on motorways to help manage congestion is being developed at Bristol University. ...

NEWS: Thought control.
November 26, 2007... International collaboration aims for wheelchair with robotic arm manoeuvred by brainwaves Scientists from Ulster University and the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur hope to develop a wheelchair and robotic arm that can be...

VIEWPOINT: End this green dogma.
November 26, 2007... We all have a duty to use resources more efficiently, but taxing top- end cars out of the market is short-sighted politics that could damage the UK economy, says Jim O'Donnell It is astonishing how quickly the environmental agenda has...

LETTER: Value the apprentice.(Letter to the editor)
November 26, 2007... I have read the 'The right training' correspondence on the subject of apprenticeships (Letters, 12 November). I am a five-year apprentice/HND 'old school' engineer, now at director level for 15 years, so I hope I'm qualified to comment. ...

LETTER: Solutions are known.(Letter to the editor)
November 26, 2007... With reference to carbon dioxide emissions and how a political stance overrides any real debate covering solutions to the problem, I agree with much of what constitutes 'common sense', (Talking Point, 12 November). My old cars, a VW Golf...

LETTER: Lightbulb moment.(Letter to the editor)
November 26, 2007... Your article 'Hydrogen hails shipping' (The Big Picture,12 November) has come at the perfect time. The principles highlight that the future for proper low-energy lighting is obviously LED, and the technology is arriving faster than we...

AEROSPACE: Ground control.
November 26, 2007... Designers of civil aircraft simulators are leaving no stone unturned in the never-ending quest for improved efficiency and enhanced realism. Jon Excell reports It's a fascinating period in aviation history. Aerospace engineers, who were...

AEROSPACE: A close encounter with Salt Lake City.
November 26, 2007... The first thing you notice is the noise: it's the evocative sound of an aircraft getting ready for take-off, the sound of business trips and holidays. Any second now a member of the cabin crew will open the door and offer me a coffee. I...

INSIGHT: Radiating confidence.
November 26, 2007... With the need to detect sources of radiation stronger than ever, one UK company has adapted existing technology to monitor sheep still affected by Chernobyl's fallout. George Coupe explains One morning in 1986, the UK woke up to the news...

INTERVIEW: Strategic thinker.(Interview)
November 26, 2007... After years at the helm of Airbus UK, career engineer Iain Gray takes on the challenge of running the government's new Technology Strategy Board. Stuart Nathan reports Tucked away around the back of Swindon's railway station is the nerve...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Precise answer.
November 26, 2007... Airbus-initiated project results in robotic system that is claimed to drill and rivet aircraft parts with greater accuracy and more speed. Siobhan Wagner reports For many years strict accuracy specifications have meant that the aerospace...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - RAPID TOOLING: Pinpoint accuracy.
November 26, 2007... UK company adapts its own pin tooling process to create injection moulded components without the need for machining. Siobhan Wagner reports A UK rapid tooling technology company has developed a production process that can create injection...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY: Field of its own.
November 26, 2007... Integrated Ethernet technology claims to increase communication rates between PLCs and assembly line machines 10-fold. Siobhan Wagner reports An automation network technology that is claimed to increase communication rates between PLCs...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Plane facts.
November 26, 2007... While the complexities of aircraft seating design seems to make it an ideal candidate for rapid manufacturing, there is still a development gap, says Tim Steward Aircraft seating designs are often specially made for particular airlines....

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - SOFTWARE: Plan ahead.
November 26, 2007... Choosing the correct IT solutions is crucial to the successful implementation of lean manufacturing. Charles Clarke explains Best-in-Class manufacturers know that successful implementation of lean manufacturing relies heavily on the right...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - CONDITION MONITORING: Smooth operators.
November 26, 2007... Manufacturers of condition monitoring systems are helping to prevent production downtime with a range of versatile and hardwearing products. Colin Carter reports Manufacturing downtime costs money. Whether it occurs in a small, discrete...