Institute Of Engineering News

The Lloyd’s Register Foundation today launched its Foresight review of big data and announced a conditional grant offer of £10 million to support research by the Alan Turing Institute on engineering applications of big data. The Foundation’s Foresight review of big data: towards data-centric engineering, looks forward at how developments in the area of big data might impact the safety and performance of the engineering assets and infrastructure on which modern society relies, such as energy, transportation and shipping. The report draws on the findings of an international expert advisory panel led by Prof Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southampton and Chairman of the Open Data Institute…

Enrique de Sendagorta Aramburu, Honorary President and founder of the engineering and technology group SENER and President of the SENER Foundation, was presented with the Kingdom of Spain Entrepreneurial Career Award by King Juan Carlos I on Wednesday, June 4. This prize is awarded by the Entrepreneur Society in Madrid (Círculo de Empresarios), the Economy Society in Catalonia (Cercle d’Economia) and the Basque Entrepreneur Society (Círculo de Empresarios Vascos). The ceremony took place at the Royal Palace of El Pardo with the presence of Marcelino Oreja…

This project compiles the physics and principles associated with distortion control derived from previous research and converts this knowledge base into a sequenced set of tangible, “shipyard friendly” implementation solutions designed to optimize several shipyard models. Distortion control modules will be designed and implemented to reduce the production rework associated with construction of lightweight ship structures. These modules will address the major sources of distortion, to include the welding and material handling processes. This project raises the technology readiness level of distortion control techniques to enable shipyard implementation.

Castrol Marine’s Castrol Academy, the training tool comprising eleven technical modules, has now been recognised by the Norwegian classification society Det Norske Veritas. Lars Markusson, Project manager at DNV said: “Castrol Academy, among others, plays a vital role in furthering maritime skills and expertise and will increasingly play a major role on the international stage as the maritime industries emerge from recession and seek to expand. Luigi Tedesco, Castrol Marine Sales Director added: “This recognition from DNV, one of the world’s leading classification societies, underscores Castrol Marine’s commitment to providing the highest training standards in this crucial era for the global maritime industry.

Fast attack submarine USS Memphis (SSN 691) departs Port Everglades, Fla., to provide tours to Virginia Tech students during Fleet Week 2007. Fleet Week celebrates the U.S. Navy through community relation projects and tours of various ships. U.S. Students and two faculty members from Virginia Polytechnic Institute's Ocean Engineering Department visited the nuclear fast-attack submarine USS Memphis (SSN 691) May 4 for an eight-hour embark. The Virginia Tech group got underway aboard Memphis to see firsthand some of the equipment they learned to design in the classroom, and how it works in real life. “It’s one thing to read about layouts and arrangement in textbooks…

Russian Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Khristenko intends to support the Russian shipbuilding industry through new legislation to prevent it from falling behind Western competitors. His ministry estimates that up to 40 platforms will be needed for oil and gas production on then continental shelf by 2030, along with 85 specialized ships and more than 140 support ships. Among the proposed measures Khristenko told the State Duma about yesterday were the elimination of VAT on imported equipment that has no Russian-made analogs, interest-free credits for building ships, financing for modernization of production capacity. There would also be special measures “to reinforce the priority right of Russian industry to create means to develop the sea shelf…