The recent Euronews article titled "The European Tube: Inside the project to launch a continent-wide rail system by 2040" introduces the ambitious Starline network, aiming to connect 39 European destinations with high-speed trains traveling at 300-400 km/h. This vision includes extending lines to the UK, Turkey, and Ukraine, promising significantly reduced travel times across the … Continue reading The European Tube: Visionary Innovation or Unrealistic Dream?
Traffic lights are a common sight on roads and intersections, and they play a crucial role in regulating the flow of traffic and preventing accidents. But have you ever wondered how these traffic lights work? In this blog post, we'll explore the basic mechanics of traffic lights and how they function to keep us safe … Continue reading Why traffic lights should not be seen as boring
Recently, the IAEA published their Report on Energy Technology 2023. They are analyzing both scenarios, the "Net Zero Emission by 2050" scenario as well as the "Announced Pledges Scenario". It is one of the few very comprehensive reports about the topic that I have read in recent years looking at a variety of aspects. The … Continue reading Rethinking energy usage for transportation
Indian railways is engaging in trials for hydrogen locomotives for some mountainous railway lines. According to this article, the objective is to get the trail running by December 2023, making it a first for this type of railway line and the respective altitude. The two candidates for the trial are the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and … Continue reading Branchlines in India seeking hydrogen traction
As reported in railway gazette, Rumo is running a more advanced infrastructure diagnosis system toprevent broken rails. Why is it relevant Broken rails are an issue all across the world. For instance, Network Rail in the UK faces some 100broken rails per year. A broken rail can easily lead to a derailment which is, especially … Continue reading Rumo, the Brazilian logistics giant has introduced an AI driven new broken rail detection system
Recently, China's TB0D Scorpion D cargo drone made its first flight. This is not just a new product launch but is the starting point for changing how we currently operate cargo and in particular air cargo. Due to its payload capacity of 1.5 tonns and a range of up to 6'000km, suddenly a true brakeup … Continue reading Changing the logistics game with large cargo drones
Overall, the year has been challenging for the civil aircraft industry. Let’s have a quick look at what happened for the major players: Boeing 2019 has been a troubling year for the aircraft manufacturer Boeing. First of all, after the two crashes with the 737 Max, most authorities including the FAA suspended the airworthiness certificate … Continue reading The aircraft year in review
Just yesterday, some early results of a US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) project have been published. The idea of project was to create a low-cost, expendable engine by separating the development from the production/procurement costs. So what does this mean in particular? Rethink innovation The development of a new engine, especially when it comes … Continue reading Creating open source jet-engines
Last week, DB informed that they are taking 3D printing into the syllabus of its vocational training and have started to print 3D spare parts for its ICE series of trains. The objective is to make around 10,000 different spare parts available via 3D printing by 2021. Why it matters: Looking at classic obsolescence topics … Continue reading DB starts printing 3D metal spare parts
This summer, GKN Aerospace announced that they are researching the case of an optimized carbon reinforced wing for a next Airbus single aisle, narrow body aircraft under the "wing of tomorrow" program. Why it matters: The next topic in aviation after a new engine option for the 777 and the A350 is definitely a new … Continue reading Composite wings for the next narrow body aircraft?
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