• Why engineering dominates the world of predatory open-access science journals

    When you meet engineering academics at a conference, it's interesting to ask them about predatory publishing. They may spill the beans about occasions when they've been approached by 'predatory' journal owners, often using poor English and offers that sound too good to be true, one insider at the IET says. In engineering, those who are tempted by such offers may consider speed-to-publication as one of the top baits that fishy journals use these days to offer open-access publishing at a price. Light-speed publishing can only be offered because such journals fail to respect scientific integrity, ethics and a thorough peer-review process. Experts and guardians of scientific publishing argue it makes these journals dangerous and blemishes the hard-earned reputation of science. New data reviewed…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX

  • Rising number of EVs risks causing blackouts on UK electricity grid, MPs warn

    The Committee, which is made up of MPs, has urged the government to provide a clear policy framework to ensure that the charging infrastructure required is delivered in line with net-zero ambitions to phase out ICE vehicles from 2030 . It also expressed concerns that accessible charging infrastructure is currently lacking for drivers who live in rural or remote areas or who don’t have off-street parking. Charging habits may need to change alongside a strengthening of the National Grid to meet the demand from new electric vehicles, the Committee said. It wants the government to encourage drivers to top up batteries frequently rather than recharging from empty to full in one go, which puts more strain on the electrical grid. During its inquiry, the Committee heard evidence from energy…

  • Wireless charger reaches new heights, powering up multiple devices

    Most phones, tablets and laptops still rely on plugs and sockets, with wireless charging requiring devices to be kept in close contact with a charging pad. New technology developed at Aalto University could be a key step towards true wireless charging for consumer electronics. While many researchers are working on “free-position wireless charging” (which would allow devices to be moved from set charging points) the most common solutions involve complex control and detection functions. A transmitter must first detect a device presence and position to be able to charge it. This is usually achieved with cameras or sensors, adding bulk and cost to the device. The new wireless charging device takes an entirely different approach by creating power transfer channels in all directions around it…

  • Superabsorbent nappy polymers could be recycled into stationery

    The study focused on disposable nappies, of which 3.5 million tonnes end up in landfill every year. The superabsorbent properties of nappies come from SAPs: a matrix of polymers which expand when damp. In nappies, the material is based on polyacrylic acid. There are two broad types of recycling: mechanical recycling and chemical recycling. Mechanical recycling – by far the most common – involves separating plastics by type, shredding them, melting them, and forming fresh feedstock. Although this feedstock is still useful, it is lower quality than raw plastic feedstock because it contains plastic manufactured by various companies containing all sorts of polymers. “There’s just so many problems, everything usually gets down-cycled and ends up as carpet fibres or park benches,” said Professor…

  • Ministry of Defence acquires Sheffield Forgemasters

    The Ministry of Defence will buy Sheffield Forgemasters, saying it intends to invest up to £400m into the firm for defence-critical plant, equipment and infrastructure over the next decade. The cost of the acquisition is £2.56m for the entire share capital of the company, plus debt assumed. The intervention will secure Sheffield Forgemasters’ role as a key supplier into the MoD for the long term, and is structured to invest substantial new capital into the modernisation of defence-critical assets, including plans for a replacement heavy forge line and building; a flood alleviation scheme, and major machine tool replacements. The company’s main driver of revenue and profitability over recent years has been manufacturing specialist forgings and castings for submarine platforms and surface…

  • Audio-visual cues to assist disabled to become mandatory on public transport

    The Department for Transport (DfT) said it will bring forward new regulations to force bus companies to provide the announcements on services and will offer £3.5m grants to help smaller firms achieve this. It will also work with Network Rail to improve safety with a new programme to install all station platforms with tactile paving, while a 'Passenger Assist' app will simplify communication with rail staff. Legislation covering taxis and private hire vehicles will also be introduced to protect disabled passengers from being overcharged. Accessibility minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Disabled passengers should be empowered to use all forms of transport with the same confidence as everyone else – whether by taxi, train, bus or ferry. Today’s measures will have a positive, real-life impact…

  • Deep learning could help visualise X-ray data in 3D

    According to the scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a versatile solution to the issues posed by big data processing in the medical sector. Scientists who use the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a DOE Office of Science User Facility at Argonne, to process 3D images, could turn X-ray data into visible, understandable shapes at a much faster rate. A breakthrough in this area could have implications for astronomy, electron microscopy, and other areas of science dependent on large amounts of 3D data, the scientists said. “In order to make full use of what the upgraded APS will be capable of, we have to reinvent data analytics. Our current methods are not enough to keep up. Machine learning can make full use…

  • View from Washington: An Ugly Truth

    “They’re killing people.” With three words, President Biden this month slammed social media over the proliferation of Covid-19 disinformation. They did not sound like a warning – even a final warning – but the words of a man who has had enough and intends to do something about it. They did another thing. They completely broke with the view that the new economy has largely fallen prey to unintended consequences and been a victim of its unprecedented growth and reach. They attributed agency and responsibility. There was also a clear if not explicitly stated sense that the comment was aimed at one company in particular: Facebook. Is this view justified? After reading 'An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination', it is hard to see things differently. An exemplary piece of…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX

  • Five research centres established for digital manufacturing in UK

    The funding is being awarded through the 'Made Smarter' programme, a public-private partnership aiming to support the development of new digital technologies in manufacturing. The government said in a statement that adoption of data-driven innovations, such as use of AI and blockchain in supply chains or advanced robotics in manufacturing, will help manufacturers increase productivity and sustainability. Nearly half the funding (£25m) will go towards five new research centres established at universities around the UK to accelerate the development of new manufacturing technologies. Each centre will focus on a different area of manufacturing: The Digital Medicines Manufacturing Research Centre will aim to create digital supply chains which enable medicines to be supplied on demand and clinical…

  • Broadband outages have tripled since the pandemic began, affecting 15m people

    The survey of 4,000 people by Uswitch.com, found that over three in ten experienced an outage during office hours. Extrapolated to the population, this hit the economy to the tune of nearly £5bn. A third of people used their mobile data during an outage, the research found, and almost two thirds of these burned through their whole monthly allowance during this time. Edinburgh was found to suffer the highest number of outages, losing more than nine million hours of broadband in total over the last year. Residents of Belfast, however, saw the shortest amount of downtime, with the city reporting only 11 hours of downtime in 12 months. With many people in office roles poised to take on a hybrid working approach where they spend a portion of their week at home, the robustness of the UK’s broadband…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX

  • Why ethical awareness should be at the front of your skills portfolio

    ‘Well’ said our engineer ruefully, … ‘it has been a pretty business for me. I have lost my thumb and I have lost a fifty-guinea fee, and what have I gained?’ ‘Experience,’ said Holmes, laughing. Sherlock Holmes’s remark in the 1892 story ‘The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb’ should be taken as a warning shot across the bows for those of us who, finding ourselves out of our depth in a new and challenging situation, fail to catch on quickly enough. And, as like as not, find ourselves in an ethical quagmire. It happened to me a long time ago. In the context of a contractual commitment by my employer to deliver certain items of equipment on time and at a specified cost, three things became clear at a late stage. First, that the company had misled the client – and perhaps also itself – as…

  • TikTok to open cyber-security centre in Ireland

    The Chinese social media giant has announced that Dublin will be the first location of what it calls regional 'fusion centres' around the world, designed to help the company respond to security incidents in real time, 24 hours a day. Roland Cloutier, the platform’s chief security officer, said these centres are intended as the next step for TikTok to ensure security is “built-in from the start”. “When people use TikTok, we know they’re entrusting us with their data and we take our duty to protect that data very seriously,” he said. “Our global security organisation operates a ‘follow the Sun’ approach, so that people on teams around the world are always focused on protecting people’s information and ensuring that our next-generation entertainment platform can anticipate and stay ahead of…

  • Paris Agreement action could boost energy jobs by eight million

    “Currently, an estimated 18 million people work in the energy industries – a number that is likely to increase, not decrease, to 26 million or by over 50 per cent if we reach our global climate targets,” said co-author Dr Johannes Emmerling, an environmental economist at the RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment in Italy. “Manufacturing and installation of renewable energy sources could potentially become about one third of the total of these jobs, for which countries can also compete in terms of location.” The study is based on a global dataset of 'job footprints' in 50 countries, including major fossil fuel-producing economies. The dataset used in this study included data from China, India, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and other additions. The team…

  • Plastic accumulation in seafood increases risk of dangerous bacteria

    Researchers from the University of Portsmouth tested a theory that microplastics covered in a layer of microbes called a biofilm were more likely to be ingested by oysters than microplastics that were clean. Although the experiment was carried out on oysters under laboratory conditions, scientists believe similar results could be found in other edible marine species that also filter seawater for food. “We know microplastics can be the mechanism by which bacteria are concentrated in coastal waters and this shows that they are more readily taken up by shellfish and can be transferred to humans or other marine life,” said lead researcher Dr Joanne Preston. Microbes have been known to readily colonise microplastics that enter the ocean. This study makes a comparison between the uptake rates…

  • Sponsored: Nine Calculations Every Power Systems Engineer Should Know

    Power Systems Engineers need validated tools that help them solve complex problems – and a mathematics tool is central to this work. Maths and data analysis tools may be used for simple design calculations, data analysis, and more intensive mathematical tasks. This whitepaper explores a variety of applications within electrical power systems engineering. Each application is created using Maple, with sections of each Maple document displayed to show the mathematics and algorithms required for a solution. Key Learning Points: Discover some of the most important calculations used in power systems engineering Learn how calculation management software can help engineers solve complex problems Get links to full application examples created within Maple Download Here

  • Government pushes road freight greening with £20m funding boost

    The funding will go towards trials of zero-emission road freight vehicles and supporting infrastructure, paid for by the Department for Transport and managed by Innovate UK. The six successful projects include a trial and demonstration of 20 electric DAF trucks by Leyland Trucks intended for public sector use; a trial of a 20km-long stretch of “electric road system” by Costain near Scunthorpe, and a green hydrogen truck feasibility study by Arcola Energy focused on Scottish transport. Scotland minister Iain Stewart said of the hydrogen truck study: “It’s great news that a study involving Scottish utility, logistics companies and the University of St Andrews to design a potential trial for hydrogen fuel cell trucks and new refuelling infrastructure has received a share of £20 million UK…

