IMechE PE Issue 6 by Think Publishing

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PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING

Issue 6, 2022 • www.imeche.org

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PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING

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REINVENTING THE WHEEL INSIDE THE ENGINEERING INDUSTRY'S FIGHT AGAINST AIR POLLUTION

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VERSATILE PROSTHETICS / ELECTRIFY THE FUTURE / SUPERCHARGE YOUR CAREER

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Contents VERSION REPRO OP SUBS

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CONTENTS Issue 6, Volume 35. November/December 2022

3 From Birdcage Walk – Phil Peel reflects on the busy first half of his IMechE presidential year

REACTION

The forces shaping engineering 5 Breakthrough in the US promises batteries for electric vehicles that can be recharged in 10 minutes 7 Engineered by Nature: Trade-offs in biology can help to solve design problems, says Julian Vincent 8 Meet Ruth Amos, inventor and professional speaker on a mission to enthuse young people about engineering 11 Big numbers reveal the biggest stories in engineering 13 IMechE 175: Celebrating engineering innovators – Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the turbojet engine 15 Your Voice – readers have their say on storing nuclear waste, workplace stress, skills training, and turnout for IMechE elections

FEATURES

20 Breathing space We investigate ingenious solutions being developed to reduce air pollution from vehicles, including a device to capture particulate matter shed by tyres 26 Electrify the future In the drive to boost the uptake of electric vehicles, greater efficiencies are being sought from the batteries, the whole powertrain and the software

32 Helping hands Koalaa’s prosthetics are designed to enable users to do the little things in life, such as holding a pen or riding a bike 51 The definitive guide to business software Read about some of the latest software from leading companies designed to give manufacturers a boost 64 Weird Engineering Balloon-lifted capsule could take passengers on exciting voyages to the edge of space

INDUSTRY PULSE

The heartbeat of your sector 39 Meet five people who are pushing technological boundaries in the automotive sector 43 How to improve ventilation to limit the spread of Covid-19 45 Stratospheric mission by US Army drone promises future military and civilian applications 47 Smart engineering helps women to check for breast cancer 49 Why businesses should prepare plans to protect their employees from the effects of extreme weather events

SUPERCHARGE

Your engineering career 57 Laura Hoang, one of the profession’s proudest ambassadors 61 The IMechE team who help members to get registered 62 Advice for a manager of how to get professionally registered Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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Professional Engineering is published by Think on behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. PE, Think, 20 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JW 020 3771 7200

EDITORIAL Email profeng@thinkpublishing.co.uk SUBS

Editor

FROM BIRDCAGE WALK Phil Peel reflects on the busy first half of his year as IMechE president

Amit Katwala Deputy Editor

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ABOUT IMECHE The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the professional body overseeing the qualification and development of mechanical engineers. It has 115,000 members in 140 countries. Visit imeche.org for more information about membership and its benefits, or email membership@imeche. org.uk. Views expressed in Professional Engineering are not necessarily those of the Institution or its publishers. Chief Executive

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I’m pleased to be able to write this edition of From Birdcage Walk. It’s amazing how quickly the time is passing in my presidential year. It seems just a short while since I took over the reins from Peter Flinn in May and here we are already on the runup to Christmas. I’ve been able to attend some really fantastic events so far and privileged to represent the Institution in promoting engineering. These have covered the summer season of challenges (Formula Student, UAS Challenge), where I have witnessed true passion for engineering, innovation in practice and the spirit of teamwork. I acknowledge the commitment shown by all teams in competing. I also had the chance to attend and highlight the excellent work of our Covid Taskforce and PICS team in fighting Covid at a parliamentary event hosted by Amanda Solloway MP. I had the opportunity to visit Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil and, hosted by Mike Overd, met some of our members who work there. I also acted as judge at the Tom Nevard Memorial Competition organised by the Defence Academy of the UK MOD. One of several categories was to design and build a folding bike and trailer that could be air-dropped to assist casualty extraction. The final test drop from the top of a REME mobile crane was not survived by many teams but provided some real-life lessons of developing and manufacturing against a tight timeline and tough specification. However, it was great fun to watch! And I have also had the opportunity to

‘I’ve been able to attend some really fantastic events so far and privileged to represent the Institution in promoting engineering’

spend time with our members and hear from them directly what is important to them. Being based in Switzerland, I was delighted to join the local members as they celebrated our 175th anniversary with a visit to the Feldschlösschen brewery. There’s a lot more engineering involved in brewing than you’d think. One of the goals of my year is to extend our global reach and promote the activities of our international members. An important step forward in empowering our members in this was a multi-day event held in September at our One Birdcage Walk headquarters, collectively referred to as the International Extravaganza. It combined networking opportunities and break-out discussion sessions as well as some social time. After the long period of virtual working, it helped to cement personal contacts again and provide a springboard to launching future activities. I would like to highlight the tremendous effort of all the staff, especially Anjali Blagbrough, in running this event. Without all their efforts it would not have been the incredible success that it was. And in closing, I would like to extend a special thanks to a very special person in the Institution. Joan Gibbins, known to many of us, is retiring after many long years of faithful service. It would not be possible to count the number of people who have been guided, supported and nurtured by her over the years. She was rightly honoured several years ago as a Companion of the Institution to reflect the very high esteem in which she is held by all across the Institution. I wish her a well-earned rest and all the best in her retirement. Her cheerful manner and desire to help everyone will certainly be sorely missed. Joan, thank you from all of us in the Institution. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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T HE F ORC E S SHAPING ENGINEERING

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THE 10-MINUTE CHARGE

ART

US breakthrough to speed up battery charging could boost prospects for electric vehicles AUTOMOTIVE

PRODUCTION CLIENT

A breakthrough technology has enabled a 10-minute charge time for typical electric vehicle (EV) batteries, its developers have claimed. Promising shorter charge times and more energy for longer-range travel, the technology was developed by engineers at Pennsylvania State University. “The need for smaller, faster-charging batteries is greater than ever,” said Professor Chao-Yang Wang, lead author of the study. “There are simply not enough batteries and critical raw materials, especially those produced domestically, to meet anticipated demand.” California, which is the largest automotive market in the US, recently joined countries such as the UK by announcing a ban on new petrol and diesel cars. “By 2035, the largest auto market in the US will effectively retire the internal combustion engine,” said the research announcement. If new car sales are going to shift to battery-powered EVs, Wang said, they will need to overcome two major drawbacks

– they are too slow to recharge and too large to be efficient and affordable. Instead of taking a few minutes at the petrol station, some EVs can take all day to recharge, depending on the battery. “Our fast-charging technology works for most energy-dense batteries and will open a new possibility to downsize EV batteries from 150 to 50kWh without causing drivers to feel range anxiety,” said Wang, whose lab partnered with start-up EC Power to develop the technology. “The smaller, faster-charging batteries will dramatically cut down battery cost and usage of critical raw materials such as cobalt, graphite and lithium, enabling mass adoption of affordable electric cars.”

Thermal modulation

The technology relies on internal thermal modulation, an active method of temperature control to demand the best performance possible from the battery, Wang said. Batteries operate most efficiently when they are hot, but not too hot. Keeping batteries consistently at just the right temperature has been a major challenge for

engineers. Historically, they have relied on external, bulky heating and cooling systems to regulate battery temperature, which give slow response and waste a lot of energy, said the researchers. Wang and his team decided to instead regulate the temperature from inside the battery. The team developed a battery structure that adds an ultrathin nickel foil as the fourth component alongside the anode, electrolyte and cathode. Acting as a stimulus, the nickel foil self-regulates the battery’s temperature and reactivity, which allows for 10-minute fast charging on “just about any EV battery,” Wang claimed. “True fast-charging batteries would have immediate impact,” said the researchers. “Since there are not enough raw minerals for every internal combustion engine car to be replaced by a 150kWh-equipped EV, fast charging is imperative for EVs to go mainstream.” EC Power is working to manufacture the fast-charging battery. The work, which was published in Nature, was supported by the US Department of Energy, the US Department of Defense, the US Air Force and the William E Diefenderfer Endowment.

‘There are simply not enough batteries and critical raw materials to meet anticipated demand’

Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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Case Studies

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A WOODPECKER HAMMER

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Trade-offs in biology can help to solve design problems, says Julian Vincent ENGINEERED BY NATURE

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Mention the words ‘woodpecker’ and ‘biologically inspired design’. Most people think ‘crash helmet’. How does the woodpecker manage to hit its beak so hard on the tree yet not injure its brain, or fall off the tree? Wrong question. The woodpecker’s beak hits the tree perpendicularly so that there’s minimal rotational acceleration exerted on the brain, which is tightly retained within the skull. If the brain were to rotate, nerves and blood vessels would be injured, which happens in road accidents. In addition, the bird closes its eyes, just before its beak hits the tree, so that they don’t pop out! As the woodpecker’s beak hits the tree, it’s moving at about 4m/s, reaching this speed over a distance of about 5cm. The proper question to ask is why does the woodpecker accelerate its head like that? The answer is that the woodpecker is a bird. It flies, so needs to be light. But, if it hammers into wood, you’d think its head would have to be heavy – like a hammer. That’s a classic trade-off: lightweight to fly versus heavyweight to hammer. The trade-off is resolved because a light object can deliver the impact energy of a hammer if it hits the target at high speed so that the inertial forces are similar. This begs the question: how does the woodpecker manage to accelerate its head so violently?

Strike and rotate

The woodpecker starts each strike by pulling its body towards the tree with its leg muscles, effectively rotating it about a horizontal axis. The head, on its long neck, follows like a whiplash 50 milliseconds later. In this fashion the woodpecker can use its body muscles to accelerate its head. The tail feathers are very robust and pressed tightly against the tree. They add to the acceleration by bending and storing elastic energy, releasing it as they unbend in the first stages of the stroke. These combined actions turn the

essentially sinusoidal rocking of the woodpecker’s body into an asymmetric sawtooth pattern of the head’s motion, so amplifying the power available. This technique yields 20 times more impact energy than the neck muscles could. So just as, when delivering a ball, a bowler rotates the body with the arm lagging and then accelerating the action, so the woodpecker is ‘bowling’ its head at the tree. It delivers fracture energy kinetically rather than using inertia like a hand-held hammer.

High-speed blows

This suggests a design for a lightweight hammer. A motor in the handle produces an oscillation that drives a flexibly attached, low-mass hammer head rapidly back and forth, delivering a succession of high-speed blows to its target. Such a hammer can work in confined or difficult spaces. Let me know if you build a prototype! The woodpecker is solving a trade-off experienced by a lightweight machine. It’s by no means the only example of a trade-off in biology. Evolutionary change in biology results largely from the resolution of thousands of trade-offs over long periods. The best trade-offs survive. Remarkably, in defining a problem, tradeoffs are generic, providing bridges between areas such as biology, engineering, physiology, medicine, economics (think Pareto) . . . speed v accuracy, stiff v ductile, reproduction v immunity, light v heavy, and so on. This approach can solve technical design problems. Describe your problem in terms of a trade-off, then look for the same trade-off in biology. There’s more on my website. Just type biomimetics. xyz into your browser. Nearly forgot – the woodpecker holds on to the tree with large, strong, sharp claws.

These combined actions turn the essentially sinusoidal rocking of the woodpecker’s body into an asymmetric sawtooth pattern of the head’s motion, so amplifying the power available Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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WHAT I’ VE LEARNED REPRO OP

RUTH AMOS

SUBS

Award-winning engineer, inventor, presenter and professional speaker with a mission to inspire young people to think differently about engineering

ART PRODUCTION CLIENT

Growing up, I didn’t want to be an engineer, I wanted to be a lawyer. In fact, I didn’t really know what engineering was. It was only when I had to pick an engineering course for one of my GCSE exams that I first encountered it. Selecting a course in resistant materials, my teacher challenged me to create a project to enable those with limited mobility to use the stairs. My StairSteady solution was very simple: it was essentially a perpendicular bar that uses friction to allow users to pull themselves up or down safely. With the project finished, my school put me forward for the Young Engineer for Britain 2006 award.

