Episode 2 Engineering for the World

Snowboarding is a popular sport,

with over five million followers worldwide.

And one snowboarder's passion has inspired the subject of her engineering research.

I really love snowboarding.

I decided to combine my love of snowboarding with

my engineering doctorate, so I could come to the mountains all the time.

I'm looking at all the elements that make a snowboard what it is -

the way it's going to turn on the slopes,

the materials we need, the shape it needs to be, and construction -

how we're going to bond that board together.

Today, Liza wants to look at how a snowboard vibrates on the snow,

so that she can create a smoother ride.

What I've got here is a snowboard rigged up with two accelerometers -

one on the nose, one on the tail. What they're going to do

is measure the vertical accelerations of the board as Cody's riding it -

the up-and-down motion as we're performing turns.

Cody Hierons, a competitive snowboarder, is testing the boards.

What I want you to do is press the trigger.

I'll meet you at the bottom in about ten seconds, after you've been recording the data.

-OK, cool.

-Good luck.

The information gathered is stored in a data recorder in Cody's rucksack.

Back in the UK, Liza feeds the information into a computer system she's had to design herself.

I write the mathematical code from the ground up,

which I can then use to analyse the way the snowboard behaves,

for example, the strength, the stiffnesses,

how much of a beating can it withstand on the slopes?

Liza needs to understand how the complex composite structure

of a snowboard affects the way it performs.

OK, so I've got a cut-through snowboard here.

Snowboard's what we call a composite material,

so it's made of more than one material - lots of different layers.

First off, we've got this running base here.

That's made of a polyethylene material.

Just above there is the glass fibre layer.

That's what gives the snowboard its stiffness and its strength, really.

On top of that, the wood core,

then a second glass fibre layer, which runs along the top.

Finally, on the top,

we've got our graphic,

which protects the glass fibre.

Composites were designed for really high-end engineering applications.

They are very strong materials.

I'm doing this research to see how far we can push it in snow sports.

Liza is now experimenting with the glass fibre layers.

The glass fibre's going to affect the stiffness of the snowboard,

how much it's going to bend along its length,

and how much the rider can twist it between their feet.

Testing snowboards in the virtual environment means I can test

hundreds of different material layups and lots of different arrangements,

and I don't have to build all the prototypes,

which is not only time consuming, but very expensive.

Having decided on what prototype she's going to build,

it's back out to the slopes to try it for real in the half pipe.

This prototype is one of three, and they've been made with

three different grades of fibre glass density.

This prototype's been designed with slightly denser glass fibre layers,

so it should be a bit stiffer and hopefully hold better on landings.

The problem when designing a board is I can spend hours in the lab,

designing what I believe is the perfect snowboard.

But if I give it to a rider who takes it out and says, "You've not got it right",

I haven't got it right. I can't argue with that.

It was really good.

It's really nice and stiff.

Very easy to control your speed in the pipe.

It's real good. Good fun.

When Liza's happy with the design of a board, she can take it on to the next stage.

She's now set up her own company to make the boards, and is already manufacturing up to 1,000 a year.

My ambition for the future is to have a rider win a medal at the Olympics in 2014 on one of my boards.

Tanya Budd is a keen sailor - one of over 3.2 million people

who regularly take to the water across the UK.

But boats are not without their dangers.

It's estimated that thousands of people a year fall overboard.

And, as Tanya has discovered,

getting them back on the boat to safety can be extremely difficult.

I can hardly reach him as it is, so it's going be impossible

for me to pull him up out of the water by myself.

So, for a school project, Tanya decided to come up with a solution.

She started with an idea that other sailors have tried in the past -

to use the jib sail to haul the victim out of the water.

But this still has its problems.

The main problem is this - you can't do it with one person.

It's really heavy because it doesn't drain. The water doesn't drain out.

And he's also being engulfed in water. So he could actually effectively drown, in the sail.

This is the first proof of principle prototype that came up with after using the jib sail.

You can fit the whole body in, so you feel safe and secure when being rolled back onto the deck.

It tapers off nicely to a point, so you've got one end that can attach to a halyard, which you find on a boat.

It runs all the way to the top of the mast and back down to a winch.

So you've got a big mechanical advantage.

And you simply use it like a pulley system, to winch the person out of the water.

We've used a polyester mesh material. It's self-draining,

so the casualty doesn't get engulfed in water. There's no risk of drowning.

It also means once you're winching it up, it's really lightweight.

I thought it'd be a really good idea to actually have a secondary function for this product.

I decided what I would do is cut some holes in it,

so you could climb up it like a boarding ladder, if they're able to do so.

Tanya's next goal was to get it out on the market.

A sea safety clothing company in the Isle of Wight were keen to take it on.

I think the challenge is, with any manufacturing,

it's great to come up with an idea,

but taking it to the market is never easy or straightforward.