  • Glenfiddich uses own whisky waste to fuel trucks

    The company said it has installed fuelling stations at its Dufftown distillery in north-eastern Scotland which use technology developed by its parent company William Grant and Sons. It will convert its production waste and residues into an Ultra-Low Carbon Fuel (ULCF) gas that produces minimal carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions. Glenfiddich said the transition to using fuel made from the distillery’s waste product is part of a “closed-loop” sustainability initiative. Stuart Watts, distillery director at William Grant, said traditionally Glenfiddich has sold off spent grains left over from the malting process to be used for a high-protein cattle feed. However, through anaerobic digestion – where bacteria break down organic matter, producing biogas – the distillery can also use the…

  • New Nokia phones focus on ruggedness, XXL screens and nostalgia

    The latest Nokia-branded handsets are made by Finnish firm HMD Global, which is licensing the Nokia brand after the parent company closed its phone unit in 2015 . The Nokia XR20 is described as “life-proof” and comes with a tough build and three years of software updates. The device is designed to handle extreme temperatures; a drop to the ground from 1.8m; one hour under water, and is built to survive harsh environmental conditions. It is also one of the largest phones on the market, with an 81mm width that should make it comfortable for those with larger hands. Nokia XR20 Image credit: Nokia The display is covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, which HMD said allows it to survive even when being kicked, flipped and spun screen-first across a concrete…

  • UK set to miss net-zero goals without battery innovation

    In a report on the subject, it said the UK was failing to make the most of its expertise in fuel cells and next-generation batteries, increasing the risk that the domestic automotive industry could fall behind its global competitors. The Committee added that it was “alarmed” by the disconnect between the optimism of Ministers about the UK’s prospects and the concerns raised by other witnesses who fear that the UK is lagging behind its competitors and facing significant challenges with innovation, supply chains and skills. The report sets out a number of recommendations for the government and research funders, in order to protect the UK’s automotive sector and develop a competitive advantage in fuel cells and next-generation batteries. It called for Government support to develop UK supply…

  • Semiconductor fab and civil nukes new focus of UK-China tensions

    The Financial Times report, citing people familiar with the plans, said the government is exploring how CGN may be excluded from all future power projects in the UK. A change in policy could have severe ramifications for the Sizewell C project in Suffolk, which France’s state-owned power company EDF is scheduled to build with backing from CGN. CGN is also involved with proposals for a successor to the decommissioned Bradwell nuclear power station in Essex. The UK government has taken a firmer stance against Chinese companies’ involvement with British infrastructure projects and strategically important industries. Last year, the government performed a U-turn by announcing that Shenzhen-based Huawei would be completely excluded from British 5G networks by the end of 2027 , having previously…

  • Boeing primes Starliner for unmanned launch to the ISS

    The reusable crew capsule, in development for over a decade, has been designed to transport crew to the ISS and other low-Earth orbit destinations. While humans may not be present, the upcoming test flight will see Starliner carry supplies and test equipment to the ISS. If all goes well, it will demonstrate its capabilities in launching, docking, and then re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere while performing a safe desert landing. Boeing’s previous attempt at an uncrewed test flight in 2019 ended in failure due to an unforeseen software glitch. While the capsule was able to reach orbit and land safely, the software problem prevented it from docking successfully with the ISS. Boeing is estimated to be paying around $410m (£300m) for the upcoming test mission on 30 July which will take place…

  • Sponsored: Break through the Barriers of Evolving IoT Regulatory Standards

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  • Storms batter south of England, flooding homes, roads and hospitals

    Residents in north-east London used buckets, brooms and wooden boards to create makeshift flood defences for their homes, while water gushing from an Underground station was caught on video. The wettest part in the whole of the UK on Sunday was St James’s Park in London, where 41.6mm of rain fell. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted: “Local emergency services, @LondonFire, and @MetPoliceUK are responding to significant flooding across London. If you’re travelling, check your route as multiple @TfL bus, tube and rail services are affected. Avoid walking or driving through flood water. In an emergency, call 999.” Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, MP for the London constituency of Holborn and St Pancras, said: “Thoughts with all those affected by today’s flooding. Thanks to all the emergency…

  • Cheap thermal sensor operates at high temperatures

    Thermal-imaging sensors have been in demand since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to examine the thermal profile of human bodies and detect people who may have elevated temperatures: a symptom of the disease. The smartphone industry is considering incorporating such sensors as portable features to in order to allow them to measure temperature in real time. Additionally, the application of such technology to autonomous vehicles could facilitate safer autonomous driving. Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a new sensor that can operate at temperatures up to 100°C without a cooling device and is expected to be more affordable than standard sensors on the market. Many of the thermal imaging sensors currently available cannot operate above 35…

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