I consider myself to be a mechanical engineer even though I have no professional qualification beyond A-levels. The path I chose to take and knowing how close I came to not being an engineer (and realising I would have been a terrible lawyer), I’ve made it my mission to raise awareness of engineering amongst young people, especially primary-school children as this is the age they start forming ideas about their future careers. Whatever their background, gender or ethnicity, I want them to realise that engineering can be for them and not miss out on an exciting career like I nearly did.

Despite having won this prestigious engineering award I was still planning on studying law. It was only when I started meeting more engineers, particularly female engineers, through further awards StairSteady received that my view of engineering and who engineers are began to change. The more I looked into it, the more I thought this is the career for me and why was it never on my radar as an option? So I changed my A-levels with a view to studying engineering at university.

‘Whatever their background, gender or ethnicity, I want them to realise that engineering can be for them and not miss out on an exciting career as I nearly did’

But when it came to it I chose to put off university for a few years, instead concentrating on bringing StairSteady to market. While I’ve grown the product into a successful company that is now sold across the world and gained a few more awards along the way, at the time I was just 18 with no business experience. It’s been quite a journey from those early days working off a laptop on my parents’ dining-room table. I’ve learned a lot and 14 years later I’m still learning. Whenever I’m asked about launching a new product, my advice always is to test your ideas and prove the concept by building physical prototypes. And then just to take it a step at a time.

www.imeche.org • Professional Engineering

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From talking to young people, I’ve discovered there is a lot of stigma and stereotyping around engineering, not to mention confusion as to what it is. For this reason, I refer to engineering as inventing. Being inventive makes it seem exciting. After all, it is about solving problems and creating solutions. The only inventor I ever saw as a child was Doc from Back to the Future, so let’s reclaim being an inventor. Determined to change perceptions about engineering, my friend Shawn and I started to hatch a plan. Shawn was Young Engineer for Britain a few years after I was and, over the years, we’d regularly meet up at various engineering events and always talk about how we wanted to get the next generation excited about engineering by showing how fun and inventive it is. We put that talking into action and launched

Ruth Amos’s StairSteady invention helps those with limited mobility to use the stairs – and it has won her awards

our YouTube channel Kids Invent Stuff in January 2017. The premise is that kids aged 4 to 11 send in their invention ideas and we’ll build them. Just about every month since we’ve brought a kid’s idea to life, ranging from a popcorn-firing doorbell to a seven-foot dinosaur that mops the floor. Today, Kids Invent Stuff has more than 46,000 subscribers and has had over two million views. Whether children engage with us online or meet us in person at a school assembly, invention workshop or an exhibition, they are always brimming with creative ideas to solve problems. They don’t see the impossibilities like an adult would. It’s real blue-sky thinking that we need to nurture and keep going. In today’s world we have some pretty big problems that need solving. I’m a person who gets bored easily and so at any one time I’m always involved in many projects. If I can learn something new along the way that’s great but if I can help inspire someone else all the better. So as well as StairSteady and Kids Invent Stuff, I get involved in public speaking, curating exhibitions, judging awards, working as a consultant for various organisations including governments, hosting a podcast, and being an ambassador for various programmes. I’ve even started up a few initiatives, such as Women in Welding, a campaign I set up with Lincoln Electric in 2021 to teach women how to weld. I believe that hands-on experiences can benefit all ages, they are vital to understanding how the world around us works.

‘Whether children engage with us online or meet us in person at a school assembly, invention workshop or an exhibition, they are always brimming with creative ideas to solve problems’

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THE NEWS IN NUMBERS The biggest stories in engineering in numbers

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100,000

ART

jobs in gigafactories and battery supply chain by 2040, according to the UK’s Faraday Battery Challenge

1MW

PRODUCTION CLIENT

capacity of the OE35, the world’s largest floating wave storage device now being developed by OceanEnergy

10-minute

charging on the horizon in internal thermal modulation breakthrough, according to Penn State researchers

£0

in IMechE application and subscription fees for refugee engineers wishing to join the Institution for the next two years

70%

of people say they know little or almost nothing about T-levels, two years after launch, according to an IMechE poll

$170m

in orders for ABB, for more than 300 European and UK trains with energy-efficient traction technologies

sensors on cMaSK developed by MIT engineers to gauge Covid mask fit, which found that masks tend to fit men much better than women

3.22%

of UK land is protected, according to a report which warns that the government will miss its target of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030

225,269

new car registrations in September, according to SMMT, up 4.6% from last year

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

We’re pleased to announce that the PPA’s Independent Publisher Awards have recognised our work with a nomination for Content Piece of the Year for Joseph Flaig’s moving reporting on the mental health crisis in engineering, entitled: “Breaking point… Pandemic pushes already stressed engineers to breaking point” (Professional Engineering No 4, BREAKING 2022). The article highlighted POINT a hidden crisis in the industry, and sparked numerous conversations in the letters inbox. Keep an eye out for the results on 25 November. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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COMPLEX NEEDS? Autism, dyslexia and other disabilities can be challenging sometimes. Through partnerships with the National Autistic Society and the British Dyslexia Association we can help IMechE members and their families to access:

- local groups and networks - specialist publications and resources - diagnosis and assessments - help and advice to obtain education and employment adaptations - support and finance to help meet disability related costs

SUPPORT NETWORK

•TTMIJW

For more details about how we can help in these uncertain times, or to confidentially discuss a potential application or your circumstances, please contact our team via email to supportnetwork@imeche.org call 020 7304 6816 or call/text 07552 669 160. www.imeche.org/sn-autism-dyslexia

A Materials team supported by in-house Mechanical Engineers and UKAS accredited Inspection Services Our accreditation 1slimited lo those activities described on our UKAS schedule of accred1talion

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Sir Frank Whittle

Inventor of the turbojet engine

SUBS ART

When Frank Whittle was born on 1 June 1907, the world airspeed record stood at 41.3km/h. By the time of his death on 8 August 1996, it was 3,529.6km/h. Countless engineering advances enabled the paradigm shift in aircraft capability – but surely the most significant was the invention of the turbojet engine, developed and tested by Whittle in the 1930s and 1940s. The aerospace pioneer’s interest in engineering and aviation began at a young age. His father, Moses Whittle, was a mechanical engineer and owner of a small engineering company, and his workshop provided a vital source of hands-on experience. In 1923, Whittle was accepted by RAF Cranwell to train as an aircraft fitter and rigger. Out of 600 apprentices he was awarded one of only five cadetships to the RAF College at Cranwell in 1926. It was there that, at the age of 21, he wrote a thesis entitled “Future Developments in Aircraft Design,” in which he envisaged speeds of more than 500mph (805km/h) in the stratosphere – when the maximum speed of RAF fighters was 150mph (241km/h). His Cranwell professor apparently admitted that he did not understand a lot of it, according to the IMechE archive, but gave him top marks regardless.

PRODUCTION CLIENT

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Gas turbines

Whittle concluded that the piston engines then in use would not be able to fly the faster speeds and longer distances he desired. It was while training as a flight instructor at the Central Flying School that he first considered using a gas turbine to provide jet propulsion. A gas turbine expert at the Air Ministry was reportedly unimpressed, and the Royal Aircraft Establishment described Whittle’s idea as impracticable. Despite this setback, Whittle filed a patent on 16 January 1930,

and Partners provided funding. Power Jets Ltd formed in January 1936, with Whittle as honorary chief engineer part-time. An engine was initially built by British Thomson-Houston, but Whittle was unsatisfied and decided a complete rebuild was needed after a first test run in 1937. Posted to the Special Duty List and working on the engine full-time, his efforts were rewarded with promising engine tests with speeds of up to 16,000rpm in June 1939,,. according to FrankWhittle.co.uk.

Maiden flight

which the government declined to keep secret – after the Second World War, copies were found in various laboratories in Germany.

Balancing act

After completing the officers’ engineering course at Henlow, the RAF sent Whittle to Cambridge University to study mechanical sciences in 1934. “I had to work like hell because I was designing the jet engine and preparing for my finals at the same time… that was a very difficult thing to do,” he said in the documentary Whittle – The Jet Pioneer. Some of Whittle’s former colleagues interested General Enterprises in his idea. A new patent was obtained and OT Falk

‘I had to work like hell because I was designing the jet engine and preparing for my finals at the same time... that was a very difficult thing to do’

The government finally backed the turbojet, ordering a flight engine known as the W1 and enabling development of the follow-up W2. That summer the Air Ministry also signed a contract for an experimental aircraft, the Gloster/Whittle E.28/39. Named the Pioneer, Britain’s first jet made its maiden flight on 15 May 1941. Within the year, General Motors was building Whittle engines in the US. In 1942, Whittle was sent there to assist with the American engine development. Rolls-Royce’s involvement with the jet engine grew, and eventually the firm took over its production and development. A jet-fighter aircraft entered service in 1944. Such was the impact of the invention that Winston Churchill apparently asked for “a thousand Whittles,” according to the IMechE archive. In 1945, Air Commodore Whittle delivered the first public address on the subject in the Institution’s first James Clayton Lecture. It was so popular that it had to be repeated. In 1948 Whittle was knighted, and retired from the RAF owing to ill health. He was also awarded £100,000 by the government for his invention, which had already changed the course of history. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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YOUR VOICE

We want to hear from you. Get in touch by email at profeng@thinkpublishing.co.uk or tweet us @ProfEng

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Nuclear waste strategy needed

ART PRODUCTION

I was prompted to comment on reading the article “Going underground” in which Paul Shipley encourages young engineers to consider a career in nuclear waste disposal (Professional Engineering No 5, 2022). I was in the power industry and involved in nuclear safety in design, spent fuel, waste management and decommissioning. It was a rewarding career. However, since the 1950s the problem of high-level waste disposal has been shelved. Most of this waste is in interim

storage at Sellafield in Cumbria. Some decades ago this was seen as a logical location to explore deep geological disposal, and test drilling was started. This was challenged by anti-nuclear protesters and the government backed off. With the current proposal to build up to six nuclear generating plants with consequent high-level waste issues, the question of final disposal must be addressed, otherwise opposition will again arise. The government would be well advised to propose a final waste

STAR LE T TER

Key design points for a nuclear waste store CLIENT

Having worked in the nuclear industry, it has always frustrated me that the storage of nuclear waste still remains an issue, and an impediment to future nuclear development (“Going underground,” Professional Engineering No 5, 2022). The current above-ground storage remains a high-risk option because it is vulnerable to terrorist activity. Although I applaud the work being carried out to look at underground storage, the system suggested by the illustration with the article looks extremely complex. The use of vertical shafts gives rise to cranes, possible dropped loads and a complex safety assessment, not to mention the maintenance and load testing. My vision of a storage facility is of a system that requires little power or maintenance, and that all the waste can be inspected and retrieved, thus allowing it to be repackaged or reprocessed in the future. I would like to see the following features in a nuclear waste store: access would be horizontal, probably by a railway track. This removes the need for lifts, shafts and inclines which all come with safety and maintenance issues. Horizontal access would also ensure that the storage facility was above the water table. There would be no requirement for pumps and associated power supplies. The entrance would contain an automated system for unloading the transport containers and transferring their inner components onto skids. The skids would hover on a flat floor, with compressed air supplied by the tug which would move the skid to its final destination in the tunnels. The skid is a simple structure without wheels, brakes or bearings; it has no moving parts and therefore requires no maintenance. The cooling of the decay products would be by natural ventilation, with filtration for emergency use. When the facility is full there is little maintenance and almost no power requirement, therefore not a burden to future generations. As the system described provides a method of waste retrieval, the geological demands are much reduced, as the waste could be removed in a relatively short period, if geological conditions dictate. There is no requirement to look for the ‘forever site’. M J Oakley

