Monday, March 18, 2013

FUTURE AIRCRAFT ADVANCED MATERIAL


http://www.airbus.com/innovation/future-by-airbus/concept-planes/the-airbus-concept-cabin/future-technologies/
Bionic Structures

Future aircraft could be built using a bionic structure that mimics the bone structure of birds. Bone is both light and strong because its porous interior carries tension only where necessary, leaving space elsewhere. By using bionic structures, the fuselage has the strength it needs, but can also make the most of extra space where required. This not only reduces the aircraft's weight and fuel burn, but also makes it possible to add features like oversized doors for easier boarding and panoramic windows.
Biopolymer membrane

The cabin's bionic structure will be coated with a biopolymer membrane, which controls the amount of natural light, humidity and temperature, providing opacity or transparency on command and eliminating the need for windows. This smarter structure will make the aircraft lighter and more fuel-efficient while giving passengers 360 degree views of the skies. This will offer unparalleled, unobstructed views of the wonders of the five continents - where you will be able see the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower through the transparent walls of the aircraft.
Composite Materials

Future materials may not even be the materials we see and use today. 'Composite' materials will be used - new matter made of a combination of different materials. In the future materials may not even take a solid state, but could be a composition of fluid and gas for example!
Integrated Neural Network

The cabin electrical system can be compared to the human brain, with a network of intelligence pulsating through the cabin. This network will be absorbed into the structural materials, making the hundreds of kilometres of cables and wires found in today's aircraft a thing of the past. Known as 'Smart' materials they can perform numerous functions, recognising the passenger, so that you too are 'connected' to the plane.
Morphing Materials

Materials that change shape and return to their initial form, growing like the leaves of a plant, are a very real possibility. Morphing materials might be metals or polymers that have a 'memory'; or are covered with a 'skin' that will instigate a shape change. A memory is created using sensor and activator systems that give materials a certain level of artificial intelligence, allowing them to adapt to the passengers' needs.
Self-reliant Materials

Materials will be self-cleaning. Think of the leaves of a lotus plant, which water rolls off in beads, taking contaminants with it. Today, coatings inspired by this are used on the surfaces of cabin bathrooms. In the future they will be found on the fabric of seats and the carpets.

These intelligent materials could also be self-repairing, which is already used today in surface protection. Certain paints can seal a scratch by themselves, just as the human skin does. 
Ecological Materials

The future passenger cabin will be fully ecological. Fully recyclable plant fibres that can be grown to a custom shape will be sourced from responsible and sustainable practices.
3D Printing

Some of the elements in the cabin could be created using additive layer manufacturing, which is a bit like printing in 3D. The process repeatedly prints very thin layers of material on top of each other until the layers form a solid object in materials ranging from high-grade titanium alloys to glass and concrete. As well as making it simpler to produce very complex shapes, this form of production wastes a lot less material than cutting shapes out of bigger blocks. While this technique is already being tested for small aircraft parts today, in the future, its use could be widespread - not only in industry but in people's homes!
Holographic Technology

Scenes showing the destination, a city skyline or a tropical forest, will be projected onto the walls. A private cabin can reflect your bedroom at home, a business conference or even a zen garden, thanks to the projection of virtual decors. Holographic technology will have advanced to such a degree that the virtual world will be indistinguishable from the real.
Energy Harvesting

Smart energy solutions such as energy harvesting will be a part of the cabin environment. The body heat you give out will be collected by your seat or pod as you relax or sleep, and combined with energy collected from other sources, like solar panels, to fuel cabin appliances.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Testimonial of Young Engineer - Astrium



25 year old Belgian/French Elise Debry works as a design engineer for Astrium, the space division of the EADS Group, in Les Mureaux near Paris. For the young professional the position is her first job after completing her studies in engineering.

My career start

My interest in EADS was first ignited during an internship at Astrium as part of my studies. During the last year of my engineering course, I specialised in space engineering. After that, an internship at Astrium, one of the main European space companies, was a natural next step. When deciding what offer to take, I had a choice between staying at EADS or working for the French Space Agency (CNES). I’ve chosen a position at Astrium Space Transportation because this company, as the prime contractor of Ariane 5, the European heavy launcher, offers a very broad spectrum of activities (from mechanical design to propulsion or software) and many career opportunities. Moreover, the international aspect of Astrium was very compelling. The reason why I decided to get involved in the aeronautics field was clear: ‘problem solving’ is the name of the game. And the bigger or more complex the problem, the more fun and gratification I get from solving it.

A truly thrilling job

I am currently working on the Ariane 5 E/S Galileo project. The goal is to adapt the Ariane 5 launcher (the vessel taking the payload into space) to launch Galileo satellites into orbit. These will be used for the future European Global Positioning System. Four Galileo satellites will be launched in one mission. This requires some modifications to the existing launcher, and particularly the development of a specific structure to carry the four satellites. My role as a design engineer on this project is to ensure the consistency of the development of primary structures of the launcher so that, once assembled, the different parts, also called Stages, result in a robust launcher able to sustain the loads and carry out its mission: carry satellites into space.

Ariane 5 is a truly European project. The various parts of the launcher are designed and built in several European countries. I especially like the international aspect of my job; working with German, French and Spanish people is really interesting. After starting out at Astrium, I found everything I wanted and more in the job description. When asked what the most important prerequisites for my job are, these are very clear to me: you need a critical mind, a great deal of creativity and global thinking. Every day brings new and different situations and challenges. You have to come up with answers that prove to be right and that are able to stand the test.

A typical working day

As my contribution is the design of the launcher, I have to take care of all sorts of aspects. Questions ranging from the most appropriate materials to choose to mathematical problem-solving are my daily business – but I’m not alone! As an engineer on a very complex project, I’m really part of the team.

