ISLI to speak at the IMechE's Improving Aircraft Engine Health Management Event

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:36:08 GMT

The Institute for Mechanical Engineering has invited ISLI Director Dr Mark Begbie to demonstrate the benefits of wireless data gathering systems can offer the aerospace sector to a prestigious audience of engineers, academics and senior figures from the aviation industry.

Set to take place in Derby on November 23, the event 'Improving Aircraft Engine Health Management: Future Technologies, Today' is scheduled to focus on driving continued improvements in aircraft energy efficiency and reducing flying costs through technology. Joining a host of high profile speakers, Dr Begbie will deliver a detailed presentation on the benefits of wireless data gathering systems for condition monitoring in the highly complex aerospace environments, drawing from experience developing such systems alongside some of the aviation world's biggest companies.

"This event is shaping up to be an exciting opportunity for all those involved. Having worked within the field of intelligent systems for many years, we've watched as the potential for such devices has become increasingly evident to the sector," said Dr Begbie.

The event will centre on engine health monitoring and its vital role in delivering environmentally responsible aircraft and how the potential of these techniques can be fully realised. Industry experts will explore the latest advances in health management and the application of techniques to aircraft components, with speakers due to discuss the potential cost savings and increased efficiency they provide for fleet management.

Key features of assessing aircraft engine performance will be brought together offering an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences across different sectors. Providing an overview of the use cases and technology landscape, Dr Mark Begbie will deliver an outline of the analysis identifying technology development candidates, the current system status, capabilities, limitations and routes to mitigation of these, and the forward looking opportunities for further development and deployment of derivative systems.

Having joined ISLI in September 2003 to extend the reach of the Institute into the field of silicon MEMS, including integration with CMOS electronics, Dr Begbie has since managed the integration of the physical layer electronics, embedded systems and MEMS technology interests of the Institute into a single integrated systems activity. Passionate about the role of new and emerging technologies and applications in economic development, Dr Begbie has led ISLI in becoming one of the leading institutes to bridge the technological gap between the academic and commercial engineering worlds. The result of which has led to an increase in the value and extent of company engagements in high level R&D, which is particularly evident in their work on a number of high profile projects with brands including engineering giant Rolls Royce, Airbus UK, and AgustaWestland.

Attracting attendees from industries including research & technology customers, end users, technology integrators, technology manufacturers, research students and recent graduates, the event looks to be an exciting opportunity for those interested in understanding the health management challenges from a civil and military perspective, finding out recent technological advances in health management and discovering what operators need and want from future systems. And offering a number of technological advantages including; ensuring you are meeting the needs of your customers, debating future technology drivers and gaining a fuller understanding of the latest research and its applications, this event looks to be a valuable opportunity for companies concerned with these sectors.

This one day seminar will take place on Wednesday 23 November 2011, at the Derby Conference Centre, and can be booked here.

ISLI to demonstrate ground-breaking wireless sensor systems at 2011 Aerospace, Aviation & Defence KTN Conference

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:28:52 GMT

Technology transfer institute ISLI is set to demonstrate its ground-breaking work in advanced wireless sensor systems at the 2011 Aerospace, Aviation & Defence KTN Conference.

Delegates to the prestigious aviation event will be shown how ISLI's development of new radio networking technology is supporting the emergence of a new generation of solutions to some age-old industry problems. Members of the research team will show how the institute is working with several key players from the UK aerospace industry within the WiTNESSS (Wireless Technologies for Novel Enhancement of Systems and structures Serviceability) collaborative project, founded to research and de-risk wireless data transmission technology for key testing and structural health monitoring applications in aero engines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Current aircraft instrumentation and test systems are linked by heavy and complex wiring harnesses which limit the locations and overall amount of data which can be collected. Using wireless (radio) technology instead of fixed wiring gives the potential to measure more parameters, save cost and weight and lead to lighter, more efficient future aircraft designs and quicker time-to-market.