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disposal strategy which must be a state, not private, initiative. I have consulted the draft Energy Security Bill of July 2022 in which part 12 deals with nuclear licensing, decommissioning and low-level waste disposal legislation only. The bill deals mainly with low-carbon technology, hydrogen, carbon capture, zoned district heating, smart meters and heat pumps. Private investment in nuclear is covered briefly but there is no mention of nuclear waste disposal strategy. Aran Brown

Maintenance is crucial

I was interested to read about the CDIO framework (Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate) in “Learning curve” (Professional Engineering No 5, 2022). But does it go far enough? The successive phases of Maintain, Upgrade and Decommission are no less important, and constitute a major proportion of whole-life costs in many systems; are they relegated to sub-sets of Operate? MUD is hardly an attractive acronym but, if these are not given sufficient weight in the Design phase, owners/operators can find themselves in the mire or worse. Philip Corp, Salisbury, Wiltshire

‘The government would be well advised to propose a final waste disposal strategy which must be a state, not private, initiative’ Turn the tide of apathy

It was regrettable to learn from Paul Charman that so few members voted for the election of trustees for the IMechE (Your Voice, Professional Engineering No 5, 2022). The governing body will have a very difficult job to improve on such a low turnout (5.9%) as it attests members’ opinion of the IMechE. Dr Robin Stephenson

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‘Commercial pressure can be a driver for stress, such as sales departments promising things to customers before the products have been designed’

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Firms must boost training

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For many years I have been listening to the complaint that we have insufficient engineers for our industry, and I wonder whether this could be because companies are putting too little into training and sponsoring. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, once one had taken A-levels there were many sponsorships available from companies such as Rolls-Royce, Ford, Perkins and many others. I believe a bit of government money was made available but in my case, at Vauxhall, my fees were paid as was a small salary. A number of such companies had training schools from where craft apprentices would be trained and graduate trainees also given basic training. The scheme which was known as the training levy has almost completely gone and in its place we have seen any number of half-baked schemes, none of which have come close to matching that which went before. Most companies know what they want at engineering, technician and craft staffing levels, so for pity’s sake get back to giving them the wherewithal to sponsor and train them. All government has to do is give them a bit of support, not tell them what to do! The in-company training schools in large part now have gone but they were very good. The pointless drive to turn all technical colleges into universities and give everyone a degree no matter what the title has damaged our industry beyond belief, but also forcing companies out of the UK to make things cheaper in the Far East has played a large part and must slowly but surely be reversed. I think it was Thatcher who said that the Far East would have all the low-tech jobs and we the high-tech ones – this is now seen to be laughable. Unless things are steadily reversed, this country will continue sliding. Banking will not prop up the economy forever and we need to rebuild a strong, proud manufacturing and engineering base from which to generate our wealth. Ian F Morris, Carters Clay, Hampshire

BREAKING POINT

Ways to combat stress

I’ve spent time with the Support Network of the IMechE. I appreciate their help – it’s an excellent service. I was interested in the article “Breaking point” (Professional Engineering No 4, 2022). I am writing with a few examples of root causes and structural sources of stress, workplace conflict, and other sources of help. In my experience one root cause of stress can be building design, for example making sure there are enough sanitary facilities in the workplace (a health and safety issue). Commercial pressure can be a driver for stress, such as sales departments promising things to customers before the products have been designed – this can create workplace conflict between employees. Rules/laws are being broken during workplace conflict, for example people need to be more careful about telephone calls and emails – see section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984. Such behaviour can cause stress, anxiety or mood swings. There is a three-year time limit for conflict resolution in the UK – this leaves no provision for people who are trying to resolve conflicts past that time. Perhaps this law needs to change? Industrial chaplains could also help engineers (www.workchaplaincyuk.org.uk/). I hope this information is useful. Matt Colquhoun

Harness parent power

I have read with concern several articles in Professional Engineering (or should it now be renamed Social Engineering?) on the issue of “engineering’s diversity problem”. Statistics are quoted and opinions stated to emphasise this as a crisis in LEARIJ1NG engineering. There CURVE is even mention Educatoiislhean:swe,iosomany of feminising the ts these ti\.<e arbc:lesshow;/he trans,t!Qn talk of engineering to attract girls in favour of boys (with the assumption it will not put boys off ). What a way to run any business – potentially ostracise your main customers as a matter of policy. What I suggest instead you should be concentrating on is how to make engineering more attractive to young people. I would include raising the awareness of how engineering works in the eyes of the public so that parents may

raise this as a possibility with their children. One way to raise the profile of the IMechE is to sell the HQ and appoint Foster’s as the architects to build a state-of-the-art building showcasing 21st-century engineering. Just look at how the status of McLaren was profiled when they opened their new HQ. Here was a company that would be exciting to join. Ian Booker

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Let’s invest in capacitors

I think we should be developing capacitors for electricity storage, rather than batteries. These have the advantage that they can be charged instantly. E M Beaney, Woodmancote, Gloucestershire

‘Banking will not prop up the economy forever and we need to rebuild a strong, proud manufacturing and engineering base from which to generate our wealth’ Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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INNOVATION REMAINS KEY FOR UK MANUFACTURING

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Professional Engineering has again teamed up with Protolabs for a report on the state of the UK manufacturing industry in 2022

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nnovation is much more than a buzzword. Even in turbulent times, manufacturers cannot afford to rely on the old ways of doing things. That explains why, following years of Brexit-related uncertainty, then the Covid-19 pandemic, and now challenges linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the energy crisis, and political and economic turmoil, innovation is still the main focus for business investment in the next 12 months. The forward-thinking approach was selected by 40% of respondents as one of the most important investment areas for

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What are the most important areas your business will invest in in the next 12 months? Innovation

39.60% (Down from 41%)

Equipment

35.64% (Up from 28%)

Sustainability

33.66% (New entry)

Upskilling staff and training new employees

31.68% (Down from 33%)

Service or product development (R&D)

30.69% (Down from 35%)

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their organisations in our annual survey of engineers in the manufacturing industry, a slight drop of only one percentage point from 2021. Working in diverse industries, from plant-based biodegradable packaging to surgical robotics, many readers celebrated the efficiency gains being made possible by Industry 4.0 technologies. Robots and automated processes were in the top-five phrases associated with manufacturing, suggesting increased willingness to streamline production processes, while equipment was the second most important area for investment (picked by 36%, up from 28% last year). For many, innovation also means an increased focus on sustainability. With industry particularly vulnerable to energy market volatility, and net-zero targets drawing ever closer, new processes, materials, energy-saving measures and carbon capture will help forward-thinking businesses stay relevant and profitable in future. Some areas will inevitably see decreased investment, however. Service and product development continues to drop down the list of investment priorities, going from 37% in 2020 and 35% in 2021 down to 31% in 2022, perhaps reflecting a cautious approach to business amid persistent uncertainty.

Data-driven improvements Thankfully, the 111 respondents know what they have to do to become more competitive. Investing in the right talent by developing highly-skilled employees will be the most important factor in the next 12 months, said the engineers, showing the enduring importance of having the right workers for the job. After years of discussion and many clear demonstrations of the benefits, concerns about the sector’s readiness for Industry 4.0 and the ‘rise of digital’ seem to be dropping away. Only a third (34%) said it

Top priorities for UK companies to retain their position in global manufacturing

73%

Greater investment in R&D

70.3%

Greater focus and investment in STEM talent

48.5%

More investment in digital manufacturing technologies

46.53%

Embracing Industry 4.0 and big data

43.56%

More support from government

33.7% A third of respondents said the manufacturing industry is unprepared or very unprepared for Industry 4.0 and the ‘rise of digital’, down from 38% last year

Protolabs

Top 5 words associated with manufacturing:

ENGINEERING MACHINES ASSEMBLY LINES FACTORY ROBOTS & AUTOMATED PROCESSES is unprepared (29%) or very unprepared (5%), down from 38% last year. Industry 4.0 is “ending the reliance on the ‘black arts’ within manufacturing,” said one respondent. “Manufacturing companies can factually define their capabilities, use data to improve, innovate and provide real-time engagement with their customers.” Others highlighted the possibilities in defect reduction, improved quality and

Biggest obstacles to acquiring new business, out of 5 Speed and efficiency

3.65 (up one place compared to 2021)

Price

3.51 (down one place)

Operational scale

3.29 ALEXANDER SUPERTRAMP/SHUTTERSTOCK

(same as last year)

Productivity

2.76 (same as last year)

There is no obstacle

2.41

56% said levels of automation in their manufacturing services were less than 25% or non-existent, down from 62% in last year’s survey

increased capacity. “Industry 4.0 is making it easier for companies to collaborate and share data among customers, manufacturers, suppliers and other parties in [the] supply chain,” said another participant. “It improves productivity and competitiveness, enables the transition to a digital economy, and provides opportunities to achieve economic growth and sustainability.”

Automation increase Challenges include retaining the human touch with customers as interactions are handled by automated systems, the availability of skilled staff, and convincing senior management of the available benefits, said the respondents. There was also positive movement on automation in manufacturing services at readers’ organisations, 89% of whom were from the UK. Fifty-six per cent said less than a quarter of services are automated, down from 62% last year.

Most important factors for organisations to be competitive in the next 12 months

3.02/5

Investing in the right talent by developing highly-skilled employees to elevate business (down from 3.05 last year and 2.8 the year before)

2.73/5

Responsiveness: being the first to answer a need expressed by a customer (down from 3.13 last year and 3.06 the previous year)

2.59/5

Price: being the most competitively priced on the market with an added-value differential (up from 2.48 last year and 2.76 the previous year)

1.65/5

Location: being closer to the customer with offices and support functions (up from 1.56 last year and 1.46 the previous year)

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BREATHING SPACE AIR POLLUTION KILLS 10 MILLION PEOPLE EACH YEAR. FOR MANY, ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE COMING TO THE RESCUE. BUT THE PROBLEM, AS ALEX ELISEEV REPORTS, IS MORE COMPLICATED, AND ENGINEERS HAVE A KEY ROLE TO PLAY IN FINDING SOLUTIONS 20

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Air pollution, 1

ou won’t see it unless you’re looking for it. And you’re probably not looking for it. But if you’re in London, and spot a small device (about the size of a tub of ice cream) behind the wheel of a delivery van, you’ll witness an ambitious pilot project, testing a new weapon against air pollution. The device, bolted to a vehicle’s underbody, is designed to catch a shower of tiny tyre flakes created on every journey. After years of research and prototypes, the company behind it – the Tyre Collective – started road trials in September. The results will reveal how the invention performs when up against natural air flow, road conditions, turbulence and, importantly, human behaviour (drivers are asked to clean out the tyre dust once it’s collected). Success will accelerate a project that’s already won a James Dyson Award, secured three Innovate UK grants, and has taken its founders on a ride from a university lecture room to offices at Somerset House in central London.

