The problem with the world's most popular power source, the
conventional internal combustion engine, is that it eats up
precious fuel and emits undesirable greenhouse gasses. Not
surprisingly, an innovation that drastically reduces fuel
consumption as well as exhaust emissions, is a very major
innovation of global importance.
The Orbital Engine Corporation Limited's innovative technology invented by Ralph Sarich in 1972 has focused world attention on the merits of two-cycle engines by overcoming their traditional high hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions. Compared to the conventional four stroke engine, the ingenious two-cycle orbital combustion process (OCP) engine is 50% lighter, takes up 70% less space, and consumes 30% less fuel. The power source is not only suitable for motorcars, but also many other applications including inboard and outboard marine engines.
The two major innovations behind the success of the OCP engine are the electronically controlled fuel system which allows precise direct injection into the cylinder to eliminate the loss of fuel out of the exhaust, and the electronic control of the exhaust flow, combustion chamber geometry and fuel spray to control the hydrocarbon and nitrous-oxide emissions.
Initial tests show that the OCP engine has already met strict standards set for hydrocarbon, nitrous-oxide and carbon monoxide emissions. Ultimately, the company is hoping to make a near-zero emission engine that can even compete with electric cars.
Variable ratio rack and pinion
steering gear
One of Australia's most significant technological contributions
was the invention and development of the variable ratio rack
and pinion steering gear by engineer Arthur Bishop, AO.
Commercialised by A E Bishop & Associates Pty Limited in 1980, the innovation is a motor vehicle steering system in which the ratio between the rotation of the steering wheel and the road wheels is varied in such a way as to provide the best possible control and roadholding. On vehicles with power steering, the ratio is high for on-centre straight ahead driving and reduces rapidly in turns to increase manouverability in cornering and parking. With manual steering systems, the same on-centre ratio appropriate for high speed driving, is increased when turning the steering wheel away from the centre to reduce the effort of parking.
The development resulted from Arthur Bishop's earlier work on the application of a variable ratio concept on the landing gear of commercial aircraft, and later the development of a variable ratio power steering gear for the nose gear of military aircraft in the United Kingdom and the United States. The successful application and adaptation of these ideas to motor vehicles earned Arthur Bishop and his company global recognition as leaders in automotive steering technology.
Today, the company's patented steering systems are manufactured under licence and used in leading cars manufactured in Europe, Japan, USA, Australia, South Korea and Brazil.
Bishop specialises in creating and developing steering and other automotive technologies, without itself being a manufacturer. Instead, the company develops the high precision production line equipment to manufacture the components for its licencees. Continuing research includes an induction hardening process with simultaneous non-contact straightening, a rotary valve engine, and a replaceable insert milling cutter. The company currently has some 500 patents internationally.
Converting diesel engines
to natural gas, the fuel of the future
Natural gas is an environmentally preferred, less expensive
and more efficient alternative to diesel as a fuel for passenger
and freight vehicles. Trucks and busses powered by natural
gas emit up to 100 times less hydrocarbons than diesel engines
and much less carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides.
The combined electronic engine management and gas injection system commercialised since 1992 by Transcom Gas Technologies Pty Ltd is a breakthrough in the conversion of diesel engines to run on natural gas. Developed over eight years of research, the Transcom compressed natural gas vehicle (CNGV) technology features a highly sophisticated engine management system which simultaneously monitors turbo boost pressure, gas temperature and pressure, outside air temperature, engine speed and throttle position. The system evaluates the information from these monitors 50 times per second and regulates fuel injection to the combustion chamber, controls ignition timing and optimises the boost pressure.
France's Renault Industrial Vehicles chose the Transcom
CNGV technology for its new PR 100-3 city bus. The bus is
a leading contender for major contracts to supply commuter
bus fleets around the world where governments are turning
to natural gas to overcome serious smog and air pollution
problems.
Barry Neumann, Engineering Manager for Transcom Gas Technologies,
says other international diesel companies are also negotiating
with Transcom on possible licensing agreements for the CNGV
system. The international potential for the Transcom technology
is immense, with at least one million new diesel engined trucks
and busses produced around the world every year.
Smoothest operator among
automatic transmissions
Rather than adding sophisticated electronics to old technology,
the research and development team at BTR Engineering (Australia)
Limited designed a brilliant new automatic transmission, starting
from a "clean sheet".
The five year development program culminated in 1989 with the release of the 85LE electronically controlled four speed automatic transmission for passenger and light commercial vehicles. The company's range is the ultimate in electronically controlled, four speed, dual mode, lockup torque converter transmission technology, with unique temperature compensation to maintain shift feel.
Simply by pressing a button, the driver can select performance or maximum fuel economy gear shift points. The transmission can be programmed to compensate automatically for climate, road condition and driver style.
