Health tech innovators from around the world pitch at the Global MedTech Showcase

From a Luke Skywalker-inspired hand prothesis to a smart cane and a wearable mobility device, the Global MedTech Showcase, which took place on 18 November, was an impressive feast of health tech innovation from all corners of the globe.

Taking place online, and watched by over 170 investors, corporates, funders and government stakeholders, the Showcase was the culmination of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Leaders in Innovation Fellowships (LIF) Advance Programme which was delivered by SETsquared, under the theme of  ‘disability inclusion and reducing inequalities in healthcare’. The programme aimed to provide further training and support to some of the best LIF alumni as well as giving them a landing opportunity into the UK innovation ecosystem.

Twelve innovators from 12 different countries took part, all with a technology or business model that contributes towards eliminating inequalities in access to healthcare, or towards empowering people with disabilities and chronic health conditions to participate fully in society.

To close the event, guest speaker Sheana Yu, CEO and founder of Aergo, told her own entrepreneurial story and how she was inspired to develop a seating system which helps young wheelchair users sit more comfortably and be better supported. Sheana was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship in 2018 and has also received a Women in Innovation award in 2019 from Innovate UK.

Find out more about the pitching companies

Peruvian Enzo Romero is Founder & CEO of Giving a Hand. He develops affordable personalised hand prostheses that are manufactured 75% faster than current processes and sold at a third of the price of commercially available prostheses.

He said of his experience of pitching at the Showcase: “As a person with a disability who develops engineering solutions, I was really proud to take part in this showcase with my fellow pitchers from around the world. They showed me that there are many of us who are looking for accessible technological solutions for those who need it most. As a company we are expanding by building a team and investing in the equipment needed to develop personalised assistance technology – no matter what type of amputation someone has – we can develop an affordable prothesis which restores their mobility.”

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, who opened the Showcase, said: “We believe that engineers can transform society for the better – by tackling the greatest challenges of our age and helping to make the world a safer, fairer and more sustainable place to live. The Leaders in Innovation Fellowships programme has drawn on the Academy’s expertise in supporting technology entrepreneurs in the UK, to work with partner organisations in Newton Fund countries and build a thriving global community of innovators.”

Karen Brooks, Programme Director at SETsquared, commented: “We are incredibly proud to have been the delivery partner for this programme and to support such an inspiring group of entrepreneurs who are making a difference to people’s lives around the world. We’ve worked closely with the participants since April, helping them to develop their business models, refine their pitches, and connect them with UK partners, customers and academics. This Showcase was the pinnacle of the programme and gave them a high-profile platform to showcase their innovative healthcare solutions to a wide audience of investors, corporates, potential mentors, partners and Government funders. We look forward to continuing to support them on their journey to success.”

Notes to editors

  1. The LIF Advance Programme is part of the Leaders in Innovation Fellowships Programme (LIF) brings together the emerging leaders in the global innovation community, providing them with access to high-quality skills training focused on commercialisation, a network of peers in their own country, the UK and around the world, and a rich and varied experience with immediate and long-term benefits for their innovations. The programme welcomes individuals with an interest in entrepreneurship and have an engineering based innovation that has the potential to contribute to the social and economic development of their country.
  2. Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.
  3. SETsquared Partnership is an enterprise partnership between the five-leading research-led UK universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, and Surrey. Ranked as the Global No. 1 Business Incubator, it has a long track record of successfully incubating high tech, high-growth start-ups as well as dedicated support for innovative SMEs. Since 2002, SETsquared has helped secure over £1.8bn investment, with its start-ups and scale-ups raising £439m in investment and acquisitions in 2019 alone.
By |2020-11-27T10:15:31+00:00November 27th, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on Health tech innovators from around the world pitch at the Global MedTech Showcase
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A Re-assessment of the Thermodynamic Properties of Osmium

Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2021, 65, (1), 54

Introduction

The thermodynamic properties of osmium were reviewed by the author in 1995 (1) with a further review in 2005 (2) to estimate a most likely value for the melting point at 3400 ± 50 K to replace the poor quality experimental values which were being quoted in the literature. More recently Burakovsky et al. (3) have estimated a value of 3370 ± 75 K in good agreement with the above selected value. In the 1995 review the enthalpy of fusion was unknown but was estimated from a relationship between the entropy of fusion and the melting point which showed a high degree of correlation for the platinum group metals (pgms). However the derived entropy of fusion value for osmium was based on values for the other pgms available at that time but since then the values for both palladium and platinum have been revised so that the entropy of fusion value for osmium would also be revised leading to a new estimate of 68.0 ± 1.7 kJ mol−1 for the enthalpy of fusion. This would then require the thermodynamic properties of the liquid phase to also be updated. A comment is included on an independent much lower estimate of the enthalpy of fusion. Wherever possible measurements have been corrected to the International Temperature Scale (ITS-90) and to the currently accepted atomic weight of 190.23 ± 0.03 (4).

Low Temperature Solid Phase

Selected values in the normal and superconducting states are based on the specific heat measurements of Okaz and Keesom (0.18 K to 4.2 K) (5) including a superconducting transition temperature of 0.638 ± 0.002 K, an electronic specific heat coefficient (γ) of 2.050 ± 0.003 mJ mol−1 K−2 and a limiting Debye temperature (ΘD) of 467 ± 6 K. Specific heat values up to 5 K in both the normal and superconducting states are given in Table I.

Table I

Low Temperature Specific Heat Data Up To 5 K

Temperature, K Cºsa, mJ mol−1K−1 Cºnb, mJ mol−1K−1 Temperature, K Cºp, mJ mol−1 K−1
0.2 0.093 0.410 1.0 2.07
0.3 0.525 0.616 2.0 4.25
0.4 1.19 0.821 3.0 6.67
0.5 1.94 1.03 4.0 9.43
0.6 2.79 1.23 5.0 12.7
0.638 3.14 1.32 – –

Above 4 K selected specific heat values are initially based on the measurements by Naumov et al. (6 K to 316 K) (6). However above 280 K these measurements show an abrupt increase of 0.5 J mol−1 K−1 and a further abrupt increase of 0.3 J mol−1 K−1 above 300 K. Naumov et al. attempted to accommodate these values but the selected specific heat curve showed an unnatural sharp change in slope above 270 K. Therefore the selected values of Naumov et al. above 250 K were rejected and instead specific heat values to 298.15 K were obtained by joining smoothly with the high temperature enthalpy measurements of Ramanauskas et al. (7). In the original review of the low temperature data only the specific heat values were given consisting above 50 K of 10 K intervals to 100 K and then 20 K intervals above this temperature as well as the value at 298.15 K. This minimalist approach is now considered to be unsatisfactory and therefore comprehensive low temperature thermodynamic data are now given at 5 K intervals from 5 K to 50 K and at 10 K intervals above this temperature up to 290 K and then the value at 298.15 K as given in Table II.

Table II

Low Temperature Thermodynamic Data Above 5 K

Temperature, K Cºpa, J mol−1K−1 HºT – Hº0 Kb, J mol−1 SºTc, J mol−1 K−1 −GºT – Hº0 Kd, J mol−1 −(GºT – Hº0 K)/Td, J mol−1 K−1
5 0.0127 0.0286 0.0111 0.0266 0.00532
10 0.0417 0.153 0.0272 0.119 0.0119
15 0.116 0.519 0.0559 0.319 0.0213
20 0.290 1.475 0.110 0.719 0.0360
25 0.636 3.704 0.208 1.490 0.0596
30 1.252 8.302 0.374 2.910 0.0970
35 2.104 16.61 0.628 5.376 0.154
40 3.139 29.65 0.975 9.346 0.234
45 4.322 48.25 1.412 15.27 0.339
50 5.604 73.03 1.933 23.60 0.472
60 8.205 142.2 3.186 48.99 0.817
70 10.563 236.2 4.631 87.96 1.257
80 12.661 352.6 6.182 142.0 1.775
90 14.448 488.4 7.780 211.8 2.353
100 15.939 640.6 9.381 297.6 2.976
110 17.182 806.4 10.961 399.3 3.630
120 18.231 983.6 12.502 516.7 4.305
130 19.132 1170 13.997 649.2 4.994
140 19.912 1366 15.445 796.4 5.689
150 20.577 1568 16.842 957.9 6.386
160 21.085 1777 18.187 1133 7.082
170 21.533 1990 19.479 1322 7.774
180 21.975 2207 20.722 1523 8.459
190 22.377 2429 21.921 1736 9.136
200 22.695 2655 23.078 1961 9.804
210 22.928 2883 24.191 2197 10.463
220 23.178 3113 25.263 2445 11.111
230 23.441 3346 26.928 2702 11.749
240 23.715 3582 27.302 2970 12.377
250 23.929 3820 28.275 3248 12.993
260 24.119 4061 29.217 3536 13.599
270 24.290 4303 30.130 3832 14.195
280 24.444 4546 31.017 4138 14.780
290 24.584 4791 31.877 4453 15.355
298.15 24.688 4992 32.560 4715 15.816

High Temperature Solid Phase

In the high temperature region, after correction for temperature scale and atomic weight, the enthalpy measurements of Ramanauskas et al. (1155 K to 2961 K) (7) were fitted to the following equation with an overall accuracy of ± 200 J mol−1 (0.4%) (Equation (i)):

(i)

This equation was used to represent selected enthalpy values from 298.15 K to 3400 K. Equivalent specific heat and entropy equations corresponding to the above equation are given in Table III, the free energy equations in Table IV, transitions values associated with the free energy functions in Table V and derived thermodynamic values in Table VI. The actual equation given by Ramanauskas et al. to represent the enthalpy measurements over the experimental temperature range agrees with Equation (i) to within 0.2%.

