Podcast Ep. #7 – Dr Valeska Ting on Smart Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Storage

03/20/18 • 30 min

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Today's episode features Dr Valeska Ting who is a Reader in Smart Nanomaterials at the University of Bristol and is researching the use of nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Using hydrogen as a fuel source has many benefits. Due to its excellent energy density, hydrogen has long been hailed as an alternative to fossil fuels but it's also an excellent means of storing renewable energy from solar or wind sources. One of the challenges of storing hydrogen is its low density, meaning that large volumes are required to store efficient amounts of hydrogen to be able to use it as a fuel. This is precisely where Valeska’s research enters the picture. The nanoporous materials that she is working on can increase the density of hydrogen by a factor of a 1000, and therefore provide a key stepping stone towards more efficient hydrogen-powered vehicles. In this episode, Valeska and I talk about multiple aspects of this technology including: what nanoporous materials are and how they work how they can be used to create multifunctional materials what scientific challenges she is addressing to scale-up and improve their performance, and how they could be applied to design lighter hydrogen tanks for cars, aircraft or even rockets I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron. What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here. This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California. Selected Links from the Episode Valeska's research: Research profile Nanoporous materials for automotive applications YouTube video of her research What is a nanoporous material? Outlook and challenges for nanoporous materials

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Podcast Ep. #6 – Oxford Space Systems Founder Mike Lawton on Deployable Space Structures

On this episode of the podcast I speak to Mike Lawton, who is the founder and CEO of Oxford Space Systems (OSS). OSS is an award-winning space technology company that is developing a new generation of deployable space structures that are lighter, simpler and cheaper than current products on the market. These deployable structures deploy antennas and solar panels on satellites orbiting earth, and are tricky to design because they need to package to a fraction of their deployed size, and need to be as lightweight as possible. OSS’ first product, the AstroTube boom, was launched into space and deployed on a cubesat in September 2016. This achievement set a new industry record in terms of development time, going from company formation to orbit in under 30 months. I met Mike at the OSS design office to talk about: venture capital funding of NewSpace companies how the design philosophy of NewSpace companies differs from established firms how origami, the Japanese art of folding, is being used to design more efficient deployable structures the flexible composites technology that OSS are developing and his vision for the future of space commercialisation I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron. This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California. Selected Links from the Episode Oxford Space Systems: Technology overview AstroTube AstroHinge Origami and unpacking in space (Part 1, Part 2) First product launch Harwell Space Cluster Catapult Satellite Applications NewSpace UK Space Agency Funding Prof. Zhong You, Oxford University Asteroid mining

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Podcast Ep. #8 – Rocket Lab’s Lachlan Matchett on Democratising Access to Space and the Rutherford Rocket Engine

In this episode I am talking to Lachlan Matchett, who is the VP of Propulsion at Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab is a startup rocket company with the mission of removing barriers to commercial space by frequent launches to low-earth orbit. The current conundrum of many space technology companies that want to launch small satellites into space is that there is no dedicated launch service tailored to their needs. This is where Rocket Lab enters the picture. To provide small payloads with a flexible and dedicated launch vehicle, Rocket Lab has developed the Electron rocket. The Electron is a two-stage rocket that can be tailored to unique orbital requirements and provides frequent flight opportunities at personalised schedules. In terms of the engineering, there are many interesting features to the Electron rocket, but one of the key innovations is the Rutherford engine that Lachlan Matchett and his team have developed over the last five years. Rutherford is the first oxygen/kerosene-powered engine to use 3D printing for all primary components. In fact, the Rutherford engine can be printed in an astounding 24 hrs, and this is one of the driving factors behind Rocket Lab's cost efficiency and high target launch frequency. So in this episode, Lachlan and I talk about: Rocket Lab's business model their recent launch success in Jan 2018 some of the engineering highlights of the Rutherford engine and Rocket Lab's plans for the future I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you enjoy the Aerospace Engineering Podcast you can support it by leaving a review on iTunes or by becoming a patron. Also, as of this writing Rocket Lab is hiring, so make sure to check out their careers page. You can tune into Rocket Lab's future launches by following Rocket Lab on Twitter. What have you learned from this episode? Let me know on Twitter by clicking here. This episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast is sponsored by SAMPE North America. SAMPE is a global professional society that has been providing educational opportunities on advanced materials for more than 70 years. SAMPE’s network of engineers is a key facilitator for the advancement of aerospace engineering by enabling information exchange and synergies between aerospace companies. To find out how SAMPE can help you learn more about advanced materials and processes, consider attending the SAMPE 2018 Technical Conference and Expo in Long Beach, California. Selected Links from the Episode Rocket Lab Electron rocket Rutherford Engine Careers at Rocket Lab Rocket Lab on Twitter Follow the Humanity Star Lachlan Matchett wins Young Engineer of the Year Jan 2018 launch "Still Testing" (launch video countdown at 14:50) Rocket Lab's upcoming launch "It's Business Time"