The Engineer
June 2012 Online
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Solar concentrator makes use of telescope mirrors
9 Jul 2012
US astronomers are adapting mirrors used in telescopes for concentrated solar energy generation.
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Frazer-Nash completes support to BP Bruce gas turbine project
29 Jun 2012
Frazer-Nash Consultancy has announced the completion of its support to the BP Bruce gas turbine exhaust replacement project.
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Team reveals breakthrough in chemical catalyst development
29 Jun 2012
Engineering researchers claim to have made a major breakthrough in the development of a catalyst used during the production of petrol, plastics, biofuels and pharmaceuticals.
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Lithium-ion battery can be painted onto most surfaces
29 Jun 2012
A lithium-ion battery that can be painted onto virtually any surface has been developed at Rice University.
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New entity could help British companies access markets
29 Jun 2012
An entity aimed at helping British companies expand globally and access new markets has been formed by British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association and UK Trade and Investment.
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London's first cable car
28 Jun 2012
Emirates has built a new cable car that climbs up to 90m above the River Thames in east London.
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Renewable energy generation figures rise in Scotland
28 Jun 2012
New figures show that renewable electricity generation in Scotland was 4,590GWh in the first quarter of 2012, up 1,435GWh on the first quarter of 2011.
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Sensors could enhance wave energy generation efficiency
28 Jun 2012
The efficiency of wave energy generation could be enhanced up to two-fold using sensor technology to predict the force and characteristics of incoming waves and mechanical modifications to adapt to them.
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Elkon electrical systems set to power Turkish Navy vessels
28 Jun 2012
Elkon (Istanbul), a member of Imtech Marine, has signed a contract for the design and supply of the complete electrical systems to power three Turkish Navy auxiliary vessels.
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Veolia sells UK-regulated water activities to Rift Acquisitions
28 Jun 2012
Veolia Water UK has agreed to sell the UK-regulated water activities of Veolia Environnement to Rift Acquisitions for £1.2bn.
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Gas-filled microparticles can quickly oxygenate blood
28 Jun 2012
Researchers have designed gas-filled microparticles that can be injected directly into the blood stream to quickly oxygenate the blood.
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CET signs deal with oil and gas major to conduct design study
28 Jun 2012
Corac Energy Technologies has concluded a new agreement with a global oil and gas major to conduct a funded design study.
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Free guide helps start-ups to get their products to market
28 Jun 2012
Cambridge Consultants is offering a free guide to help start-ups get their products to market.
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LG acquires shareholding in Rolls-Royce fuel-cell business
28 Jun 2012
LG has invested $45m to acquire a 51 per cent shareholding in Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems (US).
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Technique means that titanium dioxide could be better applied
28 Jun 2012
Titanium dioxide could be applied more efficiently in a range of applications following the development of a technique that controls the crystalline structure of the compound at room temperature.
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Multi-junction solar cells come from just one compound
27 Jun 2012
Materials scientists have found a way to create multi-junction solar cells that absorb different parts of the solar spectrum, but fabricated from just a single compound.
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Surface vehicle could give assistance to lifeguards
27 Jun 2012
Arizona-based Hydronalix has developed a surface vehicle that could provide assistance to lifeguards and help save lives.
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NanoKTN work contributes to nanotechnology sector success
27 Jun 2012
The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network announced today that it has helped the UK nanotechnology industry secure more than £20m in funding and commercial sales.
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£100m to fly to the moon
27 Jun 2012
An Isle of Man company is aiming to take customers to the moon from 2015.
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Range Rover Evoque wins Royal Academy's top prize
27 Jun 2012
The team behind the Range Rover Evoque has won the UK’s most prestigious engineering prize, the Royal Academy of Engineering’s MacRobert Award.
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Technique enables the creation of thinner thin-film solar cells
27 Jun 2012
Researchers have found a way to create thinner thin-film solar cells without sacrificing the cells’ ability to absorb solar energy.
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Nanodiamonds could enhance washing detergent efficiency
26 Jun 2012
Tiny pieces of diamond could be used to help improve the effectiveness of washing detergents at lower temperatures, according to new research.
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Raytheon wins funding under quantum computer programme
26 Jun 2012
Raytheon BBN Technologies has been awarded $2.2m in funding under the Quantum Computer Science programme sponsored by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity.