Table III

Thermodynamic Equations Above 298.15 K

Solid: 298.15 K to 3400 K
Cºpa, J mol−1 K−1 = 26.1938 + 2.64636 × 10−4 T + 1.15788 × 10−6 T2 + 1.599912 × 10−10 T3 – 150378/T2
HºT – Hº298.15 Kb, J mol−1 = 26.1938 T + 1.32318 × 10−4 T2 + 3.85960 × 10−7 T3 + 3.99978 × 10−11 T4 + 150378/T – 8336.36
SºTc, J mol−1 K−1 = 26.1938 ln(T) + 2.64636 × 10−4 T + 5.78940 × 10−7 T2 + 5.33304 × 10−11 T3 + 75189/T2 – 117.6597
Liquid: 3400 K to 5600 K
Cºpa, J mol−1 K−1 = 50.0000
HºT – H298.15 Kb, J mol−1 = 50.0000 T + 816.2
SºTc, J mol−1 K−1 = 50.0000 ln(T) – 281.5442

Table IV

Free Energy Equations Above 298.15 K

Solid: 298.15 K to 3400 K
GºT – Hº298.15 Ka, J mol−1 = 143.8535 T – 1.32318 × 10−4 T2 – 1.92980 × 10−7 T3 – 1.33326 × 10−11 T4 + 75189/ T – 26.1938 T ln(T) – 8336.36
Liquid: 3400 K to 5600 K
GºT – Hº298.15 K, J mol−1 = 331.5442 T – 50.0000 T ln(T) + 816.2

Table V

Transition Values Involved with the Free Energy Equations

Transition Temperature, K ΔHM, J mol−1 ΔSM, J mol−1 K−1
Fusion 3400 68005.00 20.0014

Table VI

High Temperature Thermodynamic Data for the Condensed Phases

Temperature, K Cºpa, J mol−1 K−1 HºT – Hº298.15 Kb, J mol−1 SºTc, J mol−1 K−1 −(GºT – Hº298.15 K)/Td, J mol−1 K−1
298.15 24.688 0 32.560 32.560
300 24.711 46 32.712 32.560
400 25.555 2564 39.951 33.541
500 26.034 5145 45.709 35.419
600 26.386 7767 50.488 37.543
700 26.694 10,421 54.579 39.692
800 26.994 13,105 58.163 41.781
900 27.301 15,820 61.360 43.782
1000 27.626 18,566 64.253 45.687
1100 27.975 21,346 66.902 47.497
1200 28.351 24,162 69.352 49.217
1300 28.757 27,017 71.637 50.855
1400 29.196 29,914 73.784 52.417
1500 29.669 32,857 75.814 53.909
1600 30.178 35,849 77.745 55.339
1700 30.724 38,894 79.591 56.712
1800 31.308 41,996 81.363 58.033
1900 31.932 45,157 83.073 59.306
2000 32.597 48,383 84.727 60.536
2100 33.303 51,678 86.335 61.726
2200 34.053 55,045 87.902 62.880
2300 34.846 58,490 89.432 64.002
2400 35.684 62,016 90.933 65.093
2500 36.568 65,628 92.407 66.156
2600 37.499 69,331 93.859 67.193
2700 38.478 73,130 95.293 68.208
2800 39.506 77,028 96.710 69.200
2900 40.583 81,032 98.115 70.173
3000 41.712 85,147 99.510 71.128
3100 42.892 89,377 100.897 72.066
3200 44.125 93,727 102.278 72.988
3300 45.412 98,203 103.655 73.897
3400 (solid) 46.751 102,811 105.031 74.792
3400 (liquid) 50.000 170,816 125.032 74.792
3500 50.000 175,816 126.482 76.249
3600 50.000 180,816 127.890 77.664
3700 50.000 185,816 129.260 79.040
3800 50.000 190,816 130.594 80.379
3900 50.000 195,816 131.892 81.683
4000 50.000 200,816 133.158 82.954
4100 50.000 205,816 134.393 84.194
4200 50.000 210,816 135.598 85.403
4300 50.000 215,816 136.774 86.585
4400 50.000 220,816 137.924 87.738
4500 50.000 225,816 139.047 88.866
4600 50.000 230,816 140.146 89.969
4700 50.000 235,816 141.222 91.048
4800 50.000 240,816 142.274 92.104
4900 50.000 245,816 143.305 93.139
5000 50.000 250,816 144.306 94.152
5100 50.000 255,816 145.311 95.146
5200 50.000 260,816 146.276 96.120
5300 50.000 265,816 147.229 97.075
5400 50.000 270,816 148.164 98.012
5500 50.000 275,816 149.081 98.933
5600 50.000 280,816 149.982 99.836

The only other enthalpy measurements were obtained by Jaeger and Rosenbohm (693 K to 1877 K) (8) and compared to the selected values vary from 1.6% low at 693 K to an estimated 1.2% low at 1600 K to 1.4% low at 1877 K.

Liquid Phase

Selected values of the enthalpies and entropies of fusion of the Groups 8 to 10 elements with a close-packed structure are given in Table VII. Only the enthalpy of fusion of osmium is unknown. References (10–14) represent the latest reviews on the thermodynamic properties of the pgms by the present author. From an evaluation of the entropies of fusion of the elements, Chekhovskoi and Kats (15) proposed that the entropy of fusion (ΔSºM) and the melting point (TM) could be related by the equation ΔSºM = A TM + B. In the previous review (1) different values were proposed for the entropies of fusion of palladium (8.80 J mol−1 K−1) and platinum (10.45 J mol−1 K−1) leading to an estimate of the entropy of fusion for osmium of 20.6 J mol−1 K−1. With the revised values it is clear that, although of the right order, the entropy of fusion of nickel is discrepant and has therefore been disregarded. The other six values were fitted to the equation with A = 6.6954 × 10−3 and B = −2.7630 and a standard deviation of the fit of ± 0.193 J mol−1 K−1. However in order that the derived entropy of fusion of osmium has a similar accuracy to those of the input values then the accuracy is expanded to a 95% confidence level leading to an entropy of fusion of 20.0014 ± 0.387 J mol−1 K−1 and based on a melting point 3400 ± 50 K to an enthalpy of fusion of 68,005 ± 1653 J mol−1. Based on neighbouring elements then a liquid specific heat of 50 J mol−1 K−1 was proposed in the original paper (1) and therefore the enthalpy of liquid osmium can now be expressed as Equation (ii):

(ii)

Table VII

Enthalpies and Entropies of Fusion for the Groups 8 to 10 Elements

Element Melting point, K Enthalpy of fusion, J mol−1 Entropy of fusion, J mol−1 K−1 Reference
Cobalt 1768 16056 ± 369 9.08 ± 0.21 (9)
Nickel 1728 17042 ± 376 9.86 ± 0.22 (9)
Ruthenium 2606 39040 ± 1400 14.98 ± 0.54 (10)
Rhodium 2236 27295 ± 850 12.21 ± 0.38 (11)
Palladium 1828.0 17340 ± 730 9.48 ± 0.40 (12)
Iridium 2719 41335 ± 1128 15.20 ± 0.41 (13)
Platinum 2041.3 22110 ± 940 10.83 ± 0.46 (14)

Equivalent specific heat and entropy equations corresponding to the above equation are given in Table III, the free energy equation in Table IV and derived thermodynamic values in Table VI. It should now be possible to accurately determine the melting point and enthalpy of fusion of osmium since the metal is available in high purity in a coherent form whilst the enthalpies of fusion of other high melting point elements such as rhenium (3458 K) and tungsten (3687 K) have been successfully determined.

