Living biochem detector developed - 28-11-2007 - 11:19

An aerospace engineer has developed a biological way of detecting the presence of biochemical weapons that cuts down on false positives by harnessing the power of living cells.

The cellular canary, which has been developed by engineer Benjamin Shapiro at the University of Maryland, overcomes the problems faced by traditional detectors by exploiting pathogen-specific pathways and apoptosis.

Existing biochemical detectors can't recognise the myriad ways that pathogens affect biological systems and so are not always accurate indicators of the presence of pathogens.

However, if the detector is instead made out of living cells that die in the presence of the pathogen, the room for error is much smaller.

Shapiro's team have selected and engineered cells which die with exposure to specific pathogens so that they produce a distinctive signal when they are under attack.

These cells are stored under a semi-permeable membrane on a chip that keeps them alive and monitors them.

BAE could build nuclear power components - 28-11-2007 - 11:15

Parts for nuclear power stations could be built at BAE Systems' new construction hall dubbed the "Son of DDH" in Barrow, according to reports.

The Barrrow site has been used for the construction of nuclear submarine parts so has the equipment and staff to carry out nuclear-related procedures.

Glynn Cragg, the head to the carrier project at the site told students at Chetwynde School that the Barrow plant has tested and commissioned reactor equipment for submarines and so counts with the expertise to construct nuclear power station components.

Meanwhile, he revealed that the plant had been selected to build 9,000 tonne hull sections for two carriers.

The construction of the central blocks of the carriers would create 700 jobs at Barrow, with work starting in 2009.

Other parts of the carriers, such as the aeroplane flight deck and hangar deck walls will be built at other places, with the modular approach to construction expected to cut the build time by six months.

Rolls-Royce engineer named Woman of the Future - 22-11-2007 - 11:08

A Rolls-Royce engineer has won an award recognizing her as an inspirational role model to other women earlier this month.

Dr Caroline Mohamed, who works at Rolls-Royce's base in Inchinnan, was crowned UK Woman of the Future at a ceremony in London.

The award, which has Cherie Booth QC as its patron was established to recognize women under the age of 35 forging ahead in business and industry and was awarded to Dr Mohamed on the basis of her scientific and technological achievements in a male dominated industry.

Dr Mohamed, who has worked with the aerospace engineering giant for 10 years, is chief of manufacturing capability and technology.

She has been using her PhD in combustion chemistry to help the company develop greener and more efficient jet engines.

Dr Mohamed told icRenfrewshire: "It is fantastic to be recognised for all my work.

"I am always keen to encourage more women into engineering and this award demonstrates what can be achieved if you work hard in the industry."

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has announced the decision to open new facilities for building the Trent engines in Singapore and the US.

Aviation academy gets £1.7m boost - 19-11-2007 - 15:03

Those looking to work in the aerospace engineering sector will be buoyed by the news of the expansion of a training academy recently built in the north-east.

Named the Newcastle Aviation Academy, the building opened its doors four years ago but has just been given a £1.7 million cash injection to improve its facilities.

Regional development agency One NorthEast has given the academy the extra funding which will enable it to take on more students.

Margaret Fay, One NorthEast chairman, said: "This project has been a successful collaboration between education and business, providing a worldwide showcase for the standard of training we can achieve here.

"Offering aviation engineering skills will provide learners with transferable generic engineering knowledge that can be shifted to other engineering careers, which will be a tremendous skills boost for the north-east."

The next generation of aerospace engineers can study for a range of qualifications from GCSEs to first and national diplomas as well as taking their industry standard Foundation Degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

Rolls-Royce engine powers gyroplane - 16-11-2007 - 10:49

A Rolls-Royce gas turbine engine is used in the world's first commercially viable modern gyroplane.

A gyroplane, or autogyro, is similar to a helicopter in that it generates the lift for take off using rotors but once it is in the air, an engine powered propeller provides the thrust which generates aerodynamic forces to drive the rotor.

The first successful flight was made by Juan de la Cierva in 1923, but the technology has since advanced, with Groen Brothers Aviation - which is to feature as one of Utah Business Magazines 2007 High Tech 20 list.

Groen Brothers have been developing the gyroplane since 1986, and designed the first autogiro to use a jet engine - the Hawk 4 Gyroplane.

First employed for security and aerial patrol missions at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Hawk caught the attention of the US Department of Defence.

Now Groen Brothers is under contract to design a proof of concept for a vertical take off and landing aircraft that can fly at high speeds for long distances with a search and rescue role in mind.

Rolls-Royce gets engine order - 15-11-2007 - 12:05

Rolls-Royce announced it had received an order for engines to power 10 Airbus A350 XWBs.

