The Engineer articles from October 2004

The Engineer archives from October 2004

UK can stay in pole position.(This Week)
October 8, 2004... THE ROW BETWEEN Silverstone's owners and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone over the future of the British Grand Prix has its amusing aspects. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Public spats between outspoken figures such as Ecclestone and the...

We're all going on a starry holiday; Burt Rutan nets Ansari prize and heralds the birth of the space tourism industry.(The Big Picture)
October 8, 2004... SPACESHIPONE went into space for the second time in two weeks on Monday, the first privately manned spacecraft to do so, and secured the $10m Ansari X-prize. The spacecraft was taken to 50,000ft by its mother ship, White Knight, where it...

Motorsport World Cup on A1 form.(The Big Picture)
October 8, 2004... THIS IS THE A1 Grand Prix car being unveiled to the world in the colours of the UK racing team, more than a month after first pictures of the vehicle appeared exclusively in The Engineer (27 August). The UK-designed car was on show in London in...

Dawn of a new ESA.(The Big Picture)
October 8, 2004... THE UK HAS confirmed it is joining the next stage of ESA's European Preparatory Space Exploration Programme, Aurora. Prof Ian Halliday, chief executive of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), announced that the UK will...

Staying cool with 'spiky' clothes.(In Brief)
October 8, 2004... Staying cool with 'spiky' clothes Researchers at Bath University have developed intelligent clothing that adapts to changes in temperature to keep wearers comfortable, using micro technology that mimics the way pine cones open up and emit...

Holographic display allows drivers to keep eyes on the road.(In Brief)
October 8, 2004... Holographic display allows drivers to keep eyes on the road Engineers at the Centro Ricerche Fiat in Italy have developed head-up display technology that creates a virtual image close to the driver's gaze. This means motorists do not have...

US space agency to trial rendezvous equipment.(In Brief)
October 8, 2004... US space agency to trial rendezvous equipment NASA plans to test its autonomous docking technology in orbit later this month. The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) system uses a video guidance sensor and GPS to...

Deep detector: BP and Shell back world's first fibre-optic seismic oil well monitoring system.(News)
October 8, 2004... FOUR MAJOR OIL companies are backing the world's first fibre-optic seismic monitoring system for off-shore oil reservoirs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Qinetiq will lead the project to develop and deploy a permanent underwater oil reservoir...

Saved by cell-off: Regenesys rescued from hi-tech obscurity by Canadian power group.(News)
October 8, 2004... UK-DEVELOPED electricity storage system Regenesys has been saved from the technological scrapheap after being bought by a Canadian company. Vancouver-based VRB Power Systems said Regenesys, which is billed as the world's biggest battery,...

UK engine boost: bank loan under appraisal to fund next-generation engines.(News)
October 8, 2004... THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to inject [euro]350m ([pounds sterling]240m) into a UK-based car manufacturer--believed to be Ford--to fund major advances in engine technology. The proposed loan, which is under appraisal,...

Tailor-made: UK companies investigate technology to allow motorists to have components custom-made at their local dealer.(News)
October 8, 2004... MG ROVER and Ford Premier Automotive Group are investigating technology to allow motorists to design and customise parts of their new car at a local dealership, where they could then be built on site. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Flexi-manufacture: EU backs project to produce variable-material prosthetics.(News)
October 8, 2004... A CONSORTIUM of over 30 European companies has received [euro]16m ([pounds sterling]11m) of EU funding to break new ground in rapid manufacturing. While existing attempts at rapid manufacture--such as the US army's spare parts...

Easy parker: computerised system takes the stress out of parking.(News)
October 8, 2004... GERMAN AUTOMOTIVE engineers have unveiled technology that parks your car for you. The technology is likely to enter series production in 2007, according to its developer, Bosch. Specifically developed to take the pain out of parallel...

Making a key advance ...: UK team aims for total security with world's fastest quantum encryption system.(News)
October 8, 2004... UK RESEARCHERS have built the world's fastest quantum key distribution system, a major step in the move towards transmitting large amounts of unbreakable coded information. The team, led by Dr Gerald Buller of Heriot-Watt University's...

... as broadband provides an alternative.(News)
October 8, 2004... A TECHNIQUE for 'hiding' information within broadband light could provide a cheaper and faster alternative to quantum encryption, Scottish engineers claim. Dr Andy Harvey, senior lecturer at Heriot-Watt University's school of engineering...