You have to consider, obviously, all your costs

and the costs involved in producing it, versus the cost that the general public,

or your potential customer, will pay.

We've taken your design and just tweaked it, really.

There are quite a few constraints, because it's a safety product.

There are all sorts of challenges with having certificated manufactured raw materials.

And so finding a raw material that would suit the need was obviously one of our main concerns.

-But we found that.

-We've stuck with a polyester mesh fabric,

but we've gone for a lighter grade that is just as durable.

It's all tested and strain and load tested.

So it does the job really nicely.

As well as modifying the materials used for manufacture,

there have also been changes to the built-in ladder system.

We've gone from the circular design into the rung ladders.

And we've used, for extra stability, glass fibre rods,

so it's easier for the person to climb up and out of the water.

We've also got these lovely little hand holds.

They can easily grab hold of them and climb onto the boat.

When the casualty can't climb out by themselves,

you attach the top end to the halyard, throw it into the water, scoop them up...

-You in there Steve?

-Yup.

..and then winch them up onto the boat.

I've got him up out of the water by myself.

One person, heavily waterlogged

and he's laying on the deck safely, in the recovery position.

But what do the professionals think?

A company that specialises in marine safety training is putting it through its paces.

-You OK there, mate?

-Yup.

-Yeah? OK.

Without a shadow of a doubt it will definitely save lives.

Anything that we can find that's going to make the recovery

of a person from the water simple and effective, we want to use it.

Tanya had never intended to be an engineer,

but now she's studying for an engineering degree.

And she's already coming up with other new ideas to make sailing safer.

Being an engineer is great - really enjoy it. It's hands-on, it's practical, exciting.

And you're looking at new challenges and helping shape the future.

In the UK, 2.7 million people now travel by train every day.

And here in Derby,

Angela Dean is leading a team trying to make sure the trains are more reliable.

They've developed a new system of predicting when and how trains are going to fail.

At the moment, we're monitoring over 2,600 trains, all over the UK.

This map allows us to track the whereabouts

of each of the trains that we're monitoring at any point in time.

Not only can they track the trains,

but they're able to see how the train is performing.

The computers that are built on these trains send us data,

and we are able to use that data to create information about the health of the trains.

The onboard computers send data, via the mobile phone network, to the control centre.

The engineers analyse this data to build a picture of what's happening to the train.

Computers and technology allow us to spot the issues

before they become a problem.

The whole reason we're able to do this is down to

the control and communications equipment fitted to the trains.

It all starts on our assembly line.

When you build a modern train,

the electric systems are at the heart of it

and they're installed at the very start of the process.

The cab ends are ready fitted with the electronics and computer systems.

The roof, sides and floor have the cabling looms and pipe systems already in place.

All the wiring just has to be connected.

The different parts are then bolted together, and the train is lowered on to the bogey.

It's then taken out to the test pen,

where systems engineer Hiten Mistry

loads up the software that brings the train to life.

Hidden in here is the vehicle control unit.

And this is like the main brains for the whole train.

There's two on there,

and basically we load on software that monitors and controls different aspects of the train.

With the software loaded,

and the vehicle control unit up and running,

the train can function for the first time.

This is the main driver's cab for the vehicle and as you can see,

we've got the power brake controller to push the train forward or brake.

The speed displays, the pressure gauges, all the controls for the doors.

So everything you see here will be connected to the main computer system of the train.

We'll try and power up the train.

BLEEPING

Now the train's powered up, give it a quick test and make sure it's ready before it goes out.

Once it's out on the track,

the computers on the train talk to each other and send information about the performance of the train

back to the control centre.

It automatically detects any problems and alerts the engineers.

We've identified a problem with one of the trains down in east London.

There's a potential problem with the traction motor package on that vehicle.

Now, we need to do something about that quite quickly,

otherwise the train could start slowing down,

and obviously, that is going to affect the whole railway network.

So we've caught it very quickly, which is excellent news.

Angela contacts the train operator so they can bring the train in for repair.

In the depot, engineer Peter Baker

discovers a component in the traction unit is overheating, which is causing it to shut down.

It's saying the temperature is like over 300 degrees.

If it fails in service,

it's not too much of a problem - the other coaches will power.

But if you lose this and another coach, you'll have big problems.

We've changed the temperature probe. It was at fault, the old one.

You can see the temperature has dropped down to below 100 degrees,

which is normal operating temperature for this converter.

Because the train has given us this information,

we're able to stop it before it affects the service and the operation of the train,

and that's what we're really here to do.

Using computers and communications in this way means that we're able to revolutionise the railway industry.

We're going to make the railways better.

These days, most commercial aircraft

spend nearly half their lives in the air.

To make sure it's safe to fly,

every plane must pass strict maintenance tests, laid down by aviation authorities.