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Pipeline repair group receives investment from FW Capital
26 Jun 2012
A Jarrow-based pipeline repair company has received £700,000 in investment from FW Capital, which manages the North East Growth Plus Fund.
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BP agrees to sell interests in two North Sea fields to Mitsui
26 Jun 2012
BP announced today that it has agreed to sell its interests in the Alba and Britannia fields in the UK North Sea to Mitsui for $280m in cash.
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Cabot set to buy activated carbon specialist Norit
26 Jun 2012
Cabot Corporation has entered into an agreement to purchase activated carbon specialist Norit from affiliates of Doughty Hanson & Co Managers Limited and Euroland Investments for $1.1bn.
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BP agrees to sell Wyoming operations to LINN Energy
26 Jun 2012
BP has agreed to sell its interests in the Jonah and Pinedale upstream operations in Wyoming to LINN Energy LLC.
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Altering surface textures 'improves heat transfer'
26 Jun 2012
Researchers at MIT claim that heat transfer in everything from computer chips to power plants could be improved by altering surface textures.
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Light-twisting technique could speed up internet connections
26 Jun 2012
A new way of transmitting data by twisting beams of light could help make internet connections thousands of times faster.
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Biodegradable artery graft could change bypass practice
26 Jun 2012
A biodegradable artery graft developed in the US could mark a shift away from cell-centred approaches to tissue engineering.
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Researchers seek to design next-generation EV motors
26 Jun 2012
A new collaborative research project is aiming to design the next generation of motors for electric vehicles.
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Method could facilitate cheaper and thinner solar cells
25 Jun 2012
US researchers have found a way to create cheaper and slimmer solar cells without sacrificing their efficiency.
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Technology could monitor hip replacements for signs of wear
25 Jun 2012
A new device could monitor hip replacements for signs of wear, powered only by the movement of the user’s walk.
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Material can be magnetically and electrically polarised
25 Jun 2012
Researchers in Copenhagen have discovered a new material that could open up possibilities for sensors of the future.
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Neutron microscope could aid creation of high-tech materials
25 Jun 2012
A new neutron super microscope that will help pave the way for new high-tech materials is under construction in the UK.
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Spotlight on sport and innovation
25 Jun 2012
The relationship between sport and engineering, and the future of the UK’s defence aerospace sector are both on the agenda in the coming days
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Start-up works on 'spray-on' photovoltaic windows
25 Jun 2012
A US solar energy start-up has developed a technique for manufacturing its ‘spray-on’ photovoltaic windows.
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The goal of the game
22 Jun 2012
Calls for goal-line technology followed Ukraine’s disallowed goal against England on Tuesday. But which technologies are being looked at?
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Engineers develop improved thermoelectric transducer
22 Jun 2012
Japanese engineers have developed a thermoelectric transducer that could be used to capture waste heat in previously unsuitable applications.
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Mould-making technology could speed up product development
22 Jun 2012
A new way of rapidly producing prototype moulds for vacuum-forming processes could help make product development quicker and cheaper.
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Batteries for renewable energy storage could be made cheaper
21 Jun 2012
A team of scientists in Germany has shown that liquid metal batteries used to store renewable energy can be made much cheaper.
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Initiative could lead to better industrial production processes
21 Jun 2012
A new government initiative will aim to identify research and technology that has the potential to underpin better production processes in industry.
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Rolls-Royce looks to civil nuclear after MoD contract
21 Jun 2012
Rolls-Royce is hoping to win new civil nuclear business using capabilities secured by a £1.1bn contract with the Ministry of Defence.
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Interaction of technology and healthcare in developing countries
21 Jun 2012
The role of technologists in public health is a vital one, says guest blogger Peter Young, especially if the UN’s goal of reversing the spread of tuberculosis in the developing world by 2015 is to be met.
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Technique allows use of water and air to create visual displays
21 Jun 2012
Researchers in Cambridge have helped develop a way that water and air can be used to store information and even create visual displays.
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Raytheon looks set to develop cheaper silicon carbide wafers
21 Jun 2012
Defence manufacturer Raytheon has received government funding that will be used to develop cheaper silicon carbide wafers.
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Device could help save water while hot tap is warming up
21 Jun 2012
A new device could help cut the amount of water wasted while waiting for a hot tap to warm up.
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Atkins sees revenues rise despite drop in UK business
20 Jun 2012
Engineering consultancy Atkins, which is heavily involved in the London 2012 Olympic Games, has seen revenues rise despite a shrink in UK business.