A multi-functional microprocessor control unit monitors the vehicle's speed, mode and shift selections from the input transducers placed around the vehicle, makes allowance for the ambient temperature, and delicately manages the shift schedule by activating electronic actuators within the gearbox to obtain optimum efficiency and driver feel. The control unit can diagnose a problem, take appropriate action and advise the driver of an override situation. It can also give the serviceman a diagnostic rundown on the performance of each active element.
For drivers, the innovation has resulted in better fuel economy and smooth and unobtrusive gear shifts in all driving conditions.
Sway control safety device
for multi-trailer vehicles
Articulated vehicles have been the cause of numerous fatal
accidents. Their high centre of gravity makes multi-trailer
vehicles, or road trains, susceptible to rolling and jack-knifing,
otherwise known as trailer fidelity and rearward amplification.
The phenomena have also made fleet and transport operators
reluctant to use road trains as a viable transport option.
Trailer fidelity occurs when, travelling in a straight line, the trailer of a road train deviates the path of the prime mover. Rearward amplification begins as a swaying that originates at the first trailer and gathers momentum as it continues down the road train.
A new innovation, Sway Stay corrects trailer infidelity and improves vehicle control. It is a simple device both in principle and operation and was conceived in 1992 by Les Prestidge, a fitter and turner by trade, after a tourist commented on the difficulty of negotiating a safe passage past road trains. With help from Jack Sandell at the Central Queensland University, Sway Stay was developed by Presbat Products Pty Ltd.
Sway Stay corrects trailer fidelity and improves vehicle control through a coupling device which is fitted under the draw bar between the trailers of road trains. With sensors, the circuitry device is able to detect trailer sway and if the deviation is greater than half a degree, pneumatically operated pistons clamp the clutch plates together, restricting movement and arresting sway, before the sway is transferred through the length of the trailers to cause steering problems.
It can be independently or automatically braked and manually deployed to assist in vehicle reversing, which saves time in the hooking up process of trailers.
The product has been approved as a vehicle accessory on road train routes in Australia by the National Road Transport Commission, and is undergoing further development for use in multi-combination trailer vehicles.
A simple and clever device, Sway Stay promises to dramatically improve road safety, driver confidence, and increase the safe use of road trains by fleet operators.
On the buses with contactless
chip cards
If there is one thing in common with every public transport
system in the world, it has to be tickets. Those little (often
printed) bits of paper called tickets that bureaucrats of
transport systems just can not do without. Or can they?
There are many systems in the world that issue, collect and count tickets of various sorts, but they all essentially fall into two categories. The paper ones you punch into ticket machines and the plastic chip cards, otherwise known as contact smart cards, that have a stored value that decreases with every use.
The original concept for the contact smart card was developed in France and applied to consumer bank cards. But the first company in the world to apply the innovation in transport ticketing systems was ERG Electronics Ltd of Perth in 1987. Today, the company's range of AES Prodata electronic fare collection equipment based on chip cards provides efficient processing of multi-ride passengers, saving time for commuters and providing accurate travel data for transport authorities. The systems are in use in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Denmark.
The company has also developed the 'contactless' chip card which instead of being inserted into a fare collecting machine, is simply waved past it. Using radio frequency signals, the contactless chip card will also be a world first for the City of Manchester, who are expected to install the system by the end of 1995.
For the latest in public transport ticketing systems, there are really only two places to go. Manchester, England or Perth, Western Australia.
Optimising fuel consumption
for fleet operators
Fuel consumption is a major cost factor for fleet operators.
On average, about 65% of their ongoing costs are spent on
fuel, and improving the fuel consumption of the fleet. This
is a major consideration which in a competitive world can
mean the difference between profit or loss.
Fuel consumption can be minimised by improving vehicle maintenance, replacing inefficient vehicles, better route scheduling, monitoring poor driving techniques, preventing theft and choosing the right fuels.
Developed and commercialised by AWA Limited's Transponder division in 1985, FuelScan is an innovative fuel management and information system that monitors fuel use and recommends appropriate remedial action. The system's menu-driven easy-to-use software package can be run on IBM compatible PCs or a UNIX system.
The system requires a console to be installed at the designated fuelling site. Vehicle and refueller identity is entered into the console, followed by the vehicle odometer reading. As the console is connected directly to the pump flow meter, fuel details are automatically obtained. The vehicle and the refueller can be identified using proximity keys, milkeys, swipe cards, touchkeys or personal identification numbers.
When used in conjunction with the company's TransiTag radio frequency fleet identification system, a loop antenna in the roadway collects the information from the vehicle automatically for processing by the FuelScan console.
FuelScan is one of the most effective fuel management systems available and will result in improved efficiencies for fleet operators.