Compound interest: US unveils unmanned lightweight helicopter design with extra speed and thrust.(News)
October 8, 2004... THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN of an unmanned reconnaissance and combat helicopter has been unveiled by Bell Helicopter. The design is the Lockheed Martin-led bid for the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) project, a multi-million dollar,...

EU may go it alone on ITER reactor build.(News)
October 8, 2004... THE EU WOULD be prepared to go it alone and build an ITER-scale fusion reactor at Cadarache, France, if there is no international agreement on where to locate the prototype, according to Janez Potocnik, the incoming commissioner for research....

Going for gold: creation of low-cost nanoparticles for food packaging could prolong shelf life.(News)
October 8, 2004... PLASTIC STORAGE containers and food packaging could soon be manufactured with built-in anti-microbial properties, following the creation of low-cost, polymer-compatible gold and silver nanoparticles. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This would...

Sandia tackles a sensitive issue.(News)
October 8, 2004... A HANDHELD DEVICE developed by Sandia National Laboratories is claimed to be able to detect motion a thousand times smaller than any known instrument. The US system, which could be available within three years, allows movement as small as...

End of the nuclear winter? The newly created Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will not only clean up the UK's old reactors, it could be just what the industry needs to clean up its public image.(Focus)
October 8, 2004... IF TONY BLAIR does serve a full third term he will at some point come under intense pressure to confront the issue of nuclear power. If, however, the vicissitudes of political life allow him to defer making decisions on the subject for one last...

Security ramp-up boosts TRL: as global investment in sophisticated security increases, UK counter-terrorism expert sees product demand rise.(Business)
October 8, 2004... COUNTER-TERRORISM technology specialist TRL Electronics said demand for its products is on the rise in the UK and around the world as countries invest in increasingly sophisticated security and surveillance systems. TRL, which provides...

Brunel and CVM in [pounds sterling]4.5m spin-out funding deal.(Business)
October 8, 2004... BRUNEL UNIVERSITY has signed a 10-year deal with a major venture capital group to provide [pounds sterling]4.5m worth of funding for engineering and technology spin-out companies. Close Venture Management (CVM)--a division of City...

Good looker: Polaron looks to nanoscience to boost 3D analysis system.(Business)
October 8, 2004... A UK COMPANY hopes the fast-emerging nanoscience sector will prompt big demand for its pioneering analysis technology. Polaron claimed its Oxford University-developed 3D Atom Probe (3DAP) is well placed to meet the growing demand for...

The week in business.(Business)
October 8, 2004... BAE Systems acquires yet another defence systems specialist in the US BAE Systems hit the US acquisition trail again with the [pounds sterling]50m purchase of Alphatech, a US specialist in defence intelligence systems. [ILLUSTRATION...

It's ok to use the 'N' word: many are too ready to dismiss nuclear power due to its tarnished image and their prejudices. But maybe it's the best option we have, argues David Windle.(Comment)
October 8, 2004... THE OTHER DAY I transgressed an unwritten law of the chattering classes and used both the 'N' and the 'P' words out loud and in public. The conversation shuddered to a halt and was replaced by narrowed eyes and sharp intakes of breath. I had...

Hot point.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 8, 2004... I read William Nuttall's article 'The sunny Side of Solar Power' (Comment, 24 September) with incredulity. The most worthwhile domestic reason for capturing solar energy is not trying to convert it to electricity at the pathetic...

Bad tidings.(Talking Point)
October 8, 2004... Bearing in mind the recent hurricanes which lashed the Caribbean and parts of the US--and the huge amount of tidal power they unleashed--I find it inconceivable that a politician comes out with the scare-raising quote 'we must have nuclear...

Plane annoying.(Talking Point)
October 8, 2004... Your item 'Project gives air play to mobiles' (The Big Picture, 24 September) on Airbus's revelation that mobile phones can, after all, be used on an aircraft without interfering with the plane's systems raises an interesting question. ...

Holland won ...(Talking Point)
October 8, 2004... I refer to your story 'Free wheeling' (News, 6 August) relating to free-piston engines and of research work being done to exploit this in the study of compression ignition with variable compression ratios. The output of the engine is intended...

