Drive technology Apr 25, 2024 By Peter Kellerhoff Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

Drive manufacturer Weichai Power has introduced a diesel engine that exceeds the competition in terms of efficiency by almost 25%.

Drive experts around the world are trying to squeeze the last tenths of a percent of efficiency out of traditional combustion engines. For petrol engines it is currently around 37% and for diesel engines it is around 43%. It almost seems like a fairy tale that a new truck diesel engine from China promises an increase in efficiency of almost 25%. The company that introduced him is not just anyone – but Weichai Power, a leading Chinese provider of drive systems, especially for commercial vehicles. In addition, the group is represented in the top 25 largest multinational companies in China with sales of over €27 billion (2023). And: The efficiency of 53.09% stated by the manufacturer was confirmed by TÜV Süd North Asia, among others. So it’s not a fairy tale after all and perhaps the diesel is not a discontinued model after all.

Increasing diesel engine efficiency by optimizing four main systems

According to Weichai Power, the remarkable increase in efficiency was achieved through targeted optimization of the four main systems – combustion, air, fuel and friction. However, Weichai has not yet leaked more detailed information about the displacement and performance of the new drive. In China alone, diesel engines with a thermal efficiency of 53% could save around 31 million tonnes of fuel per year and reduce carbon emissions by 97 million tonnes. A small calculation example: If you assume that a heavy truck in Germany has a mileage of 250,000 km/year, such a vehicle could save around 12,000 liters of diesel per year thanks to its higher efficiency. At the current diesel price that would be around €20,400. In addition, around 31.8 t of CO would be produced per truck₂/year saved.

Despite the savings, the diesel engine is not climate neutral

Despite these enormous savings, diesel engines, when operated with conventional fossil fuel, unfortunately still do not remain climate neutral. However, Weichai Power’s achievement shows what is still possible in the development of internal combustion engines. The ability to save fuel and reduce emissions could cast this drive in a new light. It remains to be seen how this technological breakthrough will affect the entire automotive industry and the development of alternative drive technologies.

forensic science Apr 25, 2024 By Stefan Asche Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

A new technique from Loughborough University (UK) also works on tracks that were recorded several years ago. Unexplained old cases could be reopened.

So-called knockout drops such as zolpidem can be made thanks to a new process by researchers at Loughborough University now prove it on fingerprints. This could help solve many cold cases. Perpetrators who have made their victims unconscious with this preparation, for example to sexually assault them, may be able to be identified more quickly.

Fingerprints that are captured and stored with so-called gel lifters remain intact in this form for many years. Previously, it was not possible to extract information from them because the tangle of traces was too large, including from the gel itself. “Now fingerprints and other forensic traces can actually be interrogated for useful information,” says Jim Reynolds, a specialist in analytical chemistry and head of research.

It has long been speculated that fingerprints in gels contain valuable chemical information and could enable more accurate drug detection. Reynolds and chemistry doctoral student Ayoung Kim have now proven that it actually works. They embed the chemicals from the gel into tiny droplets of liquid, which they then ionize. Depending on their chemical properties, they gain or lose electrical charge. The drug chemicals being sought are more surface active than the gel-derived chemicals, allowing them to be separated from the mixture.

The process uses mass spectrometry

Using mass spectrometry, which identifies chemicals by measuring their molecular weight, the dangerous active ingredients can then be identified. The researchers successfully tested the technique on zolpidem-laced fingerprints taken from glass, metal and paper surfaces.

Explosives can also be detected

“Zolpidem was the focus of our research, but the method could equally well be applied to other substances that a person may have handled,” Reynolds said. Explosives, gunshot residue, paints and dyes are conceivable.

Traffic Apr 25, 2024 Reading time: approx. 1 minute

Flixtrain is expanding its offering to compete with Deutsche Bahn, with new connections, higher frequencies and the resumption of routes.

The German long-distance transport landscape was previously heavily dominated by Deutsche Bahn, but this could now change. Because: In the coming weeks and months, the long-distance train platform Flixtrain is planning to significantly expand its offering. This includes, among other things, the addition of additional connections on the Berlin-Cologne and Berlin-Frankfurt routes. “From now on, the long-distance train provider is gradually increasing its offering – and plans to achieve around 40 percent more capacity in the summer than in 2023,” the company says.

