Engineering news
Detonation engine could propel aircraft to Mach 17
New Atlas
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a new type of detonation engine, which they say could propel aircraft to 17-times the speed of sound. The oblique wave detonation engine, also known as the standing wave engine, produces a continuous detonation that is fixed in space.
Huge underground source of energy going untapped
Professional Engineering
A vast underground source of heat energy is currently going untapped in the UK, a new report has highlighted. Deep geothermal heat energy could be deployed in urban areas to heat thousands of large properties, according to the report, which was published yesterday (13 May) by the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) and Arup. The organisations urged the government to support the sector to help cut carbon emissions and create thousands of jobs.
’Quiet’ supersonic technology installed on X-59 research plane
Aerospace Manufacturing
Technology that could reduce the volume of supersonic flight has been installed on NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (Quesst) research plane. Air intakes for the environmental control system (ECS) and the ECS exhaust have been installed on top of the wings, instead of on the underside of the aircraft, a design that could ‘substantially’ reduce the plane’s sonic boom. The vehicle, in development at Lockheed Martin, could fly for the first time next year.
More than £1bn apprenticeship levy money goes unspent
Professional Engineering
Thousands of opportunities to train new manufacturing and engineering apprentices were missed last year as £1.039bn in apprenticeship levy funds expired. The money, which could have provided vital training to fill jobs as the country comes out of lockdown, went unspent in the nine months from May 2020. The huge amount was revealed by manufacturers’ organisation Make UK, which called on the government to ‘rethink’ how levy money can be spent to boost essential skills.
HS2 boring machine gets to work
The Engineer
Florence, a 170m-long tunnel boring machine, has set off digging a 10-mile tunnel under the Chiltern Hills for HS2. Designed to tackle a mix of chalk and flint, the machine is expected to cover 15.6m per day.
’Wearable cockpit’ could change fighter-jet controls forever
Professional Engineering
The fighter-jet cockpit is one of the ultimate expressions of engineering complexity, baffling to anyone other than pilots and aerospace engineers. In future it will be decidedly more minimalist, however, thanks to systems like the 'wearable cockpit' at BAE Systems. We spoke to human factors manager Suzy Broadbent about the project.
Eviation prepares to fly electric plane
New Atlas
Eviation is preparing to test fly its 11-seater electric plane, New Atlas has reported. The Alice aircraft has a forecast range of 814km on a single charge of its 820kW/h battery pack.
The project faced a setback last year after a prototype caught fire during ground testing of batteries, as Professional Engineering reported at the time.
MoD orders 14 Chinooks from Boeing
Aerospace Manufacturing
The Ministry of Defence has ordered 14 heavy-lift Chinook helicopters from Boeing. The £1.4bn contract is for the H-47(ER) model, featuring a digital cockpit, modernised airframe and a digital automatic flight control system.
Firefly-style bioluminescent probe monitors internal organs
Professional Engineering
The biochemical reaction that gives fireflies their glow has been replicated in a medical probe to help monitor the health of internal organs. An international team of researchers at the University of Missouri developed the low cost, portable medical imaging device, which could reduce the need for more invasive testing. Potential uses include developing better treatments for cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases.
Tiny injectable chip monitors conditions
E&T
Researchers at Columbia University in New York have developed a injectable implant that can monitor parameters such as temperature, glucose levels and blood pressure. The implant features a tiny single-chip system with a volume of less than 0.1mm3.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.