Cold calling: the conditions are extreme, the engineering and logistical demands immense ... the British Antarctic Survey has put out a challenge for a hi-tech design for its next station.(New Antarctic Base)
October 8, 2004... IT'S ONE OF THE most demanding technical challenges this side of a space programme, but with a fraction of the budget. Build a research centre in one of the most hostile environments on Earth, where average temperatures range from -5[degrees]C...

Age concern: David Leakey, head of Norgren's European medical division, is addressing a vital issue: the fact that more of us are living longer.(Interview)
October 8, 2004... THE OLD 'three score years and 10' rule of thumb for a decent lifespan may need to be revised. The wizards of demographics tell us that more of us are going to get older--much older--before our time is up. But if, as all informed...

Wind of change: a fundamental rethink over the way wind turbines generate electricity could lead to improved efficiency and lower maintenance costs.(Wind Turbines)
October 8, 2004... WITH POLITICIANS, celebrities, David Bellamy and anyone else with a passing interest weighing in with an argument about the impact and aesthetics of wind farms it's easy to forget about the technology. But while the public debate rages on, wind...

Heavyweight answer: UK company's racing car-style engineering technique claims to improve aerodynamics on trucks--dramatically cutting fuel bills.(Aerodynamics)
October 8, 2004... BY APPLYING engineering techniques usually reserved for racing cars to heavy goods vehicles, a UK engineering company has developed a system that is claimed to dramatically improve fuel efficiency. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

A fizzical approach: a breakthrough in medical technology is claimed to make operations more accurate by enabling surgeons to see medical instruments more clearly.(Medical Design)
October 8, 2004... A BIOCOMPATIBLE COATING for medical instruments that fizzes on contact with fluids has been developed by engineers at TWI. It's claimed that the technology could make operations more accurate and less traumatic by enabling surgeons to see...

Needs must: there is no substitute for formal software training. Not only does it keep you up to pace with advances in technology, it can also improve productivity.(Software)
October 8, 2004... THERE IS A STRONG misconception that if your CAD/CAM product looks like Microsoft Word it is easy to use and you don't need training. If anything, if your software looks like other Microsoft products, training is essential for you to use it...

Industrial coatings: impending EU legislation that will force manufacturers to prove that chemicals are safe could have dire consequences for the coating industry says Tony Newbould of the British Coatings Federation.(Overview)
October 8, 2004... ON 29 OCTOBER last year the EU adopted a proposal for a new regulatory framework for chemicals. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals) will require anyone who manufactures or imports more than one tonne of a...

Going green with infrared: as manufacturers demand coating systems that are both production-efficient and meet environmental regulations, the hunt is on for technologies that can help.(Overview)
October 8, 2004... DEMANDS FOR cleaner, greener industrial processes are not going to go away. Environmental and regulatory pressures of the type outlined on page 44 inevitably have a knock-on effect on the application and processing of coatings, fuelling the...

Composite cohesion: with the increasing use of hybrid construction in automotive applications, traditional welding techniques are being replaced by mechanical fastening and adhesive bonding.(Overview)
October 8, 2004... THE REQUIREMENT for weight savings, lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions has led to a growing trend in automotive manufacture to combine different materials such as steel, aluminium, or polymer composites. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Update.
October 8, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Temperature Labfacility have launched LABFACILITY 201 Sensors the...

Brain teaser.(Problem Page)
October 8, 2004... Construct a 10-digit number such that the first digit denotes how many zeros the number contains, the second digit denotes how many ones it contains, and so on to the 10th digit, which denotes how many nines there are in the number. (Hint:...

You could help celebrate a design icon.(Problem Page)
October 8, 2004... From its unveiling at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, the E-Type Jaguar was a sensation. The E-Type--Story of a British Sports Car, at the Design Museum until 28 November, celebrates this design icon. Featuring rare cars and memorabilia from...

Tech need challenge.(Problem Page)
October 8, 2004... Heated exchange This challenge is to find a new method of measuring temperature in an existing furnace which runs as hot as 1,800F. The US company concerned is currently using ceramic encased thermocouples which are approximately 4ft long,...

Patent of the week.(Problem Page)
October 8, 2004... NOT TO BE SNIFFED AT It is ironic that we as human beings would not consider (students excepted of course) wearing the same clothes for more than a day or two, yet do not think twice about subjecting our feet to the same shoes for days,...

Space: the final farce.
October 22, 2004... It has emerged that NASA's $250m (#139m) Genesis space probe, which smashed into the Utah desert last month, did so because switches designed to detect re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere and trigger its parachutes were installed backwards....

