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TECHNOLOGYSPOTLIGHT
Advances in technology across industry
The Square Rigger turbine sets sail New generation
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he UK’s Tradewind Turbines has launched a revolutionary small wind turbine that incorporates sail technology. The use of sail technology means the Square Rigger captures much higher levels of the available wind energy than turbines of similar size. The Square Rigger has a number of key design benefits: it is capable of high energy capture for its height (only 10 metres) and swept area; it is effective in low wind speed ranges, becoming operational in just 3 metres per second of wind; it is operational across a broader range of wind speeds than conventional turbine designs. Particularly quiet in operation, the turbine is environment and wildlife friendly; the company’s first turbine order is to provide power to a medical clinic in a Kenyan game reserve; Tradewind sees huge potential demand, domestically and around the world, for on- and off-grid electricity production and for pumping applications in mining, in agriculture for drainage and irrigation, water provision, treatment, management, aeration, fish farming, desalination, conservation and associated sectors. Visit: www.tradewindturbines.com
ocean robots
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Revolutionary kiln technology A
kiln piloting revolutionary technology that could cut energy costs for the ceramics industry by up to 30% is set to be unveiled. The equipment could help UK producers reduce carbon emissions at the same time as increasing profits and employment – and experts believe there could also be benefits for sectors that use advanced ceramics, such as healthcare. Materials technology business Ceram has finished building the kiln at its Stoke-on-Trent headquarters after winning about £2.5 million from the government’s Regional Growth Fund last year. Previous research and laboratory trials found ways of reducing the temperature at which ceramics need to be fired. Now Ceram’s Low Energy Firing Project team has built a 25-metre-long (80 feet) commercialscale kiln to develop the technology further. Dr David Pearmain, project manager at Ceram, said: “The potential of this work is really exciting. We think we can reduce firing times as well as temperatures, so there could be very, very significant advantages for the sector. Making ceramics is really energy intensive, and the sector is under a lot of pressure to cut consumption because of costs and environmental regulations.” Visit: www.ceram.com 22 Industry Europe
he next generation of ocean-going robotic vehicles will be developed by two cuttingedge technology companies from the south coast of England, working with the UK’s National Oceanography Centre. ASV Ltd of Portchester and MOST (AV) Ltd of Chichester have won contracts under the government-backed Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) to develop the vehicles – known generically as Long Endurance Marine Unmanned Surface Vehicles – that will carry out sustained marine research over long periods. The Technology Strategy Board and Natural Environment Research Council jointly fund the programme with supplementary funding of additional elements from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). When developed, the vehicles, which operate on the sea surface rather than at depth, will be invaluable platforms for gathering scientific data from the ocean over periods of several months. A wide range of sensors to take measurements beneath and above the ocean surface, together with satellite navigation tools, communications for command and control and for data transfer to shore, are all readily available. The vehicles will demonstrate several feasible technologies to provide the energy necessary for long deployment. Visit: www.noc.ac.uk