Launched in August 2009, the WiTNESSS project is joint funded by the UK Technology Strategy Board and some of the aerospace industry's leading companies. With iSLI playing a key technical role alongside other SMEs, OEMs and end users (Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, TRW Conekt, QinetiQ Ltd, QM Systems Limited, GE Aviation Systems Ltd, Bombardier Aerospace Belfast, HW Communications, AgustaWestland and Airbus), the consortium intends to deliver a range of commercial application demonstrators based on the new system by the end of 2011.

Although wireless devices are already common in the computer, industrial automation and mobile phone sectors using technologies such as WiFi and Bluetooth, these are not designed to operate reliably in the harsh physical and electromagnetic environment found on an aircraft. The project will therefore find solutions to the challenges which currently prevent deployment on aircraft and, through a phased testing and demonstration programme, will prove the performance of the new wireless systems developed.

ISLI is delivering expertise in wireless systems architecture, design and implementation to meet the needs of complex, often competing, requirements and constraints in a highly challenging and regulated environment. ISLI will be delivering platform independent embedded network software which will provide coordination of widely differing data streams over the underlying ultra-wideband MAC and PHY. This will support the needs for improved Quality of Service, support efficient use of the data pipe and lay the groundwork for advanced synchronisation across the network.

Dr Mark Begbie, director of ISLI added: "This is a tremendously exciting project and we're looking forward to discussing its implications with people from across the aerospace sector as this is just the beginning. Moving ahead we will be taking these elements forward to exploitation in further system implementations and are already actively seeking partners for further application development."

ISLI will be at the WiTNESSS STAND NO10 at the 2011 Aerospace, Aviation & Defence KTN Conference, Magna Science Park, Rotherham on 20-21 September 2011.

The WiTNESSS project consortium is supported by a grant of £1.6M from the Technology Strategy Board, tackling the thematic area of capturing data in complex environments.

www.isli.co.uk

iSLI researcher wins Student Engineer of the Year 2009 for third year running

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:38:17 GMT

An iSLI student has achieved outstanding success in the European Electronics Industry Awards, winning the prestigous Student Engineer of the Year prize at a ceremony in London this week.

The award - which celebrates exceptional students in electronics and software - went to Simon Brown, who judges praised for an exceptional research project that demonstrated a combination of both technical knowledge and practical application of skill. Brown's win, which carried the day in a hotly contested category, marks the third year in a row that an iSLI student has won the coveted title.

"I am delighted and honoured to have been presented with this award. Full credit must go to my tutors at iSLI however. The guidance they have given me over the course of my time at the Institute has been invaluable, and in all honesty I don't think I would have enjoyed this level of success without their help and advice," said Brown.

Brown's achievement continues the successful legacy established by previous iSLI EngD students - Carol Marsh and Nazish Aslam - who walked away with the Award in 2008 and 2007. Currently on placement at Teledyne Defence in Shipley, Simon has been working on a radar threat warning receiver seen as a ground-breaking product due to being smaller, lighter and less power hungry than any other system on the market.

iSLI's latest success has been amplified by the winning of the 1851 fellowship, won this year by another EngD student, demonstrating the calibre of research projects iSLI coninues to support and their relevance to industry. Providing the critical link between the academic and commercial engineering worlds, iSLI prides itself on producing highly skilled design engineers and researchers through postgraduate education and research.

"We are extremely pleased for Simon, who has displayed great skill and expertise throughout his time with us. This recognition is well-deserved for such an outstanding mind, while the fact that his success completes a hat trick of Student Engineer of the Year wins for iSLI students serves to underline what a talented group of young engineers we have here," said Siân Williams, EngD Centre Manager at the Institute for System Level Integration (ISLI).

Top Articles Tagged with isli

ISLI to speak at the IMechE's Improving Aircraft Engine Health Management Event

ISLI to demonstrate ground-breaking wireless sensor systems at 2011 Aerospace, Aviation & Defence KTN Conference

iSLI researcher wins Student Engineer of the Year 2009 for third year running