Volumes & issues:
Volume 6, Issue 4
May 2011
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- Author(s): D. Ross
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 4 –4
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0416
- Type: Article
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 6 –7
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0417
- Type: Article
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 8 –8
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0418
- Type: Article
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 10 –10
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0419
- Type: Article
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Even when the immediate risks of radioactive contamination are overcome, the legacy of Fukushima will linger for many generations to come. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 12 –12
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0420
- Type: Article
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- Author(s): S. Davies
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 13 –13
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0421
- Type: Article
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Multi-technology business Smiths Group is investing in R&D to drive future sales. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 14 –14
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0422
- Type: Article
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The figures that are making headlines in engineering this month. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 15 –15
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0423
- Type: Article
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- Author(s): P. Dempsey
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 16 –16
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0424
- Type: Article
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Paul Dempsey picks some highlights from NABshow 2011, which drew media professionals to Las Vegas from over 150 countries. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 17 –17
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0425
- Type: Article
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(4 pages) - Author(s): S. Mitra-Thakur and R. Fergusson
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 22 –23
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0426
- Type: Article
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Sofia Mitra-Thakur and Rachael Fergusson round up responses to the 2011 Budget from across the engineering industry. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 24 –25
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0427
- Type: Article
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- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 26 –27
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0428
- Type: Article
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The pick of the E&T inbox. - Author(s): J. Dempsey and N. Harley
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 28 –29
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0429
- Type: Article
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Engineering is one of the unrecognised cornerstones of 21st Century society. Will government plans to put more power in the hands of the public help to bring the profession to the fore? - Author(s): C. Krishnan
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 30 –30
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0430
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Some of the official guide to the UK Bribery Act, which comes into force in July, reads more like advice on how to evade it, says the author. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 31 –31
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0431
- Type: Article
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The physical, economic and industrial aftershocks of the 11 March 2011 Honshu earthquake and tsunami are innumerable and complex. In this special section, we gather expert views on what can be learned from this event. Can anything be done to resist a tsunami? Or should designers literally go with the flow (p44)? We seek to find out what has actually happened at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (p32), and ask whether the besieged nuclear industry can ride out the inevitable public backlash (p39). The communications infrastructure learned from past lessons (p56), but what part did Japan's world-beating robotics sector play during recovery efforts (p52)? And the benefits of a globalised supply chain have suddenly been reversed, with industry around the world cutting output due to a dearth of parts from Japan (p60). One thing is certain - the world needs Japan back on its feet (p55). - Author(s): R. Pool
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 32 –36
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0400
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Just as nations worldwide had accepted nuclear power was key to tackling climate change, nuclear disaster struck. What went wrong at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The crisis was principally a result of flooding. When the earthquake hit, the three nuclear reactors operating at t be plant did exactly as they were designed to do: they shut down. With off-site power wiped out, emergency diesel generators kicked in and started pumping cooling water to the fuel rods in each reactor. These cooling systems, designed to keep reactor containment vessel temperatures to around 260°C, operated exactly as they should until one hour later when the tsunami swept through. The 14m high, crushing wall of water breached coastal sea walls, flooded the power plant and its transformer yard shorting out all access to the off-site electrical grid. It overwhelmed the diesel generators at the base of the plant and irretrievably damaged many of the pumps used to transfer cooling water to the reactors. Local flooding and earthquake damage prevented outside assistance and the Japanese government declared a nuclear emergency. - Author(s): D. Evans
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 37 –37
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0401
- Type: Article
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The article provides valuable insight into the physics behind Fukushima Daiichi. The article explains the concept of nuclear binding energy which is the backbone of nuclear fission. Then it goes on explain nuclear fission reaction in a boiling water reactors, like the ones at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. It quickly goes through the concepts such as the use of uranium as fuel, fuel rods, moderators, spent fuel rods. The article sheds light on the hazard level of radiation leakage at the plant and its impact on human health. - Author(s): S. Davies
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 39 –43
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0402
- Type: Article
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The public perception of nuclear energy has taken a battering in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. It had been a painfully sluggish process, but since the nightmare scenario of a complete meltdown of a nuclear plant 25 years ago at Chernobyl, the public had, inch by inch, been creeping towards a grudging acceptance of a nuclear future. - Author(s): M. Bond
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 44 –46
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0403
- Type: Article
