WORLD OF TEST


ELECTRIC CARS: PUT THE ROAD IN CHARGE


Battery charging is one of the major limits to the large-scale spread of electric vehicles. Research carried out in the last fewyears has led to a rapid increase in battery performance, extending the range of electric cars up to hundreds of kilometres. But charging still requires quite a long time during which the vehiclemust be stationary and connected to the charging station. While this does not create


problems for urban use of the electric vehicle,where the battery can be charged during the night, things become critical if you plan a longer trip. The necessity of frequent and long stopswouldmake the trip extremely inconvenient due to constant anxiety about the possibility that the battery has insufficient energy to reach the destination. Thiswould eliminate the need


to stop and recharge, thus enabling the possibility of having the battery in a better state of charge at the end of the journey than itwas at the beginning. This wouldmake the car ready to use onminor roadswhere the systemis not installed. Thiswould eliminate the stops


for the recharge allowing the possibility to reach the destinationwith the battery evenmore charged thanwhen the trip started and ready for use on secondary roadswhere the systemis not installed. The prototype is based on a


technology called inductive power transfer (IPT) that is attracting the attention ofmany automotive companies and is seeing the development of several prototypes around the world. These systems work thanks to the inductive transmission of electric energy through the use of resonant inductors. The principle is similar to that one which allows us to cook on induction cooktops.


GRAPHENE SET TO BOLDLY GO IN SPACE APPLICATIONS


Researchers and students in the pan-European research initiative Graphene Flagship are preparing for two exciting experiments in collaborationwith the European Space Agency (ESA) to test the viability of graphene for space applications. Both experiments will launch in November, testing graphene in zero-gravity to determine its potential in space applications, including light propulsion and thermal management. Graduate students fromthe


Netherlands’ Delft Technical Universitywill usemicrogravity in the ZARMdrop tower in Bremen, Germany to test graphene for light sails. By shining laser light on suspended graphene-membranes from Graphene Flagship partner Graphenea, the experimentwill test howmuch thrust can be generated,which could lead to a


newway of propelling satellites in space using light fromlasers or the sun. Running concurrently is an


experiment investigating how graphene can improve efficiency in heat transfer in loop heat pipes – cooling systems used extensively in satellites and aerospace instruments. The experiment is a collaboration between several Graphene Flagship partners, including the Cambridge Graphene Centre. A significant part of the loop


heat pipe is thewick, typically made of porousmetal. In this experiment, thewickswill be coatedwith different types of graphene-relatedmaterials to improve the efficiency of the heat pipe. The coatedwickswill be tested in a low-gravity parabolic flight operated by ESA in partnershipwith Novespace, France. During each 3-hour flight,


the speciallymodified aircraft willmake a series of 30 parabolic ascentswith about 25 seconds of weightlessness in each parabola.


MORGAN HOLDS TO TRADITION BY KEEPING UP


The Morgan Motor Company was established in 1909 with the design of the Morgan three- wheeler. A four-wheeledmodel began production in 1936, and Morgan cars have long become famous the world over for their unique blend of charisma, qualitymaterials, craftsmanship and performance. Many of usmay recall that


back in 1990 Sir John Harvey Jones visited the Morgan Motor Company in the sleepy town of Malvern,Worcestershire, as part of the BBC reality business programme Trouble Shooter, where he was surprised to see that the sportscarmaker was stillmaking its vehicles in a traditionalmanner, even continuing to use a large


4 /// Environmental Engineering /// August 2017


 No more holding back the years for Morgan designers


proportion of wood in their construction. Sir John’s advice was simple —modernise, greatly increase production and ramp


up your prices. Yet Morgan turned down his advice and the company has gone from strength to the strength.


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