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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.

Mechanical Engineering - 25.07.2019

Supercomputers use graphics processors to solve longstanding turbulence question
Advanced simulations have solved a problem in turbulent fluid flow that could lead to more efficient turbines and engines. When a fluid, such as water or air, flows fast enough, it will experience turbulence - seemingly random changes in velocity and pressure within the fluid. From my first days studying fluid mechanics I had some fundamental questions that I wanted to know the answers to.

Mechanical Engineering - Environment - 01.07.2019

Steering wind power in a new direction
Four of the turbines on a TransAlta Renewables wind farm in Alberta, Canada, that were used for the wake-steering experiment. The truck in the lower left corner of the photo gives a sense of the wind turbines' size. (Image credit: Calgary Drone Photography) On a working wind farm, Stanford researchers have shown that angling turbines slightly away from the wind can boost energy produced overall and even out the otherwise variable supply.

Mechanical Engineering - 28.06.2019

Systematic mapping of cell wall mechanics in the regulation of cell morphogenesis
Abstract: Walled cells of plants, fungi, and bacteria come with a large range of shapes and sizes, which are ultimately dictated by the mechanics of their cell wall. This stiff and thin polymeric layer encases the plasma membrane and protects the cells mechanically by opposing large turgor pressure derived mechanical stresses.

Environment - Mechanical Engineering - 12.04.2019

Taking a cue from spider webs, UCLA researchers snag fresh water with vapor capture system
Inspired by how dew drops form on spider webs, UCLA engineers and mathematicians have designed a unique and effective water vapor capture system that could be used to produce clean, fresh water, or to recycle industrial water that would otherwise be wasted. Their system is a dense array of parallel cotton threads strung vertically, with a steady stream of water droplets flowing down the strings.

Mechanical Engineering - 02.04.2019

Modulation of tissue growth heterogeneity by responses to mechanical stress
Publication from the Laboratoire Reproduction et développement des plantes (RDP) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS) on January 23, 2019. Abstract:  Morphogenesis often yields organs with robust size and shapes, whereas cell growth and deformation feature significant spatiotemporal variability.

Mechanical Engineering - Physics - 01.04.2019

A model for describing the hydrodynamics of crowds
By studying the movement of runners at the start of marathons, researchers from the Laboratoire de physique (CNRS/ENS de Lyon/UCBL) have just shown that the collective movements of these crowds can be described as liquid flows. Their results, published in Science on January 4, 2019, have enabled them to predict how fluctuations in speed and density are transmitted through massive crowds.

Health - Mechanical Engineering - 08.02.2019

Gummy-like robots could help prevent disease
EPFL scientists have developed microscopic, hydrogel-based muscles that can manipulate and mechanically stimulate biological tissue. These soft, biocompatible robots could be used for targeted therapy and to help diagnose and prevent disease. Human tissues experience a variety of mechanical stimuli that can affect their ability to carry out their physiological functions, such as protecting organs from injury.