Here in a hangar behind Heathrow Airport,

a jumbo jet has arrived for its 100-day service, known as a two-A check.

Leading the maintenance team is Mel Southall.

This is a Boeing 747-400 aircraft that flew in yesterday from Boston.

It came in for a two-A check,

and we have 24 hours to perform that input, which we do every 100 days,

and it's flying out tonight to Bangkok, all being well.

Today on our plan we have to look at all the safety critical systems.

We do some routine servicing on the engines.

Changing a wheel, re-inflating the tyres and checking tyre pressures.

So it's balancing workmanship,

getting the delivery of the aircraft back out and maintaining safety as our priority.

Mel's first task is to head to the flight deck,

to check what faults have been logged by the central maintenance computer.

This is the interface into the central maintenance computer.

The central maintenance computer is a really brilliant tool for us as engineers,

as it gives us the ability to look directly into the systems, and fault-find from the flight deck.

Every system, from the engines to the in-flight entertainment,

talks to the central maintenance computer, and any faults are logged.

All this information is stored for the engineers to download when the aircraft comes in for its service.

Straightaway, I can see that a ground proximity warning computer has failed.

The ground proximity system will tell the pilots if they're flying too low.

To fix it, Mel has to make her way deep inside the nose of the aircraft.

This is the main equipment centre down here.

This is where the computers that control all the aircraft's different systems are kept.

When one of these computers fails,

like the ground proximity warning system, that whole unit can be replaced.

With the new unit in place, Mel heads back up to the flight deck.

-COMPUTER:

-'Too low terrain.

'Too low flaps.'

The test has passed and we've got a passed indication down here.

Changing that computer has put the system back to a serviceable condition.

Pressure's still on. Awful lot to do.

Other members of the team are now starting on the next challenge - testing the engines.

This is this is a Rolls-Royce RB211 engine.

We've got to do something called a dry cycle.

Turning one.

On a dry cycle, the engine blades are turned without using fuel.

Instead, compressed air drives a pneumatic motor inside the engine.

A dry cycle is just...

You can check the engine in the hangar without starting the engine in the hangar.

It would show up any leaks or anything like that.

You want to find out in the hangar before you're outside.

They've all passed their test. I've been speaking to my colleagues

on the headset, and we're clear to go for an engine run now.

One of the big challenges in a hangar is moving the aircraft in and out of it.

We maybe have inches to spare.

Everyone has to watch and be very vigilant when we're moving the aircraft.

The live engine run takes place outside and is the final,

but most crucial, task of the day.

If the aircraft is to be ready for service, it has to pass.

The pressure is on.

So, we're just about to start running the engines on this aircraft.

We've got to run all four of them.

We take the engines up to full power and then we look at the vibration,

and make sure it's within certain limits.

An engineer on the flight deck monitors the engines while they're under test.

Going up on one and four.

In this case, they get the all-clear. The aircraft has passed.

OK, Justin. Shutting down.

So, we've had a successful day today. The aircraft's finished on time,

and the engine runs have all been completed satisfactorily.

The aircraft will be declared serviceable. It's safe to go into service and will fly again tonight.

Mission accomplished. One jumbo jet is ready to take to the air again.

Every year, extreme weather causes billions of pounds' worth of damage worldwide,

and thousands of people lose their lives.

We're still unable to give the precise forecasts which might allow us to reduce this annual toll.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a project manager

at one of the UK's leading space research centres,

where they're building satellites to understand the weather in more detail.

Satellites have really revolutionised weather forecasting.

In the old days, someone would go outside and say, "Looks cloudy".

These days, we can actually go above the atmosphere, look down,

and see how weather fronts build and form.

At the moment, weather satellites can only make observations from above.

They're unable to measure what's going on under the clouds.

Aeolus, the new satellite that Maggie's working on,

is designed to measure wind speeds all the way down through the cloud layers,

essential for accurate forecasting.

Aeolus will help us because hurricanes and other catastrophic events like that

are instigated by freak weather conditions.

If we can predict those, it means, like, in the case of Hurricane Katrina,

we may be able to warn people well in advance and evacuate areas.

Aeolus measures wind speeds at different levels

by sending a pulse of laser light into the atmosphere

and bouncing it off particles which are moving around in the wind.

If the particle is moving away from the satellite,

the wavelength of the reflected light is stretched and it appears redder.

If the particle is moving towards the satellite,

the reflected wavelength is compressed and appears bluer.

Now, we pick up those small wavelength changes by the satellite.

We can measure wind speed, not just at the top of the atmosphere

but all the way down through the atmosphere.

That's the theory. But getting satellites to work

in the extreme environment of space is no easy task.

Jessica Housden's job is to make sure they do.

In space, things can get really hot and really cold.