Problem under our wheels

Blink and you’ll miss it: what a tyre-dust collection device may look like in future. And (below) the team that’s turning the idea into reality: Siobhan Anderson, Hugo Richardson and Hanson Cheng

Air pollution is a big killer, causing tens of thousands of premature deaths in the UK and millions around the world. New research suggests that out of every 1,000 humans on earth, 973 regularly inhale toxins – dirty air that exceeds the World Health Organization’s threshold. According to the Tyre Collective, tyre wear is now the second-largest microplastic pollutant after single-use plastic. It says that in Europe alone more than a million tonnes of tyre particles are produced each year, ending up in waterways, in oceans, on plates and inside lungs. A single van can create 2kg in a year. If you could turn the daily tyre dust of a double-decker bus into a black snowball, explains Hugo Richardson, a mechanical engineer and one of Tyre Collective’s founders, you’d be holding something the size of a grapefruit. Tyres contain a complex mix of natural and synthetic rubber, containing plastic. “Everyone knows they have to change their tyres because they wear down,” says Richardson. “But no one thinks about where all that rubber and plastic goes.” One group of friends has been thinking about this problem, a lot, since 2019. Richardson, Siobhan Anderson Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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Their ‘eureka moment’ involved rubbing a balloon and watching tyre particles, which became charged through friction, stick to it like iron filings to a magnet

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Small particles, big problem: The Tyre Collective’s website offers a glimpse of how much tyre dust different vehicles produce daily.

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and Hanson Cheng (along with a friend who’s now left the collective) met while completing masters degrees offered jointly by Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art.

Diversity sparks innovation PRODUCTION

At first glance, they had little in common. They were born in different countries. Their backgrounds ranged from engineering to architecture to kinesiology. But this diversity – this clash of disciplines – helped them look at the problem of air pollution, and more specifically tyre wear, through a fresh lens. Working on their final group project, they spent three months building an early prototype, using a rig and a Brompton bicycle wheel, forcing it to “skid” and throw up tyre dust. Their “eureka moment” involved rubbing a balloon and watching tyre particles, which became charged through friction, stick to it like iron filings to a magnet. The device they built involves electrostatic plates that catch particulate matter (PM). By September last year, they turned a laboratory rig into an on-vehicle prototype. Working with Volvo and CEVT (China Euro Vehicle Technology) innovation centre, both part of the Geely group, the Tyre Collective clocked up more than 3,000 miles of on-vehicle testing in Sweden. They tried different ways of mounting the device, studying its efficiency and the powerful forces involved. They also analysed what was being captured, and how much of it proved to be tyre dust.

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To road trials, and beyond Seeing their idea leap from a sketchpad to the belly of a car filled Richardson and his friends with confidence. They’ve since filed UK and international patents for

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their design, moved away from 3D printing towards market-ready materials and assembly, built a custom power supply and partnered with Zhero, an east London logistics company that shares their vision and offered its vans for the road trial. “We’re excited to test the whole system,” says Richardson. “We’ll be looking at capture efficiency, and our lab tests are ready to go.” The collective hopes delivery vehicles and buses will be first in line to use their device. Both rack up stop-start miles along predictable city routes, where air pollution peaks. At first, owners and operators will be able to buy retrofitted devices. But in the long run the team hopes to see

Before there were road trials, there was a laboratory rig, and a Brompton bicycle wheel. Early experiments helped the Tyre Collective to design their device

the device as an add-on offered by car manufacturers, customised to blend into the overall vehicle design. Richardson says the trial will also help them better understand user behaviour and answer questions around what to do with the tyre dust once it’s gathered. He imagines a wide network to collect and reuse it, making anything from new tyres to clothes. The team has done some early experiments in this field, and has just won a Terra Carta Design Lab Award for its plans to create a circular system by upcycling tyre wear.

A step in the right direction There’s debate about how big a problem is tyre wear, but what’s not in dispute is that it’s on the rise. As batteries replace internal combustion engines, vehicles are getting heavier, which means more friction for tyres. EVs also deliver more torque, which leads to faster acceleration and sharper turning or braking. Professor Frank Kelly, of the

Air pollution, 2 A new kind of recycling: tyre dust can be turned into new tyres or even clothes. Drivers will need to empty out containers once they’re full. Below: an electrostatic plate hard at work catching particles

Environmental Research Group (ERG), says that capturing tyre particles before they escape is a good example of the kind of technological fix that is needed in urban areas. The ERG, a 30-year-old research organisation that Kelly leads, helped London implement its low- and ultra-low emission zones, along with the inner-city congestion charge, which are all widely credited with delivering a steep drop in air pollution. One of ERG’s key focus areas now is studying microplastics and understanding the health risks they pose. Because companies use secret formulas to manufacture tyres, using different polymers, groups like ERG are in the early stages of studying what kinds of particles are being released and how toxic they are, explains Kelly. “Approximately 65% of particulate pollution coming from a modern vehicle is not coming from the tailpipe,” he says. “That means, even if every vehicle in a city like London becomes electric, we’d still have a particle air pollution problem.”

‘Transport engineers should be proud of what’s been achieved and should look forward to the future with huge ambition’

Finding new challenges Kelly says that, after smoking, air pollution is one of the UK’s stealthiest killers, causing up to 34,000 premature deaths. Some estimates are higher. Transport for London says the city saw more than 4,000 deaths linked to air toxins in 2019. The fact that most modern tailpipes aren’t spewing out the toxic fumes they used to is thanks to decades of innovative engineering, regulations (such as the EU standards) and enforcement. Smarter fuel injection, engine control systems, on-board diagnostics, catalytic converters and particle filters have led to far cleaner petrol and diesel vehicles. Andrew Fraser, chairman of the automobile division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, who spent more than three decades developing lower emissions solutions at Ford, calls these interventions “stunning”. “Transport engineers should be proud of what’s been achieved and should look forward to the future with huge ambition,” he says. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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Fraser is a technical consultant at the Zemo Partnership, a non-profit-making organisation in the zero-emission mobility space. He compares non-tailpipe pollution to bumps appearing at the bottom of a swamp that’s been drained. The three most prominent causes of non-tailpipe pollution are tyres, brakes and the erosion of road surfaces. Kelly says that modern brakes are partly contained systems that don’t release as many particles into the air as tyres do. Fraser adds that regenerative braking used by EVs, which captures and transfers energy, has decreased brake-pad wear to the point where some manufacturers are concerned about corrosion or glazing caused by inactivity. And some modern cars, such as those in VW’s ID range, are returning to rear drum brakes, which are more effective at capturing brake dust. At the same time, there’s ongoing research into making roads more durable. Kelly says that, while more durable roads will help with particle pollution, engineers using recycled plastic or old rubber must be careful not to introduce dangerous microplastics into the mix, or allow them to be generated through road abrasion.

No easy answers

When it comes to tyre dust, things get complicated. It’s more difficult to catch, there’s less research to rely on and there’s debates about how dangerous it is. According to research groups such as Emissions Analytics, tyre wear can be nearly 2,000 times worse – or more hazardous – than tailpipe emissions. But Fraser warns that any interventions or advances to materials used should not come at the expense of safety. Tyres and brakes have become sophisticated components of a modern vehicle, and just 1m of braking distance can mean the difference between a crash or a near-crash. A lot of the tyre research over the past 50 years has centred around safety, improving friction and noise levels, and minimising energy consumption (especially important for electric vehicles). Fraser says research has shown that tyre dust and other non-exhaust PMs make up a fraction (less than 10% and, in some instances, less that 1%) of the overall air pollution problem. He adds that it’s important to consider the size of the tyre particles and how many of them qualify as PM2.5, the tiniest ones, which are typically

Time to hit the road: a working prototype currently being tested on the streets of London

‘Research is just starting to address the toxicology of tyre wear. Utimately, we need durable tyres that don’t release toxic particles, or we need to get off the ground’

battle against air pollution will shift. And, with as many as 10 million people dying each year from the effects of air pollution, it’s a battle in which engineers will play a crucial role.

inhaled. The Tyre Collective claims that, when it comes to road transport, tyre wear accounts for half of airborne particles. For Fraser, this context is important as engineers search for answers. He writes about the need for accurate comparisons and measurements – increases in percentage versus absolute levels of pollution – in an IMechE contribution to the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report, due to be released soon.

Kelly and Fraser see many areas in transport ready for innovation, from the construction industry to refrigeration trucks, which are a key link in the world’s food chain but tend to use diesel-powered compressors. Fundamentally, brakes and tyres haven’t changed in over a century, says Fraser, wondering if there’s a “quantum leap” waiting to disrupt these and other mechanical systems. New ideas could spill over onto train tracks or into underground tunnels, where metallic brake dust remains a problem. There’s research into hydrogen-powered vehicles and, of course, the new transport dimension: the sky. Through their work and innovation, engineers such as Hugo Richardson are sending a clear message: challenge accepted. Having initially been taught to design against failure, Richardson is now embracing the start-up mentality of failing fast and looking at the problem from new angles. “We started with a moonshot, but now people are approaching us,” he says. “If your idea is grounded in reality and solves a problem, it’s worth exploring. It’s a long road, but it starts with awareness.” Awareness and innovation. Like a small device clinging onto a delivery van, catching the tiny black flakes few people ever think about.

A shifting frontline

Kelly’s priority, meanwhile, is to understand how dangerous the particles are. “We don’t know how serious this is. Tyres are chemically complex and the research is just starting to address the toxicology of tyre wear. Ultimately, we need durable tyres that don’t release toxic particles, or we need to get off the ground,” says Kelly. “Until we get there, we need to capture those particles before they leave the vicinity of the vehicle.” Kelly believes engineers have “worked miracles” to get tailpipe emissions under control. “The next generation need to tackle new issues around brakes, tyres and road surfaces.” With the worldwide push to ban internal combustion engines, and more buses and taxis already switching to batteries or hybrid, the frontline in the

Moonshots and quantum leaps

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ELECTRIFY THE FUTURE

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IN THE DRIVE TO GIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLES MORE RANGE, GREATER EFFICIENCIES ARE BEING SOUGHT FROM THE BATTERIES, THE WHOLE POWERTRAIN AND THE SOFTWARE. BY JAMES SCOLTOCK

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CHEVROLET.COM

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mproving electric vehicle range is a critical goal for automotive OEMs. The further the vehicles can travel on a single charge of the battery, the quicker people will adopt the technology and the faster the shift away from combustion engines will be. OEMs are pumping ever bigger sums into delivering EVs; Volkswagen has increased its budget to $100bn, General Motors is investing $35bn, and Toyota is putting in the same amount. Daimler is spending $47bn and Hyundai is pouring $80bn into electrification programmes. One of the current issues is the rate at which battery technology is improving to deliver the range consumers feel is adequate for their main mode of transport. And, importantly for OEMs, how much that technology costs. But EV efficiency isn’t just about improvements to battery technology. Yes, it’s incredibly important, but electric powertrains can still be tweaked to eke out even more range regardless of what happens in the battery space. Sprint Power is an automotive engineering firm that works to improve efficiency across propulsion systems. It’s engineering director, James McGeachie (right), says: “If we’re looking at efficiency, really you’re tackling

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EVs, 1 Chevrolet will launch the Equinox EV in the 2024 model year

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two things: mass and thermals, because ultimately the heavier it is the more energy it takes to cart around and the hotter it gets.” The obvious place to make improvements is to look at how better integration could streamline EV powertrain design, and offer a solution to the issues of mass and thermal characteristics. And that’s something that McGeachie and his team have looked at. “Sprint Power’s 48V power module unit has both 12V, 48V and the battery management system integrated into it, and, as a combined device, it’s smaller and weighs less. And with some of the technologies we’ve used, we also have thermal efficiency improvements too,” says McGeachie.

