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This blog features posts from and about the EngX community. Want to contribute? Read our blogging guide to help you get started.

  • Small Modular Reactors

    Small Modular Reactors

    Charles Carpenter is a Senior Technology Offier at the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Center (NAMRC) based at Sheffield University.  NAMRC with 80 Engineers and Operators undertakes research into manufacturing processes and helps the manufacturers of nuclear technology to manufacture reactors in an efficient and  a cost effective way.  They have and are developing processes in collaboration with TWI and several other Institutes.  Charles has a MSc in Mechanical Engineering and has previously worked in Aerospace and manufacturing companies.  He presented on Small Modular Nuclear Reactors at CUED on 7/12/17. Despite media reports about  a lack of UK expertise in the nuclear field, the UK contributes around 60% of the effort towards delivering up to 19GW of new nuclear power capacity in the UK…

    David Blake
  • Chairman's Message December 2017

    Chairman's Message December 2017

    Welcome to the Control & Automation community, where engineers with an interest in our subject can share information, look for answers and discuss topics. We cover the design, implementation, construction, development, analysis and understanding of control systems, in all their varied forms. Our network consists of Community Members, Executive Committee (Exec) and Technical Advisory Panel (TAP). The Exec are volunteers who give their time to work with IET staff to coordinate the activities of the community and to organise events and awards. They meet for physical and online meetings at regular intervals throughout the session. The TAP consists of a wider group of experts, previous Exec members and highly respected community members who use their knowledge, influence and contacts to help the…

    Joanne Longton
  • Help Needed!

    Help Needed!

    We are seeking a volunteer member to operate/administer/webmaster our page of the IET web site and also deal with any enquiries raised by their local 'Engineering Community' network. This is not an onerous task, and can be performed at home or in the workplace. The successful candidate need not necessarily attend the P&H committee meetings (which, incidentally, are held at Stilton three times per year) - it's just customer feedback that is needed. Involvement can be as little or as much as the member would like - it's up to you!. Content on publishable articles would be provided by the P&H committee members via email, and the technical set-up and support would be provided by Julie Hudson at IET HQ. In the first instance, please apply, or declare an interest, to Julie Hudson .

    Julie
  • 57th Hunter Memorial Lecture - Transforming The GB Energy System

    57th Hunter Memorial Lecture - Transforming The GB Energy System

    The Midlands Power Group was delighted to host the 57th Hunter Memorial lecture at Austin Court on the 5th December 2017.  Over 60 attendees were treated to a particularly informative and thought provoking insight into the ongoing transformation of the GB energy environment delivered by two excellent speakers, John Scott, Director of Chiltern Power Limited, and Phil Lawton, Head of Practice of the Energy System Catapult. John described how the 3D's - Decentralisation, Democratisation and Decarbonisation - are driving an ever increasing pace of change in the energy sector, including such diverse considerations as growth in electric vehicles, rapid growth in distributed renewable energy, network battery storage developments, the plethora of new players interacting with the system, inreasing reliance…

    David Swanson
  • Special Issue Call for Papers: Hyperspectral Imaging and Applications

    Special Issue Call for Papers: Hyperspectral Imaging and Applications

    IET Image Processing  is inviting submissions for a Special issue on Hyperspectral Imaging and Applications .   Our guest editors are looking for original research and review articles in areas including (but not limited to):    Sparse representation and data reduction Feature extraction and selection Band selection and optimisation Quality ensured hyperspectral data compression View the full scope of this Special Issue   Submit your paper     Submission deadline 28 February 2018   Publication Deadline February 2019

    Joanne Longton
  • Visit to Perkins Engines

    Visit to Perkins Engines

    The Peterborough and Huntingdon Local Network initiated a visit on 12 September to Perkins Engines Company Limited (part of the multinational Caterpillar Inc since 1998).  Our contact at the destination happened to be a member of the IMechE and the chairman of the Peterborough Joint Panel.  The PJP is a collaboration of IET, IMechE and the Peterborough Young Engineers, so the visit was opened to those on the circulation lists for all the organisations, one of whom had travelled over 100 miles!  It is then not surprising that it was oversubscribed, above the 40 limit that had to be set.    We were welcomed by our hosts and, following an excellent buffet lunch, were given an introductory talk about Caterpillar and its principal Cat and Perkins products and services.  The Peterborough site manufactures…

