Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/142204
AWARDS ACOUSTEK® SHORTLISTED AT THE UK ENERGY INNOVATION AWARDS University technology, Acoustek® was shortlisted in two categories at the UK Energy Innovation Awards 2013 held at The Radisson Edwardian, Manchester on the 25th April; Best Innovation Contributing to Customer Quality and Reliability of Supply and Best University Technology. Out of the three competing technologies per category, congratulations go to Kelvatek Ltd and Oxems Ltd respectively. The Acoustek® technology has already proven its value in the oil and gas industry where it is routinely deployed to monitor pipelines to detect blockages and leaks up to 10km away. Now new applications of this versatile technology are being explored through collaboration with a range of partners and adaptations of the technology to new customer needs. For example, gas network companies are able to use the technology to find blockages due to water ingress into gas mains more accurately than by use of existing methods. This avoids digging up roads un-necessarily and more rapid resumption of service to customers. Separately, a highly successful collaboration with Phoenix Inspection Systems Ltd, based in Warrington, has adapted the Acoustek® technology for use at short distances to detect manufacturing defects in heat exchanger tubes, enabling better quality control on these products. proven to be highly successful, with a commercial product expected to be available within the next six months. Through our engagement with the Energy Innovation Centre and this awards programme, we are hopeful that we will shortly secure funding to develop an acoustic tool specifically for surveying gas distribution networks." Barry Lennox, Professor of Applied Control at the University, commented: "The work with Phoenix has WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR UMIP APP DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION deadline, 91 applications had been received which made the judges job a very difficult one! UMIP's Dr Ed Maughfling presents competition winner Dr Ursel Bangert with an iPad Launched in February this year, our App Development Competition was open to both staff and students who were invited to enter with functional innovative app concepts. By the submission The overall competition winner was Dr Ursel Bangert, a Reader in The School of Materials. Ursel's app concept, called 'Virtual Microscope', will mimic the actions carried out by an electron microscope and display unique images of the fascinating world of materials - alloys, steels, ceramics, carbon fibres, nano-crystals, graphene and other novel 2D materials. Using images from the University's vast archive of electron micrographs, the user will be able to view materials at 1 million-fold magnification – right down to individual atoms. Dr Bangert comments: "I am delighted to have won this competition; I am very enthusiastic about microscopy and the opportunity, through this app, to help people 'see the truth', of what materials really look like on the atomic scale. Having taught materials science for over 20 years I know that students are always fascinated and motivated by seeing images of things that escape our eyes because they are too small; that's why I came up with the idea, and there is not much out there to show this in the way proposed in this app." Ed Maughfling, the competition organiser, comments: "The entries to this app competition exceeded our expectations, both in terms of quality and quantity. I am looking forward to working with Ursel and developing an app that will really bring to life materials like graphene by revealing their hidden structure." UMIP will fund the winning app concept, which will be designed and developed by a professional team of app developers . If you have an idea for an app, please contact: Ed Maughfling edward.maughfling@umip.com to discuss your concept further. 11