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Underground CO2 storage 'could cause small quakes'
20 Jun 2012
Storing carbon dioxide underground is likely to cause earthquakes that could release the gas back into the atmosphere, according to new research.
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Researchers develop firefly-inspired glowing nanorods
20 Jun 2012
Researchers have created bioluminescent nanorods, mimicking the way fireflies produce natural light.
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Shall the geek inherit the Earth?
20 Jun 2012
A new book argues that politics in the UK is hampered by a lack of evidence-based policy making. If politicians take heed, it might result in a more balanced House of Commons
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Space company aims to fly customers to the Moon
20 Jun 2012
A British space-exploration company has revealed its aim to fly the public to the Moon from 2015 — providing they have £100m for a ticket.
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Rolls-Royce wins core contract for Royal Navy's nuclear subs
19 Jun 2012
Rolls-Royce has won a £1.1bn government contract to produce new reactor cores for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines.
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Photovoltaic system could offset diesel power generation
19 Jun 2012
A low-cost and readily deployable concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system could offset diesel power generation in remote locations.
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Firm aims to mass-produce tree-derived NCC particle
19 Jun 2012
A Canadian company believes it can mass-produce strengthening nanoparticle additives derived from cellulose in trees.
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Microsoft seeks to rival Apple iPad with two tablet computers
19 Jun 2012
Microsoft has announced details of its first tablet computers and the specialised manufacturing process used to create them.
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Device detects and fills tarmac cracks as it moves along road
19 Jun 2012
US researchers have developed a system that automatically detects and seals tarmac cracks as it moves along a road.
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Emergency vehicle-response system goes under test
18 Jun 2012
An innovative emergency vehicle-response system has been successfully tested on a private network at MIRA.
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China completes first successful manned space docking
18 Jun 2012
A Chinese spacecraft carrying three astronauts has docked with an orbiting module, marking the country’s first manned space docking.
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Device used to sniff out out industrial emissions
18 Jun 2012
‘Electronic nose’ technology developed in Canada could be used in the UK to monitor the dispersal of odours from industrial plants
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Renewable hopes and concerns
18 Jun 2012
Several events this week will looking at specific ways to address the issue of how to meet our energy needs without causing irreparable damage to the planet.
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Cybercrime protection costs exceed threat, says research
18 Jun 2012
The cost of protecting ourselves against cybercrime can far exceed the cost of the threat itself, according to new research.
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Doosan wins Serbian power plant refurbishment contracts
15 Jun 2012
Doosan Power Systems has been awarded two major refurbishment contracts by ElektroprivredaSrbije (EPS) for the Nikola Tesla power plant complex in Serbia.
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Cutting the price of offshore wind
15 Jun 2012
Earlier this week the government reassured the energy sector that the price of offshore wind could be reduced from an average of £140/MWh down to a mouth-watering £100/MWh. But what technologies will are needed to do this?
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UK manufacturing industry set to benefit from R&D projects
15 Jun 2012
UK manufacturing is to receive a £6.5m innovation boost through 16 new research and development projects to develop new production technologies.
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Energy harvester could reduce the battery burden on soldiers
15 Jun 2012
A new body-worn energy harvester could reduce the need for soldiers to carry large batteries to power their equipment.
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Data shows continued growth in UK automotive production
15 Jun 2012
UK car production continued to grow last month, despite a recent fall in the country’s overall manufacturing output, new data shows.
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Researchers use Kinect gesture control in stroke rehab system
15 Jun 2012
UK researchers have developed a home recovery system for stroke patients using Microsoft’s Kinect gesture control device.
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Road accident alert technology successfully undergoes testing
14 Jun 2012
A system that instantly alerts emergency services to road accidents has just undergone a successful round of testing at the innovITS test track in the UK.
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Solar thermal system set to cut costs at Spanish food factory
14 Jun 2012
Novel solar thermal technology that can heat oil for making potato crisps is set to slash a Spanish food factory’s fuel costs.
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Material could enable cheaper method of carbon capture
14 Jun 2012
A cheaper method of carbon capture could emerge from the creation of a unique porous material by UK researchers.
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Report outlines how to reduce the cost of offshore wind
14 Jun 2012
The Offshore Wind Reduction Task Force has informed industry and government what must be done in order to cut the cost of generating electricity from offshore wind turbines.