Honey, I shrunk the SUV.
October 22, 2004... Volvo designs a small electric car to appeal to big car drivers An all-electric concept car dreamt up by engineers at Volvo signals an intention by the manufacturer to develop smaller, more environmentally friendly models. The...

X marks the invention.
October 22, 2004... The World Technology Network (WTN) and X Prize Foundation are planning a series of X Prizes for scientific or technological breakthroughs that tackle the most important human challenges. The submissions are expected to focus on 'holy...

Wising up to brown dwarfs.
October 22, 2004... A new space-based telescope project has been approved by NASA, which will allow researchers to scan the entire sky in infrared light in search of nearby cool stars and planetary construction zones. Similar in principle to night-vision...

France puts an end to phones that go bleep in the dark.
October 22, 2004... Mobile phone signals will be jammed in French cinemas and theatres to prevent the devices disturbing the audience. The French government has backed a move to install equipment to block the signals, although emergency calls will still be...

Elderly to be monitored via Bluetooth shirt alert.
October 22, 2004... Researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore have invented a shirt designed to send out an alert should an elderly person suffer a fall. Using Bluetooth technology, the shirt will send a signal to a mobile...

US set to integrate the smart card into the passport.
October 22, 2004... The US government has signed a deal with Israeli-based SuperCom as the prime contractor for the integration of smart card technology into its new electronic passports. The passports will be embedded with a chip containing personal...

Gamma-ray vision.
October 22, 2004... UK develops ultra-sensitive drive-through bomb detector for ports and airports A UK company has built a highly sensitive drive-through cargo scanner for ports and airports that can better distinguish between a terrorist dirty bomb and...

Waste not, want not.
October 22, 2004... Germany leads the way in exploiting thermoelectric phenomenon to convert used heat into electricity Materials that efficiently convert waste heat to electricity could soon be used to save energy in cars and around the home. The...

Oh, for the wings of an insect.
October 22, 2004... A CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY team is developing flapping wings powered by piezoelectric motors for future military surveillance micro-planes. Piezoelectric-controlled wings could better mimic an insect's complex wing motion - the holy grail of...

Going for NOx out.
October 22, 2004... A new system for direct-injection engines could end need for expensive aftertreatment Lotus Engineering is developing a new combustion system for gasoline direct inject engines, based on its active valve train technology, to improve...

Weight watchers.
October 22, 2004... EU-funded project tests advanced composite floorpan A EUROPEAN research consortium has announced a breakthrough in cutting the weight of cars by producing and testing a full-scale carbon fibre floorpan. The EU-funded TECABS project...

Terahertz tagging.
October 22, 2004... UK security system aims to protect high-value goods UK researchers have developed an anti-counterfeiting security tag that uses a terahertz scanner to unlock hidden information. A layer of tamper-proof opaque plastic covers a hologram...

Deflecting the issue.
October 22, 2004... NASA-funded research could protect astronauts from space radiation Electrostatic shield generators to protect astronauts and lunar bases from space radiation are being developed in the US with funding from NASA. An electrostatic...

Mars and back in 90 days.
October 22, 2004... A propulsion system developed by the University of Washington could cut the duration of missions to Mars to as little as 90 days, its developers claim. With current technology it would take around two and a half years to travel to Mars,...

Turning the heat on water.
October 22, 2004... High-temperature helium-cooled reactors could be an efficient supply of hydrogen Hydrogen to fuel cars, industry and homes could be produced cleanly and, crucially, economically using the heat generated by nuclear power stations, US...

The power of magnetism.
October 22, 2004... UK researchers are developing a more efficient and sensitive power source for wireless sensors activated by magnetic fields, for use inside engines, buildings or the human body. Wireless sensors can already scavenge power from a magnetic...

Nasa scramjets starved of oxygen.
October 22, 2004... As the US space agency prepares for its fastest-ever hypersonic flight, political pressure means its research is to be shelved in favour of Moon and Mars missions. Julia Pierce reports Unlike boxers and footballers, national space...

Eastern promise.
October 22, 2004... Rolls-Royce secures #500m Trent engine deal with All Nippon Airways Rolls-Royce has got off to a dream start in its bid to become the leading engine supplier for the Boeing 7E7, with Japan's All Nippon Airways choosing its Trent 1000 to...

