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Modelling Cables & Power Electronics

The shift toward the electrification of vehicles and the expansion of the electrical grid for renewable energy integration has led to a considerable increase in the demand for power electronics devices and modernised cable systems — applications that will help ensure a consistent and long-term electricity supply. Simulation is used to drive the design of new power electronics devices (such as solar power and wind turbine systems), which are required to operate efficiently for varying levels of power production and power consumption (in the case of electric vehicles). A multiphysics modelling and simulation approach plays a critical role in meeting design goals and reducing the overall production time. The COMSOL Multiphysics software offers a wide range of capabilities for the modelling of…

E+T Magazine
Intel scores fresh win over €1bn EU antitrust fine

US chipmaker Intel has won a fresh victory in its long-running battle against the EU’s competition watchdog the European Commission for allegedly abusing its market dominance in the computer chip market. The almost two-decades-long legal battle began in 2009 when the European Commission fined Intel €1.06bn for “abusing its dominant position in the market for x86 CPUs”. The Commission accused Intel of engaging in a series of anticompetitive practices aimed at excluding competitors from the computer chips market. This it said was in breach of EU antitrust rules. The practices included ‘conditional rebates’ (rebates to computer manufacturers if they bought its x86 CPUs) and ‘naked restrictions’ (paying computer manufacturers to limit, delay or cancel the sale of products containing computer…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
‘Comprehensive blueprint’ to take a strategic approach to Great Britain’s future energy system

Energy ministers from the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments have commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to create a strategic spatial energy plan (SSEP) for the Great British energy system. The aim of the SSEP is to help construct a “comprehensive blueprint” to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy. “We require a plan that works for all of Great Britain, contributing towards a more sustainable and secure energy system, as well as boosting economic opportunity and domestic performance,” the ministers said in a letter to Fintan Slye, director of NESO. This first iteration of the SSEP will focus on electricity generation and storage, including hydrogen assets. It will assess optimal locations, quantities and types of energy infrastructure…

E+T Magazine in Management of Technology
Qatar Airways launches Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 offering passengers internet at altitude

Starlink has enabled passengers to use their own internet-enabled devices while onboard a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 flight from Doha to London. Engineered and operated by SpaceX, Starlink provides high-speed, reliable internet service through its vast constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Having integrated the Starlink service onto a Qatar Airways Boeing 777, passengers are now able to access fast internet at 35,000 feet to stream videos, play games and make video calls from their own devices. To prove Starlink’s reliability onboard, Qatar Airways’s CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer made a video call with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during the flight: Qatar Airways says it will equip 12 Boeing 777-300s with the Starlink service by the end of 2024 before rolling it out across its entire…

E+T Magazine in Space
Sellafield not achieving value for money with ‘intolerable risks’ persisting, finds watchdog

Ongoing concerns over project management, the pace of delivery and staffing at Sellafield mean it is not yet achieving value for money, a new National Audit Office (NAO) report has said. Sellafield, located on the coast of Cumbria, began operating as a commercial-scale nuclear power station in 1956. In the intervening years, it has grown to be the UK’s most complex and challenging nuclear site, with highly hazardous materials stored in its facilities from across the country. As such, the scale of the decommissioning operation is vast and will last until 2039.The site is owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which is an executive non-departmental body sponsored by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. In its report the NAO found that while progress has been…

E+T Magazine in Nuclear Power
Boeing-built satellite unexpectedly breaks up in orbit causing space debris concerns

A Boeing-built satellite has unexpectedly broken up in geostationary orbit, sending shards of debris into space. The reason for the satellite’s destruction is unclear, but multiple organisations are tracking the path of the debris to ensure it does not cause further collisions with other orbiting bodies. Space debris is becoming an increasingly pressing issue to mitigate. As the number of satellites in orbit increases, so does the risk that some of it will collide with manned and unmanned space assets. It is estimated that around one million pieces of debris larger than 1cm are in Earth’s orbit, and around 100 trillion pieces of old satellite are not being tracked. The US Space Force confirmed the break-up of Intelsat 33E on 19 October at 4.30am GMT. It said it was currently tracking…

E+T Magazine in Space
E+T Off The Page: The ethics and economics - does space tourism stack up?