Remote radio frequency fleet
identification system
Identification technology using low frequency radio waves
first developed by the University of Adelaide in 1983, is
now being put to use in a multitude of innovative and highly
creative applications.
TransiTag is being used for fleet management, access control, automatic weighbridges, vehicle tracking, computer-aided berthing and dispatch, manufacturing automation, traffic light priority, car park management, underground vehicle tracking and safety, goods tracking and light rail signalling systems.
Developed by AWA Limited's Transponder Division, TransiTag transmits a unique identity code to automatically identify moving vehicles.
The unique radio signal from each tag is detected by a reader via an in-ground antenna loop. The data received by the reader can then be manipulated by a computer. The tags are available in three formats. Read only tag, variable data tag and read write tag.
The system can be customised to each specific application. On board information such as odometer readings can also be transmitted, allowing system integration with the company's FuelScan fuel management system.
Checking your tyres in less
than 20 seconds
What does the average motorist know about tyre pressure?
The answer is not a great deal.
Getting the pressure right is important, not only to reduce the cost of motoring, but also to increasing safety on the roads. Under-inflation puts heat stress into the side walls of the tyre causing premature tyre wear. Most modern steel belt low profile tyres do not look under inflated until they have lost 50% of their correct pressure, and at that level of inflation, the life of the tyre is reduced by 70% or more. Low tyre pressure also increases petrol consumption, reduces steering response and can be outright dangerous on wet roads. But with the advent of self service petrol stations, many motorists simply can not be bothered to check their tyre pressures. It is a dirty, time consuming job and most petrol station gauges are inaccurate.
The new pressure loss indicating 'green ring tyre valve' invented by John Van Leeuwen in 1988, now promises to help motorists ensure that their tyre pressures are correct. While the tyre is inflated to the correct pressure a green ring can be seen on the valve, and when the tyre is under inflated the ring disappears. Commercialised in 1993 by J C Ludowici & Son Ltd the uncomplicated new valve will fit most steel and alloy passenger car rims. Suitable for tubeless car tyres, the valves are available in short, long and chromed for alloy wheels.
The green ring tyre valve means motorists can now check all their tyres in under 20 seconds, just by looking at them. A simple device that will add to the convenience and safety of motorists around the world.
Puncture-proof wheel of hollow
rubber segments
If you drive a car, you are probably familiar with the inconvenience
of having a puncture. If you own a fleet of construction vehicles,
a puncture to you is more than an inconvenience, and is likely
to be a very expensive affair. For people in the mining, construction,
agricultural and earthmoving industries, after equipment purchase,
their biggest ongoing costs are fuel and tyres.
Alan Burns, a mining surveyor was familiar with the problem and set about looking for an answer. His idea was simple, but took nearly 30 years perfecting. The result was a puncture-proof wheel made of hollow rubber segments bolted onto a steel rim, where each individual segment could be replaced when worn or damaged. The Airboss wheel was eventually commercialised by Airboss Ltd in 1991. The tyre cannot be punctured because it does not rely on air pressure. And whilst Airboss may not replace conventional pneumatic tyres, it will reduce equipment down-time and save money for many operators in the mining, construction, agricultural and earthmoving industries.
Lasers on line for wheel
alignment
Mini diode lasers, a high-tech outcome of the awesome Gulf
War defence weaponry systems inspired Engineer innovator Bruce
Reilly to further explore his existing designs in wheel alignment
system technology.
The result is the Quad 4 Laser wheel aligner for cars, commercial vehicles and four-wheel drive vehicles. The incredibly robust and reliable machine has a back to basics approach, with low service requirements and calibration that can be checked easily within minutes. The portable unit can be used on ramps, in the pit, hoist or on the race track.
Marketed by Narellan Truck Wheel Alignment Pty Ltd, the patented system utilises four laser heads to measure a vehicle's toe, tracking and thrust angle concurrently with extreme accuracy. This results in increased tyre life, improved vehicle handling and added road safety.
Battery energy for the miniaturised cordless laser heads runs at an incredibly low 2 cents per vehicle alignment. The low capital cost of the equipment and the on-going technical support provided by the company has made the Quad 4 Laser popular with Australian Defence Forces, TAFE, major tyre retailers and steering suspension outlets nationally. The laser aligners are also exported to New Zealand and throughout the Pacific.
Solution to four wheel drive
alignments
Australia's high crowned road pavements are designed for
rapid water run off, but cause uneven tyre wear and pull left
effect on many four-wheel drive vehicles. This effect is particularly
destructive to the wide expensive radial tyres commonly fitted.
Tyre wastage and concerns of unsafe steering inspired Bruce Reilly to invent a correction device in non-adjustable front axles to provide critical steering and tyre wear influencing camber and castor geometry angles.