High-speed valve hits the road.
October 22, 2004... A prototype camless engine based on Camcon's binary actuator system is to be developed, after the company agreed to license its technology to automotive supplier Powertrain. The Birmingham engine and transmission maker will use the...

Magnetic fields.
October 22, 2004... OHM's deep-sea energy breakthrough wins friends Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping (OHM), which uses electromagnetic sensors to find new energy reserves, claimed that its technology is winning over the oil and gas industries. the UK...

US giant Qualcomm gains European foothold with purchase of Trigenix.
October 22, 2004... Trigenix, a Cambridge specialist in mobile phone handset systems, has been bought by US wireless technology giant Qualcomm for $36m (#19m). Founded in 2000, Trigenix has developed technology that allows mobile handset manufacturers and...

Broadband and 3G roll-out cheer Marconi as turnover tops #300m.
October 22, 2004... Marconi reported a six per cent sales growth in Q2. The company's turnover reached #305m in the three months ending September, as the roll-out of broadband internet and 3G phone networks by its customers gathers pace. Marconi said it...

Torque Tension Systems to upgrade TransAlaskan pipeline pump stations.
October 22, 2004... A UK specialist in hydraulic systems for the oil and gas industry has won a major contract on the Trans-Alaskan pipeline project. Torque Tension Systems (TTS), of Bedlington, in the north east, was the only UK engineer invited to bid for work...

Oxford Instruments and Varian in three-year technology contract.
October 22, 2004... Oxford Instruments has agreed an extended contract to supply superconducting magnets and other specialist technology to Varian, the medical systems giant. The UK advanced instrumentation group has signed a three-year deal to provide...

Siemens buys into BBC Technology in #2bn outsourcing deal.
October 22, 2004... Siemens has bought a significant chunk of the BBC's technology operation as part of a #2bn, 10-year outsourcing deal. It means BBC Technology, the BBC division responsible for innovations in areas such as production and camera control,...

On the right track.
October 22, 2004... The UK government is about to trial electronic tagging devices that keep tabs on offenders via satellite. Oliver Leisten reports The idea of using celestial bodies to pinpoint location is not new. It has been around since Columbus used the...

BOOK REVIEW: BACKROOM BOYS: THE SECRET RETURN OF THE BRITISH BOFFIN.
October 22, 2004... BACKROOM BOYS: THE SECRET RETURN OF THE BRITISH BOFFIN Francis Spufford (Faber #8.99) For anyone despairing at the current state of the UK innovation, Spufford's book should be marketed as an antidepressant. It is divided into six...

TALKING POINT - Letter: Going public.
October 22, 2004... After reading S Scott's letter 'Bad tidings' (Talking Point, 8 October) I am reminded of an issue I was considering recently. The government is pushing us to use public transport instead of private cars, but nobody seems to have...

FIGHTER AIRCRAFT: Drop the pilot.
October 22, 2004... The government needs to stop dithering about the next generation of fighter aircraft, or the UK is in danger of being left behind technologically. Many believe the future is unmanned. Richard Fisher reports The UK is learning the...

JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER.
October 22, 2004... Eurofighter isn't the only programme with relationship issues. The US F- 35 Joint Strike Fighter involves nine nations including the UK. Partners like Australia, Denmark and Norway have publicly expressed discontent at how the US has allocated...

INTERVIEW - GLYNNE BOWSHER: Full steam ahead.
October 22, 2004... First bitten by the speed bug when he worked on the land speed record breaking Thrust II vehicle, Glynne Bowsher can now bring this passion to his long-running interest in steam power. Julia Pierce reports For most people, steam travel...

MATERIALS: Joined-up composites.
October 22, 2004... Plans to build on the UK's strength in composites technology include the setting up of a national network to disseminate knowledge and link research and development with industry. Christopher Sell reports Boeing has already attracted...

MATERIALS: Human endurance.
October 22, 2004... Engineers and scientists are co-operating more closely in the hunt for robust, cost-effective materials to produce artificial replacements for the human body which do not trigger rejection. Andrew Lee reports The relentless demand on...

PROCESS: Friendlier reactions.
October 22, 2004... The days when simply adding filters to a chemical plant's waste pipes was considered an environmentally friendly act are long gone. Nowadays the focus is on the process steps themselves. Stuart Nathan reports The environmental...