The Engineer
20 February 2004
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Bearings get an airing
4 Mar 2004
A Brunel University spin-out has developed a compressor technology that is lubricated by thin air instead of oil and could squeeze the last few drops from dwindling natural gas resources. Jon Excell reports.
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Buoyant future
4 Mar 2004
Plans in the west country to install an electrical hub on the seabed could provide a much-needed boost for the burgeoning wave power industry.
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Ford transmission has a brain of its own
4 Mar 2004
Ford has developed an automatic four-speed transmission system for its Fiesta and Fusion models, which constantly adapts to provide optimum performance for various driving conditions.
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Overseas growth drives Ricardo
4 Mar 2004
Engineering consultant Ricardo had a torrid time in the UK last year with project cancellations and a shortage of new orders adding up to a miserable end to 2003 for the highly-rated automotive technology specialist.
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Robotic exoskeleton enhances human strength
4 Mar 2004
Robotics researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a self-powered exoskeleton to effectively take the load off people's backs.
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Stripping the wires
4 Mar 2004
A spaghetti junction of wires and connections will vanish from Boeing's next generation of passenger airliners thanks to technology developed by UK engineer Smiths Group.
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Fluid lenses bring things into focus
3 Mar 2004
At this year's CeBIT Exhibition in Hannover Germany, Philips Research is demonstrating a unique variable-focus lens system that has no mechanical moving parts.
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Micro-hybrid in transit
2 Mar 2004
In a £1.2 million project, UK automotive specialist Ricardo is to demonstrate technologies for a micro-hybrid diesel delivery vehicle based on the existing Ford Transit. The 'HyTrans' project will be carried out in partnership with Ford Motor Company, Valeo and the Gates Corporation.
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10 Gbit/sec Ethernet over copper
1 Mar 2004
The IEEE has put its stamp of approval on a new standard that defines how copper cable can be used with Ethernet systems running at 10 Gbit/sec.
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Say goodbye to frostbite
1 Mar 2004
New gloves developed by a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher can protect hands and fingers in cold winter conditions.
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CFD in motion
27 Feb 2004
Among its new capabilities, Blue Ridge Numerics' CFdesign v7.0 includes a Solid Motion Module that shows the interaction and effects between a physical device and its fluids environment.
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Thanks for the memory
24 Feb 2004
Synopsys, a developer of semiconductor design software, is to acquire Monolithic System Technology and Accelerant Networks in two multi-million dollar deals.
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Reaching for the moon
23 Feb 2004
David Smith has many an engineer's dream job: putting together an infrastructure for Boeing to take man first on a revisit to the Moon, then on to Mars. Rob Coppinger reports.
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Airships are not a blimp on the horizon
20 Feb 2004
For three-quarters of a century the airship has been banished to the book of engineering embarrassments. But give it a chance, says David Windle, and the zeppelin could be a high-flier.
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All-round radar
20 Feb 2004
The world's first radar system capable of providing simultaneous 360 degree ground surveillance has been developed in Europe.
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Disempowered
20 Feb 2004
The Regenesys energy storage system - one of the UK's most promising fledgling technologies - is in limbo after its new German owners pulled the plug when it was on the very brink of commercialisation.
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DWDM SFP Transceiver
20 Feb 2004
TriQuint Semiconductor's Optoelectronics Division has added DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing) SFP transceivers to its NetLight SFP transceiver family.
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Engine strategy pays off for Rolls-Royce
20 Feb 2004
Rolls-Royce said the combination of world-beating technology and a strong business model added up to a storming 2003.
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Jam warfare
20 Feb 2004
Unmanned aerial vehicles could be used to jam enemy air defence systems in future conflicts, following flight tests held in Germany.
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Making a splash
20 Feb 2004
The Splash, developed by Swiss design house Rinspeed, is a one-off concept car that can be driven on the road, through water and - courtesy of hydraulically-powered folding hydrofoils - across the surface of the water.
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Material assets
20 Feb 2004
The UK-based Culham Science Centre has been given £48m to prepare for important international decisions on the future of fusion research.
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Pocket of resistance
20 Feb 2004
The solution to HIV diagnosis in the third world could be provided by a portable protein detector powered by a nine volt battery.
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Refining operations
20 Feb 2004
With remote monitoring and control via the web becoming more common, it could be the way forward for chemical, pharmaceutical and other process industries to keep tabs on operations. Stuart Nathan reports.
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Shedding a new light on earthquake damage
20 Feb 2004
Detecting structural damage caused by earthquakes will be 100 times easier thanks to a new optical strain gauge, according to its US developers.
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Stress relief
20 Feb 2004
A portable X-ray device designed to detect stresses in large components such as turbine blades and aircraft wings has been developed by researchers at Oxford University.