The Cast O Line bearing was patented in 1986 by Narellan Truck Wheel Alignment Pty Ltd, and the world acclaimed technology has revolutionised four-wheel drive front wheel alignment with no known superseded solutions to this day.
The innovation involves the substitution of an offset bearing cone carrier ring in the recess of top and bottom knuckle bearing, effecting the changes.
A resulting new wheel camber places the tyre tread evenly on the road surface, and an indifference of castor opposes road crown pull. This ensures dramatically increased tyre life and safe, straight, vehicle handling. More than 80,000 kits are in use in Australia alone, with royalties and licence arrangements progressing from technology export.
The best traffic control
system in the world
For those who have experienced traffic in London, New York,
Paris, Tokyo, or worse still Bangkok or Bangalore, comparatively
speaking, there are 'no traffic jams' in Sydney. A rare feat
for a major modern city with sprawling suburbs that is home
to more than 3 million people. It is also a city that enjoys
the benefits of the world's best traffic control system.
SCATS - Sydney Co-ordinated Adaptive Traffic System, was gradually developed over a 20 year period by the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales. In it's present form the system was commercialised in 1985 by the Traffic and Information Systems division of AWA Limited.
SCATS is a complete computer hardware, software and control philosophy. It operates in real-time, adjusting signal timings throughout the system in response to variations in traffic demand and system capacity. Its purpose is to control traffic on an area basis rather than an individual unco-ordinated intersection basis.
Most area traffic control systems control the signals on a fixed-time basis. A series of vaying signal timing sequences are implemented at different times of the day, where individual signals, and the time relationship between them, is precalculated. These fixed-time systems simply cannot cope with the unpredictable traffic conditions in today's modern cities.
Unlike conventional fixed-time, semi-responsive or patterned matching systems, SCATS is a fully responsive system that requires no precalculation of signal timing plans. Logic and algorithms in a truly on-line traffic control computer, analyse real-time traffic data from vehicle detectors to produce signal timings which are suitable for the average prevailing traffic conditions.
In addition to traffic control, SCATS incorporates comprehensive features for fault monitoring, maintenance scheduling, traffic data collecting and analysis. Emergency vehicle progression and public transport priority, are two of the many special features handled by the system's flexible control algorithms.
A recent Australian study found that SCATS saved 20% in travel time, reduced the number of stops by 40%, and resulted in a 12% reduction of fuel consumption. Significant factors and worthy considerations for every major metropolis.
Intelligent traffic controllers
speed flow
Managing the efficient movement of commuters requires freeways,
clearways and give way signs. But the street intersection
has always been the major obstacle with overpasses, cloverleaf
interchanges and subways providing efficient but expensive
solutions.
The quantum leap in traffic flow control at intersections has been the invention of the microprocessor-based traffic controller. The first of these was the PSF launched in the 1970s by Philips Traffic Systems Pty Limited in conjunction with the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales. The technology replaced mechanically controlled systems with microprocessors.
Now, the latest in the Philips series of controllers is the PSC MKII traffic controller which provides full intersection control. This latest technology introduces solid state switching so there are no moving parts in the controller, a development which has significantly improved problems associated with noise, wear and maintenance. Energy efficiency and reliability have now been increased to unprecedented levels.
The controller monitors traffic density at its own intersection, and is capable of being linked to upstream controllers to provide improved progression through the network. As well as improving flow, it monitors its own performance, checks for blown lamps and reports all faults to a traffic centre.
Used in conjuction with SCATS (Sydney Co-ordinated Adaptive Traffic System), PSC MKII acts as a control centre and co-ordinates information received from vehicle detectors and pedestrian push buttons, which it communicates to a SCATS computer over telephone lines. From this information, the SCATS computer is able to compute the amounts of green time, cycle time and other control parameters for optimum traffic flow and instructs the PSC MKII to switch accordingly. This allows traffic flow to be optimised according to prevailing conditions rather than to a preset programme.
If traffic in your city or suburb seems to be moving more freely than it used to, it could be that your local government has installed the PSC MKII and SCATS system.
First solution to complex
transport scheduling problems
Capable of creating and controlling complex transport schedules
for the collection and delivery of freight, Schedule Manager
is a new innovation developed and commercialised by Dynamic
Transport Management Pty Ltd. Released in 1994, it is the
first computerised system of its kind that can control large
and complex transport scheduling operations, that until now
have been impossible to optimise.
Based on the company's previous world first innovation, Despatch Manager software, which optimises the real-time scheduling of transport fleets like couriers, taxis and emergency vehicles, Schedule Manager was developed specifically to optimise the routine operating schedules of large transport fleets working on more consistent routes. The system can be used to optimise the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the transport and distribution of large quantities of anything from perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables to spare parts and fuel oil, increasing efficiencies by reducing product delivery times and transport costs.