The ethics and economics - does space tourism stack up?

E+T Magazine
Mercedes-Benz opens in-house battery recycling facility in southern Germany

The automotive manufacturer says the battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim will generate enough recycled materials to produce more than 50,000 new battery modules per year. Car batteries contain valuable and scarce raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. To recover these materials for use in new batteries for its future electric vehicles (EVs), Mercedes-Benz has opened a mechanical-hydrometallurgical recycling plant. The mechanical-hydrometallurgical process not only sorts and separates plastics, copper, aluminium and iron, but the multi-stage process is also able to individually extract valuable metals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium. These recyclates can then be used in the production of new battery cells. Unlike the established pyrometallurgy process, the auto giant says…

E+T Magazine in Recycling
$NHS given approval to use AI for X-ray fracture detection to ease pressure on radiologists$

NHS given approval to use AI for X-ray fracture detection to ease pressure on radiologists

The NHS has been given approval to start using AI to examine X-rays in a bid to improve detection of fractures in urgent care. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which publishes guidelines on the use of health technologies by the NHS, said that clinical evidence finds that AI can improve detection rates in comparison to just using a professional to review X-ray scans without increasing the risk of incorrect diagnoses. It approved the use of four AI tools – TechCare Alert, BoneView, RBfracture and Rayvolve – that can be used in urgent care settings in England while further evidence is generated to demonstrate the technology’s benefits. The committee heard missed fractures are reported to be the most common diagnostic error in the emergency department. Missed…

E+T Magazine in Artificial Intelligence
US oil drilling industry in Gulf of Mexico granted a delay over marine species protection rules

A US court has granted the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) more time to assess how endangered species should be protected from oil exploration and drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the Gulf of Mexico’s federal offshore oil production accounts for 14% of total US crude oil production. In August 2024, Earthjustice, Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth, among others, won a case at the US District Court to protect endangered and threatened marine species from offshore oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The judge ruled that the required assessment – known as the “biological opinion” and prepared by the NMFS to ensure that Gulf fossil fuel exploration and drilling companies offer the necessary environmental protections …

E+T Magazine in Fossil Fuels
First revamp of UK airspace in 70 years could reduce delays and cut carbon emissions

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set out detailed plans to modernise Britain’s airspace in an effort to reduce delays and noise pollution, as well as cut carbon emissions. Dubbed the “biggest shake-up to airspace design in 70 years”, the changes are designed to fulfil commitments made by Labour in its manifesto. The CAA has a launched a consultation on proposals to establish a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), which will be formed from a team of aviation experts who will work with domestic airports to improve the way planes operate in UK airspace. The body will initially focus on London, which has the most congested airspace in the country. The aviation sector took a massive hit during the pandemic due to the widespread shutdown of air travel and huge reductions in demand from…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Laser defence system takes out missiles in successful MoD trial

A defence system that uses powerful lasers to eliminate missile threats on the battlefield has been trialled by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The laser is being designed to be fitted a range of RAF aircraft, including the intelligence-gathering Shadow R2 and A400M transporter. During the trial, at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden, the operational system defeated a range of infrared heat-seeking missiles being fired simultaneously. The MoD said it was able to take down all of the missiles during the trial “with pinpoint accuracy”. The system uses Thales’s Elix-IR threat-warning system to identify the launch of missiles, using a series of algorithms to filter out background clutter so that only valid threats are tracked. Once detected, an alert is sent to the Miysis system – developed…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Simulation technology could help future lunar missions to collect Moon dust