Gas Phase

Based on a standard state pressure of 1 bar the thermodynamic properties of the monatomic gas were calculated from the 295 energy levels listed by Van Kleef and Klinkenberg (16) and Gluck et al. (17) using the method outlined by Kolsky et al. (18) together with the 2018 Fundamental Constants (19). Derived thermodynamic values are given in Table VIII.

Table VIII

Thermodynamic Properties of the Gaseous Phase

Temperature, K Cºpa, J mol−1 K−1 HºT – Hº298.15 Kb, J mol−1 SºTc, J mol−1 K−1 −(GºT – Hº298.15 K)/ Td, J mol−1 K−1
298.15 20.788 0 192.579 192.579
300 20.788 38 192.707 192.579
400 20.810 2118 198.689 193.394
500 20.901 4203 203.341 194.936
600 21.102 6302 207.168 196.665
700 21.432 8428 210.444 198.404
800 21.887 10,592 213.334 200.093
900 22.453 12,809 215.944 201.712
1000 23.104 15,086 218.342 203.256
1100 23.812 27,431 220.577 204.731
1200 24.545 29,849 222.680 206.140
1300 25.278 22,340 224.674 207.489
1400 25.988 24,904 226.574 208.785
1500 26.659 27,537 228.390 210.032
1600 27.283 30,234 230.130 211.234
1700 27.854 32,991 231.802 212.395
1800 28.374 35,803 233.409 213.518
1900 28.844 38,665 234.956 214.606
2000 29.269 41,571 236.446 215.661
2100 29.656 44,517 237.884 216.685
2200 30.009 47,501 239.272 217.681
2300 30.337 50,518 240.613 218.649
2400 30.642 53,567 241.911 219.591
2500 30.931 56,646 243.167 220.509
2600 31.207 59,753 244.386 221.404
2700 31.473 62,887 245.569 222.277
2800 31.732 66,047 246.718 223.130
2900 31.986 69,233 247.836 223.962
3000 32.234 72,444 248.925 224.776
3100 32.480 75,680 249.986 225.573
3200 32.722 78,940 251.021 226.352
3300 32.961 82,224 252.031 227.115
3400 33.197 85,532 253.019 227.862
3500 33.430 88,864 253.984 228.595
3600 33.660 92,218 254.929 229.313
3700 33.885 95,596 255.855 230.018
3800 34.107 98,995 256.761 230.710
3900 34.323 102,417 257.650 231.389
4000 34.535 105,860 258.522 232.057
4100 34.742 109,324 259.377 232.713
4200 34.943 112,808 260.217 233.357
4300 35.138 116,312 261.041 233.992
4400 35.327 119,835 261.851 234.616
4500 35.510 123,377 262.647 235.230
4600 35.687 126,937 263.429 235.834
4700 35.858 130,514 264.199 236.430
4800 36.023 134,108 264.956 237.016
4900 36.182 137,719 265.700 237.594
5000 36.325 141,345 266.432 238.164
5100 36.483 144,986 267.153 238.725
5200 36.625 148,641 267.863 239.278
5300 36.762 152,311 268.562 239.824
5400 36.895 155,993 269.251 240.363
5500 37.022 159,689 269.929 240.894
5600 37.145 163,398 270.597 241.419

Enthalpy of Sublimation

No temperature scales were given with the measurements of the vapour pressures by Panish and Reif (20) and Carrera et al. (21). Normally the experimental temperature values would therefore be accepted but in the case of such values above 2000 K the difference from the current scale, ITS‐90, becomes significant. Since the measurements were carried out in 1962 and 1964 then they would ultimately be associated with the International Practical Temperature Scale (IPTS-1948) and were therefore corrected to the ITS-90 scale on this basis. Derived enthalpies of sublimation are given in Table IX. The selected enthalpy of sublimation of 788 ± 4 kJ mol−1 is basically an unweighted average but slightly biased towards the measurements of Carrera et al. (21).

Table IX

Enthalpies of Sublimation at 298.15 K

Authors Reference Methoda Temperature range, Kb ΔHº298.15 K (II)c, kJ mol−1 ΔHº298.15 K (III)c, kJ mol−1
Panish and Reif (19) L 2376–2718 807 ± 35 784.3 ± 1.3
Carrera et al. (20) L 2159–2595 773 ± 13 790.7 ± 0.7
Selected 788 ± 4

Vapour Pressure Equations

The vapour pressure equations are given in Table X. For the solid the evaluation was for free energy functions for the solid and the gas at 50 K intervals from 1700 K to 3400 K and for the liquid at 50 K intervals from 3400 K to 5600 K and were fitted to Equation (iii):

(iii)

Table X

Vapour Pressure Equationsa

Phase Temperature range, K A B C D E
Solid 1700–3400 26.82612 −1.17464 −95030.60 5.68917 × 10−4 −6.25849 × 10−8
Liquid 3400–5600 45.02206 −3.41958 −93542.51 2.64385 × 10−4 −5.78416 × 10−9

A review of the vapour pressure data is given in Table XI.

Table XI

Vapour Pressure

Temperature, K Pressure, bar ΔGºTa, J mol−1 ΔHºTb, J mol−1 Pressure, bar Temperature, K
298.15 2.03 × 10−130 740,290 788,000 10−15 1780
300 1.44 × 10−129 739,994 787,992 10−14 1861
400 2.81 × 10−95 724,059 787,554 10−13 1950
500 1.03 × 10−74 708,242 787,058 10−12 2048
600 5.14 × 10−61 692,527 786,535 10−11 2156
700 3.09 × 10−51 676,901 786,007 10−10 2277
800 6.59 × 10−44 661,350 785,487 10−9 2411
900 3.28 × 10−38 645,863 784,989 10−8 2563
1000 1.18 × 10−33 630,430 784,520 10−7 2736
1100 6.23 × 10−30 615,043 784,085 10−6 2934
1200 7.88 × 10−27 599,693 783,687 10−5 3163
1300 3.31 × 10−24 584,375 783,323 10−4 3435
1400 5.86 × 10−22 569,084 782,990 10−3 3792
1500 5.19 × 10−20 553,816 782,680 10−2 4235
1600 2.62 × 10−18 538,568 782,385 10−1 4804
1700 8.32 × 10−17 523,338 782,097 1 5559.70
1800 1.80 × 10−15 508,126 781,807 NBPc 5564.74
1900 2.81 × 10−14 492,929 781,508 – –
2000 3.33 × 10−13 477,749 781,188 – –
2100 3.12 × 10−12 462,586 780,839 – –
2200 2.38 × 10−11 447,439 780,456 – –
2300 1.52 × 10−10 432,312 780,028 – –
2400 8.32 × 10−10 417,204 779,551 – –
2500 3.97 × 10−9 402,117 779,018 – –
2600 1.68 × 10−8 387,052 778,422 – –
2700 6.36 × 10−8 372,012 777,757 – –
2800 2.19 × 10−7 356,998 777,019 – –
2900 6.92 × 10−7 342,011 776,201 – –
3000 2.02 × 10−6 327,054 775,297 – –
3100 5.51 × 10−6 312,129 774,303 – –
3200 1.41 × 10−5 297,237 773,213 – –
3300 3.39 × 10−5 282,381 772,021 – –
3400 (solid) 7.75 × 10−5 267,563 770,721 – –
3400 (liquid) 7.75 × 10−5 267,563 702,716 – –
3500 1.58 × 10−4 254,788 701,048 – –
3600 3.08 × 10−4 242,061 699,402 – –
3700 5.78 × 10−4 229,380 697,780 – –
3800 1.05 × 10−3 216,742 696,179 – –
3900 1.84 × 10−3 204,146 694,601 – –
4000 3.15 × 10−3 191,590 693,044 – –
4100 5.23 × 10−3 179,073 691,508 – –
4200 8.48 × 10−3 166,593 689,992 – –
4300 1.34 × 10−2 154,148 688,496 – –
4400 2.08 × 10−2 141,739 687,019 – –
4500 3.15 × 10−2 129,363 685,561 – –
4600 4.69 × 10−2 117,018 684,121 – –
4700 6.84 × 10−2 104,706 682,698 – –
4800 9.87 × 10−2 92,422 681,292 – –
4900 0.140 80,169 679,903 – –
5000 0.195 67,943 678,529 – –
5100 0.269 55,745 677,170 – –
5200 0.365 43,574 675,820 – –
5300 0.490 31,428 674,495 – –
5400 0.651 19,307 673,177 – –
5500 0.854 7,210 671,873 – –
5559.70 1.000 0 671,100 – –
5600 1.110 −4,863 670,582 – –

