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Physics - Mechanical Engineering - 05.03.2021

Giant ’quantum twisters’ may form in liquid light
New mechanism found for generating giant vortices in quantum fluids of light. Anyone who has drained a bathtub or stirred cream into coffee has seen a vortex, a ubiquitous formation that appears when fluid circulates. But unlike water, fluids governed by the strange rules of quantum mechanics have a special restriction: as was first predicted in 1945 by future Nobel winner Lars Onsager, a vortex in a quantum fluid can only twist by whole-number units.

Mechanical Engineering - Environment - 11.02.2021

Common pipistrelle bats are attracted to wind turbines
Fatal attraction: Research finds common pipistrelle bats are attracted to wind turbines One of the most abundant bats in Europe may be attracted to wind turbines, according to a new study from the University of Sussex and the University of Exeter. The activity of common pipistrelle bats was monitored at 23 British wind farms and similar "control" locations close by without turbines.

Mechanical Engineering - 21.10.2020

Lily the barn owl reveals how birds fly in gusty winds
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions - findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft. "Birds routinely fly in high winds close to buildings and terrain - often in gusts as fast as their flight speed.

Health - Mechanical Engineering - 19.10.2020

COVID-19: Distancing and Masks are not Enough
Decades-old data is being used to describe the propagation of tiny droplets. Now a fluid dynamics team has developed new models: Masks and distancing are good, but not enough. 1/2 images Droplets with a viral load [Translate to English:] Tröpfchen haben begrenzte Reichweite, Aeorsole können aber größere Distanzen überbrücken [Translate to English:] Tröpfchen haben begrenzte Reichweite, Aeorsole können aber größere Distanzen überbrücken Wear a mask, keep your distance, avoid crowds - these are the common recommendations to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.

Health - Mechanical Engineering - 28.08.2020

Researchers 3D print lifelike heart valve models
Patient-specific organ models, which include integrated 3D-printed soft sensor arrays, are fabricated using specialized inks and a customized 3D printing process. Such models can be used in preparation for minimally invasive procedures to improve outcomes in thousands of patients worldwide.

Transport - Mechanical Engineering - 27.07.2020

The Electric Future of Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles come at a cost: increased energy use. Some analysts suggest that these increased power needs are significant enough to drastically reduce vehicle range thus eliminating the possibility of electric autonomous vehicles. Instead, these analysts claim autonomous vehicles must be gas-electric hybrids.

Mechanical Engineering - Social Sciences - 19.06.2020

Simulating wind farm development
Engineers have devised a model to describe how, in the process of establishing wind farms, interactions between developers and landowners affect energy production costs. Wind farms are large, highly technical projects but their development often relies on personal decisions made by individual landowners and small communities.

Mechanical Engineering - Health - 19.05.2020

Testing ventilator systems
ETH researchers have set up a test rig to put newly developed ventilator systems through their paces. Around the world, the coronavirus crisis has seen the demand for ventilators soar. Many manufacturers are therefore working at full speed to develop new ventilator systems, primarily for those countries that cannot afford expensive high-tech equipment.

Health - Mechanical Engineering - 06.05.2020

COVID-19: in uncommon times, dark matter specialists have applied their skills to ventilators
The Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM), an open source ventilator to support patients severely ill with COVID-19, has moved from design to reality in six weeks, propelled by physicists specialised in dark matter who turned their attention away from unknown particles for this period. It has just been authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as within the scope of the emergency use authorization for ventilators in intensive care.

Health - Mechanical Engineering - 23.04.2020

Computer model enables protective ventilation
Computational model of the lung could significantly reduce the number of deaths from Covid-19 and ARDS Computer model enables protective ventilation The use of mechanical ventilation can save lives - and not just for COVID-19 patients who develop severe respiratory problems. But at the same time, the ventilation pressure puts immense stress on delicate lung tissue.