The aerospace giant affirmed that Yemenia Yemen, the flag carrying airline of the Middle Eastern country had placed the order for its Trent XWB engines.

Along with the engines, Rolls-Royce is also set to provide the TotalCare long-term agreement to service and maintain the engines.

As well as the new engine and maintenance contracts, Yemenia has also signed another Totalcare agreement for the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines already powering its two Airbus A330-200s.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is to work on the development of gas-to-liquid synthetic jet fuel along with Qatar Airways, Airbus, Shell, Qatar Fuel Co and Qatar Petroleum.

Testing was to start yesterday on the fuel which, with a density of four to five per cent higher than normal jet fuel would allow aircraft to fly the same distances while consuming less fuel, thereby reducing their carbon emissions.

Sheffield engineer firm in take over - 12-11-2007 - 11:40

A Sheffield engineering firm has attracted the attention of overseas investors and is set to be taken over in a $2 billion, (£945 billion) deal.

Firth Rixson, a specialist engineering firm in the aerospace industry, will be bought by private equity firm Oak Hill Capital from current owner Carylyle.

The firm, which was funded 160 years ago, was turned around by Carlyle from making a loss to its current annual revenues of £500 million.

Carlyle managing director Robert Easton said: "Firth Rixson is a fantastic growth story and the company has been transformed over the period of our ownership."

He added: "From its beginnings in Sheffield over 160 years ago, Firth now operates 11 facilities across the US, UK, Europe and China and supplies products to every major aerospace engine manufacturer in the world."

Some 980 people have jobs at the company's Sheffield base and the firm has bases in the US and Hungary as well.

Firth Rixson specialises in manufacturing highly engineered rings, industrial forgings and specialised metal products for aerospace engines.

When the company was taken over in 2003 by Carlyle, it was merged with Forged Metals.

Spacewalker fixes solar wing - 05-11-2007 - 11:11

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station completed an unprecedented space walk to repair a damaged solar power wing.

The repairs carried out by Scott Parazynski of the Discovery Shuttle, mean that construction on the ISS can go ahead as planned.

Mr Parazynski, who was anchored to the station's robot arm, attached replaced hinges that broke when the solar power wings were extended, with impromptu brackets made aboard the station.

His work, which was carried out as the wing was still generating high voltage electricity, allowed the solar power wings to extend fully, allowing station construction to continue.

The next element in the construction will be the attachment of Europe's Columbus laboratory in December.

"What an accomplishment," Mr Parazynski said. "Congratulations to the whole flight team that came up with this brilliant concept."

The Discovery team said a tearful goodbye on Sunday, with Clayton Anderson joining the homeward bound crew after five months in orbit and Daniel Tani joining the ISS team for a two month stint.

MoD test invisibility cloak - 02-11-2007 - 11:06

Invisibility on the battlefield is the ultimate camouflage, but until recently seemed the domain of sci-fi films - but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is now testing technology to make troops and equipment disappear.

The technology, still at prototype stage, involves a range of cameras that film the surrounding area and project the images onto reflective materials on the troops or tanks.

Anybody looking at the vehicle will see a projected image of what is behind the vehicle, giving the appearance of looking through it, as if it wasn't there.

An MoD spokesman said: "We're researching new technologies to help disguise vehicles, and we've already had some results in making them 'appear' invisible. It's still early days."

But this is still a basic system, invisibility expert Prof Sir John Pendry of Imperial College told The Daily Telegraph.

He added that, because of its simplicity it could be used on the battlefield relatively soon, but that more high-tech solutions were on the horizon.

Using nanotechnology, he suggested a material which didn't rely on projection at all, and so offered invisibility when viewed from any angle could be created in ten years.

Prof Pendry said: "It doesn't use a video camera, rather the object to be hidden is wrapped in a cloak that guides light around it, like a chicane.

"Of course your eye doesn't know that because it only senses the direction of the rays that enter the eye."

He added that the technology to become invisible to radar in this way already exists.

BAE bridging moves to Telford - 02-11-2007 - 11:03

Defence and aerospace giant BAE Systems is to invest £8 million in moving its bridging business to a Telford site involving 54 employees.

The move is part of BAE's transformation of its land systems business, which includes production of the Titan engineer vehicle which lays a 26-metre bridge in under two minutes.

Employees will be relocated from the current site at Wolverhampton to Telford, where support work for the British Army fleet is already taking place.

Andrew Davies, managing director of BAE Systems Land Systems, said: "This decision, while potentially unsettling for the employees involved, is an essential part of the transformation of our Land Systems business.

"We are investing more than £8 million in this part of the transformation, which will consolidate our bridging work into Telford to create a centre of excellence for aluminium fabrication and military bridging systems."

The investment will go towards refurbishing manufacturing areas and building a new office complex.