I frequently have to analyse new or altered problems which arise as the project progresses, and I have to be able to find appropriate solutions, elaborate a strategy and justify my solutions to highly complex technical issues. Sometimes finding a solution seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack – but that is precisely what makes the work so interesting.

Male vs. female?

Clearly I am working in an environment with fewer women than men – about 20 per-cent of the workforce at Astrium are women. But this gender imbalance is not new for me: this is what I have been used to since the beginning of my scientific studies (in mechanical engineering). However, things are changing slowly: there are more women engineers of my age now than there were a few decades ago.

I have always liked the cooperative team work element and the focus being clearly on the many problems to solve. Also, I have never felt under pressure or alienated by my minority position. Among engineers, gender issues seem to matter less than elsewhere. Engineers – men and women alike – are focused on technical problem solving.

Work-life balance

Astrium offers me many career options and also supports me in more ways than one. The Les Mureaux site has many sports facilities which we can avail of during lunchtime or after work. Such a break in the working day improves our feeling of well-being and helps our concentration and work performance. When I look at some of my colleagues, I see that they get full maternity/paternity support in the form of part-time work and home office options. That is a good and mutually beneficial choice for employee and employer as both sides profit from such a solution.

The space race

The thought of being part of a team that actually develops a launcher to put payloads into space is one of the most challenging aspects of my daily routine. Still after three years now, I love the thought that somewhere satellites can be put into space and serve their purpose because I helped to design the launcher in just the right way.

Live launch

Each time Ariane 5 takes off, I watch the launch from Kourou live on the Internet. The launch brings everything together in one single event. I enjoy being at the forefront of cutting-edge technical development in one of my favourite fields – space!

I’m looking forward to seeing the launcher version I am working on, Ariane 5 E/S Galileo, take off! Unfortunately, I will have to wait until the end of 2014. This is one of the disadvantages of working on space development projects. You have to be patient to see the concrete results!

No drawbacks?

Well, a truly hard challenge is that you cannot test-drive a launcher before it is put into space. It goes up or it does not. So you’d better get it right straight away. No second chance for a first impression. That is quite a credo for me. I guess it is really the problem solving part that I love most! 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Hentikan penswastaan pintu belakang GLC kepada Syed Mokhtar

Hanya sekadar berita dan tidak mewakili pandangan saya secara keseluruhannya- Awaneer

Sumber : http://www.keadilandaily.com

Saya sertakan surat Kementerian Kewangan Diperbadankan (MOF Incorporated atau MKD) bertarikh 30 Ogos 2012 kepada Datuk Wira Syed Ali Tan Sri Syed Abbas Alhabshee, Pengerusi Composites Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd (CTRM).Rafizi Ramli
Surat itu menyampaikan keputusan MKD bertarikh 24 Ogos 2012 untuk melupuskan pegangan ekuiti sebanyak 96.8% di dalam CTRM kepada DRB-HICOM Defense Technologies Sdn Bhd, salah satu syarikat yang dikuasai oleh Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.
CTRM adalah syarikat Malaysia yang paling terkedepan dalam bidang pembuatan dan teknologi penerbangan (aerospace). Jumlah kontraknya dengan syarikat-syarikat penerbangan dan aerospace terkemuka dunia adalah berjumlah RM8.26 bilion di antara tempoh 2012 hingga 2017. Portfolio pelanggannya termasuklah syarikat-syarikat terbesar di dunia seperti Airbus, Eurocopter, Spirit UK dan Goodrich.
CTRM juga adalah salah sebuah syarikat milik kerajaan yang mempamerkan prestasi kewangan yang membanggakan, dengan keuntungan di peringkat kumpulan berjumlah RM13 juta (2010) dan RM11 juta (2011). Perolehan kumpulan CTRM juga meningkat dari RM256 juta (2010) kepada RM293 juta (2011).
Prestasi yang baik ini telah dipamerkan secara konsisten sejak lima tahun yang lalu.
Saya telah meneliti dokumen-dokumen yang diserahkan kepada saya oleh whistleblowers dan berpuas hati bahawa cubaan untuk menswastakan CTRM kepada Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary ini dibuat dengan melanggar prosedur dan mengenepikan kebajikan kakitangan CTRM.
Syed Mokhtar bersama Najib
Syed Mokhtar bersama Najib
Saya khuatir ini juga sebahagian daripada proses pelupusan syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan yang berprestasi baik (dengan kontrak yang dijamin dalam tempoh yang panjang di masa hadapan) kepada kroni sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih Putrajaya kelak. Jika ini berterusan, banyak syarikat-syarikat yang berprestasi dan mempunyai aset besar dipindahmilik tanpa pengetahuan awam.
Sewajarnya sebarang proses penswastaan syarikat milik kerajaan perlu melalui proses tender terbuka dan mengambil kira pandangan pengurusan dan pekerja, lebih-lebih lagi yang melibatkan CTRM kerana ia dibina di atas keringat tenaga kerja professional tempatan yang bertungkus lumus menaikkan imejnya selama ini.
Saya mendesak supaya Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sebagai Menteri Kewangan menghentikan penjualan ini serta-merta. Saya juga melontarkan cabaran kepada Ketua Pemuda Umno, Saudara Khairy Jamaluddin untuk berani bersuara membela nasib kakitangan professional CTRM yangrata-ratanya professional Bumiputra dengan turut sama mendesak supaya urusniaga ini dihentikan.

Rafizi Ramli
Pengarah Strategi KEADILAN
Short URL: http://www.keadilandaily.com/?p=46807

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