In New Zealand, Schedule Manager has been successfully used to plan and control the milk tanker operations of large dairy companies, resulting is substantial time and cost savings. For one dairy company, the software optimises the transportation of more than 750 million litres of various grades of milk annually from 1,500 dairy farms to a number of processing plants nationwide.
The system is configured using a client database of vehicles, drivers and shifts, and pick-up and delivery task locations and a customised map of locations. Once configured, Schedule Manager accepts real-time changes while the schedule is being executed allowing controlled trade-off of conflicting performance requirements.
The software runs on UNIX in an open system computing environment
and is configured to individual transport businesses. Unlike
other systems, Schedule Manager can handle complex scheduling
problems such as multiple depot operations and avoid bottlenecks
at depots. In the case of the milk collection problem in New
Zealand, the software not only selects the optimum vehicle
mix, but also takes into account the load carrying capacity
of the various small roads and bridges leading to and from
the farms.
In the case of liquefied petroleum gas deliveries in the
UK, the system allows maximum utilisation of the tanker fleet
to meet demand which is graded by priority. It makes full
use of opportunities to deliver part loads.
By providing cost effective solutions to complex distribution problems for the first time, Schedule Manager is helping major transporters of goods and products around the world reduce their overheads and maintain competitive prices.
Smart test for automotive
batteries saves time and money
Two thirds of all automotive batteries are returned under
warranty because they are flat rather than faulty - often
because there is something wrong with the vehicle electrical
system. But because conventional battery testing requires
batteries to be at least 75% charged, and recharging takes
at least 12 hours, manufacturers have no means of testing
the battery on-the-spot while the customer waits, so they
replace the flat battery at significant expense.
Now, an advanced new battery tester with an in-built expert system can verify a battery's condition in minutes, even if they are flat.
Smart Test is the first 'intelligent' microprocessor controlled automotive battery analyser. It was developed in a collaborative project between the CSIRO Division of Manufacturing Technology and Test Technology Pty Ltd.
Testing is simple. A battery is connected to the tester, the battery size selected and the test button pressed. Smart Test compares the battery's condition with data collected from hundreds of battery tests in different conditions, taking into account size, state of charge, temperature and performance during a high rate discharge.
Findings are displayed on an illuminated panel and can also be printed as status reports, judging the battery tested as 'Good', 'Good but undercharged', 'Replace' or 'Marginal', detailing test results, giving recommendations and possible causes of the problem.
Smart Test is the complete answer to battery testing problems and will save battery manufacturers and distributors many millions a year in warranty claims by making testing at point of sale possible.
Matching thousands of jobs
to hundreds of vehicles
Despatchers managing transport fleets have the near impossible
responsibility of allocating each incoming delivery job to
just one of perhaps hundreds of mobile vehicles. They have
to keep in mind each mobile's current location, its destination
and workload, minute by minute, for thousands of jobs every
day. In today's competitive world of business, getting it
right can mean the difference between profit or loss for any
transport company which aims to provide a dyamic service.
Jim Reid, Trevor Crowle, Charles van Westeinde, David Woodford, Mike Wooldridge and Ros Trayford at Dynamic Transport Management Pty Ltd have developed an intelligent computer system called Despatch Manager. It can respond within a few seconds to an incoming job, provide a list of recommended vehicles and continually revise its decisions on all jobs awaiting despatch as circumstances change. The company solved the "multiple vehicles, multiple tasks with time windows" problem to run in real time on UNIX workstations, and launched the system in 1991. It investigates the current jobs against known or likely vehicle position and loading, and computes in real time the best combination of jobs and vehicles.
The system can handle hundreds of vehicles and thousands of jobs daily, perfectly matching them to each other. After finding the most cost effective route, it can automatically transmit the job orders to the vehicles on the move. Despatch Manager has an easy-to-use screen with windows giving access to all the tasks, vehicles and transactions. It is supported by a map and is flexible enough to be configured individually for each fleet operator. It allows accurate estimates of pick-up and delivery times to be given to customers, and has the unique ability to look ahead so that the operator can discover to what extent his fleet is committed.
The innovation is saving time and money for fleet operators, providing better service to customers and taking the stress out of despatch management.
Simulation and scheduling
software for airports
A major breakthrough in software simulation technology was
made possible by unique algorithms developed by CSIRO Division
of Manufacturing Technology in 1986. The original innovation,
and subsequent research and development by The Preston Group
Pty Ltd since its incorporation in 1987, have resulted in
a range of simulation and scheduling software packages that
help airlines and airports provide better services and reduce
their operating costs.