Mechanical Engineering - 25.03.2020

Ankle exoskeleton makes running easier
Researchers find that a motorized device that attaches around the ankle and foot can drastically reduce the energy cost of running. Running is great exercise but not everyone feels great doing it. In hopes of boosting physical activity - and possibly creating a new mode of transportation - engineers at Stanford University are studying devices that people could strap to their legs to make running easier.

Chemistry - Mechanical Engineering - 28.02.2020

More efficient, longer-lasting solid oxide fuel cells
Researchers at EPFL have developed a novel way to increase fuel-cell efficiency and lifespan, using a recirculation fan driven by a steam turbine that runs on steam-lubricated bearings. Solid oxide fuel cells, or SOFCs, are devices that produce both electricity and heat by oxidizing a fuel such as natural gas or biogas.

Mechanical Engineering - 26.02.2020

Overlooked arch in the foot is key to its evolution and function
A long-overlooked part of the human foot is key to how the foot works, how it evolved, and how we walk and run, a Yale-led team of researchers said. The discovery upends nearly a century of conventional thinking about the human foot and could open new avenues to explore in evolutionary biology as well as guide new designs for robotic and prosthetic feet, said the study team.

Mechanical Engineering - 21.02.2020

Scientists finally confirm a 50-year-old theory in mechanics
An experiment by EPFL researchers has confirmed a theory that has been used in mechanics for over half a century - despite never having been fully validated. The team could now use the theory in bolder and more innovative ways in their quest to develop ever better energy systems. Some theories are widely used even though they have never been experimentally validated.

Mechanical Engineering - Innovation - 17.12.2019

Innovative ’biplane’ design could lead to next generation of wind turbines
Biplanes, the fixed-wing aircrafts with two wings, one above the other, exist today mostly in aviation museums, World War I movies and black-and-white photos. But thanks to an innovation by UCLA engineers, that two-wing design could soon be used to make wind turbines that harvest energy more efficiently.

Mechanical Engineering - 16.12.2019

Bristol discovery reveals tractionless motion is possible
In an article published in Physical Review Letters, Bristol scientists have answered the fundamental question: "Is it possible to move without exerting force on the environment?", by describing the tractionless self-propulsion of active matter. Understanding how cells move autonomously is a fundamental question for both biologists and physicists.

Mechanical Engineering - 25.11.2019

Understanding how raptors hear may help prevent future wind turbine deaths
While wind turbines provide sustainable energy solutions, they also pose a threat - raptors that hunt by day, such as eagles and hawks, are frequent casualties of turbine collisions. Researchers at The Raptor Center (TRC) in the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine hypothesized that adding devices to turbines that emit sound could deter eagles from approaching them, but they first had to determine what eagles can and can not hear.

Materials Science - Mechanical Engineering - 21.11.2019

Eliminating cracks in 3D-printed metal components
Researchers at EPFL have developed a new laser 3D-printing technique to manufacture metal components with unprecedented resistance to high temperature, damage and corrosion. The method has applications in fields ranging from aerospace to power-generating turbines. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has revolutionized the way components are made, setting new standards in terms of production speed when geometric complexity is high.

Materials Science - Mechanical Engineering - 18.11.2019

Alliance for additive manufacturing
TUM, Oerlikon and Linde develop high-strength lightweight aluminum-based alloy New research alliance for additive manufacturing Together with the Swiss technology group Oerlikon and the industrial gas manufacturer Linde, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has entered into a research alliance for additive manufacturing (AM).

Mechanical Engineering - 27.09.2019

Ariane 6’s core engine completes qualification tests
Ariane 6, Europe's next-generation launch vehicle, has passed another key development milestone. Its Vulcain 2.1 liquid-fuelled engine has now completed its qualification testing, which means combined tests can now begin. The main stage Vulcain 2.1 engine will deliver 135 t of thrust to propel Ariane 6 in the first eight minutes of flight up to an altitude of 200 km.