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EPSNEWSResearch, Innovation and Collaboration in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Summer 2013 Can the grids cope with electric cars? Cutting food energy costs All in a flutter Getting clever with Graphene with composites EPS people The Faculty is led by the Vice-President and Dean, School of Physics and Astronomy Professor Colin Bailey, and comprises nine academic Head of School, Schools and four Research Institutes. The Faculty Professor Stephen Watts Leadership Team also includes six Associate Deans who Dalton Nuclear Institute support key areas of activity, including Research, Teaching Director, and Learning, Graduate Education, Social Responsibility, Professor Andrew Sherry Internationalisation and Business Engagement, the Head Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre of Faculty Administration, is responsible for leading the Director, administration across the Faculty. Professor Nigel Scrutton Photon Science Institute School of Chemical Engineering Director, and Analytical Science Professor Richard Winpenny Head of School, University of Manchester Aerospace Professor Mike Sutcliffe Research Institute (UMARI) School of Chemistry Director, Head of School, Professor Costas Soutis Professor Christopher Whitehead Acting Associate Dean (Research) School of Computer Science Professor Stephen Yeates Head of School, Acting Associate Dean (Teaching and Professor Jim Miles Learning) School of Earth, Atmospheric and Dr Danielle George Environmental Sciences Associate Dean (Graduate Education) Head of School, Professor Ann Webb Professor Hugh Coe Associate Dean (Social Responsibility) School of Electrical and Electronic Dr Tim O’Brien Engineering Acting Associate Dean (Business Head of School, Engagement) Professor Tony Brown Professor Mike Sutcliffe School of Materials Acting Associate Dean Head of School, (Internationalisation) Professor Paul O’Brien Professor Stephen Flint School of Mathematics Head of Faculty Administration Head of School, Rachel Brealey Professor Peter Duck Head of Faculty Finance School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Pauline Morgan Civil Engineering Head of School, Head of Faculty HR Professor Andy Gibson Sue Field Contents 24 electric 12 cars 32 Electric cars are beginning to sell. Can the grids cope? PROTECTIVE FACILITIES 2 MEASURES 26 AND NEWS New AkzoNobel partnership Orrery installed at Jodrell Bank, seeks to keep rust and and new EPS facilities corrosion at bay THE DEAN’S CLEVER WITH welcOME 14 COMPOsites 34 Professor Colin Bailey A new weaving revolution introduces this edition of begins at the North West EPS News Composites Centre (NWCC) CHOCOlate DEFYING 4 POWER 28 DEFINITION CHALLENGE Polymath Professor Douglas Kell talks about his wide- Professor Rob Dryfe describes his plans to create a graphene ranging career -based battery. NEWS AND NUCLEAR successes 20 NEWS 36 Fair trade T-shirts to a new Launches and awards for the dinobird; billion-year-old water Dalton Nuclear Institute to a hat trick of Royal Society Fellows. Also on p.10, 18 & 22 MAPPING THE MEXICO TO 6 UNIVERSE 30 Manchester Profile of Sarah Bridle, Director of innovative the Professor of Astrophysics in the Latin American Postgraduate Extragalactic Astronomy and Programme (LAPP) explains its Cosmology research group success LAMB currY Quantum OR Christmas CHALLENGE DINNER New Co-Director on the role Cutting the energy costs in our the Dalton Nuclear Institute food chain in the UK’s new nuclear R&D strategy Cover image courtesy of Columbia University 1 Welcome from the Vice-President and Dean 2 Welcome to the latest edition of EPS News which offers us an opportunity to share with you the latest news about the faculty. I hope you find the contents interesting and that the people and research we feature gives you an indication of the wide range of work and activities we are involved in. This time of year provides us with an UK and the Commonwealth. Other well of what is already the largest academic opportunity to celebrate the successes known Fellows include Tim Berners-Lee research endeavour into corrosion control of our students with a number of end and Stephen Hawking, as well as our very in the Western hemisphere, to expand – of year events such as the School of own Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir opening a brand new research laboratory Materials Fashion Design Show and Kostya Novoselov. focusing on how protective coatings work project presentations in our engineering Our work on the applications of graphene and why they fail. schools. Most importantly it always gives continue with a look at Professor Rob We also feature some of our newest us all so much pleasure and pride to see Dryfe’s plans to explore the potential members of staff Professor Melissa