DESIGN IDEAS


❱❱ Suitable for use by commuters and leisure cyclists alike, the Yerka bicycle uses sections of the frame to create a simple and innovative locking system


Yerka bicycle, the structure must be damaged to such an extent that the bicycle cannot be used and therefore loses its commercial value. Yerka Bikes aims to offer the best two-


wheeled unpowered transport to urban commuters around the globe. What began as a university project six years ago by three engineering students to protect not only their hobby – cycling – but also their daily means of transport, has since become the latest technology for bike security. Or as Andrés Roi, one of the three founders of Yerka Bikes explains: “This is the only technology adapted to the real needs of urban cyclists, as it prioritises those elements that really influence the experience of mobility in the city.”


THEFT PROTECTION IN THE FRAME


Innovative built-in locking system designed to prevent bicycle thefts without the need for additional equipment


Preventing bicycle theft is usually achieved by using a separately-carried locking device. Now, a newly-designed bicycle is available where the frame itself is the security device with nothing additional to be carried. Chilean company Yerka Bikes has


launched an improved new generation of the first worldwide anti-theft bicycle available online. With the aim of integrating an innovative security system directly into the vehicle, the company has developed the only patented technology that provides optimum anti-theft protection for bicycles.


SECURITY BUILT IN Yerka Bikes claims that these are the first bicycles in the world that have a padlock system integrated in the bike’s frame structure. In just a few seconds, the frame and the seat post become a hermetic lock adaptable to be secured to any suitable structure. The technology is so effective that the model does not need a separate U- Lock to be safe from thieves. Furthermore, the wheels provide additional security thanks to their anti-theft nuts, which use a unique pattern. In other words, to steal a


UNIVERSITY PROJECT The idea of a theft-proof bicycle arose when Andrés Roi had his bike stolen for the second time. With two of his former classmates, they began designing a method to counter such theft. Finally, in 2012, Cristóbal Cabello, Andrés Roi and Juan José Monsalve founded Yerka Bikes as part of a project at the Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile. After a successful crowdfunding


campaign in 2015, the innovation attained success in internet sales to the tune of more than 1,000 bicycles around the world without any verified cases of theft having been reported to date. Now, the security system has become an internationally patented technology. Yerka Bikes have been available to order


online or purchased in shops in Madrid and Hamburg since May 2018. With newly optimised sports anti-theft wheel nuts, the bikes are available in four sizes, three colours and two different speeds.


HYDROGEN FUEL FOR MARINE ENGINES


Ultra-low emission hydrogen-fuelled commercial vehicle specialist ULEMCo is developing a demonstration marine engine modified to run on hydrogen as part of an international project


ULEMCo has become a partner to the HYLANTIC project, the overall aim of which is to show that a cost-effective and practical approach could be deployed across a range of existing vessels and therefore contribute to reducing emissions in local ports and inland waterways. As well as developing a hydrogen fuelled


engine, a feasibility study will be carried out in the Liverpool City Region to assess local sources of hydrogen suitable for marine applications, offering opportunities for


8 /// Environmental Engineering /// September 2018


vessels such as those used for the Mersey Ferry and the Manchester Ship Canal. ULEMCo joins the Universities of


Cantabria, Porto, Ulster and Dublin City, as well as several private companies in delivering the HYLANTIC project. The work is funded by Interreg Europe, which supports local and regional authorities across Europe in achieving innovative and integrated solutions to a range of sustainability issues. “We are very excited to be part of the HYLANTIC project, and to be adding this


feasibility work on marine applications to our fast-expanding vehicle portfolio,” said Amanda Lyne, CEO of ULEMCo. “We shall announce progress with the demonstration hydrogen marine engine in due course.” The Atlantic Network for Renewable


Generation and Supply of Hydrogen to promote High Energy Efficiency, or HYLANTIC project, addresses global energy issues and focuses on the challenge of ensuring a sustainable and efficient energy supply with low carbon emissions.


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