Discussion of Alternative Estimates of the Enthalpy of Fusion of Osmium

Based on various assumptions Fokin et al. (22) proposed that the enthalpy of fusion for osmium was only in the range 30 kJ mol−1 to 40 kJ mol−1 or half of the above derived value. One of the main arguments was that by using the Chekhovskoi-Kats equation the entropy of fusion for rhenium was estimated to be 20.0 J mol−1 K−1 whereas the actual value is only 9.85 J mol−1 K−1 (23) and therefore if the estimate for rhenium was so completely wrong then it would also be possible that the estimate for the neighbouring element osmium at 19.0 J mol−1 K−1 could also be wrong. However, Fokin et al. completely misunderstood how the estimated values were arrived at. It was initially assumed that Group 7 rhenium would behave like Groups 8 to 10 (the pgms) whereas all that the experimental value proved was that Group 7 elements behaved completely independently of Groups 8 to 10 and therefore showed the same deviations as other transition metal groups. For example, the entropies of fusion of Group 5 elements vanadium, niobium and tantalum at 10.46 J mol−1 K−1, 11.13 J mol−1 K−1 and 10.25 J mol−1 K−1 (24) showed no trend with temperature whilst the entropies of fusion of the Group 6 elements chromium, molybdenum and tungsten at 13.89 J mol−1 K−1, 13.53 J mol−1 K−1 and 13.66 J mol−1 K−1 (24) were virtually identical. Therefore it would not be surprising if Group 7 elements would also behave completely independently. In fact for the transition metals only the Groups 8 to 10 elements showed a high degree of correlation with the Chekhovskoi-Kats equation. However in order to prove their point that osmium does behave differently to the other pgms, Fokin et al. used the equation: σM = Z ΔHM ρSM d where σM is the surface tension at the melting point, ΔHM is the enthalpy of fusion, ρSM is the density of the solid at the melting point and d is the interatomic distance. This equation was applied to a number of elements but there is virtually no correlation for the values of Z with values varying between 1.2 to 3.3. For osmium Fokin et al. selected an arbitrary rounded value of Z = 2 for osmium and values of surface tension and liquid density determined by Paradis et al. (25) to arrive at an enthalpy of fusion of only 32 kJ mol−1 which is considerably less than the value of 39.0 ± 1.4 kJ mol−1 (9) selected for the analogue element ruthenium whereas for the other pgms the enthalpy of fusion is always greater for the heavier analogue. This much lower value for the enthalpy of fusion would suggest that the thermal properties of osmium should then be distinct from those of the other pgms but this is not the case. For example, the specific heat values of ruthenium (10) and osmium at reduced temperature (T/TM) as indicated in Figure 1 are very similar and show virtually the same behaviour suggesting that they are genuine analogues of each other whilst the extrapolated melting point of osmium obtained by applying the same incremental difference as between iridium and platinum agrees closely with the selected value and again suggesting a common Groups 8 to 10 behaviour.

Fig. 1

The specific heat values of ruthenium and osmium at reduced temperature (T/TM)

The specific heat values of ruthenium and osmium at reduced temperature (T/TM)

Further, the chemical properties of ruthenium and osmium are virtually identical forming the same type of compounds with similar properties. These are examples where osmium behaves exactly like the other pgms and on these grounds it is suggested that the very low value for the enthalpy of fusion as suggested by Fokin et al. is inconsistent with this behaviour and that osmium would obey the same periodic trend as suggested by the other pgms and that its entropy of fusion can be determined by the Chekhovskoi-Kats equation. This would suggest anomalies in the input values selected by Fokin et al., especially in the selection of Z = 2 for osmium since the value for the analogue ruthenium is only 1.5 whilst the value for the neighbouring element iridium is only 1.2 where the selection of such values would lead to higher enthalpies of fusion for osmium. It is suggested that in view of the lack of any real correlation for Z that the value for osmium may well be independent and could even be 1.0 leading to an enthalpy of fusion similar to that obtained from the Chekhovskoi-Kats equation. Therefore until the actual enthalpy of fusion of osmium is determined it is assumed that it behaves as a normal Groups 8 to 10 element.

Conclusions

Estimated entropy and enthalpy values of fusion of osmium have been revised leading to corrections of the thermodynamic properties of the liquid phase and therefore to the vapour pressure curve above the melting point. The revisions are based on the assumption that osmium behaves as a normal Group 8 to 10 element and contradicts recent suggestions that its behaviour could be abnormal.

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    V. N. Naumov, I. E. Paukov, G. Ramanauskas and V. Ya. Chekhovskoi, Zh. Fiz. Khim., 1988, 62, (1), 25, translated into English in Russ. J. Phys. Chem., 1988, 62, (1), 12

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    G. Ramanauskas, V. D. Tarasov, V. Ya. Chekhovskoi, N. L. Korenovskii and V. P. Polyakova, Vysokochist. Veshchestva., 1988, (4), 149, in Russian

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    F. M. Jaeger and E. Rosenbohm, Proc. R. Acad. Amsterdam, 1931, 34, (1), 85

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    V. Ya. Chekhovskoi and S. A. Kats, High Temp.–High Pressures, 1981, 13, (6), 611

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    H. G. Kolsky, R. M. Gilmer and P. W. Gilles, “The Thermodynamic Properties of 54 Elements Considered as Ideal Monatomic Gases”, LA 2110, US Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, USA, 15th March, 1957, 138 pp

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    E. Tiesinga, P. J. Mohr, D. B. Newell and B. N. Taylor, ‘The CODATA Internationally Recommended 2018 Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants’, NIST Standard Reference Database 121, Version 8.0, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA, May, 2019 LINK https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Constants/index.html
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    • By |2020-11-26T12:54:40+00:00November 26th, 2020|Weld Engineering Services|Comments Off on A Re-assessment of the Thermodynamic Properties of Osmium
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    UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellows 2020

    • Six engineering researchers awarded grants to advance national security

    New technologies to detect clandestine border crossings, safely identify toxic nerve agents, and develop safer high-energy-density battery packs are among those being developed by engineering researchers through this year’s UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships.

    Focusing on areas of unclassified basic research, the fellowships support cutting edge developments in topics that can assist the intelligence community while providing mentoring to a new generation of engineers.

    The UKIC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, which are offered by the Government Office for Science and administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering, provide a vital link between academia and the intelligence community. Each awardee receives funding for at least two years of their project and mentorship from a Fellow of the Academy as well as an advisor from the intelligence community.

    Professor Anthony Finkelstein CBE FREng, Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security to HM government and a Fellow of the Academy, said: “We were delighted by the number and quality of the applicants for the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2020. The six fellows who were selected cover a range of topics which are of interest to the government national security community, from explainable artificial intelligence to gravity portals and nerve agent detection. Excellent pieces of research come out of this programme that support the work of government departments, and the relationships that are built between government and university research groups form the foundation of future research focused on problems that the national security community faces. We welcome the 2020 cohort to the programme.”

    The new postdoctoral researchers are:

     

    Dr Ross Drummond, University of Oxford
    High-energy-density battery pack design without compromising on safety

    As the electrical energy revolution drives forward, Lithium ion battery packs are becoming more energy dense and there is a growing awareness of the risk of fires spreading through the pack. This research will explore the design of high-energy-density packs that do not compromise on safety.

     

    Dr Saied El Faitori, Durham University
    Joint building entry loss and clutter loss wideband measurements in modern buildings

    5G radio systems use millimetre wave frequency bands to achieve high data rates. These bands have different transmission properties owing to the additional transmission loss from entering a building and the presence of obstacles between the transmitter and receiver (clutter loss). Dr El Faitori aims to develop a way to measure these losses using a system developed at Durham University.

     

    Dr James Gooch, King’s College London
    Optical biosensors for the remote detection of nerve agents

    Nerve agents are a highly toxic group of compounds that can cause severe respiratory depression, coma and death by disrupting the normal nervous function. Dr Gooch’s research involves the development of a fluorescent biosensor that can detect different classes of nerve agents from a safe distance.

