Engineering news
Breaking the 300mph barrier
Top Gear
A pre-production Bugatti Chiron model has hit 304.77mph on the test track, becoming the first ever hypercar to break the 300mph (482.8km/h) barrier. The record-breaking run was enabled by a number of modifications to the Chiron, Top Gear reported, including a long tail with reduced cross section, laser-controlled ride height and an 8l, quad-turbo engine nicknamed Thor.
Hydrogen and graphite from sewage
Energy Live News
Biogas from sewage will be transformed into hydrogen and graphite in a ‘world first’ £8.8m facility in Australia. The sustainable hydrogen from the Hazer Group plant will be useful for industrial applications, while graphite could be used as battery anodes.
A village just for cars
Professional Engineering
The safety and security of self-driving vehicles will be fine-tuned on 70km of test tracks in a new ‘Autonomous Village’. Officially opened by future of transport minister George Freeman, the facility at Millbrook in Bedford also includes a ‘simulator suite’ for developers and a private mobile network for 5G testing. The village has six purpose-built workshops to support mechanical, integration and software development for self-driving vehicles from passenger cars to buses.
Tesla shifts into third
The Guardian
The Tesla Model 3 was the third most popular car sold in the UK in August, new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders have revealed, with only the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf selling more. Sales of electric cars almost doubled in 12 months, although they only account for just over 1% of purchases this year.
Sportswear-style prosthetics approved
The Engineer
A sportswear-inspired prosthesis designed for accessibility, low cost and ease-of-use has received a CE Mark, meaning it can be used for medical applications. The prosthetic arm from Mitt Wearables is combined with a number of interchangeable tools, helping restore independence for users by tackling a variety of tasks.
Mars mission-inspired implant could save lives
The Engineer
Researchers at Leicester University have developed a new left ventricular assist device, an artificial heart pump to help patients with heart failure before potential transplants. The pump, which can be inserted through the skin, was inspired by the harsh environments and reliability requirements of Mars rover missions.
Exoskeleton lightens the load
New Atlas
Exoskeletons are likely to become much more common in future, protecting workers as they go about any strenuous unautomated work. Hyundai has unveiled its Vex exoskeleton, a lightweight, spring-based system for the upper body that assists workers as they work on overhead tasks, such as fitting parts to the underside of cars.
Major new battery projects could transform your future electric car
Professional Engineering
The government’s Faraday Institution announced up to £55m of funding for five R&D groups to improve battery performance and cost. “It is imperative that the UK takes a lead role in increasing the efficiency of energy storage as the world moves towards low carbon economies and seeks to switch to clean methods of energy production,” said Faraday Institution CEO Neil Morris. The projects are expected to run over four years, aiming to advance scientific knowledge and eventually commercialise new technologies and processes.
GKN Aerospace cuts jobs
Aerospace Manufacturing
GKN Aerospace will cut roughly 1,000 non-production jobs, reducing layers of management and support functions to focus on operations. The reduction to the global workforce is roughly 5.5% of its employees.
Flying taxis, ‘earthscrapers’ and insect kebabs
Professional Engineering
Underground skyscrapers, 40-minute flights from London to New York, Quidditch-style aerial sport – and nuclear fusion might even be a viable energy source. Those are some of the many predictions for 50 years’ time in a new report, Samsung KX50: The Future in Focus. Written by six of the UK’s prominent academics and futurists, including Royal Academy of Engineering director of engineering and education Dr Rhys Morgan, it forecasts massive advances in sectors including transport, construction and biomedical engineering.
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