Category Archives: environment

Twistocaloric Cooling – new refrigeration technology

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Mike Osborn CEng

One fifth of global electricity consumption is from air conditioning and is a significant contributor to global warming. A more environmentally friendly development from the University of Texas has emerged and is based on twisting and untwisting fibres. The method … Continue reading →

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A train that’s ahead by a nose !

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Mike Osborn CEng

  ALPHA-X                                                                        Maglev Trains are accepted to be less polluting than aircraft but to truly rival plane travel as a valid alternative they are being developed to go faster. In Japan they are testing the ALPHA-X which stands for Advanced … Continue reading →

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Regenerative braking takes another step

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Mike Osborn CEng

We are all quite familiar now I think with this technology, but there has been a incremental step in technology in it’s use in electric vehicles (EVs). When the battery is fully charged the regenerative braking is effectively turned off … Continue reading →

Posted in business, Car, design, electric vehicle, electrical engineering, Electronics, Energy, Energy Storage, engineering development, environment, Heat Energy, Heat Recovery, humor, humour, manufacturing, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, power generation, Propulsion, quotations, quotes, technology, transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renewable Energy Storage Options

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Mike Osborn CEng

   Renewable energy is growing but storage is one of it’s biggest problems. We need to be able to store turbine energy for windless days and solar energy for rainy days otherwise we can never discount dependency on fossil fuels. … Continue reading →

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Pressure to lose weight !

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Mike Osborn CEng

  The physics that states ‘energy efficiency of cars is inversely proportional to kerb weight’ has led automotive manufacturers to look at lighter materials. Recent pressure to do this has come indirectly from a push to reduce emissions leading to … Continue reading →

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3D CAD FEA – Finite Element Analysis

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Mike Osborn CEng

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as a ‘bolt on’ software for 3D CAD software has been around a while to aid mechanical engineering design. The software over this time has improved in leaps & bounds and it’s price has also come … Continue reading →

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Infrared Rectenna – waste heat recovery

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Mike Osborn CEng

  Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have developed a tiny silicon-based device that can harness what was previously called waste heat and turn it into DC power. It is a solid-state device with no moving parts to jam, bend or … Continue reading →

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Supercapacitors Vs Lithium-ion Batteries

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Mike Osborn CEng

      A development in supercapacitors based on contact lens technology could potentially allow electric cars to be refuelled as quickly as petrol ones. A Hertfordshire company Superdialectrics had a technological breakthrough in January 2017, and since then, in … Continue reading →

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Car weight is now becoming material !

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Mike Osborn CEng

onsumption     An age old concern that is now higher on the agenda for manufacturers is overweight vehicles. Traditionally cars have always been made from steel for the structure & ‘body in white’ components, with plastics for trim and … Continue reading →

Posted in business, Car, carbon fibre, design, electric vehicle, Energy, Engineering, environment, humor, humour, manufacturing, material science, mechanical, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, technology, Uncategorized, university | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Should I stay or should I go – the Internal Combustion Engine?

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Mike Osborn CEng

  Electric cars are gaining market share and look to take over from the internal combustion (IC) engine that has been a familiar sight & sound for over 100 years ! It is estimated that electric car sales will over … Continue reading →

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