Developed with the assistance of the Civil Aviation Authority of Australia, the Total Airspace and Airport Modeller (TAAM) produces realistic simulations of airspace and airport ground movements, and generates three-dimensional graphic models to help aviation authorities and airport owners plan efficient flight routes and to optimise complex airport ground procedures.
Terminal Management System (TMS), developed with the Australian Federal Airports Corporation, provides accurate scheduling and simulation of airport terminal facilities and resources, to assist in their efficient utilisation and management. The system is used to allocate stands, baggage belts, check-in desks and air-bridges to carriers.
Developed with Qantas Airways Ltd, Air Crew Scheduler (ACS), assists with the preparation of cost-effective scheduling of flight and cabin crew for airlines.
The company's software products have applications in a number of industries, including manufacturing. One such product, Manufacturing Optimisation and Simulation Technology (MOST), helps equipment designers and plant production managers solve problems in optimising manufacturing output and avoiding plant congestion.
Checking the radars that
control our skies
The efficiency and safety of our airway operations rely on
high quality radar data and its effective utilisation. The
performance of radar equipment and the systems used for its
interpretation are critical to safety in the air. However
these radar analysers are complex and have been found to be
variable in performance and the systems available to process
the radar data have been limited to expensive computers.
A new tool for displaying, analysing and recording radar data to allow technicians to evaluate and monitor the performance of radars and to evaluate the requirement of new radar networks was developed jointly over a 20 year period by the Australian Civil Aviation Authority and Adacel Pty Ltd and commercialised by the latter in 1989. Called the Radar Analysis and Test System (RATS), it is also used by air safety investigators to examine air incidents, and to evaluate the effects of traffic peaks and for recording the distribution of air traffic.
RATS is a PC-based mobile system that allows both on-line and off-line analysis of digitised radar data and associated equipment. The system will result in increased accuracy of radar systems and provide a cost effective way of optimising air traffic problems. Most importantly, RATS will ensure that the airways of our skies remain safe.
Artificial intelligence improves
air traffic flow
Air traffic congestion is an inconvenience for travellers
and a major problem for airlines and aviation authorities.
The capacity of an airport depends on the size and design
of the aerodrome and weather conditions. Congestion and delays
result when the frequency of arrival of aircraft exceeds capacity.
Traditional solutions have been to build more airports or to restrict aircraft movements, requiring high capital cost and limitations on the scheduling flexibility of carriers. At each airport, Air Traffic Control Flow Managers are responsible for sequencing arriving and departing aircraft safely and efficiently to make the best use of the airport's capacity. They detect approaching aircraft on radar, estimate times of arrival, calculate the most efficient sequence, evaluate the effect of wind, monitor the sequence, and determine control actions.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Australia commissioned the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute to develop a new air traffic management system to assist flow controllers and provide significant capacity gains within the constraints of the existing infrastructure of Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport.
The result of four years research and development was OASIS - Optimal Aircraft Sequencing using Intelligent Systems. OASIS combines artificial intelligence, procedural reasoning and conventional software techniques and performs many of the repetitive tasks that normally occupy the controllers' attention. The system aids the flow controller by providing accurate estimates of aircraft arrival times, by calculating the sequence that minimises delays, and by advising appropriate speed controls. It assists with resequencing aircraft as runway availability or traffic priorities change.
This gives the flow manager more time to concentrate on evaluating alternative control actions. They can manually reserve slots in the sequence and override recommendations from OASIS when required. In this way, OASIS is able to improve runway utilisation and air traffic management, without the inflexibility of fully automated systems.
Generic aircraft display
system for safer skies
Increasing air traffic congestion is making demands on the
efficient use of airspace around the world. Today, air traffic
controllers have to track every aircraft very precisely to
prevent accidents and optimise flight paths and landing times.
Generic Aircraft Display System (GADS) was developed by Adacel Pty Ltd in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority of Australia in 1992. It is an automated, general purpose situation display, used to calculate and display aircraft positions based on data received from various external sources, including global positioning satellites, flight plan information, secondary surveillance radar and automatic dependent surveillance, with the most accurate taking precedence.
GADS uses Unix-based computers and high resolution graphics monitors to display aircraft flight paths in either real time or in predictive fast forward mode. GADS can operate independently utilising flight information and pilot position reports entered into the system. It can also be fully integrated into an existing air traffic monitoring system and be used to provide strategic planning through situation probing, based on weather and air traffic data.
GADS permits aircraft to fly safely at optimum altitudes and on the most direct routes, thereby enhancing air traffic management, safety and aircraft efficiency.
Crack patching structural
aircraft components
What do you do with a perfectly good Jumbo jet with one or
two stress corrosion cracks here and there? The latest answer
is 'crack patching' - a new method of applying adhesively
bonded composite materials to restore the stiffness and strength
of damaged structural components in aircraft. The surface
preparation technology is a world first.