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Semiconductor advances

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Semiconductors are a big part of the improvements, and should help more EVs become ever more efficient. Both silicon carbide and gallium nitride are emerging technologies, and silicon carbide is now becoming more widely commercially available. “Because they operate at higher switching frequencies, higher voltages, they’re more efficient. With that you’re getting less thermal rejection and they require less cooling,” says McGeachie. As new semiconductor technologies come online it could be tempting to simply suggest that increasing voltages is the key to unlocking greater EV efficiency. Yes, the more you increase the voltage the greater efficiency you can reach, which can then translate into smaller, lighter components, but there is a definite ceiling to what is feasible, and development teams can’t simply just keep cranking up the voltage. “What you start to bump into are things like semiconductor and filter devices are typically rated at 600V or 1,200V and are readily commercially available at affordable prices. It’s a hard stop there almost. That’s not to say that new devices couldn’t be developed, but the commercial ones at the moment, those are the ones that make most financial sense. “You’re starting to set yourself an upper limit. Typically, you’ll see an 800V application with 1,200V semiconductor devices; 800V is a nominal situation and when max voltages occur it makes sure things are robust,” says McGeachie. Increasing voltages also impacts on

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the motors, where you could need thicker insulation and more windings. But the motors are an area where huge, relative improvements could be made. “There are different configurations in motors today, depending on what it is you want to achieve. They all have pretty good heat efficiency one way or another; somewhere on their efficiency curve will be 96%, 97%, but the king is keeping it in that most efficient point,” says McGeachie.

Software tools While huge investments are being made in hardware improvements – specifically battery systems, but across the entire electric powertrain – it isn’t the only avenue to improving EV efficiency and extending range. Software is an incredibly important tool too, especially in delivering even greater control of the motors that turn the battery’s stored energy into motive power.

‘There are different configurations in motors today, depending on what you want to achieve. They all have good heat efficiency one way or another’ In a strange turn of fate, while we start to reduce our reliance on combustion engine technology, the systems designed to improve gasoline and diesel efficiency are helping to make EVs more capable. Tula Technology made a name for itself working with Tier One supplier Delphi to bring its Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) software to the market. It’s a technology that’s now used in over two million GM vehicles, helping them make 15% efficiency gains by dynamically shutting down cylinders to keep the combustion engine in its most efficient profile for as long as possible. And the control philosophy that underpins DSF is now being used to better control electric motors. Tula has developed Dynamic Motor Drive (DMD) to keep electric motors operating in the sweet spot for as long as possible – exactly what McGeachie suggests needs to happen – actively pulsing the motor to produce the optimum amount of torque, reducing the number of peaks and troughs in the delivery. The expected gains of introducing DMD to an all-electric powertrain are between 2% and 3.2%, according to Tula. WLTP drive-cycle projections are for the lower end of that scale. That may not sound a lot but when you consider that

Volkswagen is investing €2.3bn in technology to produce EVs, including the ID.Buzz (pictured)

EVs, 2 Research and development, including aerodynamic testing, is delivering improvements in the performance of electric vehicles

by 2030 the global EV fleet is estimated to consume 750 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, even a 3% efficiency improvement would save 22.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

‘Although all motors are designed to be as efficient as possible, in substantial regions of operations the highest efficiency isn't achieved’

VOLKSWAGEN AG; GORODENKOFF/SHUTTERSTOCK

Torque modulation And for the end consumer an additional 3km of range for every 100km could be the difference between completing a journey or not. “Although all motors are designed to be as efficient as possible, in substantial regions of operations the highest efficiency isn’t achieved. DMD achieves highest efficiency throughout the entire operating regime by dynamically shifting, via torque modulation, the operating points to the areas of most efficient operation,” says John Fuerst, senior vicepresident of DMD and engineering at Tula (pictured below). The operating strategy eliminates the system’s core and inverter losses, and can reduce motor losses by as much as 25%. “The system works at 20Hz to 35Hz, delivering 5Nm of torque or less, with 70Nm pulses,” says Fuerst. “DMD can be used wherever motors are driven by a software-based inverter or drive. Efficiency gains, cost advantages and environmental benefits are greatest when DMD is applied to rare earth-free motors.”

And that is the system’s current limitation but also why software control may become even more important. The automotive sector currently uses internal permanent magnet (IPM) motors. Tula’s DMD could be used in conjunction with the IPM motors but the gains would be much smaller – less than 1% – simply because IPM motors are already incredibly efficient at what they do. But there could well be a shift away from IPM motors towards externally excited synchronous motors (EESM) as OEMs realise that using rare-earth materials isn’t sustainable. At present few firms use EESMs but a lot are developing the technology; Renault, Nissan, BMW and Mahle are just some of the names working on them, but, if and when that number increases, software control will be needed to increase efficiency to IPM levels, and beyond. And that’s a given, according to Fuerst: “We see them replacing the permanent magnet machines, maybe to the point of a 50/50 split in 2030. It’s getting a lot of attention, significant cost reduction by getting rid of the rare-earth materials,” he says. But, as McGeachie explains,

there is only so much that software can do to increase efficiency if the motor technology itself isn’t fundamentally solid: “You can’t overcome the fundamentals of the motor technology link. It really is about selecting the right system,” he says. So how much more efficient could EVs become if more emphasis were placed on finding gains, no matter how small?

Search for efficiency It’s been tried with combustion, and the general consensus is that 50% is the limit. In a fuel cell that figure jumps up to a possible 80%, but, considering that even the worst EV is roughly 80%-85% efficient, the limit could be far higher. McGeachie says: “It’d be difficult to see how an EV drivetrain as a whole would get beyond 95%. Some of that is because you’re still relying on some mechanical losses, because they’re always ultimately mechanical leaks. I suppose you could argue, if you had in-wheel motors that might remove some of those mechanical links, but it’s going to be pretty unlikely that’s going to be enough to reach 100%. My gut feel would be you wouldn’t go beyond 95%.” As the EV market expands, improving vehicle efficiency will be vital. OEMs are spending huge sums to make sure their EV strategies meet demand, but improvement isn’t only about better batteries, it’s about making sure the whole powertrain is as efficient as possible, no matter how small the gains are. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

91IPEOCT22114.pgs 18.10.2022 15:08

REMOVETHE RISK OF WORKINGAT HEIGHT ON TANKERTOPS There are many tanker accesssituations that requirethe operator to havefree accessto the entire tanker top. This can meanwalking along the top of a round barrelor ISOcontainer with varying designs of walkway,manhole positions and their associatedtrip and fall hazards

The Carbis Loadtec VELPhas its own integral walkway built into the structure, giving it greater rigidity and enhanced safety. It is integrated with a folding stair unit which is manually operated. The VELPis available up to 12 metres long in aluminium or galvanized steel construction. The system can be designed to be used for inspection purposes or with a number of loading arms. The system is supplied with aluminium or GRPflip up floor panels and access to all areas of the tanker is independent of tanker walkways. Carbis Loadtec supplies these as single or double-sided units, in

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tight constraints or as stand-alone structures. The platform is powered using the most appropriate method as determined by the site services available. The system can be supplied in accordance with ATEXand is operated by a single, simple dead man switch from the platform level. Like the tilting version, it can be fitted with switches to detect the tanker and stop the downward movement. Similarly, VELPscan be supplied with a parking switch which connects to site traffic management systems.

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HELPING HANDS

KOALAA’S PROSTHETICS ARE DESIGNED TO ENABLE USERS TO DO THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE, SUCH AS HOLDING A PEN OR RIDE A BIKE. TANYA WEAVER TALKS TO THE FIRM’S FOUNDER

www.imeche.org • Professional Engineering

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he prosthetics industry is ripe for innovation. Often the only options available to amputees are rigid, heavy and uncomfortable prosthetics, which are largely based on a design that has remained unchanged for decades. While technology is progressing at a rapid pace, enabling the development of bionic limbs that include sensors, motors and electronics, these are often out of reach

Prosthetics, 1

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The Koalaa surfing prosthetic sleeve is comfortable, secure and strong enough to enable the surfer to push up off their surfboard when attempting to stand

of most users. “While research into new technologies and materials for use in prosthetics is vital and will benefit future innovations, in the meantime there are millions of people worldwide who are in need of solutions today,” says Nate Macabuag, founder of Koalaa. London-based Koalaa was founded to create such solutions. Built on principles of simplicity and accessibility, its prosthetics for upper-limb

amputees are soft and modular. Made from fabric, these slip-on prosthetics are comfortable, lightweight and affordable, and they come with various clip-on tool attachments depending on what the wearer requires, from holding a pen or cutlery to riding a bike and playing the drums. “Koalaa is about accessibility. That’s at the heart of our small company – being accessible to every single person

on the planet who might need to have some form of prosthetic support,” says Macabuag. Noble intentions indeed, although he is quick to admit that their intentions weren’t quite as noble when they started out. At that early stage, drawn by the potential of “cool” technology, the aim was to create an Ironman-inspired bionic hand using sensors and electronics to power 3D-printed mechanisms. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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Putting pen to paper

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It was Macabuag’s third year at Imperial College London and as part of his masters degree in mechanical engineering his team proposed a robotic prosthetic as their project for that year. Having discovered that prosthetics have not fundamentally changed since the Second World War, especially in terms of the rigid materials used and the lengthy process required to make them, which contributes towards their exorbitant costs, they thought this was fertile ground to create something new and exciting. A robotic hand it was. At that stage they were introduced to Alex Lewis, who had survived a serious reaction to a Strep A infection in 2013 but in so doing had undergone a quadruple amputation. While he did use his rightarm NHS-supplied prosthetic for most tasks, it was uncomfortable and rigid to wear all of the time and crucially could not perform simple yet intricate tasks such as holding a pen. This became the brief and, ignoring Lewis’s pleas for a very simple and accessible tool, the intention was still to create a bionic hand with fingers that would enable him to pick up a pen and write. Easier said than done. Macabuag spent nine months creating intricate robotic finger mechanisms. The day before the project report was due to be delivered, he still hadn’t managed to get

Nate Macabuag and his team at Imperial College testing their first prototype with quadruple amputee, Alex Lewis. From a clunky robotic hand and many prototypes later, the final product is a soft fabric sleeve with a range of clip-on tools, including an angled tool to hold objects such as a pen

‘We wanted to help more people by creating supersimple, accessible and affordable prosthetics but needed resources and also we were still students’ the fingers to hold the pen. In desperation he ordered a 50p pen-holder clip off Amazon, and attached it to the palm of the bionic hand with the fingers enclosing the attached pen. Having access to some fabric and a sewing machine, they then very quickly hashed together a socket and bag for the hand. “It was an abomination. We felt embarrassed to show this Frankenstein of a final prototype to Alex, but he loved it. We couldn’t believe it,” exclaims Macabuag. “He specifically loved that the pen is completely secured by the pen clip and that the fabric socket felt comfortable and lightweight to wear. So the bits that cumulatively took us about 35 minutes were the bits he loved, whilst the nine months of serious engineering graft to

create the finger mechanisms he dismissed. He went on to say that if he could buy this now he would.”

