NEWS News in brief From fry-up to fuel
Professor Basu Saha of the School of Engineering is behind a formula for turning used cooking oil into biodiesel, used to power black cabs and to heat one of the world’s most sustainable buildings, PricewaterhouseCooper’s headquarters at Charing Cross.
Funding boost for low-carbon collaboration
LSBU and sustainable energy firm ICAX have won £10,700 to develop an innovative cold water heat network in a competition run by Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency.
The network will save energy by using cold water to heat and cool buildings on LSBU’s campus. ‘This system could dramatically reduce energy demand from existing buildings, and provide opportunities to deliver highly efficient cooling as London warms over the coming years,’ says Professor Andy Ford, Director of LSBU’s Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings (CEREB’s rooftop solar panels are pictured above). ‘But it’s not just about London – this is a global challenge.’ The team will use the first tranche of funding for further research and to create a demonstration project. The second stage of the competition will be held later in the year and could provide funding to actually build a cold water heat network here on campus.
‘Biodiesel can be a great alternative to conventional fuels,’ says Professor Saha, who developed the formula in partnership with Uptown Biodiesel Ltd. ‘But biodiesel derived from food crops increases competition for both land and water. Biodiesel made from waste is one of the most environmentally sustainable transport fuels and uses oil that might otherwise be disposed of.’
Now Professor Saha and his team have been shortlisted for a prestigious award from the Institution of Chemical Engineers. The awards are due to be presented on 5 November.
Green technology grant could lead to better fire safety for aircraft
The School of Engineering plans to use an EU grant of €150,000 to develop a greener alternative to current methods of suppressing fires in commercial cargo planes. Currently, fires are put out using compounds called halons which, while effective, also contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. LSBU will work with Cranfield University, Mälardalen University College and Swedish research institute SP to design a new halon-free system for aircraft cargo holds. In total, €700,000 has been granted for the project under the Clean Sky initiative, which promotes research into breakthrough green technologies for the civil and commercial aircraft market.
6 | SOUTH BANK | Autumn 2015
Improving support for newly qualified health professionals
LSBU has been commissioned by University College London Hospitals (UCLH) to evaluate its support programme for newly qualified health professionals. ‘It’s well known that nurses and other health professionals find the transition from student to qualified practitioner a daunting experience,’ says Professor Lesley Baillie, Florence Nightingale Foundation Chair of Nursing Clinical Practice at LSBU. ‘It’s really important to make sure they have the right support to develop their confidence and competence.’ Now a team from the School of Health and Social Care will assess UCLH’s preceptorship programme to see how it can be made more effective.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24