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Autonomous braking systems to be assessed by Euro NCAP
13 Jun 2012
Euro NCAP is to start assessing autonomous emergency braking systems in its star rating from 2014.
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Hima-Sella wins contracts to enhance Northern Rail stations
13 Jun 2012
Hima-Sella has been awarded and has commenced work on two contracts to provide full design and delivery services for customer information system (CIS) and public address enhancements at three Northern Rail stations.
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Infinergy to build Intermet carbon-neutral energy plant
13 Jun 2012
Infinergy has won a contract to create a carbon-neutral energy plant worth more than £1m for Intermet Refractory Products.
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Physicists seek to determine the origin of cosmic X-rays
13 Jun 2012
UK researchers are hoping to determine the origin of cosmic X-rays using new satellite technology scheduled for launch by NASA today.
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Emergency power in disaster zones
13 Jun 2012
Electricity is vital to providing medical care in areas ravaged by natural disaster and war, but ensuring the supplies are both reliable and safe often requires some ingenuity, as guest blogger Paul Jawor explains.
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Biomedical disc could improve treatment of chronic back pain
13 Jun 2012
Researchers in the US have created a new biomedical device to treat chronic back pain.
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PowerWind sells five wind turbines to UK and Poland
13 Jun 2012
German wind turbine manufacturer PowerWind has sold five wind turbines to the UK and Poland.
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Drone alone
13 Jun 2012
Opening civil airspace to UAVs could speed the development of the technology but industry must first address a raft of technical, regulatory and safety issues
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EPSRC funds projects designed to improve flood protection
13 Jun 2012
Damage and disruption caused by flooding could be mitigated in the future following three EPSRC-funded projects designed to improve protection and recovery from such events.
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BMW's Hams Hall facility set to produce i8 sports car engines
12 Jun 2012
The new generation of three-cylinder petrol engines for the future BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car will be produced at BMW’s engine plant at Hams Hall, near Birmingham.
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Carbon nanotube material could lower cost of fuel cells
12 Jun 2012
Microscopists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping colleagues at Stanford University to understand the catalytic properties of a newly developed carbon nanotube material.
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Eco-friendly paints could prevent ship hull biofouling
12 Jun 2012
New environmentally friendly bottom paints have been developed in Sweden to prevent biofouling on ships’ hulls.
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Solar investment more popular than wind in 2011, reports say
12 Jun 2012
Two new reports show that solar generation attracted more investment than wind in 2011.
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Qualter Hall set to refurbish Port of Dover ro-ro berths
11 Jun 2012
The Dover Harbour Board has commissioned Qualter Hall to carry out major refurbishment works to three ro-ro berths — 3, 2 and 7 — in the Eastern Docks, Port of Dover. The work will be carried out in partnership with Hollandia.
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Strathclyde University secures funding for research centre
11 Jun 2012
Strathclyde University has secured £6.7m in European funding for the construction of its Technology and Innovation Centre.
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Findings show zebrafish can be influenced by bioinspired robot
11 Jun 2012
Experiments have shown that live zebrafish can be influenced by a biomimetic robot modelled on the same genus of Danio rerio.
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Technology Strategy Board offers future cities funding
11 Jun 2012
British cities are being invited to demonstrate how they could integrate city infrastructure to increase quality of life and reduce impact on the environment.
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Atkins wins design contract for Hong Kong Link Road scheme
11 Jun 2012
Atkins has won a four-and-a-half-year lead engineering design contract for the new Hong Kong Link Road (HKLR) scheme, which will connect the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the region’s international airport.
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Haydale and CTi reach HDPlas supply agreement
11 Jun 2012
Haydale and Cheap Tubes Inc have reached an agreement for the latter to act as the exclusive agent for the supply of the Haydale HDPlas nano products in the US, Canada and Mexico.
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Team creates laser-like X-ray beams from tabletop device
11 Jun 2012
The first laser-like beams of X-rays generated from a tabletop device could lead to new advances in medicine, biology and nanotechnology development.
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Speedo uses ANSYS simulation to develop racing swimwear
11 Jun 2012
Engineering simulation software has been used to design a three-piece swimming suit from Speedo that could help swimmers break Olympic records.
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Cammell Laird set to build two vessels for Western Ferries
11 Jun 2012
Cammell Laird has won a multi-million-pound contract to build two new vessels for Western Ferries.
