Engineering news
Will he deliver? Amazon's Bezos unveils Moon lander concept
The Engineer
After conquering Earth and becoming its richest person, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has revealed a lunar lander concept to take his empire one step further. Unveiled alongside plans for an uncrewed mission by 2024 and orbital space colonies, the Blue Moon lander from Blue Origin is a double-decker structure capable of carrying a 6.5 tonne payload.
Under the sea – the perfect place to store emissions?
The Guardian
Climate change experts are increasingly clear that tackling the monumental challenge for the good of the planet and humanity will not only involve reducing future emissions, but also capturing and storing previously released gas. An ambitious new European project aims to capture 10m tonnes of CO2 at three ports and store it under the North Sea. The gas will be piped into porous sandstone 3km beneath the seabed.
‘Carbon neutral’ next year – but does Bosch 2020 target make material change?
Professional Engineering
Bosch could become the first ‘carbon neutral’ major industrial company next year thanks to a programme of in-house improvements to energy use and efficiency. The German engineering and manufacturing multinational trumpeted its seemingly ambitious project yesterday (9 May), pledging to neutralise 3.3m tonnes of carbon emissions per year thanks to initial increases in the purchase of green electricity and carbon offsetting. But the initiative must go “a lot further” if it ignores imports of unsustainable materials however, according to an expert.
Driverless subway trains on track
Rail Technology Magazine
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has celebrated a "major milestone" after Glasgow's first driverless subway train arrived and began testing. The trains will be installed as part of a £288m modernisation. The vehicles are the same length and size as current trains but with windows looking ahead at the front.
End of King Coal's reign?
The Guardian
The UK has gone a whole week without burning coal for electricity for the first time since the Industrial Revolution. Renewable energy picked up much of the slack, but other sources such as gas and nuclear also played a large part in keeping the lights on.
A new reality for car production
Professional Engineering
Student engineers have claimed a world first in racing car production after using augmented reality (AR) to assist a “nerve-racking” process that is key to the vehicle’s integrity. The University of Bath team are using a Rocketmakers AR tool as they build their entry for Formula Student 2019, the IMechE’s celebrated motorsports competition. The AR tool on Microsoft Hololens headsets is aiding construction of the car’s monocoque, guiding the application of carbon fibre laminates.
Future of roadworks?
E&T
Technology developed for autonomous vehicles in Australian mines has been adapted and added to 25-tonne self-driving trucks. Operators hope the vehicles, which can carry 40 tonnes, will help speed up roadworks.
Self-healing concrete could cut costs – but regulations need time to set
Professional Engineering
Self-healing concrete holds great promise for future buildings, helping to massively reduce costs by removing the need for repairs. International standards must be developed, however – and costs need to come down.
DroneBullet shoots suspicious UAVs out of the sky
New Atlas
A range of imaginative ideas have already attempted to protect secure sites and the public from dangerous drones, including nets and birds of prey. Now, AerialX has gone back to basics with the DroneBullet, a small guided missile-style device designed to fly into drones and knock them out of the sky.
A different kettle of fish: is Airfish 8 plane-boat hybrid a marine travel game-changer?
Professional Engineering
Wigetworks hopes to transform marine travel with its Airfish 8, a wing-in-ground (WIG) vehicle that takes advantage of the ground effect for fast, efficient cruising just above the surface of the water. Flying at 7m or lower it enjoys higher air pressure on a ‘cushion of air’ beneath its body and less lift-induced drag, reaching a maximum speed of 196km/h or cruising speed of 148km/h – much faster than a 50km/h ferry, for example.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.