The prosthetics route

Buoyed by this feedback and having been awarded the Arup Prize for most outstanding third-year project, Macabuag felt inspired to develop the prosthetic further. “That feeling of being useful to Alex was just addictive and we wanted to help more people like him by creating super-simple, accessible and affordable prosthetics but needed resources and also we were still students,” he admits. He managed to convince his supervisor to allow him to continue the prosthetic project into his final year, focusing on how to go about setting up a company, which

he subsequently called Koalaa. Funding to further develop the design came from student competitions they managed to win. “For some of these the prize money was only £500 but, bearing in mind that the fabric needed to build prototypes cost just £15, it felt like infinite money. Towards the end of the year we won some bigger prizes that enabled us to file a patent, although we did have to live on beans on toast for a while,” smiles Macabuag. Having graduated with a first-class degree in 2018, Macabuag spent two years growing his team and developing the prototype. When asked about the challenges faced during this process, he is quick to quip that it was all a challenge. However, he concedes that arguably the biggest challenge is working with textiles. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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Prosthetics, 3

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“Essentially we’re using the same processes as used to engineer trainers in that we’re taking textiles, forming it into a shape and then integrating semi-rigid components. But trying to reverse engineer a trainer and figure out how to use textiles to make functional products was a really fun problem,” he admits. The forces a prosthetic applies or receives from the outside world was another key engineering challenge. Areas of the prosthetic that are taking load need to be rigid, whereas those that aren’t can be flexible. Determining where these areas are is the tricky part. “Then you have to add a transition between these two areas. From soft against the skin, you have to slowly transition to something that’s rigid in the right areas to do what you need the prosthetic to do,” says Macabuag.

Physical prototypes

To find the right solution involved much prototyping. Rather than using computer modelling tools, Koalaa created thousands of physical prototypes using low-cost materials such as cardboard and scraps of fabric in an evolutionary process. “We still have boxes and boxes of prototypes in our store room,” says Macabuag. Koalaa regularly engaged with users to test its prototypes, not least of all because users come in different sizes. Users also helped inform the design of the injectionmoulded, multi-functional tools that clip into the fabric sleeve to enable different tasks and activities. Koalaa didn’t set out to completely replace prosthetics. The aim has always been to give users another option. For instance, Lewis, who was very much

‘We need two or three measurements. We then make the prosthetic to size, package it up in a big tube, and post it out within a matter of weeks’ involved in testing prototypes, would mostly use his NHS prosthetic but, when he wanted respite or to carry out simple tasks such as holding a pen or picking up a wine glass securely, he would slip on his Koalaa sleeve. “We want to give users the option to use something that can almost be considered a comfortable shoe or slipper. Choice is good. Our prosthetic is a tool to use when the need arises,” says Macabuag.

Ready for launch

In 2020, Koalaa was in a position to launch its range of products. But launching a business involves far more than just developing products. As Macabuag admits, “We went into this thinking that ‘if we build it, they will come’. But, after our first prototypes weren’t selling, we realised we had to build a compelling end-to-end user experience around the product, and a holistic service that looked after each user. So we built a bespoke process to match users with their perfect prosthesis, and link users to a personal limb buddy who looks after them.” Koalaa’s products are focused on three key users. First, kids particularly because they grow out of traditional prosthetics so quickly. Second, very recent amputees whose limbs are still too sore for a rigid prosthetic. Lastly, amputees living in middle- and low-income countries who

often have no prosthetics available to them at all. In 2021, Koalaa successfully completed a pilot project in Sierra Leone. Part of the firm’s mission to be accessible is to supply its prosthetics through a ‘virtual clinic’ where new wearers are measured, fitted and supplied with prostheses remotely. As Macabuag says, “Essentially we need two or three measurements. We then make the prosthetic to size, package it up in a big tube, and post it out within a matter of weeks.”

Growing into the future

Securing investment from the British Design Fund, Koalaa plans to scale up. Having recently passed 500 users, it is constantly updating its product range and is focused on increasing manufacturing capacity at its west London facility. “We are now on the cusp of commercially selling accessible prosthetic arms that can be sent around the world for a fraction of the cost of anything else on the market,” he says. But for Macabuag, who was recently named Forbes 30 under 30 for social impact, the drive is not to be commercially successful, the drive is to make the lives of users that bit easier with a simple and accessible solution. “I don’t subscribe to the idea that our products are life changing, what they do is enable users to carry out the little things in life they couldn’t before,” he says. “We often get sent videos by proud parents showing their kids being able to do something that they couldn’t before like ride a bike for the first time. That feeling of being useful to someone is genuinely like a drug. Nothing beats it.” Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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IND U S T R Y P UL S E T HE HE AR T BE AT OF YOUR SE C T OR

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William Li, Nio SUBS ART

FAMOUS FIVE

PRODUCTION

Meet five people who are pushing technological boundaries in the automotive sector. James Scoltock reports

CLIENT

AUTOMOTIVE The automotive industry is facing enormous shifts as it moves away from over a century of reliance on combustion technology, while at the same time attempting to integrate a plethora of advanced driver-assistance systems. It’s arguably one of the most important eras in the sector’s history, with investment in electrification accelerating and developments in autonomous functionality delivering greater levels of self-driving capability. But the technologies that are arriving and on the horizon are only part of the story. It’s the people behind the advances who are pushing automotive in new directions, helping it adjust to a new future and deliver vehicles that meet the mobility needs of the masses. There are many faces driving the industry, but here are just five of the standout names in the sector.

It’s the people behind the advances who are pushing automotive in new directions, helping it adjust to a new future and deliver vehicles that meet the mobility needs of the masses

Linda Zhang, Ford

Linda Zhang was tasked with recreating an icon of the North American automotive industry, and pulling it into an electrified future. The F-150 pickup truck has been a cornerstone of Ford’s business since its introduction in 1948, remaining one of the company’s biggest sellers and pushing competitors down the sales charts. But even the F-150 isn’t immune from changes in the industry, and the vehicle’s line-up of V6 and V8 gasoline engines at least needed an electric sibling. Zhang led the team delivering Ford’s first-ever all-electric F-150 pickup, when the F-150 Lightning programme started in September 2018. She was well placed to take charge of arguably one of Ford’s most important – and perhaps divisive – development projects. Zhang has been with Ford for nearly 25 years after joining the company after graduating with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, becoming part of the Ford College Graduate programme. Her career has taken her through manufacturing, product development, finance and vehicle programmes including the Ford Explorer, Escape, Kuga and previous F-150 variants.

Forget Elon Musk and Tesla, if you want to see someone who’s shaping the automotive industry look to China and the founder of Nio. William Li only started the venture in 2014 but is already expanding the technologies it offers and the regions it operates in. After the failed Project Better Place, few would have seen battery swapping as a legitimate approach to EV ownership, but Li and his colleagues at Nio have developed a system that works, and not just in China. Li is taking the system to Europe, first in Norway but then expanding into Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. The principle is simple. If your battery is depleted you can drive to a service station and swap the battery for a fully charged version. But the approach has opened the door to other business approaches. Nio’s Battery as a Service subscription model means that users can purchase a car without the battery. This makes EVs more price competitive against existing powertrains, while also providing the flexibility to change battery capacity depending on user needs, just paying the relevant subscription fees to access the battery needed.

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AUTOMOTIVE

Dr Brian Holt, Parkopedia

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Lenora Clark, ESI Automotive CLIENT

Automotive’s scale can be overwhelming, but the route to an electrified, autonomous future could be decided on the smallest aspect of a technology. Lenora Clark is pushing for greater understanding of material choices in the automotive space, conversations that have become more open as OEMs and Tier Ones realise the levels of detail required to succeed. ESI Automotive’s director of autonomous driving is a career engineer and is helping to develop new engineering techniques to improve ADAS reliability and safety, and could help firms go beyond Level Three autonomy. Clark’s role is all-encompassing and she works closely with OEMs, suppliers and fabricators to understand the needs of the entire supply chain to achieve faster, more reliable solutions across electronics, uniting circuitry, semiconductor and assembly solutions for a holistic approach to automotive market needs.

Clark’s role is allencompassing and she works closely with OEMs, suppliers and fabricators to understand the needs of the entire supply chain to achieve faster, more reliable solutions

We can often be distracted by the vehicles filing off production lines, with ever greater levels of technology integrated under the bodywork, but the automotive space involves a lot more than the end product. For technologies such as autonomous functionality to integrate fully into our lives, a huge number of other businesses need to be involved in the process. Parkopedia is one of those firms, and Dr Brian Holt, its chief technology officer, is pushing to make autonomous functionality a reality. His team is developing parking solutions for autonomous cars, including automated valet parking technologies. The system’s software plans a route from the drop-off zone to the selected target parking space when the driver presses ‘Park’. The vehicle is able to find its current position in the parking facility without a GPS signal. Finally, the software plans a path back to the pick-up zone when summoned. Holt is well placed to lead the charge in

this sphere, having previously worked at Samsung Electronics managing on-device artificial intelligence, vision-based localisation and augmented/virtual-reality projects. And he sits on the committee for Intelligent Transport Systems Standards.

Yoshiaki Nitta, Nissan

Everyone is looking at what battery technology is coming next to power electric vehicles, and for many the chatter is about solid-state systems. There is a lot of work still to be done to make them scaleable but Nissan’s Yoshiaki Nitta is part of a team dedicated to making solid-state a reality. Nitta is expert leader at Nissan’s advanced materials and processing laboratory, part of a team that is working to shift reliance away from traditional lithium-ion battery technology that uses liquid systems to all-solid-state batteries as it aims to launch an EV with in-house developed ASSBs by 2028. Battery technology is a passion as well as a career for Nitta. He joined Panasonic in 1983 to work in battery materials research and cell development, before moving to Samsung in 2003 where he worked in cell research and line processing. Then in 2005 he moved to Tanaka Chemical Corporation’s materials research and development and production department, before shifting to Nissan in 2009. And it’s Nitta’s passion that could change the efficiency, range and adoption of EVs, helping shift the industry further towards its electrified future. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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91IPEOCT22119.pgs 27.10.2022 14:09

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BENEFITS OF FRESH AIR

Industry can learn from healthcare facilities about how to improve ventilation to limit the spread of Covid-19. Tom Austin-Morgan reports which each have different characteristics. “Before issuing incorrect advice, they should know that mercury vapour lamps made with quartz casing emit a tight output of germicidal UVC light at or near 254nm wavelength which doesn’t create ozone. Broad spectrum UV lamps, typically with glass casing, produce shorter wavelengths which create ozone. In small doses ozone can be useful in certain applications; however it’s a dangerous gas and should be avoided in occupied spaces.”

CONSTRUC TION & BUILDING SUBS ART PRODUCTION CLIENT

At the beginning of the pandemic, the first response at healthcare facilities was to intensify surface cleaning and sanitisation procedures. But, as things progressed, the science behind how Covid-19 spreads was scrutinised and the focus shifted to air purification, specifically with airconditioning systems. To manage a highly transmissible disease such as Covid-19, medical facilities have used multiple methods to increase air exchanges in rooms and spaces. One high-tech solution used in some hospitals in the US is converting rooms – or entire floors – into ‘negative pressure spaces’ with mechanical ventilation, run by a building management system, which maintains lower air pressure within the area than that in the rooms or hallways outside it. Air naturally flows from higher pressure areas to lower pressure areas, preventing contaminated air from the isolation room escaping outwards. A less high-tech and cheaper method is to install a HEPA filtration system into HVAC systems. However, this can affect air distribution, so it’s important that HVAC systems are designed with enough fan power at the air handling units (AHUs) to support their use. Alternatively, HEPA filter racks can be installed that are only deployed in a pandemic situation, saving on operation and maintenance costs. AHUs can be engineered to manage dual conditions for heating and cooling coils: minimum outside air intake for normal conditions, and 100% outside air for pandemic and emergency conditions. High-intensity UV lights or similar air-treatment systems can also be used to

Jenny Smith

Bill Anderson

Official advice Sanuvox Coilclean IL units basking cooling coils in UVC light

‘We were horribly unprepared for the Covid pandemic. Countries like Singapore learned lessons from SARS, for example’ help keep cooling coils clear of biomass. They can also be installed in the ducts to kill virus particles in the air flow. Bill Anderson, director of Puravent, provider of UV air-purification systems, said: “This isn’t a new technology but, although it’s commonly used in humid countries in the Americas and Asia, it’s relatively uncommon in the UK.

