Lincoln:Engineering

EU FP7 Transport Meetings 2011: Brussels

Paul Stewart
7 Transport Information Days 2011 - 18-19 July 2011

Chris Bingham and Paul Stewart from the UoL School of Engineering will be heading to Brussels on Sunday for a Framework 7 briefing event.

The next round of calls for proposals under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) will be published at the end of July 2011.

In order to support the preparation of proposals, the European Commission’s Research Directorate General will hold two ‘Information Days’ on 18 and 19 July 2011 in the Charlemagne building, rue de la Loi 170, in Brussels.

The aim of the two-day event is to inform potential researchers about FP7 and the new Transport Calls for Proposals under the ‘Co-operation’ Programme. Details will also be given on the main legal and procedural conditions and we will respond to your questions. Participants will also have the chance to network with potential project partners by posting information on the main networking boards, and will also be given the opportunity to give a brief Powerpoint presentation at each full day event.

Gas turbine research past and present

Paul Stewart
First flight of the jet engine powered Gloster E28-39

May 2011 saw the 70th anniversary of the first British jet powered aircraft flight celebrated at RAF Cranwell.

Exactly 70 years ago, on 15 May 1941, the Gloster E28/39 aircraft powered by Sir Frank Whittle’s jet engine taxied over 500 yards down the runway before taking off for a flight that lasted almost 17 minutes.

Organised by the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (DCAE) and sponsored by Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the event saw the attendance of a wide range of guests including Sir Frank’s son Ian Whittle. Sir Frank began his RAF career as an apprentice and later trained as an RAF officer at RAF Cranwell.

L-R Ian Whittle, Kate Ellis (Lincoln City Council), Dr Jill Stewart (Acting Head of Engineering, University of Lincoln), Rob Smith (City of Lincoln Council)

Dr Jill Stewart, Acting Head of Engineering at the University of Lincoln is pictured in front of the Gloster E28/39 aircraft, and one of Sir Frank Whittle’s jet engines.

Pictured with Jill are Kate Ellis and Rob Smith from Lincoln City Council. We work closely with Kate and Rob, developing links with Lincoln engineering businesses for R&D, and also to raise the profile of Lincoln as a centre of engineering excellence.

Coming right up to date, Jill is currently leading a major research project looking at fundamental combustion in gas turbines for Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery in Lincoln.

ICMAT 2011 Singapore

Paul Stewart
View towards the waterfront from our hotel

Our Symposium “AA” Frontiers in Optical Bio-Imaging and Microscopy kicks off tomorrow and runs for the whole week as one of the parallel conference sessions.

Researchers from the Universities of Lincoln and Liverpool have been arriving and battling jet lag over the weekend.

Laurence Duchesne will be kicking off proceedings tomorrow afternoon with

Heparan Sulphate Determines the Modes of Diffusion of Fibroplast Growth Factor 2 Within the Pericellular Matrix

In the Photothermal Microscopy session

view of the atrium in the Singapore Holiday Inn Atrium, where we are staying this week
L-R Prof Dave Fernig (1), Dr Colin Dowding (2), Dr Laurence Duchesne (3), Dr Raphael Levy (1). 1:Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool. 2:School of Engineering, University of Lincoln. 3: Institut du Fer a Moulin, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris

Siemens annual research project review 2011

Paul Stewart
Mike Ryley presenting on the Gas Turbine Combustion project

There are currently 4 major Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery -related research project running in the School of Engineering:

  • Remote Monitoring and Sensing
  • Sensor Validation
  • Fundamental Combustion
  • Coupling and Shaft Vibration

We held the annual major project review on Wed 22nd June, attended by project collaborators and co-ordinators from Siemens, and all our Siemens related research staff and associated academics.

We are hoping to announce further collaborative projects to add to this portfolio in the near future

The Project review was led by Dr Jill Stewart, who has recently been announced as Acting Head of Engineering, following Prof Stewart’s promotion to PVC Research

Dr Yang being quizzed by Siemens' Herman Ruisnaars

Control Techniques re-commission the Lotus experimental engine

Paul Stewart
Control Techniques engineer working on the AC drive unit

The rotary electrical drive on the Lotus free-piston experimental engine has now been re-commissioned by an engineer from Control Techniques.

The rig is now ready to be transported from the ThinkTank to its new home in an engine test cell in the new building.

The engine is part of a long-term R&D programme into new engine technologies and combustion control techniques led by Prof Paul Stewart, in collaboration with Lotus Engineering in Norwich.

The programme is looking at advanced drive trains for Hybrid Electric vehicles.

Lotus experimental engine, with Control Techniques drive cabinet open in the background

The CT drive supplies the Emerson 15kW Permanent Magnet AC Motor (PMAC) which is coupled to the crankshaft and acts as a motor-generator to control piston trajectory when the linear free piston engine is tethered to the crankshaft.