    Julie
  • IET Cyber-Physical Systems: Theory & Applications Verification and Validation of Cyber-Physical Systems

    IET Cyber-Physical Systems: Theory & Applications Verification and Validation of Cyber-Physical Systems

    IET Cyber-Physical Systems: Theory & Applications is inviting submissions for a Special Issue on Verification and Validation of Cyber-Physical Systems. Our guest editors are looking for original research and review articles in areas including (but not limited to):  V&V of requirements, architectures, and designs Model checking of CPS  Formal verification of CPS Semi-automated testing of CPS View the full scope for this Special Issue Submit paper Why publish with IET Cyber-Physical Systems: Theory & Applications?  Worldwide readership  Online submission and tracking for up-to-date progress of your paper Prompt and rigorous peer review Open access publishing to satisfy the requirements of funding bodies, with publishing fees waived until 2018 IET Journals are available online via the IET Digital…

    Joanne Longton
  • University Of Kent - Celebrating Degree And Prize Giving Day - November 2017

    University Of Kent - Celebrating Degree And Prize Giving Day - November 2017

    IET Kent  congratulates all University of Kent School of Engineering & Digital Art MSc and PhD students who graduated in Canterbury Cathedral on Friday 24th November.  The ceremony was followed by a Reception and Prize Giving in the School where families, friends and staff celebrated their success.  IET Kent is proud of its association with the School of Engineering & Digital Arts and is very pleased to be part of this prize giving by awarding certificates to the  Best Overall Design and Performance - 1st Year Robotics Competition.   The certificates were awarded by Nathan Gomes, Professor of Fibre Communications, to Masum Ahmed (1st prize), Ashraf Abdulkadir Yusuf Datey (2nd prize), and jointly to George Valentin Frangulea and Rania Bassam Kolaghassi (3rd prize)   Other Prizes, including some…

    Brian Dury
  • Antennas & Propagation TPN Committee 2017/18

    Antennas & Propagation TPN Committee 2017/18

    The IET Antennas & Propagation Network Committee organises programme of activities for IET members, engineers and members of the public. All of these events and activities are made possible by the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers. If you would like to know more about volunteering your time to help with our activities, please get in touch with any of the current volunteers listed below or the Community Manager for the network. Rob Lewis Chairman John Batchelor Committee Member Anthony Brown Committee Member Darryl Smith Committee Member James Flint Committee Member Cyril Mangenot Committee Member Richard Rudd Committee Member Christophe Craeye Committee Member Sana Salous Committee Member Rebecca Walton Committee Member Mike Warrington Committee Member Lee Ford Committee Member Costas…

    Former Staff Member
  • Happy International Volunteer Day!

    Happy International Volunteer Day!

    #InternationalVolunteerDay   5 Dec marks the annual International Volunteer Day. Reflecting upon the year 2017, I could not have been more grateful of all the experiences I have gained through the IET. As an active volunteer with the Western Australia local network for over 4 years, this year I could not have been more proud working alongside with my team led by Martin (main committee) and Israa & Dave (Young Professionals).    This year I am incredibly proud of our volunteers who have worked around the clock to push for an even bigger and better Leadership Program. Tynan has led a fantastic team to nurture the next generation of engineers through the Leadership Program. I am particularly proud of the Bike Charger team who had volunteered so much of their time to create an innovative marketing…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member
  • Engineers As Entrepreneurs – A Presentation By Prof Hang Chang Chieh

    Engineers As Entrepreneurs – A Presentation By Prof Hang Chang Chieh

    It was another hot evening in Singapore where after enjoyable refreshments and some light networking, representatives from the IET Singapore Network, Young Professional Section, PSB Academy and NTU On-Campus as well as special guests from the University of Newcastle and the British High Commission sat down for the evening’s main event. Introduced by our very own Mike Henry was Prof CC Hang the executive Director of the Institute for Engineering Leadership at the National University of Singapore and co-writer of the new book “The Singapore Research Story” [ http://www.eng.nus.edu.sg/IEL/book-singapore-research-story/index.html] who was here to share with us his thoughts and expertise on ‘Engineers as Entrepreneurs.   His great passion, he quickly shared, was to spend tax payers money... on building…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member
  • Engineers as Entrepreneurs – A presentation by Prof Hang Chang Chieh

    Engineers as Entrepreneurs – A presentation by Prof Hang Chang Chieh

    It was another hot evening in Singapore where after enjoyable refreshments and some light networking, representatives from the IET Singapore Network, Young Professional Section, PSB Academy and NTU On-Campus as well as special guests from the University of Newcastle and the British High Commission sat down for the evening’s main event. Introduced by our very own Mike Henry was Prof CC Hang the executive Director of the Institute for Engineering Leadership at the National University of Singapore and co-writer of the new book “The Singapore Research Story” [ http://www.eng.nus.edu.sg/IEL/book-singapore-research-story/index.html] who was here to share with us his thoughts and expertise on ‘Engineers as Entrepreneurs.   His great passion, he quickly shared, was to spend tax payers money... on building…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member
  • Crypto Currency - A Value Add Tool ?