Shock of the pandemic

“We were horribly unprepared for the Covid pandemic. Countries like Singapore learned lessons from SARS, for example, but the UK did not implement UVC treatment systems despite the technology being proven and mature.” Advice from SAGE says that the UV in air purification is unproven and risks oxidising agents being released into the air. However, Anderson countered: “The efficacy of UVC air and surface purification has a research history measured in decades. If only SAGE officials could appreciate that UV splits into different bands

Government advice states that in addition to opening windows and doors, it’s important to make sure mechanical ventilation works properly and that systems and does not recirculate indoor air. IMechE’s Covid taskforce believes HEPA and UV-C systems are good low-cost soluations in the short-term. Jenny Smith, head of marketing at Vent-Axia, said: “There are some simple steps businesses can take to help minimise virus transmission risks. The first is to undergo a risk assessment to ensure their premises are adequately ventilated. Ventilating for longer and opting for ventilation with higher airflow volumes will also help reduce the risk.”

----------------

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etting the most out of your machinery often depends on close integration between all components, with the correct specification of couplings between them to ensure proper shaft alignment, optimise performance and minimise wear. The experts at jbj Techniques guide us through the design considerations for coupling hydraulic pumps to prime movers. www.jbj.eo.uk/hydraulic-adaptors.html

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A US Army drone broke a flurry of records with a 64-day stratospheric mission – but similar flights could soon be routine thanks to their many potential applications. By Joseph Flaig AEROSPACE

CLIENT

It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise extremely satisfactory flight. After 64 days in the air, the US Army’s Zephyr 8 drone “encountered events that led to its unexpected termination” over the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona on 18 August. The army announcement gave no further details of the incident, save to say that there were no injuries to personnel or damage to other aircraft, and that an investigation had been launched. One thing was already crystal clear, however – the previous 63 days had been a monumental success. While it missed the all-time world record for longest powered flight by just under four hours, the stratospheric flight demonstration of the Airbus drone more than doubled the unmanned air system (UAS) endurance record, which it had set in 2018 with a flight of just under 26 days. “The 1,500 flight hours beat all known unmanned aircraft endurance records, marking significant capability and informing future mission requirements,” said the US Army. Equivalent to more than one lap around the Earth, the flight of 30,000+ nautical miles included a number of firsts for the UAS, including its departure from US airspace, flight over water, flight in international airspace, data collection and direct downlink while outside US airspace,

the longest continuous duration (seven days) using satellite communications, and the demonstration of command and control from three locations – Huntsville in Alabama, Yuma, and Farnborough in Hampshire.

‘Fly them ’til they break’

The extraordinary flight was enabled by some equally ground-breaking engineering. Despite a 25m wingspan that would cover an entire tennis court, the Zephyr 8 only weighs 75kg, reducing the energy required from the gallium arsenide solar panels that powered the flight to more than 60,000ft. The panels also charge lithium-ion batteries during the day to enable overnight flight. Experiments during the mission successfully demonstrated Zephyr’s energy-storage capacity, flight endurance, station-keeping and ‘agile positioning’ abilities, said the US Army. The record-breaking success of the mission means its unfortunate end should be little cause for concern, said Steve Wright, senior research fellow in aerospace engineering at the University of the West of England. As the aircraft is uncrewed it

‘You can keep flying them ‘til they break. It means you can take a much more pragmatic and high-performance approach to development’

can be pushed to its absolute limit, helping develop the technology further. “You can just keep flying them ’til they break and fall out of the sky,” he said. “It means that you can take a much more pragmatic and high-performance approach to your development.” Optimisation could include a stronger focus on protecting the aircraft’s systems from the elements, Wright suggested, to enable even longer flights. High radiation levels and extreme temperatures of -50ºC and below pose a major threat to continuous operation. “That plays havoc with all the materials, all the systems onboard the aircraft,” said Wright. Factors requiring investigation could include embrittlement of components and moisture ingress, he suggested.

Disaster response

The US Army’s use of the high-altitude aircraft shows the likely direction of the first applications. “The military are fascinated by these things… having them hovering and circling around in any random place in the world,” said Wright. Civilian applications will soon follow, however. The aircraft could provide improved mobile connectivity in remote areas, high-speed data transfers, and Earth observation at 18cm resolution, according to Airbus, with uses including disaster response and wildfire management. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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The at-home breast health monitoring tool, which won the national leg of the James Dyson Award in September, aims to reduce the rate of deaths from breast cancer by use of early detection

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BEATING BREAST CANCER This award-winning project uses smart engineering to enable women to check themselves for breast cancer at home. By Joseph Flaig BIOMEDICAL Shefali Bohra had just completed a gym workout when she felt some discomfort in one of her breasts. After discovering an unusual knot, she spoke to her aunt, a gynaecologist, who examined it and told her to monitor it using her fingers for a few months. Fortunately, the knot soon vanished. Bohra said the experience, which happened in India during the Covid-19 pandemic, was a “little concerning… but also really easy” thanks to her family connection – but she quickly realised how difficult it is for many others.

Studying the innovation design engineering masters course at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, Bohra and project partner Debra Babalola investigated the available tools for women to monitor their breasts. The pair were ‘astonished’ to find a serious lack of at-home solutions for the early detection of cancer, so they set out to address that need. Dotplot is the result of their work. The at-home breast health monitoring tool, which won the national leg of the James Dyson Award in September, aims to reduce the rate of deaths from breast cancer by use of early detection.

Self-check routine

The system – including a handheld device for mapping the user’s chest and scanning for abnormalities in the breast tissue, and a mobile application connected via Bluetooth – is designed to enable and encourage women to stick to a regular self-check routine and identify potential issues. Users start by entering the details of their period cycle, if they have one, to offer the correct date for their self-check. They then build a personalised map of their torso by providing their bra size, breast shape, and sliding the handheld device over their chest to reshape the ‘baseline model’. Once set up, the app guides women through the self-check by showing which

areas they need to cover. A sound signal is emitted as the user moves the scanner over her breasts, which records tissue composition in a similar way to ultrasound scans. A different frequency is used, although Bohra told Professional Engineering she could not share further information at this stage. Each month’s reading is compared to previous readings to highlight any abnormalities. “The idea is to be able to detect if there is a lump, if there is a change,” says Bohra. “The baseline scale within the system would be able to say ‘It’s just a mammary duct’… it shouldn’t be flagging abnormalities for minor changes. But if there is any major change, which is not common, it would flag that up.” The partners hope that their system could save many lives. “If you catch it early, your survival rates increase up to 93%,” says Bohra. “The whole goal is to make sure that all the detections are caught early.”

Next steps

During technical development, the prototype could detect lumps up to 15mm deep in tests with a surrogate. Refinements and the use of machine learning were added to help identify lumps at different depths. The team’s next step, aided by £5,000 from the James Dyson Award, will be to combine the mapping and lump detection aspects into a compact, handheld device, as seen in promotional images. They then hope to run their first clinical trial, and aim to sell Dotplot “within the next few years”. Further ahead, the technology could be adapted for other cancers and illnesses such as testicular cancer and soft-tissue sarcoma. The cost of care for stage three and four cancers is nearly three times that for less-advanced stages one and two, with a difference of roughly £7,700, according to Bohra. Catching cases earlier could lead to big savings for the NHS and other healthcare services. Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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CADverter, a CAD translator, has been Theorem’s flagship product for over 30 years. Theorem is CAD independent and offers support for all the major CAD systems including CATIA V5, Creo, NX, 3DEXPERIENCE, and SOLIDWORKS, as well as visualisation formats like 3DXML, JT and Creo View. CAD translation is important in many industries, but particularly the automotive and aerospace industries that Theorem predominantly works with. Not every partner and supplier working on a project will be using the same CAD system, so it’s important to have a translator that retains information from the original CAD data. Unlike many other CAD translators, Theorem Solutions’ is built upon the CAD vendor APIs, allowing for more accurate and robust translation since the translators are not reverse engineered. All the important information is brought through including PMI, model-based definition, assembly structure, geometry,

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attributes, colour information, and metadata. Using the vendor APIs allows for the creation of plug-ins, so users can use the CAD translators from within their CAD system directly. This can be useful as many engineers don’t want to understand multiple formats, so being able to work within a familiar system can simplify the process. Theorem’s translators are configurable, so users can determine what they want to translate into the new system. For example, geometry, metadata, and PMI information are all configurable options. Theorem Solutions also allows users to translate data in batch mode or automate it for use with PLM systems.

Interactive documentation Alternatively, instead of translating from one CAD system to another, users can also go from CAD to a PDF file with Theorem Solutions’ 3D PDFs. 3D PDFs are a great way of sharing your data if you don’t want to invest in a licence for a partner’s CAD

system, or if you’re working with people who don’t use a CAD system at all. One of the main benefits of 3D PDFs is that they’re simple to share, and anyone can view them in Adobe Acrobat Reader, which most people are already familiar with and have access to. As a result, most people are willing to use PDF documents, whereas they might be less willing to work with CAD data that they don’t understand. These 3D PDFs, when viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader, include a 3D model taken from CAD data, which can be manipulated as you usually would, i.e. pan, zoom and rotate. Additionally, there are many other features for interacting with the model, including hiding components and exploding geometry. Plus, you can password protect a document to ensure the security of your IP. Theorem Solutions’ 3D PDF documents allow users a lot of flexibility. The layout of the document and the information it includes is fully configurable. Users can work with Theorem to create 3D PDFs that

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Visualisation with Theorem-XR The most recent addition to Theorem Solutions’ product range is Extended Reality (XR) data preparation and experiences. This involves preparing CAD data for use in augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR). AR allows for the visualisation of CAD data using a handheld device such as a smartphone or tablet, digitally placing the model within your environment. Similarly, MR allows users to visualise CAD data within your environment; however, it is in the form of a full-scale 3D hologram using a headset like the Microsoft HoloLens 2. With VR, users are immersed in a fully digital environment where they can visualise their CAD data at full scale and in context with a headset like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

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Extreme engineers, 1

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THE ACCIDENTAL ENGINEER Laura Hoang stumbled across engineering by chance. But, as Alex Eliseev discovers, she’s now one of the industry’s proudest ambassadors. Her journey involves fighter jets, roller derby, and meeting military leaders in Washington, DC ENGINEERING E X TREMES When the sight of a sheep’s lung made Laura Hoang faint, she knew medicine wasn’t for her. Studying at school, she was searching for a career to chase. Laura’s interests ranged from the quiet, gentle art of origami to the smoking tyres and roaring engines of F1 races. She took

part in science competitions, painted and learned Latin. Engineering wasn’t on her radar. The daughter of asylum seekers from Vietnam, who built a new life in Leeds, Laura tried her hand at just about everything. And, all along, she says, she pushed back against the more traditional side of her family, that didn’t believe women needed careers.

► Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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“I wanted to do something,” she explains. “I just wasn’t sure what.” That changed when a new physics teacher recommended a programme run by the Engineering Development Trust. It was a six-month scheme – an afterschool club – where students met working engineers. Those who visited her school were from the National Grid. “We came up with some far-fetched solutions to real-life problems,” she remembers. “That was the beauty of it.”

