N E W S 10 February 2018 NZ academics create game-changing 3D-printed heat exchangers LOADS OF EXTRA MULTIMEDIA CONTENT SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE eMag www.engineeringnews.co.nz Two University of Canterbury (UC) academics have come up with original technology to create high-performance heat exchangers, which could be a game changer in design and efficiency. Professor Conan Fee (pictured right) and Dr Tim Huber have won one of five prizes in UC’s annual Tech Jumpstart competition, which awards $20,000 over six months to take innovative research towards commercial reality. Using 3D-printing technology, the pair’s project offers new possibilities for motorsport, air conditioning and laptop processors where cooling can take place faster in radical new shapes while providing increasingly important reductions in weight. The saving of space and weight – and therefore cost – will allow for smaller electronic devices, faster and more fuel efficient vehicles, smaller footprints for home heating or cooling, and prevent laptops from overheating while placed on your lap. Additionally, designs can be made in shapes that go beyond conventional cylindrical or rectangular shapes and can therefore be modelled for aerodynamics or to fit within unusual constrained shapes. Professor Fee, Head of the University of Canterbury’s new School of Product Design, says the work is a great example of a cross-disciplinary research group that has involved chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics and mathematics. “This will facilitate the development of some promising technology that is expected to improve the efficiency of devices meant for heating or cooling,” he says. “That includes smaller and lighter devices for electronics, giving racing cars a competitive advantage, provide for lighter aerospace vehicles, and smaller, more attractive heat pumps in homes amongst other things. “The growth of 3D printing for new applications is exponential and it is stimulating a huge set of opportunities for new designs that were not previously possible. Our 3D-printed porous heat exchangers are an example of something that cannot be made by conventional technologies but is now possible, expanding our thinking and potentially growing innovation in New Zealand.” The award will enable its inventors to employ research assistance over summer and allow use of a 3D printer to manufacture the designed structures from stainless steel or titanium. Humanoid robot that actually sweats to cool Just like human muscles, the motors that drive a humanoid robot generate a lot of heat. But unlike humans, robots haven’t had the chance to evolve cooling mechanisms like sweat—until now. A robot built by the University of Tokyo tackles the problem of overheating by sweating water through its metal frame. This allows the robot to keep its slim, humanoid frame while taking on tasks that would have previously burnt out its motors, according to IEEE Spectrum. In tests, the robot could perform pushups for 11 minutes continuously. The robot, named Kengoro, actually seeps water through its solid aluminum frame. By 3D printing the frame, the team was able to vary the density of the metal; grooves in the metal were made much less dense, so water could seep through. This technique makes the water fill the porous metal as if it were a sponge, where it then evaporates to cool the surrounding components. Kengoro is the sixth bio-inspired robot from the Tokyo lab, and has been engineered for strength and durability. The lab’s previous robots have aimed to mimic human structures, like the shoulders, knees, and now parts of the excretory system. The team also works on robots that assist the elderly. Shark Line taps given extra bite Dormer Pramet has expanded its Shark Line program of material specific taps with two new designs. With its unique combination of substrate, coatings and design features, the popular application based range offers high levels of process security and performance across a range of engineering materials. Each tap features a colour ring on the tool shank denoting material suitability, promoting quick and easy tool selection. The latest additions are to its yellow ring range for structural, carbon and low alloy steels (E412) and its blue ring range for stainless steels (E414). Both new taps feature a spiral flute angle of 48°. This facilitates smooth and fast chip evacuation, making them ideally suited to threading deep blind holes up to 3xD. A special three radii profile with constant rake angle all along the flute length leads to better control of cutting properties and prevents the nest formation of chips. This, in turn, promotes increased productivity by minimizing machine downtime. Chip evacuation is further facilitated by a back taper which reduces chipping on the last threads of the taps. This feature also reduces torque when the tap reverses, resulting in longer tool life. Other material types covered by the Shark range include red ring for alloy steels, green ring for aluminum and white ring for cast iron. All are manufactured from a unique powder metallurgy tool steel, different to any other HSS-E-PM. This provides an unbeatable combination of toughness and edge strength.
EN-Feb18-eMag
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