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Swedish Army orders hybrid unmanned aircraft systems
11 Jun 2012
AeroVironment has received a firm fixed-price order for 12 hybrid small unmanned aircraft systems from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration on behalf of the Swedish Army.
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Power to the people
11 Jun 2012
Electric vehicles, offshore wind energy, eco-technology and the electricity network are all up for discussion this week.
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Biological modelling method could have industrial uses
11 Jun 2012
A method of modelling biological cell-to-cell adhesion could also have industrial applications, according to physicists at New York University.
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MIRA reports third successive year of record turnover
8 Jun 2012
MIRA achieved double-digit growth in 2011, marking a third successive year of record turnover, which rose by 12 per cent to £42m.
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NRL scientists develop solar cell that works under water
8 Jun 2012
US Navy researchers are developing a solar cell that can work under water.
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Shrimp study could lead to lighter military body armour
8 Jun 2012
The appendages of mantis shrimp are being studied in order to create military armour that is one third of the weight and thickness of existing body armour.
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What's the real limit for solar powered aircraft?
8 Jun 2012
This week saw the first successful intercontinental solar-powered manned flight with Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard flying the €90m Solar Impulse HB-SIA straight into the record books. But if you scan the skies for a second you’ll soon find that some solar powered planes are flying that extra bit further.
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Mabey Bridge secures REpower wind-turbine tower order
8 Jun 2012
Mabey Bridge has secured an order with REpower to manufacture and supply 53 wind-turbine towers for wind farms across Cumbria, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and France.
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Middlesbrough centre will aid work in thermal technologies
7 Jun 2012
A newly opened National Thermal Technologies Innovation Centre will allow businesses to develop advanced waste-energy and reclamation strategies and integrate them into their day-to-day operations.
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Team develops web-enabled touch-based local newspaper
7 Jun 2012
Cambridge-based pioneers of printed ink-based electronics are working with a journalism school to deliver an interactive, touch-based local newspaper.
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Micro-robotics system could simplify abdominal surgeries
7 Jun 2012
EU-funded researchers are developing micro-robotics and micro-system technologies to make abdominal surgeries less complicated, invasive and costly.
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Nottingham X-ray machine enables study of liquid surfaces
7 Jun 2012
Nottingham University will soon be home to a new liquid X-ray machine that could improve catalysts.
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Pilot successfully lands Solar Impulse aircraft in Morocco
7 Jun 2012
After an 830km flight lasting a total of 19 hours and eight minutes, pilot Bertrand Piccard safely landed solar aircraft Solar Impulse HB-SIA in Rabat-Salé international airport, Morocco.
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Researchers look at human tissues with microscopy
7 Jun 2012
A relatively new microscopy technique can be used to improve understanding of human tissues claim researchers in the US.
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Damaged lungs could be made viable for transplantation
6 Jun 2012
Damaged lungs from organ donors could soon be made viable for transplantation owing to a new technique.
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Samsung Electronics acquires Nanoradio for wireless
6 Jun 2012
Samsung Electronics has acquired Nanoradio, a developer of ultra-low-power wireless LAN chipsets for high-speed wireless access in mobile phones.
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Scientists work on carbon catalysts to speed up reactions
6 Jun 2012
Scientists in Norway are developing carbon catalysts that could be used instead of precious metals to speed up chemical reactions.
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Chemring announces sale of marine business to Drew
6 Jun 2012
Chemring has announced the sale of Chemring Marine to Drew Marine for £32m, payable in cash.
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Company looks at production methods for nanoparticles
6 Jun 2012
A Nottingham-based company is aiming to drive a step change in the volume and efficiency of industrial nanoparticle production.
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On the outside, shouting in
6 Jun 2012
Recent comments on industrial policy from the president of the Royal Academy of Engineering suggest that the government needs a better structure for advice on engineering and industrial policy if it’s to identify strategic sectors
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Researchers look at cerebellum stimulation to aid walking
6 Jun 2012
Studies conducted in the US suggest that cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation could help people relearning how to walk.
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Amplifier circuits could collect data inside nuclear reactors
6 Jun 2012
Engineers have designed and fabricated integrated amplifier circuits that operate up to 600°C.
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Researchers develop intelligent cutting and deboning system
1 Jun 2012
Advanced imaging technology and a robotic cutting arm have been employed in a prototype device that automatically debones chicken.