Also read: Deutsche Bahn wants to improve punctuality – with these measures

Resumption of the Berlin-Mainz connection

According to information from the German Press Agency (dpa), the connection between Berlin and Mainz, which had to be temporarily suspended due to construction work, is also expected to be resumed. In addition, numerous additional stops are to be added to existing routes. Instead of the previous four trips per day, the green trains will now run six times a day between Berlin and the Rhineland. The frequency between Berlin and Frankfurt will be increased from six to eight trips per day.

“We have succeeded in gradually reducing our travel times in recent years,” commented Flix co-founder André Schwämmlein.

Also read: Kruckenberg’s rail zeppelin – a prototype made railway history

Artificial intelligence Apr 25, 2024 By Elke von Rekowski Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

Telekom now offers generative artificial intelligence (AI) for companies with the “Business GPT” solution. The offer is intended to support companies in integrating AI into their work processes and at the same time ensure the highest security standards. However, this has its price.

In more and more companies, employees use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and receive support with texts and translations through to processing customer inquiries. However, this is not without risk, as the data entered ends up in a publicly accessible data pool. This should be prevented with the Telekom solution.

The solution is based on the group’s cloud infrastructure with data storage in Europe, which is intended to ensure the necessary security and data protection compliance. Through extensive training with large amounts of text, the system can conduct natural dialogues and convey information. “Business GPT ensures the security of confidential data and enables efficient work processes,” says Klaus Werner, Managing Director of Business Customers, Telekom Germany.

Also read: Adaptable AI models for companies

Customizable AI solution

The solution is intended to increase efficiency in manual work processes in all industries, i.e. generate ideas, write texts, analyze data and create summaries. In customer service, he should resolve concerns and provide recommendations and information. In learning platforms, the software can answer learners’ questions, explain concepts or provide support with tasks. The solution will also be used for market research and as a translator.

By integrating the company’s own product databases, service descriptions or documentation as well as a connection to the intranet, the answers from Business GPT should be able to be precisely controlled. In addition, companies can offer individual models with specific additional knowledge for different use cases in their specialist areas within a Business GPT environment.

Noise research Apr 24, 2024 By Elke von Rekowski Reading time: approx. 3 minutes

High volume and noise in traffic, for example, bother most people and can even make them sick. But what does your own behavior have to do with it? Researchers are looking for answers in several projects.

André Fiebig heads the psychoacoustics department at the Institute for Fluid Mechanics and Technical Acoustics at the TU Berlin. His goal: He wants to minimize the health effects of noise through noise protection. “Conventional measures such as noise-reducing road surfaces or reducing the maximum permissible speed are not sufficient,” says the scientist, emphasizing that other options for reducing noise must be exploited.

He is convinced that reducing behavioral noise can make a decisive contribution. In many everyday situations, more noise-conscious behavior can make a significant contribution to reducing noise conflicts. The researchers have already scientifically supported the use of noise flashing technology on Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm in 2023. This showed how often behavior-related and therefore avoidable noise can be observed in everyday life.

Look at volume from a new perspective

But how can we effectively prevent such noise, for example caused by the loud “howling” of car engines? “When it comes to noise protection, the focus is almost always on the perspective of those affected who feel annoyed or disturbed by noise. In two of our projects, we turn the tables and look at the perspective of those who cause the noise,” says Cleopatra Moshona, research associate at the department. The aim is to find out why people behave the way they do in certain situations and to find ways to motivate them to behave more noise-consciously.

Traffic: Shield beats app in the fight against volume

For example, a driving test with test subjects carried out as part of the Velma project commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Transport serves this purpose. The researchers investigated whether and how drivers can be encouraged to adopt noise-conscious driving behavior through tips and how this affects average driving speed. To do this, the scientists used two whistleblowers. The first was a dynamic, in-vehicle feedback system in the form of a smartphone app. The second clue was a sign on the side of the road. It turned out that the app had no significant influence on the average driving speed of drivers. It was different with the static signpost, the sign with the slogan “Drive quietly, keep calm. Good for people and the environment.” It led to a lower average speed in the test group.

Become aware of your own volume

In a second project commissioned by the Federal Environment Agency, a team of researchers is investigating the extent to which active participation and participation in noise avoidance can lead to more noise-conscious behavior. The aim is to develop new ways to motivate people to behave more noise-consciously. Qualitative interviews have already shown that many people think little about their own noise production and are often not aware of the potential for disruption caused by their own actions, such as speaking loudly or using loud devices in the home. The researchers are currently investigating the importance of the environment in general and noise in particular in everyday life. She is particularly interested in what options there are for action in everyday noise conflict situations and how they are used.