     

    Dr Despoina Kampouridou, University of Birmingham
    Active radio frequency and microwave metamaterials for future wireless systems

    Ultra-broadband and reconfigurable metamaterials and antennas will provide a disruptive technology for the next generation of mobile communications. Dr Kampouridou’s research aims to develop a new design approach for such metamaterial-based antennas with non-Foster elements.

     

    Dr Andrew Lamb, University of Birmingham
    Gravity portals: enabling quantum sensing for enhanced border screening

    Dr Lamb’s work aims to enhance border control with precision quantum gravity gradiometers. These use atoms to measure minute changes in local mass, enabling remote and unshieldable vehicle inspection. This new technology could help to improve detection of hidden voids, dangerous cargo and clandestine entrants.

     

    Marko Tesic, Birkbeck, University of London
    The role of explanation in (re)building trust in artificial intelligence (AI) systems

    Recent years have seen a groundswell of interest in machine-generated explanation for AI systems. This research aims to explore: (i) what a human user considers to be explanatory in the AI context; and (ii) what types of explanations are most conducive to building trust in an AI system’s outputs.

    Notes to editors

    1. The Government Office for Science offers UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to outstanding early career researchers. These Fellowships are designed to promote unclassified basic research in areas of interest to the intelligence, security and defence community. Each fellowship is capped at a maximum grant of £200,000 over a two-year period.  For more information on the fellowships, visit: https://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/support-for-research/ic-postdoctoral
      Submissions for the UK Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2021 will be open in late January 2021.
    2. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

     

    Media enquiries to:

    Pippa Cox at the Royal Academy of Engineering

    T: 020 7766 0745

    E: pippa.cox@raeng.org.uk

    By |2020-11-26T10:00:00+00:00November 26th, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellows 2020
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    On the right path but huge challenges remain: Academy responds to the 2020 Spending Review

    The Royal Academy of Engineering has welcomed the government’s spending review, following the Chancellor’s speech in the House of Commons earlier today. Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/spending-review-to-fight-virus-deliver-promises-and-invest-in-uks-recovery

    Commenting on the announcement, Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

    “Today’s Spending Review sets us on the right path to addressing the huge challenges facing the UK against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic – achieving a recovery that marries economic renewal with the societal goals of spreading opportunity and skilled employment more evenly across the nation and reducing our net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. There is a long way to go, but I am pleased to see substantial alignment with the recommendations laid out by the engineering profession in its joint submission to the spending review: Engineering a resilient and sustainable future.

    “Government appears to be thinking about infrastructure in parallel with net zero and I welcome this shift. Careful and considered decisions made about infrastructure now will drive economic recovery, provide skilled jobs and improve collective wellbeing. Success in achieving net zero will depend on us retrofitting and building a resilient infrastructure system. The announcement of a National Infrastructure Bank, combined with changes to the Green Book, present a real opportunity to deliver this, by considering longer-term value for money and wider policy goals such as net zero and levelling up.

    “Today’s settlement reflects a welcome prioritisation of education and skills. The UK’s ambitions on net zero, infrastructure and digitalisation cannot be achieved unless we create the right talent base and provide more people from all backgrounds and at all levels with the right engineering and technical skills. However, we need a long-term, strategic approach to workforce planning, plus an increased focus on innovation, computing and science in schools, if we are to deliver.

    “With this statement, government has set the UK on the road to becoming a science, engineering and innovation superpower, recognising the importance of long-term planning for research, providing a multi-year settlement for the National Academies and UK Research and Innovation’s core research budgets. Supporting innovation is vital to ensure that the UK translates its world-class research in technological breakthroughs that can enhance the productivity and competitiveness of UK business.

    “We note that within the reduced envelope for Official Development Assistance, there is a continuing commitment to support developing countries to ‘build back greener’, including through research and development on clean energy technologies. We hope that in the difficult decisions to be made on ODA priorities, the essential contributions of infrastructure and engineering skills to sustainable development are fully reflected.”

    Notes for editors

    1. The National Engineering Policy Centre is a unified voice for 43 professional engineering organisations, representing 450,000 engineers, a partnership led by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

      We give policymakers a single route to advice from across the engineering profession.

      We inform and respond to policy issues of national importance, for the benefit of society.

    1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

      In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

      Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

    For more information please contact: Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0636; email: jane.sutton@raeng.org.uk

    By |2020-11-25T15:59:12+00:00November 25th, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on On the right path but huge challenges remain: Academy responds to the 2020 Spending Review
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    Ten steps to net zero: Academy welcomes government plans

    The Royal Academy of Engineering has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a ten point plan for a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’. A resilient, net-zero recovery will be vital in setting the UK on the right pathway to meet its target of net-zero territorial emissions by 2050, as set out in the National Engineering Policy Centre’s recent paper Beyond COVID-19: laying the foundations for a net zero recovery. While the pandemic is having a damaging impact on the economy and society, it also presents a window of opportunity to accelerate progress towards net-zero through changes to our built environment and our infrastructure systems, including energy, transport and digital communications.

    Academy Fellows and researchers commented on the Prime Minister’s announcement:

    Professor Nilay Shah OBE FREng, Vice-Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Net Zero working group, said:

    “This is an ambitious and broad-ranging announcement. It’s good to see a holistic approach which aims to advance our capabilities across a broad range of domains. There is a good balance of supply, demand and infrastructure interventions planned. However, delivering net-zero in a just and economically beneficial way will require a huge engineering effort, a clear understanding of how the different interventions work together as a system, and accompanying societal and behavioural change. It requires a stable commitment by government to net-zero policymaking over the long term that builds on the short-term economic recovery and responds to the scale and pace of change required.”

    Dr Shaun Fitzgerald FREng, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at the University of Cambridge, said:

    “The 10-point plan is to be welcomed since we urgently need a green industrial revolution. Much of the discussion is about reducing our emissions, and this is where we need to start. However, is it enough? Once we get to net zero, with carbon capture and storage for example being used to balance the unavoidable emissions, we will still be left with an atmosphere with too much CO2. We therefore need to do more and invest in active greenhouse gas removal solutions. We need to go harder at the climate than simply getting to net zero, although of course this is a necessary first step.”

    Dr Dame Sue Ion DBE FREng FRS said:

    While the ten point plan is encouraging to much of the energy industry sector, it doesn’t go nearly far enough in recognising the engineering and financial challenges associated with the journey to net zero. It is also missing an essential element which engineers would immediately recognize as important and that is the systems level thinking required to generate a deliverable roadmap. Each of the areas of focus in the  ten point plan is still treated to a greater or lesser extent as a ‘silo’ with objectives and potential benefits articulated for just that element when what should be happening is consideration of the whole package as a system as they are all interlinked. For instance, while recognition is given to traditional renewables as a source of electricity to enable clean hydrogen to be produced, there is little recognition that small modular reactors potentially have a huge role to play here, not just the longer term more advanced high temperature systems.

    The role nuclear power has in providing low-carbon electricity is gaining greater awareness and not before time! However, its significant potential in providing a solution to the more challenging aspects of the goal to achieve net zero has yet to receive the attention it deserves. Nuclear power offers so much more than low carbon electricity. It is vital this is acknowledged and built into the required system level thinking for meeting our future energy demands. This greater utility and generally unrecognised benefit from the heat as well as electricity offered by nuclear energy and not just the advanced systems but also SMRs, delivers real advantage compared with other low carbon energy sources provided it is driven forward to deployment.

    There are huge expectations for offshore wind built into the 10 point plan but little recognition of the need to plan for times when even in the offshore environment there are days and nights when the wind is very low or isn’t there at all.

    Professor Geoffrey Maitland CBE FREng, Professor of Energy Engineering at Imperial College London, said:

    “It is good to see a significant focus on hydrogen as this is needed as the complement to wind to decarbonise domestic heating.  Initially most of this will be ‘blue’ hydrogen made from natural gas which will need point eight, CCS, to remove the co-produced CO2. Producing hydrogen will be a key product of the green industrial clusters, being multi-purpose decarbonised transport and power as well as heating.

    “Replacing our dwindling nuclear capacity, much of which is due to be decommissioned soon, is a key element of reaching net zero by 2050.  We need to reinvent and reinvest in our nuclear reactor construction industry to provide clean baseload power to complement wind and other renewables and major employment in northern England.

    “The carbon capture initiative is welcome news of significant investment in a key technology without which the UK will not achieve net zero by 2050 and where the UK is playing catch-up after two failed initiatives terminated by the government in 2011 and 2015.  So it is good to see the recommendations of the 2018 CCS Cost Challenge Task Force being followed, with CCS being introduced at up to four industrial clusters involving essential but difficult to decarbonise processes, such as chemicals, cement and steel. These will be too late to impact the 4th carbon budget (2022-26) but will be essential to meet the 5th budget (2026-32) and onwards to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.  The design and construction lead time is two to three years so it would have been better to have four or more clusters given the green light now to ensure the full impact of this essential technology by the early 1930s.