Developed by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation's Aeronautical Research Laboratories led by Dr Alan Baker, the patches are longer lasting, stronger and more effective than conventional riveted repair patches and can reduce repair time by orders of ten or more.
Bortex Boron is a high strength, high modulus composite material that is applied by specialised bonding procedures to standard metallic surfaces. This adhesive bonding produces a sealed interface, reducing the danger of crevice corrosion and leakage from fuel tanks. Most importantly, patches can be applied, and if required removed, with little damage to the parent structure. The patches can also be used effectively to reinforce defective or inadequately designed aircraft components by selectively applying them in regions subject to high stress. The technology has been licensed to Helitech Industries Pty Ltd on a worldwide basis in association with Composite Technology Inc in the United States.
This vital innovation from the DSTO is contributing to the safety of air travel and saving airline operators huge replacement costs by helping to maintain and extend the structural integrity of aircraft.
Sending messages worldwide
while flying at 35,000 feet
Part of the attraction of flying first or business class
is that you can get away from it all, and enjoy quality service
in peace and quiet, undisturbed by staff and clients. But
Murphy's Law dictates that there is always that one important
last minute chore that requires you to contact someone on
the ground, when you are up there, enjoying your trip.
Now, when you are flying with Australia's national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd, you can send messages from the aircraft telefax machine to anywhere in the world, without being interrupted by incoming messages. The innovation is courtesy of engineer Dallas Clarke, head of research and development at ASI Technologies Pty Ltd who commercialised the ASI-9000 aircraft communication management system (ACMS) in 1993. Qantas now uses the system for operational as well as commercial messages, giving the carrier an edge over their competitors.
The system is run by an on-board computer which links a number of the aircraft's computers, including the aircraft communications addressing and reporting system, a radio link for air-to-ground messaging via satellite or VHF radio. Designed also to assist with in-flight documentation, the system includes sophisticated touch-screen computers and credit card "swipe" technology. The system manages on-board duty-free sales, crew checklists, in-flight and destination specific information, and forward reservations.
Eventually, the system will give passengers full interactive communications while travelling at 35,000 feet. For now, if ever there was a good excuse to send a message like "Having a great time, wish you were here", or "Don't meet me at the station, just send a limo" - this is it.
Advanced fire and emergency
alarm monitoring system
Responding quickly and effectively in emergency situations,
can save lives and expensive assets. In the case of airports,
many varied and complex emergency situations can arise, with
little or no warning, the consequences of which could put
the lives of many people seriously at risk. In rare, but potential
events such as an air crash, fire, hijacking or illegal intrusion,
the response time and the procedure followed, can make the
difference between a disaster and a 'minor incident'.
Developed in 1990 by Redflex Pty Ltd with close co-operation from the Australian Civil Aviation Authority, ALARMON is the most advanced and comprehensive fire and emergency alarm monitoring system in the world. The integrated system provides computerised communications, operational procedures, vehicle and staff control, access to hazardous chemical information and comprehensive event logging. It can even be used for staff training.
ALARMON consists of three sub-systems - alarm monitoring, communications and control, and operations control system. The operational control console incorporates a high resolution colour graphic touch screen for each of these functions. From the screens, the operator can monitor and control all fire and emergency operations and, prompted by the system, follow pre-set emergency procedures.
The alarm monitoring screen can monitor thousands of alarm points at one time and automatically display relevant alert information. Crash maps and building plans can be displayed on screen, and specific alarm information can be relayed to printers in the fire station and vehicle bays.
The communications and control system screen provides audio and control facilities for all voice communication functions. Using fully digital communication techniques, it allows automatic conferencing and integration of all facilities to a single handset. The system incorporates an on-screen telephone directory and provides monitoring, accessing and initiating all fire lines, direct intercom lines and PABX lines. It also monitors relevant radio frequencies, including air to ground, and ground to ground communications.
The operations control system screen is for procedural control, resource management and information access. Functions include automatic logging of journal entries, selection and logging of duty operator and duty crew. It also monitors the movement of staff and vehicles, and reports on their status and availability.
ALARMON is also an affordable system that requires the minimum of operator training - factors which will see the innovative system being adopted at many airports internationally.
Wave piercing catamarans
save time and money
A revolutionary wave piercing catamaran design by naval architect
Phillip Hercus has been successfully adapted for fast ferry
travel and is now used for the world's fastest catamarans.
Developed in 1987 by ship design company, International Catamaran Designs Pty Ltd, the design features a low bouyancy bow that allows a smoother ride by piercing waves rather than riding up and over them. The twin hulls are long and narrow, placed on either side of a central hull which protrudes beyond them and lifts the vessel when it encounters large waves. The design has been used to build wave piercing ferries from 28 to 74 metres long and with a wide beam of up to 26 metres.