Number one cause of breakdown Apr 24, 2024 By Peter Kellerhoff Reading time: approx. 2 minutes

From July 1, 2024, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) will also be mandatory for trucks, buses and heavy trailers newly registered in the EU.

Since 2014, it has been mandatory for cars newly registered in the EU: the tire pressure monitoring system – known as TPMS for short. Now it will also be introduced for commercial vehicles on July 1, 2024, more precisely: for trucks (over 3.5 t), mobile homes, buses and for trailers with a permissible total mass over 3.5 t, including semi-trailers.

“The innovation brings a valuable increase in safety,” says Christian Koch, accident analyst and tire expert at the expert organization Dekra. However, this means more effort and challenges for transport companies and the tire service industry.

The effort is particularly evident in the example of trailers or semi-trailers. Sometimes they are moved empty, sometimes full. And the tire pressure would have to be constantly adjusted. Compared to private cars, where the tire pressure is adjusted to the fully loaded car perhaps twice a year during vacation, this is much more complex with commercial vehicle tires. The “fully loaded” or “empty” condition occurs much more frequently here. The filling pressure must be varied much more depending on the load and type of use.

But Dekra expert Koch knows of other challenges: “They always arise for users when the vehicles and trailers are used in different combinations.” This is the case when a semi-trailer is loaded onto a train or ferry and arrives at its destination another tractor. “Then the TPMS equipment must be coordinated.”

According to Dekra, mobile tire service is also not trivial, especially for trailers or semi-trailers, which are often left without a towing vehicle. “When a tire is replaced, the TPMS usually has to be calibrated or ‘retrained’,” explains Koch. “The question will then be: How does the TPMS communicate with the towing vehicle when it is coupled again? And: What is the correct filling pressure anyway?” What makes matters worse is that there are different TPMS systems – which ideally should be compatible.

NASA’s Voyager mission Apr 24, 2024 Reading time: approx. 3 minutes

No other human-made object has ever traveled as far from the Sun as the two Voyager probes. Most recently, Voyager 1 was only sending junk data, but now the probe has caught itself again.

The deep space probe Voyager 1 is sending useful data again. This was announced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Voyager 1 last provided readable data on November 14, 2023. NASA has identified a defective chip as the cause of the error. The code stored on it could no longer be executed. Since then, NASA has split the code and placed it on other chips on the probe. Apparently with success. The newly received information relates to the status of the components and systems on board. NASA now hopes that Voyager 1 will provide scientific data again.

Methuselah among space probes

When the two Voyager probes launched in 1977, Pluto was still a planet, rocket developer Wernher von Braun had just died and SpaceX founder Elon Musk was a six-year-old child. 47 years later, space travel is different, but Voyager 1 and 2 are still sending their data to Earth – intermittently. Meanwhile, the more distant of the two probes, Voyager 1, has put nearly 24.3 billion km between itself and Earth – 163 times the Earth-Sun distance – making it further from us than any other man-made object . In the meantime, the mission seemed to be coming to an end. The NASA control center reported for the first time in the summer of 2022 that Voyager 1 was still functioning, but was now sending chaotic data. Not a shocker from NASA’s perspective: “Such a mystery is no surprise at this point in the mission,” says chief scientist Suzanne Dodd.

NASA’s Voyager probes are surprisingly resilient

The Voyager probes are proven to be resilient and frugal. Both are equipped with long-lasting thermoelectric generators that run on plutonium-238. The generators’ original output was 470 W; every year there are a few watts less. The lifespan was originally supposed to be four years, but was repeatedly extended. The NASA teams have now switched off more and more instruments to save valuable energy. Of the original 20 instruments, only nine were still active in July 2022. NASA wants to continue this cost-cutting tactic.

Most of the original Voyager teams have already retired

Voyager technology dates back to the 1960s and 1970s – and is hopelessly outdated. For today’s NASA teams, dealing with the probes is tricky because the technical documentation is decades old. Sometimes the teams get stuck in dealing with the probes. Then only one thing helps: call a colleague who has long since retired. In addition, it takes roughly 22 hours for the probes to receive a radio signal from Earth. The people in the control center only know after almost two days whether the probes responded as planned.