Viscount Weir Prize 2020

The Viscount Weir Prize for outstanding lectures, given at an Automobile Division Centre, is awarded to Professor Jamie Turner, University of Bath for his lecture on ‘Transport in the Low Carbon Age’.

Professor Turner's lecture gave a pragmatic view of the need to balance environmental, economic, infrastructure and sustainability in the quest for carbon neutrality. He presented the case for fuelling internal combustion engines with carbon-neutral liquid fuels whilst adopting a sensible level of plug-in EV capability. Also he proposed radically developing CO2 extraction from the atmosphere as already piloted by space craft and submarines, to make use of the 'gas tank in the sky’.

Kieran O’Sullivan, Plastic Omnium Automotive Ltd. for his lecture on ‘Bumper Systems development at Plastic Omnium’.

His lecture covered the history of bumper technology, from the steel strips of the 1920s to the sophisticated assemblies of today, which incorporate lighting, camera and radar systems. Each milestone was illustrated by the design features of the bumper system of a typical vehicle, as well as the manufacturing processes employed. 

The development of the bumper system for the Jaguar XF was used to show the contemporary development process, from initial design concept through to final production feasible engineered solution.