    Crypto Currency - A Value Add Tool ?

    In 2011, I analysed a leading online casino website. Specifically using WebQual 2.0 and WC3 assesiblity-design to highlight how the site currently offers value for online casino activity for business and user interaction. The Amit and Zott model was also referenced to discuss how the site offers value to its Value Creation Model, including ethical standards overseen by the Gambling Comission in the UK. One recommendation for the casino was to create an online community to encourage stronger interaction between users by performing virtual tournaments, including better interactions with their brick stores by creating their own currency like bitcoin. A crypto currency would allow the casino to enhance their product offerings and ensure revenue incentives can remain in their business model, online…

    Rimesh Patel
  • Control & Automation Doctoral Dissertation Prize Winner 2017

    Control & Automation Doctoral Dissertation Prize Winner 2017

    I am delighted to announce our winner for 2017 ....... Dr Wenlong Ming received the B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in Automatic Control from Shandong University, China, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. He received a PhD degree in Automatic Control and Systems Engineering from University of Sheffield in 2015, under the supervision of Prof. Qing-Chang Zhong and Dr Hua-Liang Wei. He is currently working as a Lecturer at School of Engineering, Cardiff University. His research mainly focuses on developing advanced control strategies and power electronics topologies to improve the power density, efficiency and reliability of power electronics systems for different applications, e.g., solar battery systems, electric vehicles (EVs) and Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) systems. During his PhD, he has worked on using…

    Joanne Longton
  • Find Your Own Mentor

    Find Your Own Mentor

    As I mentioned in my previous blog, Extend Your Professional Network: Action Learning Sets , it may seem illogical for me to write a blog about exploring other opportunities and rather than coming through the IET’s mentoring service – but as much as we love to provide mentors for those working toward professional registration we are aware that this is not the only option available and that sometimes members would prefer to build their own professional networks and engage their own mentor within their workplace or social sphere.   So, these are my top tips for finding a mentor for yourself.   Ensure you know what you want Have a clear goal or goals that you want to achieve.  You could achieve this through doing a SWOT analysis, or use Career Manager to set some CPD Objectives. Think about WHO…

    Kathryn Bain
  • The Oil And Gas Technology Centre - Robotics Week 2017

    The Oil And Gas Technology Centre - Robotics Week 2017

    At the beginning of November, the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) in Aberdeen ran it’s inaugural Robotics Week, an effort to explore the opportunities to increase the use of robotics offshore.  Lee Wilson of Subsea 7 i-Tech, and the IET’s Robotics and Mechatronics Executive committee went along to participate in the discussion.  The OGTC, established as as part of the area’s Region Deal, aims to promote innovation and collaboration between industry, academia and funding bodies to help maximise the economic recovery from the UK sector of the North Sea. To this end, a wide range of experts from various sectors and backgrounds was assembled to explore various use cases for robotics, specifically around in the management of asset integrity. Robotics organisations participating included Diakont…

  • What A Small Business Must Be Aware Of To Survive Online

    What A Small Business Must Be Aware Of To Survive Online

    Practical computer security talk, " What a small business must be aware of to survive online " , Centrum NR4 7UH, 7pm on 5th December .