And the side that faces the sun can get as hot as 150C -

that's like an oven.

And then the side that isn't facing the sun can be -50C,

so that's like being in the Arctic.

And inside, everything wants to be working at room temperature,

so that's a really big challenge for us.

This model simulates how the spacecraft distorts

whilst it's going through the hot and cold parts of the orbit.

It's really important to make sure we're building a spacecraft

out of the best material to do the job.

They use aluminium honeycomb on Aeolus,

because the structure is strong and light,

and aluminium is a good conductor of heat,

so it spreads heat from the hot parts of the satellite to the colder areas,

creating an equilibrium.

Once they've designed the satellite, they've then got to make sure it survives the launch.

We need to do vibration tests because when we put the satellite into the rocket...

..the rocket, as it's being launched, produces a hell of a lot of vibration.

This machine vibrates sections of the satellite up to ten G.

And Maggie's team hit a problem.

When we started doing the vibration tests, what we found is the heat pipes started to crack,

which is absolutely fatal.

Heat pipes stop the electronics from overheating, by conducting heat away.

We did various tests in the lab and we found that the copper we were using wasn't pure enough,

so we needed to source some oxygen-free copper.

When we finally did the vibration tests and everything worked,

it was relief throughout the team.

Aeolus is now in the final stages of construction,

and will be ready for launch in 2010.

This is a very exciting place to work, cos we're working on space instrumentation.

This will, one day soon, be in space and for me, that's fantastic.

Here, there's a lot of passion for space, a lot of enthusiasm.

It's a problem-solving environment,

which I really enjoy.

My dream as a child was always to get up and go into space,

so, to me, I'm doing the next best thing -

working on things that go into space. So, I love my job.

Out here in the North Sea,

there are 181 gas platforms

that form a vital part of the UK's energy supply.

This is one of the biggest, Rough 47/3B.

Imogen Hutchcroft, an engineer responsible for checking its safety,

is arriving for one of her regular visits to the platform.

This is one of the harshest environments imaginable and everything needs regular testing.

This platform was originally built in the 1970s,

so it's getting pretty old now. It's a real challenge to keep it

in good condition, with all the battering it takes from the weather.

The platform is actually three different structures,

connected by bridges.

Gas is extracted from wellheads on the end structures,

known as jackets, and pumped ashore.

But for 20 years, it's also been used for gas storage.

When there's excess gas available, it's pumped back to the platform

and down again, into the gas reservoir under ground.

Imogen is responsible for making sure there are no weaknesses or leaks in any of the pipework.

This is the wellhead.

It's where the gas comes up from the reservoir thousands of feet under the ground,

through the wellhead, into the flow lines, which transmit the gas to the rest of the process.

Gas comes from the outer two jackets onto this middle jacket,

where it's cleaned up and processed and sent ashore.

Gas is carried to and from the wellheads in pipes called flow lines.

Some flow lines were recently found to be corroded,

and the decision was taken to replace them.

Corrosion's a really big problem out here, because it's a very salty atmosphere.

If a pipe gets corroded, then we would have a leak of gas,

which could potentially be an explosion or a fire.

That's a very serious thing to happen offshore.

Now, Imogen wants to check the new pipes.

It's important that we get the thickness now,

so that we can use it as a reference in future to check any corrosion that's occurred.

What we have is a probe. This is bouncing sound

through the wall thickness and we get an echo back from the back wall,

and we get a reading on here.

Well, I think that's looking fine.

In overall charge of the platform and its safety

is the offshore installation manager, Les Larchet.

We noticed a ship about three miles away from our platform.

If it comes to within a mile, we'll sound the general alarm.

Yes. OK, Les. That's understood.

We have 75% of the UK's gas storage underneath our feet.

So it's very important to the country to keep this place going,

and that's why we need top-class engineers

to make sure that the equipment runs

and is maintained to its highest level.

Imogen is now preparing for a test of the fire sprinkler system.

-RADIO:

-'Control room here.'

Control room, can we start the deluge testing, please, on BD cellar?

But this is a gas platform,

and the system produces not so much a sprinkle -

more of a deluge!

The deluge systems help in the event of a fire and its really, really important

that they work. It could save lives.

The box over there is measured to be exactly a metre square,

so we can work out the volume that we've collected in the given time.

We're hoping to collect at least 12 litres per minute in each area.

OK.

Thank you.

The test's gone really well, so we found that we've got enough water.

But what future is there for gas,

at a time when the emphasis is on renewable energy?

Renewable energy is the future,

but at the moment, it cannot meet the UK's demand.

Therefore, gas is absolutely critical to maintain supplies.

Gas production is really important for everybody's lives.

I'd recommend my job to anyone.

Not many people get to go to work by helicopter.

The challenges are great.

We're at the cutting edge of technology,

and meeting the energy needs of the country.

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