Engineering news
Solar sailing
The Planetary Society
The LightSail 2 spacecraft has successfully deployed and used its solar sail in orbit. Roughly the size of a boxing ring, the sail is changing the craft’s orbit using just the ‘light pressure’ of the Sun’s rays, the first ever demonstration of that capability. Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye said the crowdfunded technology is a “game-changer” that could be key to advancing space exploration.
No-deal fear
Professional Engineering
Hundreds of millions of pounds that would be better spent on new technology and environmental issues are instead being spent mitigating against the potential effects of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has said. The industry has already spent at least £330m on “contingency plans” including stockpiling materials, securing warehouse capacity, investing in new logistics, extra insurance and training in new customs procedures. Many manufacturers also moved annual plant shutdowns from the summer to April – ahead of an expected Brexit deadline in March – which cannot be repeated ahead of the proposed departure date on 31 October.
An energetic wave
New Atlas
A new Swedish-Israeli project will harness the power of the ocean by installing an energy-harvesting system along a 30m breakwater in Jaffa Port, Israel. The Eco Wave Power system uses floats that rest on the surface of the water and rise up and down with the waves, lifting hydraulic arms and driving a generator on land. The project, which will reportedly be built “in the near future”, could encourage increased use of wave energy elsewhere.
Learning change
Process Engineering
Nearly all manufacturers contacted for a survey said the apprenticeship levy must be changed, with the “vast majority” reportedly saying the system needs to be employer-led and fund wider training. The Make UK survey of 205 manufacturers also found that only 19% spent their entire levy last year. Most still used the scheme, however, with 65% recruiting an apprentice in the previous 12 months.
A change of heart
Professional Engineering
A new method has brought us one step closer to printing full-sized, adult human hearts – and the process is reportedly so accessible that even school pupils could work with it. A team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University printed tissue scaffolds out of collagen, the major structural protein in the human body, using the technique. Known as Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (Fresh), it has allowed the researchers to overcome some of the huge challenges associated with existing 3D bioprinting methods.
NASA explores new partnerships
Space.com
NASA has announced partnerships with 13 companies to boost space exploration efforts. Projects include a fuel cell power system for Blue Origin’s lunar lander, a SpaceX method to transfer fuel into orbit and a prototyping ‘breadboard’ for in-orbit antenna assembly from Maxar Technologies.
Tesla charges up
The Verge
A huge new battery from Tesla could replace “peaker” power stations currently needed to top up energy supply in times of high demand, The Verge reported. The 3MWh Megapacks, which will be delivered fully assembled, will first be installed at Monterey Bay in California. They reportedly take up 40% less space and can be put together 10 times quicker than conventional energy storage solutions.
Printing fuel
The Engineer
Australian researchers have 3D-printed and tested solid rocket fuels, which could be used in safer and easier-to-control hybrid rockets. Future work will experiment with different sizes, shapes and surface areas for the fuels.
Hydrogel printing makes wearables more flexible
The Engineer
Engineers have successfully printed flexible, high-performance sensors by using a hydrogel printing surface and transferring the printed carbon nanotubes on to a wearable substrate. Flexible sensors could be important in digital healthcare and human-machine interfaces, the Korean researchers said.
Looking around the bend
Professional Engineering
Researchers have developed a camera system that can look around corners, something that could transform self-driving car capabilities in future. Using hardware, scanning and image processing speeds that are “already common” in autonomous car vision systems, the system scans walls opposite scenes of interest. The light bounces off the wall, hits the objects in the scene then bounces back to the wall and to the camera sensors. Only “specks” remain by the time the laser light reaches the camera, the team said, but the sensor captures them all and uses a bespoke algorithm to “untangle the echoes” and reveal the scene – albeit in very blurry, fuzzy shapes and colours.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.