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Some of the world's most extensive sea defences did little to protect Japan's coast from the devastating tsunami so is it time to develop buildings that can withstand the impact when it comes?The Japanese government has invested heavily In seawalls and breakwaters, which stretch along some 40 per cent of the country's 30,000km coastline. The policy reflects a general belief by authorities in tsunami prone regions around the world that concrete barriers offer the best hope of protection from the sea. Indeed. that may be true for smaller storms, but the disaster in Japan illustrates that seawalls offer precious little protection against the most ferocious tsunamis. Many coastal engineers are now calling for a shift in policy. Rather than trying to keep the sea out by building ever higher walls, more lives might be saved by designing buildings that can withstand the waves - an a research that up to now has received little funding. - Author(s): T. Krantz
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 47 –49
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0404
- Type: Article
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The earthquake in Japan was one of the biggest on record and came with no warning. Dr Timothy Krantz explains why they are so hard to predict but how studying recent events could help. - Author(s): S. Gold
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 50 –51
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0405
- Type: Article
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Japan's Internet infrastructure withstood quake and tsunami, but was also left working for cyber-criminals to exploit the anguish of survivors desperate for information. - Author(s): K. Richardson
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 52 –54
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0406
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The use of robots in disaster zones was developed in response to the Hanshin-Awajii Earthquake in Kobe, Japan and the attacks on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in the United States. These events of the mid-1990s encouraged a number of researchers to think about the applications of robots for critical emergency crises. Since that time, search and rescue robots have been used to help the rescue crew efforts of the World Trade Center (2001). Unmanned ground vehicles helped with the rescue effort when terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers and around 3,000 people were killed. - Author(s): P. Dempsey
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 55 –57
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0407
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Analysis of the economic implications of the Japanese earthquake has focused on supply side economics and with good reason. There are plenty of concerns about shortages of electronic components and raw materials used by high-tech industries. Automotive OEMs worldwide are closing because they cannot source chips used to monitor airflow and drive In-car Infotainment systems. Japan's Importance in producing waters for semiconductor manufacturing the shuttered Shin-Etsu plant in Nishigo Village, northern Japan, normally supplies 20 per cent of the entire industry's requirements and materials for printed circuit boards may affect all products that integrate electronics. However, as time passes, attention is also encompassing demand. Shortly after disaster struck, Apple put the Japanese launch of the IPad 2 on indefinite hold. Coupling this to concerns about securing parts for the tablet, financial markets disregarded Its glowing reviews and marked down Apple's shares by more than 5 per cent. - Author(s): L. Collins
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 58 –59
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0408
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Engineering lessons learned during previous disasters have helped lessen the impact of the 11 March earthquake and tsunami on Japan's communications infrastructure. Although no amount of preparation could protect communications systems in the worst-hit areas, elsewhere a combination of redundancy, resilience and disaster planning appears to have paid-off. Each operator has disaster plans that were put to work once the quake struck, with message boards on their service through which users could message family and friends without overloading the network with voice calls. The disaster may prove to be an opportunity to change the architecture of Japan's cellular network so that it is more robust. - Author(s): T. James
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 60 –62
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0409
- Type: Article
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After the earthquake and ensuing tsunami hit the north eastern coast of Japan, carmakers in the region were still struggling to produce cars. One reason is the lack of power caused by the damage caused to the nuclear reactor, but of more worrying long-term concern is the lack of components from an ailing supply chain. But it is not just manufacturers in the region who are struggling with inventory, the backlash is being felt all around the globe;the reasons being intricate interwoven supply chains and globalisation. Suzuki temporarily restarted vehicle production at its Kosai, Iwata, and Sagara plants in Japan, but lack of parts caused them to close again a week later, while Mitsubishi has suspended production at its plant in Okayama prefecture. Toyota is putting all its emphasis on resuming production of three hybrid models but it has postponed the launch of the Prius wagon and minivan hybrid. The company has already extended production shutdowns at all of its assembly plants in Japan. The expected delay in the resumption of deliveries of components by Japanese suppliers is threatening the global supply chain. However, the impact is not limited to the Japanese companies. Most auiomakers source components from Japanese suppliers and the disruption to the supply chain has hit the production schedules of even non-Japanese automakers. - Author(s): L. Collins
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 63 –65
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0410
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The uptake of smartphones is driving rapid innovation in the chips that enable them. At the low end, handset makers want affordable devices for emerging markets. At the high end, demand for advanced features such as 3D HD playback is seeing chipmakers push manufacturing processes to the limit. Meanwhile, there have been key advances in the air interface and control of the modem design. - Author(s): P. Hunter
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 66 –69
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0411
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Patchy indoor coverage has been an irksome issue for mobile phone users from consumers to the largest enterprise, but has only recently been addressed by deploying dedicated internal access points to extend signal strength inside premises. Though SMEs (small-medium enterprises) in particular have missed out, as femtocells emerged to solve residential coverage problems, while more sophisticated systems based on distributed antennae or micro cells have been available some years for large industrial or business sites. But the latter involve significant radio frequency (RF) planning, along with expensive onsite management on the part of the operator, and are not cost-effective for most SMEs. Along came femtocells, with powerful units aimed at SMEs and smaller offices of larger enterprises. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 70 –71
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0432
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With the traditional oil and gas fields depleted, the search for new carbon fuels and minerals has moved to the frozen wastes of the Arctic. - Author(s): S. Davies
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 72 –74
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0412
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The battle is on to channel the power of the waves to deliver reliable and clean electricity, but it is proving a onerous one. While wind and solar energies have been grabbing the headlines with large and powerful devices and installations, wave energy appears to have been drowned out. It has taken eight years of development but a wave device is finally ready to deliver economical power to the grid. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 76 –77