    “The vision for hydrogen is inextricably linked to CCS as an enabler and the graded targets towards a fully-heated Hydrogen Town by 2030 is exciting, although there is potential with more investment to roll this out in at least six locations in the same timescale.  Hydrogen, with its multiple green applications, is the ideal complement to increased wind investment.  It has the advantage that ‘blue’ hydrogen from gas plus CCS can be enhanced and eventually replaced by ‘green’ hydrogen from excess cheap renewable electricity used to electrolyse and even cheaper feedstock, water.”

    Professor Ian Fells CBE FREng FRSE said:

    “The affirmation that nuclear power is ‘clean energy’ and the development of a new generation of small advanced nuclear reactors demonstrates the realisation that new nuclear will play a huge part in moving to net zero carbon.”

    Dr Greg Alexander, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at Newcastle University, said:

    “The commitment to carbon capture in the UK is very welcome, but as this type of support has been promised before and was removed at the last minute, we must ensure that it is delivered this time. As these carbon capture projects are largely planned for regions with a long and proud industrial heritage, but where there is significant unemployment now, there will need to be further support for training and reskilling so that jobs go to people living in the local community.

    “Although the announcement is heading in the right direction, it is disappointing to see no specific mention of negative emissions technologies as ultimately net zero is only a first step towards going net negative; we need to be thinking about how we do that now.”

    Notes for editors

    1. The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution

    Details of the plan outlined in the Prime Minister’s announcement are available in full in the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

    1. About the Royal Academy of Engineering

    The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

    In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

    Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

    For more information please contact:

    Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering

    T: 020 7766 0636

    E:  Jane Sutton

    By |2020-11-19T12:33:11+00:00November 19th, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on Ten steps to net zero: Academy welcomes government plans
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    New Industrial Fellowships support research on safer, more efficient and novel transport systems

    Innovative technologies to improve transport on land, sea and in the air make up more than half the 19 new Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowships awarded today to mid-career academics and industrialists across the UK. The Industrial Fellowships aim to strengthen links between universities and industry and to encourage new collaborations. Placements range from six months to two years full- or part-time with the scheme covering the salary costs of each awardee up to a maximum of £50,000 per annum.

    On the roads, new technologies being funded include novel power semiconductors for electric vehicles; a human-centric platform to help develop self-driving cars; and smart data compression techniques to enable faster sensors for automated vehicles.  

    Researchers are helping to make rail travel safer and more resilient through more realistic simulation of how trains interact with railway infrastructure, and improving risk management systems to help reduce flooding. Next generation circuit breakers are being developed to make power supply more resilient, as well as new control and safety management systems suitable for the increasingly complex nature of the industry.

    Aerospace projects will see engineering, geology and atmospheric science combined to reduce the impact of dust on jet engines and new flow measurement technologies will help to develop advanced aero-engines for aircraft of the future.

    At sea, integrated mission management will enable autonomous vehicles to perform complex tasks at sea for longer, more reliably and at lower cost.

    Among other challenges being addressed by the new Industrial Fellows are the reliability of legacy software systems; security threats posed by cyber-attacks; and how to turn waste plastics—including those that cannot be conventionally recycled—into new reusable plastic and clean low-sulphur fuels.

    The 2020 awardees, industrial partners and projects are:

     

    Dr Nicholas Bojdo, University of Manchester and Rolls-Royce plc
    Mitigating damage to aero engines in dusty environments

    Jet engines are optimised to breathe clean air but end up operating from dusty airports. The subsequent damage varies in nature from one region to the next. This project combines the disciplines of engineering, geology and atmospheric science to understand this variability and to inform damage mitigation solutions.

     

     

     

    Stephanie Dawson, Hitachi Rail and University of Birmingham
    Delivering a revolution in train testing with digital twin technology

    This research project will develop a simulation to integrate Hitachi Rail’s train control software with the University of Birmingham’s Infrastructure Digital Twin using Hardware-In-The-Loop technology. This will allow train control software to be tested in a representative environment, realistically interacting the simulated train with the railway infrastructure.

     

     

     

    Dr Andrea Diambra, University of Bristol and Gavin & Doherty Geosolution
    CYCL-ON: introducing advanced cyclic soil modelling in offshore wind design

    Offshore wind turbines are dynamically sensitive structures that must satisfy strict operability criteria under the critical cyclic storm loadings experienced during their design lifetime. Proper design and assessment of the turbine’s foundation properties is a key element in any design assessment. This project aims to improve the design procedures by including recent modelling developments that capture the full extent of the cyclic soil-foundation interaction mechanisms.

     

     

    Dr Valentina Donzella, WMG, University of Warwick and ON Semiconductor
    Smart data compression for automotive environmental perception sensors

    Automated vehicles are on the verge of changing our lives. Sensing the environment requires the vehicles to deploy several sensors and each sensor collects a large quantity of data. This project investigates data-reduction and pre-processing techniques that might enable the fast decision-making process needed for safe motion of automated vehicles.

     

     

    Dr Suzanne Embury, University of Manchester and Arm Holdings
    Round-trip engineering of test suites for legacy software

    Periodic reconstruction of software systems is necessary to control costs but is also risky. This project will create tools to capture organisational expertise from mission-critical legacy systems and package it in the form of reusable software test suites that can kick-start rapid and reliable reconstruction of those systems.

     

     

     

    Dr Basel Halak, University of Southampton and ARM
    Artificial Intelligence enhanced design for secure anti-tamper embedded devices

    Compromised hardware products pose serious threats if used in critical infrastructure and military applications. The continuously evolving landscape of security threats calls for equally effective and adaptive defence mechanisms. This project will develop such a mechanism, using machine learning algorithms to rapidly detect malicious behaviours in an embedded system and intercede to stop a potential attack.

     

     

    Dr Mike Jennings, Swansea University and Newport Wafer Fab Limited
    Automotive qualified power semiconductor devices

    Future automobile pistons will be based on power semiconductors that are ubiquitous within electric vehicle power electronic (PE) systems. This project aims to realise automotive-ready semiconductor components based on new materials such as gallium nitride and silicon carbide.

     

     

     

    Dr Hongsin Kim, Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham and TÜV Rheinland Risktec Solutions Ltd
    New paradigm for education in railway control and safety management

    The rapid growth of digital technologies has highlighted the complex nature of the rail industry as never before. This project will provide effective teaching materials to support the next generation of industry leaders to fully understand the new requirements for risk/safety management in the digital railway.

     

    Dr Gerald Morgan, Edenvale Young Associates and University of Bath
    Modelling the effectiveness of natural flood risk management

    This project aims to develop flood simulation model that can directly simulate modern, natural flood mitigation measures such as tree-planting and wetland regeneration. Using global-scale datasets and physically based approaches, the project will aim for broad applicability and robustness to climate change.

     

     

     

    Dr Despina Moschou, University of Bath and Caura Ltd
    Glucopatch: wearable devices for painless, user-driven glucose management

    This fellowship will develop a second generation prototype from an existing device that includes a patch to continuously monitor glucose and lactate levels, currently used by professional athletes to improve their performance and training efficiency. It will explore the capabilities of the device for biomedical applications in healthcare.

     

     

    Dr Hussam Muhamedsalih, University of Huddersfield and Paragraf Ltd
    Robust measurement sensor for advanced manufacturing

    The unique properties of two-dimensional materials such as graphene have many potential applications such as in semiconductors. This research will develop a novel sensor to rapidly measure the surfaces of these materials and the contaminants or impurities present, which can significantly affect the performance and prevent scale-up of the manufacturing process.

     

     

     

    Dr Andrew Nichols, University of Sheffield and Network Rail
    Whole-life costing and decision tools for rail drainage management

    Railways use drainage systems to transport water away. When these become compromised, flooding can cause delays and endanger human life. This Fellowship will explore risk-based management approaches to support performance prediction and strategic financial and maintenance planning that will contribute to a more reliable and safer railway network for everybody.

     

     

     

    Dr Daniel Paluszczyszyn, De Montfort University and HORIBA MIRA Ltd
    Human centric platform for self-driving cars development, testing and validation

    This collaboration aims to integrate De Montfort University’s Immersive Vehicle Virtual Reality Testbed simulator with HORIBA MIRA’s R&D testing ecosystem, including a connected and autonomous vehicle demonstrator. This setup will enable the study of a wide range of self-driving car concepts, helping to model participants’ behaviour in diverse, replicable, and close-to-reality scenarios.

