Unmanned flight used for agricultural monitoring

Aug 13th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil | 0 Comments

Working in partnership with Aberystwyth University’s new biosciences centre IBERS, QinetiQ has successfully completed the UK’s first flight of an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for agricultural monitoring.

Farmers and foresters increasingly need accurate and timely information on the state on the land they occupy. For example, by mapping the fertiliser requirements of arable crops, farmers can ensure they only apply the precise amount of fertiliser required, saving them money and preventing the pollution that occurs when nitrate fertilisers are over-applied.

The QinetiQ team acted as systems integrator for the specially adapted UAV platform and flew a more than 15 flights during the ‘work up’ phase of this U-MAP programme, supported by the Welsh Assembly Government.

The UAV captured specialised video images that were used to create NDVI (normalised difference vegetation index) maps – sensitive indicators of the amount of vegetation present that can be used to determine fertiliser requirements.

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Alternative energy hits the road

Aug 13th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil | 0 Comments

Anyone who has walked barefoot across a parking lot on a hot summer day knows that blacktop is exceptionally good at soaking up the sun’s warmth. Now, a research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute  has found a way to use that heat-soaking property for an alternative energy source.

Through asphalt, the researchers are developing a solar collector that could turn roads and parking lots into ubiquitous and inexpensive–sources of electricity and hot water.

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Engineers out to thaw the mysteries of ice

Aug 8th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil | 0 Comments

“Ye canna change the laws of physics!” Scotty warned Captain Kirk on “Star Trek.” But engineers and physicists at the University of Maryland may rewrite one of them.

The Third Law of Thermodynamics is on the minds of John Cumings, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, and his research group as they examine the crystal lattice structure of ice and seek to define exactly what happens when it freezes.

“Developing an accurate model of ice would help architects, civil engineers, and environmental engineers understand what happens to structures and systems exposed to freezing conditions,” Cumings said. “It could also help us understand and better predict the movement of glaciers.”

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Siemens installs two test wind turbines with direct drive technology

Jul 10th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil | 0 Comments

Siemens will test two 3.6-megawatt (MW) wind turbines with direct drive (DD) technology at a site in west Denmark. The company will subject the two DD wind turbines to comprehensive testing for a minimum of two years.

The purpose of this project is to assess whether direct drive technology is competitive with geared machines for large turbines. Beside testing DD technology, Siemens will continue product development of turbines with gearboxes, and new turbines featuring geared technology will be released in the upcoming years.

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Bamboo prototype could house China’s homeless quake victims

Jun 23rd, 2008 | Filed under: Civil, Design | 0 Comments

A bamboo house prototype could help the huge number of people made homeless by the recent Sichuan earthquake in China.

Yan Xiao, an expert in structural design and retrofit at the University of Southern California, has been experimenting with bamboo-based materials and recently built the world’s first bamboo truck bridge in Leiyang, China.

He went to the Sichuan province on May 13, the day after the earthquake and immediately went to work on a housing solution.

The prototype bamboo quake relief house, built in less than two weeks, adopted a modular design that can be adjusted according to specific family needs says Xiao.

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Smart hardhat design

Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil, Design | 0 Comments

Hardhat design has remained unchanged in every aspect for many years, but Norwegian desinger Tore Christian Bjørsvik Storholmen has changed all that.

The ProActive protective helmet has been designed to give the user improved safety while also make more people want to use a helmet in the workplace. During development of the helmet, focus was given to design and practical solutions.

A radio, intercom or gas sensor can be mounted onto the helmet while electronic textiles ensure easy charging of batteries overnight on a “charging peg”. Sound is transferred via ear defenders that filter out harmful frequencies while allowing conversations and warning signals to pass through. The combination of Bluetooth technology and e-textiles allow one to answer mobile phone calls without removing gloves, ear defenders or the helmet. Ventilation channels ensure good ventilation and a pleasant temperature.

Lily-pad discs harness solar power on a large scale

May 14th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil | 0 Comments

Glasgow could reduce it’s carbon footprint with the implementation of an award-winning solar power concept.

Glasgow-based developer, ZM Architecture, proposes to float large lily-shaped discs on the River Clyde to stimulate river activity, using the surface to harness solar power on a large scale.

The energy created would then be transformed and exported to the National Grid. The firm said the design of the lilypads was ‘inspired by nature’, and that they could be tethered to the river bed. Integrated motors would rotate the discs to follow the sun for maximum output.

Solar-cells generate energy

Apr 17th, 2008 | Filed under: Civil, Design | 0 Comments

In conjunction with Dyesol, Queensland University of Technology has developed a solar cell technology that uses dye-infused cells in glass to generate energy.

Dyesol’s solar cells incorporate artificial photosynthesis technology, which uses a dye similar to chlorophyll to absorb light and generate electricity. The panels comprise an electrolyte, a layer of titania (a pigment used in white paints and tooth paste), and ruthenium dye sandwiched between glass. Light striking the dye moves the electrons which are absorbed by the titania to become an electric current.

According to the company, these solar windows could help skyscraper buildings and houses break the zero-energy barrier.

Hydrogen fuel cells power fork lifts at Bridgestone plant

Apr 2nd, 2008 | Filed under: Civil | 0 Comments

Quiet, clean-energy forklifts powered by environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel cells are now moving materials around Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC’s (BFNT) plant in Aiken County, S.C.

BFNT officials, along with the Economic Development Partnership of South Carolina, unveiled today at the plant a new “green-powered” forklift fleet that is replacing traditional battery-powered forklifts.

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