Teleoperated robots for gathering Moon dust are a step closer, according to new research by scientists at the University of Bristol. The new race for the Moon is well under way. With its Artemis programme, Nasa is aiming to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. It expects to return humans to the lunar surface by 2030 and build a permanent research station near the Moon’s south pole shortly after. But Nasa is far from alone in the race. The UK Space Agency estimates that more than 250 missions may go to the Moon in the next decade. Alongside a boom in lunar lander missions this decade, several public and private organisations are now researching how best to extract valuable resources, such as oxygen and water, from readily available materials such as lunar regolith (moon dust…

E+T Magazine in Space
Saudi Arabian megacity is using 20% of the world's available steel

The Neom gigaproject under construction in the Saudi desert is reportedly using one-fifth of the entire world’s available steel. The project was first announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in October 2017. Neom is intended to be an independent, liberal, high-tech megacity with its own tax and labour laws and judiciary. It will cover three countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan) across 26,500km2 of empty desert along the Red Sea. Neom is owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and is part of Saudi Vision 2030, a plan that seeks to diversify the country’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil. In July 2022, Saudi Arabia presented the first designs for one region of Neom called The Line, a ‘linear city’ expected to accommodate nine million people. The Line consists…

E+T Magazine in Built Environment Technologies
Transport secretary vows to clamp down on ‘out-of-control’ HS2 costs

Transport secretary Louise Haigh has said the costs of HS2 have been allowed to “spiral out of control” and has launched an independent review to get spending back on track. In 2013, HS2 was estimated at just £37.5bn (in 2009 prices) for the whole high-speed network, which included now-binned extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. But earlier this year, HS2 chair Jon Thompson admitted that costs for just Phase 1 (which will join Old Oak Common in west London to Birmingham Curzon Street and open around 2030) are now estimated to be between £49bn and £56.6bn at 2019 prices. Adjusting for inflation involves “adding somewhere between £8bn and £10bn”, he added. Haigh blamed the soaring costs on a combination of poor project management, inflation and poor performance from the supply…

E+T Magazine in Management of Technology
Engineering a cyber defence: The new skills needed to fortify critical infrastructure

Cyber-informed engineering could empower mainstream engineers with the know-how they need to secure operational tech against rising cyber threats. Cyber threats targeting operational technology (OT) have posed a hazard for infrastructure engineers for more than a decade. Increased integration with IT systems has brought in extra attack vectors that can expose OT environments to the downstream consequences of hacks primarily launched against line-of-business applications. Either way, OT attacks are differentiated in that they have physical consequences, such as production outages, equipment damage, environmental harms and human injuries or casualties. Waterfall Security’s 2024 threat report found that in 2023 there were 68 cyber attacks with physical consequences in/on OT networks (at more…

E+T Magazine in Built Environment Technologies
UK government urged to mandate solar panels on all newbuild homes from 2025

A cross-party group of MPs, environmental groups and fuel poverty charities have written an open letter to the government calling for solar panels and heat pumps to be mandatory on all newbuild homes. The open letter, addressed to housing minister Matthew Pennycook, has been signed by a group of 35 MPs from the Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Labour and Green parties, as well as more than a dozen fuel poverty charities and environmental organisations including Solar Energy UK, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition and the Energy Saving Trust. The letter is in regard to the Future Homes Standard (FHS), which is due to come into effect next year. With heating and powering buildings accounting for 30% of the UK’s total energy usage, the aim of the FHS is to ensure all newbuild homes produce 75-80…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software under investigation after low-visibility crashes

US regulators have launched an investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software after a number of crashes were reported when it was being used in an area of reduced road visibility. Rather than using expensive lidar hardware – the approach favoured by other driverless tech firms such as Google’s sister firm Waymo – Tesla’s Autopilot uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to see and sense the environment around the car. Tesla has said Autopilot enables vehicles to steer, accelerate and brake within their lanes, while FSD lets vehicles obey traffic signals and change lanes. The company has said both technologies “require active driver supervision” with a “fully attentive” driver whose hands are on the wheel and that they “do not make the vehicle autonomous”. However, the…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Volcanic magma could power next-gen geothermal energy systems, say scientists