‘At an early age, I was told engineering wasn’t for me. And only because I’m stubborn, I decided to stick with it. I could have missed this amazing career’

Laura overcame her fear of public speaking and now does outreach work. She began her career in the aerospace sector (below)

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For someone who stumbled into engineering “by accident,” Laura (32) is now an active and proud ambassador. She’s a council member at the Royal Aeronautical Society and is involved in equity, diversity and inclusion. She’s on the team at SheCanEngineer, an organisation that promotes diversity in engineering. And she’s helping a new STEM outreach charity, Epistemic, build momentum. After spending more than a decade at BAE Systems, she’s recently joined sustainability consultancy ERM (Environmental Resources Management). After discovering engineering at school, Laura spent a year getting some hands-on experience. She joined a civil engineering firm where her first big design was a car park in Manchester. Laura studied systems engineering and found an internship that opened a door into BAE, where she spent the next 11 years. There, she dabbled in all kinds of design work, often involving fighter jets. She worked on electrical power or fuel systems, designed cockpits and tested software. She won a prestigious award. And, once, she got invited to speak to military leaders in Washington, DC – the coolest-but-scariest thing she’s done. By then, Laura had taken an interest in the way engineers and pilots were trained to use F35 fighter jets. There was a complex, intricate system – a service – around the global training centres and the materials they used. She unfolded the entire operation and found ways to improve the design. She presented her ideas using a systems engineering-based model and the

In the past, she’d found herself up on stage, frozen or in tears. Now, she’d be addressing senior military leaders...

next thing she knew she was on a flight to DC. But Laura had a fear of public speaking. In the past, she’d found herself up on stage, frozen or in tears. Now, she’d be addressing senior military leaders, pointing out gaps in their training system.

Delivering under pressure

It got worse. As a secondary partner on the project, BAE wasn’t traditionally given a speaking slot at the conference she was attending. And those in the audience were not engineers, so they’d need a simple explanation of a technical system. The pressure was on, and Laura had to deliver. Which she did. The feedback was great. Her company got invited to fill more speaker slots. And something about that experience “switched on a light” for the ambitious engineer – a light that boosted her confidence in front of an audience. “At an early age, I was told engineering wasn’t for me. And only because I’m stubborn, I decided to stick with it,” Laura explains. “I could easily have said ‘I’m not going to do it’ and then miss out on this amazing career.”

This year, Laura left the world of F35s, Hawks and Typhoons to become a senior human factors consultant at ERM. Her focus is safety, and her clients are spread across all kinds of industries. Laura’s parents are by her side at engineering shows or STEM talks, smiling for photographs and beaming with pride. For Laura, no experience is ever wasted. She believes in the power of transferable skills and the benefits of joining professional institutions. Laura is proof that engineers can shape their careers to fit their passions. One of her latest passions is roller derby – where roller skating meets a human pinball machine. She’s learning to play the game, but also to become one of the many referees it takes to keep everyone safe. “No two engineers have the same job,” says Laura. “So I always say: ‘try it’. You’ll always find something you love.” Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN After going online during the pandemic, the IMechE’s Business Development Team is out and about again, helping engineers to attain professional registration

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INSTITUTION NEWS

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Statistics from the Engineering Council show that, over the past 10 years, the IMechE has elected the largest number of new registrants, ahead of all other engineering institutions. This is in no small part due to the combined efforts of staff and volunteers working closely together, notably the Global Business Development Team. Our 16-strong team, who are all based in the Regions, focuses on explaining the depth and breadth of the IMechE and the requirements for professional registration. They also guide and coach applicants through the various routes to registration. After the pandemic, we are delighted to be back on the road again, providing support, both in person and virtually, which is tailored to meet client needs. The pandemic resulted in the team having to quickly change from frequent travel to face-to-face interactions, to a virtual world. Evidence indicates that engagement at virtual events can be less than at in-person events, so we are pleased to be back meeting people face-to-face. Support is provided in a variety of different ways, from site visits to presentations and workshops via digital platforms.

Individual guidance

Membership surgeries, for example, provide engineers with an opportunity for a one-to-one consultation to discuss their individual circumstances, while applications workshops provide candidates with guidance on preparing their application form for submission and what to expect at professional review interview. Feedback indicates that applicants particularly value the opportunity to have their draft application critiqued before submission. It provides them with reassurance that they are ready to apply and are likely to have a positive outcome after interview. The team also supports organisations wishing to have their graduate training

‘Our roles encompass being ambassadors for the Institution’ – Sandra Mulligan (pictured above) schemes or apprenticeships approved by the Institution. Sandra Mulligan, the IMechE’s senior business manager in the UK, says: “Our roles encompass being ambassadors for the Institution. We all love being out in industry and academia, face-to-face with our audiences, chatting with engineers and providing them with the information that they need. No two days are the same! A typical week could include helping a member upgrade to fellowship or access the Support Network, delivering mentor training, reviewing draft applications, attending a regional committee meeting, explaining the Challenge events or signposting someone to the wealth of bitesize learning opportunities on the IMechE’s YouTube channel. It’s great to direct a member to the library to find that elusive paper that they haven’t been able to source through their own efforts. “We are always delighted to receive

messages from successful applicants thanking us for the support that we’ve provided – it makes the job very rewarding. Getting to know applicants from a huge variety of industry sectors and helping them move closer to achieving career goals is tremendously interesting and enjoyable.”

Lightbulb moments

“At present, it is a delight to be presenting to the next generation of professional engineers, the new intake of first-year students and apprentices, at universities and training providers around the globe. We love to see the lightbulb moments when someone, who has never heard of the IMechE before our talk, understands that the Institution will be there for them, providing support throughout their studies and beyond.” Tap into the resources available from the Business Development Team – you can email us at bdm@ imeche.org or have a look at the following pages: www.imeche.org/ membership-registration/helpwith-your-application Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

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ASK THE ENGINEERS

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Are you stuck in a career rut or planning your next move? Or maybe you’re a student struggling to decide on an industry. In each issue, we’ll put your burning questions to our panel of seasoned engineers

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SIMON COTTON ASKS:

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As an unchartered engineer who has moved into a relatively senior management position within an engineering function, what routes exist for professional registration?

CLIENT

It really depends what field your company specialises in. The Engineering Council includes a lot of institutions covering all aspects of engineering. I actually switched from the IMechE to the IE with a more renewable-focused role. You can also do an experience checker to see at what level you can register for. Maybe IEng is very achievable for you. Good luck. Simon

The IMechE have various routes towards professional registration, the Monitored Professional Development Scheme, the Supported Registration Scheme, or through the Developing Engineers Programme. There is also the Career Learning Assessment option for those with many years of relevant experience but maybe not the academic requirements. Allan Wilson I highly recommend speaking with our Institution’s advisers, as the routes evolve over time. Certainly, be prepared to record and eventually submit your career history, particularly your time in management and related responsibilities. And get along to a Routes to Registration presentation within your local region’s lecture programme. Ian Weslake-Hill

www.imeche.org • Professional Engineering

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Carefully consider which professional registration is right for you – it may well be IMechE but there are other routes which may be more relevant for management roles – APM chartered project professional as an example. If you have the right experience, it may be possible to go through a report and interview route rather than a full application – I’m sure Birdcage Walk can advise! Richard Haydock

Get in touch Do you have a careers question for your fellow engineers? Email

profeng@thinkpublishing.co.uk with your name and question and we’ll put it to our expert panel

It will depend on the level of professional registration you wish to attain and your academic and engineering application background. I would suggest starting on the IMechE web page where there is a wealth of info about membership and registration, and you can start with the academic checks required to set your starting point. Robert Davidson I think people need to decide if they want to be engineers or managers. Good managers are not often “grown-up engineers”. Companies that plot a career path for engineers which turns them into managers tend to promote people to the limit of their (managerial) incompetence (the Peter Principle) and block the path for others. Andy Brown

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If the IMechE website does not help, find your local or relevant specialist group(s) and start attending their meetings. This will help to build up contacts that will hopefully enable you to get the help and support that you need. Richard Bossom

If your career is moving in a non-technical direction and you are happy with this, look to alternative qualifications such as chartered project professional. Chris Elliott

If you have several years’ experience then apply via a standard route of application (online) and professional review. Look to see if your local IMechE division runs any Get Chartered event as they will guide you through the application system. Ken

It all depends on what responsibility for engineering the manager has. If the individual can provide evidence that they have acquired a level of expertise equivalent to someone having gained chartered status they could seek registration via an individual mature candidate route. Gabriel Izienicki I have to ask how you got to that level without being professionally qualified? There’s something wrong with the company standards. Follow the normal application process if you can find suitably qualified proposers and seconders. Nick Schulkins Professional Engineering • www.imeche.org

91IPEOCT22129.pgs 27.10.2022 16:38

Weird engineering

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STRATOFLIGHT

Balloon-lifted capsule offers passengers a ‘balcony’ at the edge of space

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t is an experience that only a tiny handful of people have ever had – stepping out of the safety and comfort of a spacecraft into the great unknown. Whether walking on the Moon or floating outside the International Space Station, such missions are a remarkable triumph of engineering. More people could soon share a similar experience if French start-up Stratoflight and global engineering firm Expleo succeed in a new venture. Aiming to deliver a “new sustainable mode of transport,” the partners will offer customers balloon flights up to 35,000m. Once they reach maximum altitude, the passengers will be able to leave the cockpit and walk out on to the craft’s ‘balcony’, looking down to see the curvature of the Earth and a view that stretches for more than 1,200km – allowing them to see Amsterdam and Barcelona simultaneously, for example.

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Zero-pressure balloon

Designed to ensure a safe and immersive experience, the 8m-long craft will carry up to six people, including two pilots. Remarkably, Expleo engineers aim to use bio-sourced, recycled or recyclable material where possible. The capsule will be carried by a ‘zeropressure’ balloon, open at the bottom and with ducts on the sides to allow the gas – green hydrogen – to escape when needed. The hydrogen will be produced at the launch site using renewable energy, including solar and wind, said the partners. Everyone onboard will wear pressure suits during the entire flight. Similar to those used by astronauts, the suits will provide oxygen, recycle carbon dioxide, maintain pressure in the very low-pressure environment of the stratosphere, and protect the wearers from harmful radiation. After the passengers have enjoyed the view from the balcony, the pilots will

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‘Stratoflight provides multiple exceptional experiences – the ascent to space, stepping out on to the viewing balcony, moving into space like an astronaut’ initiate the descent, first by a controlled release of the balloon gas, then by deploying a parafoil at around 8,000m. Controlled by fly-by-wire commands, the parafoil and the capsule’s aerodynamic shape will enable speeds of up to 140km/h as the craft descends.

‘Making space accessible’

The use of hydrogen might make some potential customers think twice, but the gas is often safely used in weather balloons. The capsule will also have four separate parachutes fitted, said the partners, to provide high levels of redundancy. “Stratoflight provides passengers with

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Three more weird things we learned while making this issue Woodpecker inspires design of a lightweight hammer (page 7) Invention helps disabled people to use the stairs (page 8) How firms could protect staff from future heatwaves (page 49) 64

multiple exceptional experiences – the ascent to space that feels like a hot-air balloon flight, stepping out on to the viewing balcony, moving into space like an astronaut, and the landing, similar to free flight in a paraglider – all this in a capsule similar to a spacecraft,” said Arnaud Longobardi, airline pilot and co-founder of Stratoflight. “For me, this mission is not only the realisation of my dreams as a pilot, but also a technological innovation respectful of the planet.” Reservations for passengers will reportedly open in early 2023, with the first flight scheduled for 2025. Stratoflight also aims to offer several flights each year to scientists and educators. The price of a ticket has not been disclosed, but Expleo head of space Frédérique Rebout claimed that “making space accessible to all” was central to the firm’s beliefs, along with respecting the environment. “Our teams of space engineers have designed this capsule with this dual objectives in mind, and we intend to go further. We are investigating the possibility of making the capsule out of new green composite materials based on bamboo, which would further reduce its carbon footprint.”

www.imeche.org • Professional Engineering

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