World Watch
LATITUDE
he retired 13 years ago, reports the New York Times. Mr. Goldstein, who has four degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering, built the machine to tie a four-in-hand necktie knot. Ten electric motors drive 10 mechanisms that grasp, pull, align, and wind the lengths of the tie — on the machine, not on a person. The device is just one of dozens Mr. Goldstein has developed since retiring from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. His goal: to push engineering envelopes and inspire young engineers to do the same. FIRST ROUND-THE-WORLD SOLAR FLIGHT NOW IN PROGRESS The world’s first around-the-world flight by a solar-powered plane is now in progress, the Associated Press reports. The journey of Solar Impulse 2 started March 8 and is expected to wrap up by the end of July. Abu Dhabi is the depar- ture and landing site. Stops include Asia, the United States, Southern Europe, and North Africa. The 35,000-km trip is the most ambitious solar flight ever mounted.
BY GAIL HELGASON Freelance Contributor
IT’S A BLIMP! NO, IT’S A BAT!
Six new lagoons are planned in Wales and England at a cost of £30 bil- lion, or around CAN $40.5 billion. They could generate about eight per cent of the United Kingdom’s electricity. The company hopes to start construction of its first lagoon later this year. KNOT MACHINE CAN REALLY TIE ONE ON — NECKTIES, THAT IS Ever think of applying your engineer- ing expertise to neckties? Why Knot? That, in fact, is the name of an unusual contraption Seth Goldstein built after
New technology being developed by Altaeros Energies is taking wind turbines to new heights. The Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) can reach altitudes of 600 metres, the National Science Foundation (Arlington, Virginia) reports. Tethers hold it in place and transmit power to a mobile ground station. Many wind turbine manufacturers are racing to build higher turbines to tap the faster, more powerful winds above 150 metres. With its airborne ability, BAT can generate more than double the ener- gy of similar ground turbines. An innova- tive control system automatically adjusts altitude for optimum power output. A key BAT advantage is its potential to bring affordable wind energy to areas off the grid, where expensive diesel generators are typically used. Altaeros, founded at the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology, recently received US $7 million from the National Science Foundation for continued BAT development.
PROJECT CONVERTS TIDAL POWER INTO ELECTRICITY
An innovative project in the United Kingdom to harness power from incoming tides will require grand-scale engineering, reports the BBC (London). Tidal Lagoon Power’s lagoon power plants — the first in the world — will capture incoming and outgoing tides behind large sea walls, using the water’s weight to power turbines.
LIKE A BAT IN A SHELL The Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) consists of a lightweight three-blade wind turbine within a helium- filled shell made from industrial fabrics that lift the turbine up and stabilize it in the air. -artist rendering courtesy Valentin Angerer
22 | PEG SUMMER 2015
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