A team of international scientists working at the Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) in Iceland are exploring how energy extracted directly from magma could be used for next-gen geothermal systems. Geothermal energy is a largely unexplored renewable resource. With 99.9% of our planet being at a temperature greater than 100°C, scientists are investigating how we unlock this almost unlimited resource of magmatic heat. While there are geothermal systems that tap into hot water deep underground to generate electricity, scientists have now been wondering whether these systems could make use of magma’s extreme temperature. In 2009, it was discovered that Krafla, an active volcano in north-east Iceland that last erupted in the mid-1980s, hosts a geothermal system that consists of a highly evolved magma…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
UK urged to redirect military resources toward green manufacturing and climate goals

The UK government should redirect military industry resources towards addressing the climate crisis and improving the domestic economy, a report from the Common Wealth think tank has urged. In 2023, global military spending reached $2.4tn, with the UK ranking sixth in spending, allocating more funds as a proportion of GDP than peers such as France and Germany. Furthermore, there is cross-party consensus to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025. The report, A Lucas Plan for the twenty first century, is based on 21 extended interviews with current and former workers in the UK’s military industry. It urges the government to adopt an alternative strategy that would repurpose parts of the UK’s military industry towards civilian sectors with a focus on green manufacturing. Currently…

E+T Magazine in Management of Technology
Tesco announces 15-year plan to buy enough solar energy to power 144 large stores

Tesco has signed a major power purchase agreement (PPA) for solar energy that will see it buy enough electricity for an estimated 144 large stores. Britain’s largest supermarket chain said it would purchase 65% of the solar power generation from Cleve Hill Solar Park in Faversham, Kent. The site is home to the UK’s largest solar and battery storage project, with a capacity of 373MW. It began construction in early 2023 and is set to become operational in early 2025. Tesco said the 15-year agreement represents the largest corporate PPA for solar power in the UK yet. Once complete, Cleve Hill will house more than 560,000 solar panels alongside energy storage infrastructure. The solar park will provide up to 10% of Tesco’s total UK electricity demand. Over the past five years, Tesco has announced…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
CAA to relax drone rules from 2027 to allow for remote infrastructure inspections

New rules allowing drones to be flown beyond the visual line of sight could unlock their potential to inspect infrastructure such as power lines and wind turbines, as well as increase site security. According to a roadmap from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), routine drone inspections could take place by 2027. This would greatly reduce cost in comparison to human-led operations, which often involve hazardous scenarios requiring stringent safety rules. While some drones have been flying beyond visual line of sight in the UK for several years, these flights are primarily trials under strict restrictions. The regulator’s new rules will include activities where drones can remain at low heights close to infrastructure or near buildings where there is little or no potential for any other…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Comment: Helping AI come out of the shadows

Teams should always be encouraged to find innovative applications for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to streamline workflows. However, in a phenomenon known as shadow AI, many employees are using the technology in ways that are not being sanctioned by their employers. This is a problem and not one that is not going to go away any time soon. A recent study from Deloitte found that only just under a quarter of those who have used GenAI at work believe their manager would approve of how they’ve used it. The unsanctioned use of AI could put an organisation in serious legal, financial, or reputational risk. Yet, nearly one-third of employees admitted in a separate survey that they placing sensitive data into public GenAI tools. Unsurprisingly, 39% of respondents in the same study…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
From the archives - Concorde, Mary Rose and gasoline pump

Tanya Weaver looks back at a famous archeological feat, a gasoline pump lacking cars to fill up and a legendary plane’s final flight. 139 years ago Foot on the gas On 5 September 1885 the first gasoline pump was invented. However, the car had not yet been created. The pump, which featured marble valves, a wooden storage barrel and a wooden plunger to reliably dispense kerosene, was sold by its inventor Sylvanus Bowser of Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the owner of a nearby grocery store, where it was used to dispense kerosene for use in lamps and stoves. His design helped reduce dangerous spillages. Having patented his pump in 1887, Bowser later improved upon his ‘filling station’ design and began selling it to the first automobile-repair garages in 1893. Image credit | Getty21 years ago…

E+T Magazine in History of Engineering

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