No date for 'return to normal' and 30 years of Hubble: 10 top stories of the week
发布时间：2024年6月4日 20:15
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NASA said the new Hubble image resembles 'a cosmic version of an undersea world teeming with stars' (Credit: NASA, ESA and STScI)
No ‘return to normal’ in sight
Professional Engineering
There is no end in sight for coronavirus disruption, with fewer than 10% of engineering employees knowing when normal work will resume. A new survey, carried out by Professional Engineering, showed 92.8% of respondents have not been given a timeframe for a return to normal by their company. It is very difficult for companies to make decisions without government guidance on the end of the lockdown, said IMechE head of engineering Dr Jenifer Baxter.
Low-cost ventilator developed
The Engineer
A team at Imperial College London has developed a ‘low cost, high performance’ ventilator for patients with Covid-19. The device, which does not rely on specialist parts, could be manufactured by groups around the world as countries desperately try to meet ventilator demand.
New coronavirus support package
Professional Engineering
Innovative and dynamic companies, potentially including many engineering firms, will receive help from a new £1.25bn support package during the coronavirus outbreak. Announcing the support, chancellor Rishi Sunak said the “targeted and tailored” help would protect firms in some of the most dynamic sectors of the UK economy, from technology to life sciences, to help them continue to develop innovative new products and power UK growth.
Hubble at 30
BBC
A new image from the Hubble telescope has been published, as space agencies celebrate the 30-year anniversary of its launch. All four imaging instruments on board are still working after three decades, in which the telescope has provided dazzling images of the universe.
Electric cars at all-time high in UK
E&T
Sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles hit an all-time high last year, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. They made up nearly 20% of sales in the UK.
Could tethered drones replace wind turbines?
New Atlas
Drones could fly on the end of tethers to generate electricity on the ground as they twist and turn in the wind, according to Ampyx Power. The company, which is receiving support from the European Space Agency, said they could replace turbines thanks to their ability to harvest more energy with much less materials.
A new route for artificial photosynthesis
Professional Engineering
Artificial photosynthesis could be a promising future technology for absorbing carbon dioxide, but it has been held back by problems including the high price of precious metal catalysts. A team of researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (Kist) have developed a new technology to reduce the use of precious metals while improving efficiency and reducing costs. The researchers developed a core-shell nanocatalyst with an iridium oxide shell, by using iridium-cobalt alloy nanoparticles to reduce the use of iridium.
Bad news for drone deliveries
E&T
Drones have been touted as the future of deliveries, but a new study found they could be 10-times less energy efficient than vans. Wind and population density can seriously affect drone efficiency, said the team from Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany.
New member for small modular reactor consortium
The Engineer
Assystem has joined the UK’s small modular reactor consortium. The company will use techniques including generative design to develop several structures and systems for the reactors, which could be built around the country to provide cost-effective, reliable power.
’Nanocardboard’ aircraft could fly around Mars
Space.com
’Levitating’ aircraft with no moving parts could be ideal for exploring the surface of Mars, a new study has found. The ‘nanocardboard’ devices would use micro-channels to generate temperature gradients and stay aloft, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Professional Engineering
There is no end in sight for coronavirus disruption, with fewer than 10% of engineering employees knowing when normal work will resume. A new survey, carried out by Professional Engineering, showed 92.8% of respondents have not been given a timeframe for a return to normal by their company. It is very difficult for companies to make decisions without government guidance on the end of the lockdown, said IMechE head of engineering Dr Jenifer Baxter.
Low-cost ventilator developed
The Engineer
A team at Imperial College London has developed a ‘low cost, high performance’ ventilator for patients with Covid-19. The device, which does not rely on specialist parts, could be manufactured by groups around the world as countries desperately try to meet ventilator demand.
New coronavirus support package
Professional Engineering
Innovative and dynamic companies, potentially including many engineering firms, will receive help from a new £1.25bn support package during the coronavirus outbreak. Announcing the support, chancellor Rishi Sunak said the “targeted and tailored” help would protect firms in some of the most dynamic sectors of the UK economy, from technology to life sciences, to help them continue to develop innovative new products and power UK growth.
Hubble at 30
BBC
A new image from the Hubble telescope has been published, as space agencies celebrate the 30-year anniversary of its launch. All four imaging instruments on board are still working after three decades, in which the telescope has provided dazzling images of the universe.
Electric cars at all-time high in UK
E&T
Sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles hit an all-time high last year, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. They made up nearly 20% of sales in the UK.
Could tethered drones replace wind turbines?
New Atlas
Drones could fly on the end of tethers to generate electricity on the ground as they twist and turn in the wind, according to Ampyx Power. The company, which is receiving support from the European Space Agency, said they could replace turbines thanks to their ability to harvest more energy with much less materials.
A new route for artificial photosynthesis
Professional Engineering
Artificial photosynthesis could be a promising future technology for absorbing carbon dioxide, but it has been held back by problems including the high price of precious metal catalysts. A team of researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (Kist) have developed a new technology to reduce the use of precious metals while improving efficiency and reducing costs. The researchers developed a core-shell nanocatalyst with an iridium oxide shell, by using iridium-cobalt alloy nanoparticles to reduce the use of iridium.
Bad news for drone deliveries
E&T
Drones have been touted as the future of deliveries, but a new study found they could be 10-times less energy efficient than vans. Wind and population density can seriously affect drone efficiency, said the team from Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany.
New member for small modular reactor consortium
The Engineer
Assystem has joined the UK’s small modular reactor consortium. The company will use techniques including generative design to develop several structures and systems for the reactors, which could be built around the country to provide cost-effective, reliable power.
’Nanocardboard’ aircraft could fly around Mars
Space.com
’Levitating’ aircraft with no moving parts could be ideal for exploring the surface of Mars, a new study has found. The ‘nanocardboard’ devices would use micro-channels to generate temperature gradients and stay aloft, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
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