In 1990, this new catamaran design first captured public imagination when the 74m Hoverspeed Great Britain, made the fastest crossing of the Atlantic since 1952.
A design for a new 115m wave piercing car ferry has already been prepared as well as preliminary designs for a series of small vessels, filling out the range down about 50m.
Next time you drive onto a large ferry look for the distinctive central hull and long slim twin-hull lines of International Catamaran Designs. You can then rest assured that you will be in for a very fast, smooth, trip.
Dyemarker. The essential
new product for sea rescue
Imagine how difficult it is to spot survivors of a ship wreck
from an aeroplane. Survival depends on accurate pinpointing
of the stricken vessel and the people overboard. Now, an innovative
new safety product called Seamark is helping rescue at sea.
Florescent dyes that mark the sea have been around for some time now, and have contributed to lives saved at sea, but most slowly dissipate over a limited area and sink too quickly. Seamark however, has the ability to remain on the surface for up to one and a half hours in moderate seas, and about 45 minutes in rougher conditions. And when life is at stake, every minute counts.
Developed by the Materials Research Laboratory of the Australian Federal Government's Defence Science and Technology Organisation in 1992 it was commercialised with Pains-Wessex (Australia) Pty Ltd. Based on a unique method of binding fluorescein in a buoyant water soluble matrix, Seamark allows a rapid surface spread over a large area as well as a slow release on the water surface where maximum ultra violet light activates the fluorescein to give a brilliant spotting mark that can be seen miles away.
As a position marker for search aircraft, or a distress signal for a person falling overboard from a boat, Seamark is the best product of its kind. And because there is no damage to the animal or marine biosystems by fluorescein, Seamark has the added advantage of being ideal for all marine applications.
The Australian Civil Aviation Authority, who are responsible for marine search and rescue operations in Australia, have adopted the Seamark air drop pack to mark locations at sea. The Royal Australian Air Force have equipped all aircrew personnel with a Seamark pack which fits into their waist band emergency kit. In the event of aircrew being ejected from the aircraft in an emergency, this allows the downed aircrew member to deploy Seamark for easy position signalling to a search plane.
New container ships without
hatch covers
Time, in any business, is money, and it is no different in
the very competitive business of international shipping. Delays
in docking, unloading and loading cargo can mean the difference
between profit and loss, an expense that is ultimately passed
on to the consumer. For shipping companies, any innovation
that can reduce the time their ships spend at each port, can
give them a clear advantage over their competitors.
New hatch cover-less, cellular container ships are now revolutionising the shipping business by reducing terminal turn around times by about 27%.
The ingenious new design was developed by Fred Ellis and Donald Gillies at Advanced Ship Design Pty Ltd, with the first ship, Bell Pioneer, being designed, trialled and tested in collaboration with Yeoman Naval Consult Ltd of Eire, the Irish Department of Marine and Lloyd's Register. Sophisticated bridge control equipment and automated systems of the ship enables a crew of only seven to run the ship.
Of the vessel's four holds, three are open to the weather,
and one is covered by folding hatch covers. The high sides
and full width superstructure at the bow, provide protection
from seawater and spray. But in case any water gets into the
open holds, it is drained by two 100 tonne per hour stripping
pumps. And even if both pumps fail, water is discharged through
16 one-way freeing ports fitted at the freeboard deck.
So far, more than 40 hatch coverless container ships have
either been built or commissioned. With this innovation, the
age old seafarers' expression "batten down the hatches" has
really been relegated to history. In 1992, the design won
the prestigious Annual Seatrade Award for excellence in the
category of innovation.
State-of-the-art navigation
on the high seas
When you are out on the high seas it is always prudent to
know exactly where you are, where you are heading and for
the record, where you have been. Navigation has come a long
way since Christopher Colombus headed due West across the
Atlantic and found himself in the Americas.
The very latest in state-of-the-art navigation is Oceanvision, an electronic charting-navigation system and much more. It can display full reproductions of marine navigation charts in high resolution colour along with the vessel's position on that chart and track the path travelled.
Produced and marketed by Oceanvision Pty Ltd, this electronic charting can be linked to Global Positioning Systems (GPS) - a network of satellites originally put into orbit by the USA for military purposes. Electronic charts coupled with GPS are probably only second in significance to radar this century for mariners and it is likely that every commercial vessel on the high seas will have Oceanvision on board.
Public Notice:
Due to an unresolved dispute
with the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade),
who copied and adopted as their own certain material from
Tomorrow's World, the Australian Initiative, and published
the material in their Australia Open for Business website,
without remorse or recompense, access
by Australian Government servers to this online edition
has been blocked indefinitely.