     

     

     

    Ben Pritchard, Thales and University of Southampton
    Integrated Mission Management for Autonomous Systems

    Navies and other maritime users expect autonomous vehicles to be able to perform ever more complex tasks for longer, further away, at lower cost, more reliably and with fewer people. Mr Pritchard’s research aims to understand how human supervisors can best interact with squads of mixed maritime autonomous vehicles to maximise human-system team performance.

     

     

     

    Dr Leonid Shpanin, Sheffield Hallam University and BRUSH SWITCHGEAR LIMITED
    Next-generation circuit breakers for enhanced performance of UK rail networks

    A medium voltage direct current circuit breaker will be developed for DC rail applications. It will use an enhanced electromagnetic technique pioneered by Dr Shpanin to address the technical challenge of extinguishing large current faults or short circuits on UK railways, providing more reliable and resilient electric power delivery.

     

     

     

    Dr Pengzhu Wang, Bridon International Ltd and Queen Mary University of London
    Smart rope with sensing capability using multifunctional materials

    Ropes are widely used in elevators, cranes, suspension bridges and marine vessels and unpredicted rope failures cause accidents. This collaborative project aims to develop high performance fibre ropes with built-in sensing capabilities that can help to eliminate safety concerns and allow wider use of ropes.

     

     

     

    Dr Kit Windows-Yule, University of Birmingham and Recycling Technologies Ltd
    Novel positron imaging and Euler-Lagrange modelling of plastic recycling systems

    Plastic pollution is one of the foremost challenges of our age. Using cutting-edge numerical simulation and positron imaging techniques, this project will develop a novel recycling system to turn waste plastics—including those which cannot be conventionally recycled—into new plastic feedstocks and clean, low-sulphur fuels.

     

     

     

    Dr Pavlos Zachos, Cranfield University and Rolls-Royce plc
    Non-intrusive flow diagnostics in industrial testing for future aircraft configurations

    Propulsion system integration for novel aircraft can benefit from the application of non-intrusive flow measurement technologies to understand complex aerodynamics. Dr Zachos’ research aims to transfer such measurement capability to industrial applications to support the development of advanced aero-engines for future aircraft architectures.

     

     

     

    Dr Zhenyu Jason Zhang, University of Birmingham and Proctor and Gamble
    SustainAble and Eco-Friendly (SAFE) consumer goods: a nano-formulation engineering approach

    Building on expertise in soft matter engineering and tribology, this fellowship aims to help reduce water and energy use and increase the use of natural compounds for laundry, personal hygiene, household cleaning, discharging less waste in the form of surfactants and packaging materials.

     

     

     

    Notes for Editors

    1. The Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowships scheme enables mid-career academics and industrialists to undertake a collaborative research project in either an industrial or academic environment, where one party would host the other. The scheme aims to strengthen the strategic relationship between industry and academia by providing an opportunity to establish or enhance collaborative research between the two parties.
    • The scheme is open to engineers from all disciplines
    • Awards can be held from six months to two years, full-time or part-time
    • The Academy will contribute up to a maximum of £50,000 (per-annum) towards the basic salary costs (excluding overheads) of the applicant, paid pro-rata against the amount of time to be spent at the host organisation. The total award is capped at £100,000 for awards that exceed one year in duration
       
    1. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

    Media enquiries to Pippa Cox, Communications Manager (email: Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk, ph: 020 7766 0740)

    By |2020-11-05T10:45:46+00:00November 5th, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on New Industrial Fellowships support research on safer, more efficient and novel transport systems
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    Jonnie’s blade inspires next generation of engineers

    Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock’s blade to become first exhibit in a new virtual museum, being developed by the Royal Academy of Engineering to help tackle engineer shortage in the UK

    • Paralympic gold-medallist Jonnie Peacock’s blade will become the first engineering exhibit in a new virtual museum accessible via QR Codes or ‘QRtefacts’

    • Visitors will be able to explore the ground-breaking engineering innovations that are tackling societal issues and shaping the everyday, including an exhibit on developing a Covid-19 vaccine

    • The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced plans to create the Museum of Engineering Innovation to celebrate often unsung engineering accomplishments and inspire engineers of the future in response to the worrying engineer shortage in the UK

    • The Museum, which will roll out in 2021, aims to challenge the narrow stereotype of engineering and encourage people from more diverse backgrounds to consider a career in the profession 

    • A preview collection of exhibits will be published on Google Arts & Culture onThis is Engineering Day which falls in Tomorrow’s Engineers Week

    Plans to create a new virtual museum have been announced today by the Royal Academy of Engineering in an effort to address narrow perceptions of engineering that are contributing to a skills and diversity shortfall in the profession in the UK. Research from 2018 estimated that only 12%1 of the engineering workforce are female and just 9% are from BAME backgrounds.

    Instead of being housed in a building, the exhibits in the virtual Museum of Engineering Innovation, when it rolls out in 2021, will be accessible via QR codes or ‘QRtefacts’.  Placed in accessible locations dotted around the UK, each QRtefact will signpost users to an individual exhibit within the online Museum.  Also accessed via Google Arts & Culture, the Museum will celebrate the often-unseen engineering that is all around us, shining a spotlight on the diverse engineers that are making a difference to our everyday lives and futures in a bid to inspire the next generation.

    The first collection of exhibits will include the carbon fibre blade of reigning world champion and gold medallist, Jonnie Peacock. A QR code has been placed on the ‘Ferrari of running legs’, giving everyone (who can keep up with him) access to the virtual museum. Once scanned, or by visiting the Google Arts & Culture platform, visitors will be able to learn about the incredible engineering that went into making Jonnie’s blade, and how far the sporting world has come thanks to engineered high-performance prosthetics.

    Jonnie Peacock comments on his blade becoming the virtual museum’s first QR-tefact:

    “Whenever I wear my blade I get such a great response, particularly from children, able bodied and disabled, who think it’s really cool. I’d like them to know that I wouldn’t be where I am today and have this super cool prosthetic leg if it wasn’t for engineers and amazing feats of engineering, which is why I am supporting This is Engineering Day, to help demonstrate some of the many different ways engineering makes a difference and to inspire the engineers of the future.” 

    The exhibits on ‘display’ at the museum will highlight the engineering that we often take for granted, but that has helped change, improve and in some instances, save lives. Exhibits will include Jonnie’s Blade along with the following2:

    • The Factory-in-a-box, developed by Professor Harris Makatsoris and his team of engineers at King’s College London, minimises the space and equipment needed for high volume vaccine manufacturing, making it possible to produce RNA-based vaccines, such as one of the vaccines being developed to tackle Covid-19, in any location and at a much faster rate than a typical vaccine manufacturing plant. 
    • The pBone, which is the first 3D printed plastic trombone.  The recyclable ABS plastic3 instrument, which weighs less than a kilogram and uses fewer resources than its brass cousin, is designed to encourage younger players who have difficulties with the weight and balance of a normal trombone  
    • Bricks made from recycled and breathable materials, also known as K-Briq, which will be used to create the 2021 Serpentine Pavilion
    • Motion capture digital technology, created by actor Andy Serkis’ company Imaginarium, that turned The Tempest’s Ariel into a 17ft high harpie in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2017 production
    • How the Singing in the Rain production, relaunching at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2021, made it rain on stage, whilst ensuring equipment stayed dry, avoiding technical problems
    • The 15-metre Arcadia Spider, which attracts thousands of party goers at Glastonbury Festival – an impressive, if unusual, example of engineering
    • A range of artwork shining a light on award winning feats of engineering by conceptual still life photographer Ted Humble-Smith
    Jonnie Peacock’s running blade being scanned to access the Museum of Engineering Innovation

    The announcement falls on This is Engineering Day (4th November), a national awareness day led by the Royal Academy of Engineering to address the narrow stereotype of engineering, celebrate the varied and vital roles that engineers play, and encourage more young people to consider a career in the profession. The day is part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, a week of activities designed to provide inspiring and exciting opportunities for young people to experience the world of engineering.

    On This is Engineering Day the Academy will also be calling on organisations and brands that rely on engineers and engineering to nominate engineering innovations that are making a difference to exhibit in the Museum in 2021.

    Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, comments:

    “Engineers play a profoundly important role in shaping the world around us, however research3 reveals that over three quarters (76%) of young people aged 11-19 and 73% of parents do not know a lot about what those working in engineering actually do. This is an issue that affects all of us because without a skilled and diverse engineering workforce we will not be able to power a sustainable economic recovery in the UK, or tackle some of our biggest global challenges. 

    That’s why today, on This is Engineering Day, we are announcing plans to create the virtual Museum of Engineering Innovation. This is Engineering Day gives us an opportunity to bring untold stories to life in a way that shows the surprising and inspiring role that engineers play as hidden enablers of progress. Engineering is a fantastic career if you want to make a difference, improve people’s lives and shape the future, and through our Museum of Engineering Innovation we want to inspire many more people from all parts of society to become future engineers.”

    Amit Sood, Director of Google Arts & Culture, comments:

    “If you were asked what links a West End musical, an Olympic athlete and the Mary Rose ship, what would the answer be? These are just a few examples of the stories that the Royal Academy of Engineering are bringing to life that demonstrate the importance of engineering in our daily lives. We are delighted to share a selection of online exhibits on Google Arts & Culture to help celebrate This Is Engineering Day and we are looking forward to building on this initial launch for audiences around the world to get inspired by engineering.”

    This is Engineering Day is part of the This is Engineering campaign, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering to give more young people, from all backgrounds, the opportunity to take up engineering careers. More information on the campaign can be found at www.ThisisEngineering.org.uk, @ThisisEng on Twitter and @ThisisEngineering on Instagram. #BeTheDifference #ThisIsEngineering

    Notes to editors

    1. Research carried out by EngineeringUK. Data from the 2018 State of Engineering Report
    2. Exhibits featured in the first collection can be accessed at https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/museum-of-engineering-innovation
    3. Research carried out by EngineeringUK. Data from the 2019 Engineering Brand Monitor captured in Jan – Feb 2019, based on a sample of 2,514 pupils aged 7-19, 1,023 educators, and 1,810 members of the public

    About Jonnie Peacock

    Jonnie is the Double Paralympic, World & European T44 100m Champion. He sensationally won his first Paralympic title at the London 2012 Games during one of the best summers in British Athletics history. He then successfully defended his title at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Jonnie is already an inspiration to many young people and is passionate about building the profile of disability sport globally. He has vowed to take part in as many Paralympics as he possibly can, with the hope of winning more medals in the process.

    About This is Engineering

    This is Engineering is a campaign to raise awareness of the breadth of careers in engineering and help address the significant engineering skills and diversity shortfall that is holding back growth and productivity across the UK economy. The campaign aims to give more young people, from the broadest possible backgrounds, the opportunity to take up an exciting, engaging, rewarding and in demand career.

    This is Engineering is led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, in collaboration with EngineeringUK. The campaign has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering and our corporate partners. More information about the campaign is available at www.thisisengineering.org.uk and @ThisIsEng on Twitter

    Strategic partner

    EngineeringUK

    Founding Principal partners

    BAE Systems

    National Grid

    Principal partners

    Amazon

    Anglo American

    BP

    Centrica

    Rolls-Royce

    Shell UK

    Major partners

    Facebook

    Google Arts & Culture

    Sponsors

    MBDA

    Mott MacDonald

    Teledyne e2v

    WSP

    Principal university partners

    University of Oxford

    Major university partners

    Anglia Ruskin University

    Aston University

    University partners

    Kings College London

    Manchester Metropolitan University

    University of Southampton

    University of Glasgow

    About Tomorrow’s Engineers Week

    Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (#TEWeek20) takes place from 2-6 November 2020 and highlights to young people that engineering is a creative, problem solving, exciting career that improves the world around us. Tomorrow’s Engineers Week is led by EngineeringUK. To find out how to get involved, visit www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/teweek

    About the Royal Academy of Engineering

    The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

    In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

     Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

    About EngineeringUK

    EngineeringUK is a not-for-profit organisation, which works in partnership with the engineering community to inspire tomorrow’s engineers and increase the number and diversity of young people choosing academic and vocational pathways into engineering. EngineeringUK leads engagement programmes The Big Bang, Robotics Challenge and Energy Quest, helps schools bring STEM to life through real-world engineering via Neon, creates inspiring engineering careers resources and campaigns through Tomorrow’s Engineers and produces a body of research including the flagship State of Engineering report.www.engineeringuk.com

    About Google Arts & Culture

    Google Arts & Culture puts the collections of more than 2,000 museums at your fingertips. It’s an immersive way to explore art, history and the wonders of the world, from Van Gogh’s bedroom paintings to the women’s rights movement and the Taj Mahal. The Google Arts & Culture app is free and available online for iOS and Android. The team has been an innovation partner for cultural institutions since 2011. Google Arts & Culture develops technologies that help preserve and share culture and allow curators to create engaging exhibitions online and offline.

    By |2020-11-04T00:01:00+00:00November 4th, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on Jonnie’s blade inspires next generation of engineers
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    Government investment too low to achieve net zero recovery, say engineers

    • New report from the National Engineering Policy Centre calls for greater investment in net-zero capacity and digital transformation, and national workforce planning strategy to increase technical capability

    There is a large gap between government funding commitments and the true scale of changes required for a net-zero economic recovery from COVID-19, according to a paper published today by the National Engineering Policy Centre, which represents 43 UK engineering organisations with a combined membership of nearly half a million engineers. With one year until COP 26 the UK has a responsibility to be a global leader for rapid carbon emissions reduction. The paper calls on the government to step up the level of investment it is prepared to make in clean growth to match that of other ambitious nations like Germany and the Republic of Ireland, to maintain international competitiveness, and build on the UK’s strengths and capabilities in clean technologies.

    Read ‘Beyond COVID-19: laying the foundations for a net-zero recovery’ here

    Urgent action is needed to build net-zero capacity, says the paper, and policy decisions that can rapidly mobilise entire industries must be taken if the UK is to meet its carbon emissions target of net zero by 2050. In tackling the current employment and economic crises caused by the pandemic, the government must not lose sight of broader objectives such as net zero, resilience, international competitiveness and the need to create a more equal society. The paper sets out five foundations for government to deliver a net zero recovery.

    Read a summary of the paper here

    The UK has a chance to make the best use of its existing assets and to develop more flexible and efficient infrastructure systems for the future, says the paper. It recommends that recovery funds for carbon-intensive industries should require them to commit to ambitious but achievable targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These include engineering industries such as aviation, rail and energy-intensive manufacturing such as steel production and chemical processing. Cumulative, connected change is required across different policy areas and economic sectors to deliver net-zero, and government should consider the technologies that will be needed and how people’s jobs and lives will be impacted as a result.

    The five foundations in the paper are:

    • Government must ensure that recovery packages work together as a whole to pivot the UK towards a net-zero economy.
    • Government spending on new infrastructure and public buildings must avoid the trap of high carbon construction methods and lay the foundations for a future net-zero infrastructure system including minimising the need for future retrofitting, by basing spending choices on outcomes and including whole-life carbon evaluation.
    • Government should drive digital transformation as an essential enabler of net-zero and resilience.
    • Government must increase the UK’s technical capability to deliver net-zero by creating a national workforce planning strategy and implementing proactive policies on diversity and inclusion in employment and training that will help reverse the impact of COVID-19 on employment opportunities for women and people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
    • Government should deploy a cross-sectoral systems approach to policymaking that accounts for the impact that transforming one part of the economy or national infrastructure will have on the others.

    Dervilla Mitchell CBE FREng, UKIMEA chair at Arup and a chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Net Zero Working Group, says:

    “We must guard against the possibility that, as economies around the world recover from the impacts of the pandemic, plans for a low-carbon recovery unravel, and we lock the country into high-emissions infrastructure and systems that simply return us to past norms.

    “Investing in low-carbon technology and practices now will create jobs and pay dividends for the economy and the UK’s net-zero emissions target.

    “Real progress on reducing carbon emissions will need to be built in the short-term, maintained over the long term, be sustainable over successive governments, and able to withstand disruptive events in future.”

    Notes for Editors

    The National Engineering Policy Centre

    We are a unified voice for 43 professional engineering organisations, representing 450,000 engineers, a partnership led by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

    We give policymakers a single route to advice from across the engineering profession.

    We inform and respond to policy issues of national importance, for the benefit of society.

    The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

    In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public.

    Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.

    For more information please contact: Victoria Runcie at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. 0207 766 0620; email: victoria.runcie@raeng.org.uk

    By |2020-11-02T00:01:17+00:00November 2nd, 2020|Engineering News|Comments Off on Government investment too low to achieve net zero recovery, say engineers
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