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0433
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Alongside the annual CeBit fair in Hannover is the iF Awards pavilion, which highlights the best product design from around the world. iF's Dirk Bartelsmeier points out a few favourites. - Author(s): C. Evans-Pughe
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 78 –81
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0413
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'At the next left, you have arrived at the wrong destination.' Just how vulnerable are we to the loss of GPS signals, and what can we do to reduce the risk from natural or malicious jamming? Christine Evans-Pughe finds out. In January 2007 Captain Matthew Blizard, Commander of the US Coast Guard Centre of Excellence for Navigation (NAVCEN), reported the loss of GPS signals in the Port of San Diego. Not only had the navigation equipment for general aviation stopped working but local telephone switches and cellular phone operations were disrupted, and the hospital's mobile paging system went down. It took Blizard and his colleagues three days to pinpoint the source a two-hour US Navy training exercise in communications jamming between two ships in the area. When the Navy technicians found problems with the GPS systems on the ship under attack, they stopped the exercise but didn't report the incident beyond their usual channels. No one told the GPS Operations Centre in Colorado (GPSOC) or NAVCEN about the exercise because the jamming was not meant to be in the GPS 1 band. - Author(s): L. Douglas
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 82 –83
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0414
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The 2012 Olympics flat-water events will be held at Eton Dorney Lake. Fourteen rowing, canoeing and kayaking competitions with 550 athletes and four Paralympics events for 108 athletes will take place. It was perhaps appropriate that Eton, with its long rowing tradition, should be the venue. The author looks at the Olympic course for rowing, canoeing and kayaking. - Author(s): N. Smith
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 84 –87
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0434
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According to Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, three-quarters of today's managers don't have appropriate qualifications. So what's to be done? - Author(s): K. Sangani
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 88 –89
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0435
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When the iPad was first released it was a new innovation and competition was non-existent. Now consumers have a real choice. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 90 –90
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0436
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Call for entries to our photo competition. - Author(s): S. Munk
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 92 –93
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0437
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The 'shatterproof' camera, 3D in smaller sizes, tiny things becoming visually huge and the ultimate in all-round aural and visual entertainment. The future is going to be fun. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 94 –95
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0438
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Taiwanese PC-maker Acer's latest offering illustrates the state of play in the laptop market, in a world obsessed with tablets. - Author(s): B. Betts and K. Sangani
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 96 –97
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0439
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The software that can help you order your thoughts, hold virtual family get-togethers, or simply provide a distraction from getting your software review pages in on time. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 98 –99
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0440
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The power of metaphor, future airports, dressing for space, and why India loves technology. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 100 –101
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0441
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Most company directors don't know what their role is or what their legal responsibilities are. Nick Smith talks to the author of a book calling on organisations to build the competence of their boards. - Author(s): J. Pollard
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 102 –102
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0442
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A Bristol baker's perseverance made life a little more bearable for 19th Century sailors. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 103 –103
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0443
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Jack's nearing the end of his time as copy boy at Dad's engineering firm. The great wide world beckons. - Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 109 –109
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0444
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Dates for your diary. - Author(s): M. Barfield
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 110 –110
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0445
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A couple of new additions to our regular offering of in- and semi-credible engineering news and views. - Author(s): T. Krantz
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 111 –111
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0446
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The latest robotic barmen not only mix and pour drinks but listen to customers and respond. - Author(s): N. Smith
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 112 –113
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0447
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One of the icons of engineering design, the supersonic airliner Concorde was a collaborative project between two countries, as well as a passenger airliner with a difference. - Author(s): V. Vitaliev
- Source: Engineering & Technology, Volume 6, Issue 4, page: 114 –114
- DOI: 10.1049/et.2011.0415
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In an airline slogan, not just every word but every letter should be clear and devoid of second meanings and unintended puns. Whereas some airlines' advertising slogans do not make much sense, others are plain scary.
Editor's letter
World news
News
The graphic: Life of radioactive material
News in brief
Taking stock
Number news
News in brief
Special report: NABshow 2011
News
News analysis: The 2011 Budget: good for industry?
The bigger picture: Gotthard base tunnel
Your letters
For and against
Comment: If you ask me
Special report: Japan
Fukushima: the facts
The physics behind Fukushima Daiichi
What now for nuclear?
What you can do? [building design]
Will they ever see it coming?
The gain and the pain
Robots to the rescue?
There goes the recovery
Comms redundancy proves its value
Globalised chaos [effect of post-earthquake and post-tsunami in car manufacturing industries]
Bountiful baseband [smartphones]
Signal improvements
Photo essay
The test of tides
iF Awards: Design class of 2011
Jam today
Olympics watch
Interview with Ruth Spellman
One2ten
Photo competition: Capturing the unseen
Gadgets
The teardown: The Acer Aspire 5742-7120 Notebook Computer
Software reviews
Book reviews
Book interview: Bob Garratt
The eccentric engineer
Jack's blog
Events
E&Tcetera
My round
Classic projects: Concorde
After all: Forgotten art of reading between the airlines
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