    Alex Barrett
  • Big Success!! Malaysia YPS and On Campus Group Annual Dinner 2017

    Big Success!! Malaysia YPS and On Campus Group Annual Dinner 2017

    Group pic: OC groups, YPS, Main Committee Malaysia Network The YPS and On Campus Group Annual Dinner was held on 25 November 2017, the On Campus Group of the Year Award winne r is UTAR , wel done!! Feedback for the event: “The event is engaging, fun and well planned. It gives every individual the chance to expand their professional network and learn valuable experience from others", Yong Boon Chuan, Electrical Engineer in China General Nuclear Group and 2012 -13 YPS Committee member." “Our On Campus Advisors (universities' staff) are able to understand more about the IET and their OC groups through the event, this encouraged them to give more support to the groups. The Annual Dinner also helps to show how much we appreciate the OC groups and their hard work!”  Loo Ping Yew, Immediate Past YPS…

    Former Community Member
    Former Community Member
  • Radio TechCon

    Radio TechCon

    Radio TechCon 2017 took place at Savoy Place yesterday.  The event was very lively and the number of attendees filled up the Turing Lecture Theatre to the point where there was standing room only at times!  The MMC sponsored the event and we had a stand in the exhibition area in the Maxwell Library where refreshments and lunch were served.  It was good to meet a number of people during the day and to be able to discuss the IET's relevance to their careers and industry.

    Graham Turner
  • Volunteering Opportunities in North West Midlands

    Volunteering Opportunities in North West Midlands

    Are you interested in shaping the future of the IET? We are currently looking to reshape and expand our committee. There are many opportunities available, from simply attending committee meetings to bring new ideas to the table, through to the organising, running and promoting of events. Apply today! We currently have a shortage of volunteers and are looking for people with the right calibre and devotion for the following roles: * Community Treasurer * Community Activity Organiser * Community Publicity and Promotion Officer What do we look for in a LN volunteer? An individual who wants to be more engaged and is passionate about raising general awareness of science, engineering, and technology. What are the benefits? By becoming a LN volunteer, you will be able to: * learn new skills; * gain…

    Julie
  • Volunteering Opportunities in Hereford & Worcester

    Volunteering Opportunities in Hereford & Worcester

    Are you interested in shaping the future of the IET? We are currently looking to reshape and expand our committee. There are many opportunities available, from simply attending committee meetings to bring new ideas to the table, through to the organising, running and promoting of events. Apply today! We are particularly looking for: * Community Chair (deputy - to become Chair by the end of 2017) * Young Professionals Coordinator * Schools Liaison Officer * Online Community Administrator What do we look for in a LN volunteer? An individual who wants to be more engaged and is passionate about raising general awareness of science, engineering, and technology. What are the benefits? By becoming a LN volunteer, you will be able to: * learn new skills; * gain more awareness of SET topics; * network…

    Julie
  • Volunteering Opportunities in Birmingham

    Volunteering Opportunities in Birmingham

    Are you interested in shaping the future of the IET? We are currently looking to reshape and expand our committee. There are many opportunities available, from simply attending committee meetings to bringing new ideas to the table, through to the organising, running and promoting of events. Apply today! We are trying to attract people with organisational skills that can bring their experience to the following roles: * Community Chair * Community Secretary * Community Treasurer * Younger Members for our Young Professionals section What do we look for in a LN volunteer? An individual who wants to be more engaged and is passionate about raising general awareness of science, engineering, and technology. What are the benefits? By becoming a LN volunteer, you will be able to: * learn new skills;…

    Julie
  • Volunteering Opportunities in Shropshire

    Volunteering Opportunities in Shropshire

    Are you interested in shaping the future of the IET? We are currently looking to reshape and expand our committees. There are many opportunities available, from simply attending committee meetings to bringing new ideas to the table, through to the organising, running and promoting of events. Apply today! We have vacancies for the following positions: * Community Chair (deputy) * Schools Liaison Officer * Ordinary Members What do we look for in a LN volunteer? An individual who wants to be more engaged and is passionate about raising general awareness of science, engineering and technology. What are the benefits? By becoming a LN volunteer, you will be able to: * learn new skills; * gain more awareness of SET topics; * network and make new connections; * count your activity towards CPD; * be…

    Julie
  • Why becoming a volunteer should be one of your goals for 2019...

    Why becoming a volunteer should be one of your goals for 2019...

    Are you interested in shaping the future of the IET? We are currently looking to reshape and expand our committees. There are many opportunities available, from simply attending committee meetings to bringing new ideas to the table, through to the organising, running and promoting of events. There are so many benefits to volunteering with the  IET East Midlands Network , but here are just some to spark your interest:  Make new connections and expand your network Learn new skills that will count towards your CPD Contribute ideas for event topics Gain a competitive edge when applying for jobs Share your passion and inspire others The  East Midlands Network  are looking for new volunteers to help raise awareness of science, engineering and technology in the region, particularly in Leicestershire…

    Julie