Photo competition captures engineering’s burning issues

Nano-sized beauty, cutting-edge scientific advances and glimpses of remarkable humanitarian initiatives in distant parts of the world have all been captured in this year's Engineering photo competition at the University of Cambridge. The annual contest is run by the University's Engineering Department and invites anyone who works there - whether they are a Professor, student, or a member of the support staff - to submit a photograph connected with their day-to-day work. The results represent an array of subjects, showcasing both the research and teaching that takes place within the Department and work undertaken by its staff in the field. First prize in the 2010 competition went to Rob Gordon's Aircraft engine flame-out, which portrayed a flame struggling for existence milliseconds before it was extinguished by freezing air. The photograph was taken using two high-speed cameras working at 5000 frames per second, as part of research to improve the safety of aircraft engines. Freak weather can cause the flames inside an engine to go out, resulting in a subsequent loss of power. The research into the physics of flame extinction will help to reduce the likelihood of this rare, but potentially catastrophic, event.