our graduands celebrating the successful of graphene based batteries with a Denecke, Co-Director of the Dalton completion of their studies with their £2.2million project funded by the Nuclear Institute and Sarah Bridle, loved ones - particularly in such fantastic Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Professor of Astrophysics. A very warm Manchester weather. Council. Other significant funding welcome to you both! You may have seen media coverage announcements include £18 million I hope you enjoy this magazine – please of Team Manchester - victorious in funding from the UK Research Partnership let us know what you think, particularly if retaining its University Challenge title in Investment Fund to set up a new facility there are any specific areas of activity that April – marking the fourth win for the supporting research and development interest you and you would like to hear University in just eight years. Students into advanced materials. This will be more about. If you have colleagues who included Physics with Astrophysics student supported by an additional inward 10 year would like to be added to our circulation Adam Barr. We’ve highlighted a number investment of more than £100 million list please get in touch. of student successes throughout the from founding partners including BP plc, magazine. Rolls-Royce, AMEC and EDF. We were delighted with the triple We have tried to feature a variety of the celebration for the faculty with three of work undertaken by the faculty. This our academic colleagues – Professor Paul issue looks at the work of Professor Adisa O’Brien, Professor Robert Young and Azapagic who has just set up the Centre Professor Colin Bailey Professor Terry Wyatt being elected as for Sustainable Energy Use in Food Chains Vice-President and Dean Fellows of The Royal Society. Fellows are with two other universities, and our work Faculty of Engineering and elected through a peer review process on on Corrosion with Professor Stuart Lyon, Physical Sciences the basis of excellence in science, which AkzoNobel Professor of Corrosion Control recognises the most eminent scientists, in the School of Materials. Our partnership 0161 306 9111 engineers and technologists from the with AkzoNobel has allowed the expansion [email protected] 3 ENGINEERING AND PHYsical SciencesNEWS Enterprise award winner set for success Textile student Naomi Wilde (pictured right) winner of a Student Enterprise Award for her fair trade T-Shirts. “I am so overwhelmed and grateful for the awards, and the money will definitely help Fair-T succeed!” Below, the 2013 Fashion Design Show wowed the crowds this May. 4 EPSNEWS EPS Success Angie wins Sir William Siemens Medal Award Physics with Astrophysics student Adam Barr was part of the victorious Manchester team that retained its University Challenge title in April, beating University College, London 190 – 140 in the televised final. It is the fourth victory for The University of Manchester in just eight years. We also held the crown in 2006, 2009 and 2012. Angie Theresia, currently a second year Mechanical Engineering student, won the award for The University of Manchester, and came second overall in the country. The Award is given to recognise engineering Triple celebration for Faculty’s Petroleum Geoscience excellence and achievement three new Royal Society students are European during a student’s first year at university. The University Fellows champions nominated three students rofessor Paul O’Brien, from the Schools team of students from the based on their grades and any special projects they of Materials and Chemistry, Professor University’s School of Earth, have worked on. Angie won Robert Young, from the School of Atmospheric and Earth Sciences P A the award for her project on Materials, and Professor Terry Wyatt, from has been named European champions in the use of engineering in the the School of Physics and Astronomy, have the American Association of Petroleum developing world, particularly been elected Fellows of The Royal Society. Geosciences (AAPG) annual Imperial Barrel around the use of mobile Award Program (IBA). Professor O’Brien’s (centre) research focuses technology and the impact on developing new chemical processes for MSc Petroleum for Geosciences Exploration this is having. thin films and nanoparticles; especially of students Martin Kennedy, Papi Ogban, Heather Angie and the other chalcogenide containing materials. In 2002 he Wilson and Rhiannon Jones, aided by faculty hopefuls submitted a 500 founded Nanoco, an AIM listed company that advisor Christophe Serie, were crowned word statement about why manufactures nanoparticles. He has published European region 1st place winners, beating they should be chosen, more than 500 scientific papers competition from across the continent. and entries were judged and