Engineering Sheffield./file/Finalbrochure... · ENGINEERING STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM MORE TEACHING SPACE THE DIAMOND A renowned facility for practical engineering education, the Diamond

Faculty Of Engineering.

Engineering at Sheffield.We make a difference.

PRIORITYRESEARCHTHEMES

INFRASTRUCTURE

ENGINEERING FOR LIFE

ENERGY

MANUFACTURING

6,700+ 75+STUDENTSup 105% since 2008

from £38min 2009

since 2008

ACADEMICDEPARTMENTS

INTERDISCIPLINARYPROGRAMMES

1,611

7

4

AMRCGroup

3

STAFF

£226mINVESTED IN NEW AND REFURBISHED FACILITIES

£123.7mRESEARCH INCOME2017/18

COUNTRIES

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL

MATERIALS SCIENCE

COMPUTER SCIENCE

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL

CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL

MECHANICAL

AUTOMATIC CONTROL & SYSTEMS

GENERAL ENGINEERING

BIOENGINEERING

AEROSPACE

ENGINEERING AT SHEFFIELD

AMRC TRAINING CENTRE

NUCLEAR AMRC

AMRC WITH BOEING

The founding motto of the University of Sheffield is Rerum Cognoscere Causas, which translates as 'to discover the causes of things'.

This ethos continues to hold strong today at the University and particularly in the Faculty of Engineering and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). Our researchers work across disciplines and with partners around the world to solve the big challenges facing the modern world - in energy, healthcare, manufacturing and infrastructure.

Our strong partnerships with large companies such as Siemens, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Airbus, as well as with local enterprises, mean we can be confident that we’re working on research problems that matter and that our curriculum prepares students for a career in industry or academia.

People from all walks of life study here and become engineers. What they’ve got in common is intelligence, hard work and a desire to change the world, because that’s what Sheffield engineers do.

Professor Mike HounslowVice-President and Head of the Faculty of Engineering

*all figures in this brochure correct as of February 2019. The figures for staff and research income include the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Welcome

Tomorrow’s Engineers

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Contents

Research Highlights

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Investing in the Future

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TOMORROW'S ENGINEERS

The learners of today are the leaders of tomorrow. The experiences our students are exposed to here enable them to become skilled leaders in their fields. They work together, collaborating with peers, researchers and academics to pursue creative and innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges.

Housed in the Diamond, our innovative makerspace facility, the iForge, provides students with the opportunity to collaborate, create and 'make' outside of their academic studies.

The iForge is the UK’s first student-led makerspace and is managed by a team of fully trained volunteer student representatives. As well as supervising and assisting other students, they manage everything from procuring and maintaining equipment and materials, such as 3D printers and laser cutters, to developing relationships with industrial partners and prototyping business ideas.

Since opening in 2017, hundreds of students have produced a diverse array of products and prototypes. From battle robots to 3D printed Christmas decorations and parts for tribology research to components for a racing car.

£100m+OUR LARGEST EVER

INVESTMENT IN LEARNING AND TEACHING

19SPECIALIST ENGINEERING

LABORATORIES

7ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENTS USE THE DIAMOND AS WELL AS THREE

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMMES

6,700+ENGINEERING STUDENTS

BENEFIT FROM MORE TEACHING SPACE

THE DIAMONDA renowned facility for practical engineering education, the Diamond delivers the best quality learning and teaching opportunities to students, enabling them to become world-class engineers.

In addition to specialist labs, project spaces and flight simulators, there has been significant investment since the building opened in 2015 to further strengthen our research and teaching offering. This includes the student-led iForge makerspace, the MindSphere Lounge and the Diamond Pilot Plant.

iForge

“People don’t give students enough credit for what they can do, for the industry links they can bring, the ideas they have and the leadership they can show if given the opportunity. It’s amazing to see.”

Dr Pete Mylon, University Teacher, Multidisciplinary Engineering Education

“It allows engineering students to put their theory into practice and unleash their creativity, working with other students to bring their ideas to life.”

Amy McLauchlan, Aerospace Engineering graduate and former iForge Rep


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6 Engineering at Sheffield.

Launched in 2017, the MindSphere Lounge, situated in the Diamond building, furthers collaboration between Siemens, the University of Sheffield and the Sheffield City Region to accelerate digitalisation, boost digital skills, and promote technology and knowledge exchange to meet the needs of an increasingly digitalised industry.

It gives users access to MindSphere, Siemens’ open, cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform, enabling them to harness the value of data produced at the University and through various projects connected to the platform. Not only a physical focal point for students, local businesses and other digital partners to collaborate, the Lounge also represents a ‘living lab', supporting Research & Development, the academic curriculum and showcasing new digital solutions for UK industry.

The aim is to help develop the skills needed for the future, build the UK's world-class capabilities in data science across universities and promote collaboration with regional businesses to overcome barriers to IoT adoption. Siemens' MindSphere Innovation Network (MINe), launched in Sheffield, brings together a global network of universities all connected into MindSphere, enabling them to overcome digital challenges and derive greater value from industrial data.

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The aim of the Sir William Siemens Challenge is to creatively challenge and inspire the most talented engineering students from across the UK. Working in multidisciplinary teams, they are tasked with using their programming skills to analyse data collected from the MindSphere in order to build a mechanical or electronic device which showcases the data and brings it to life in a unique way. The teams are given 48 hours to complete this.

The Challenge allows for freedom of creativity and imagination, with the final design showing engineering at its purest. Participants also have the opportunity to win an internship at Siemens.

The Sir William Siemens Challenge: MINDSPHERE LIVE

“We believe this innovative network heralds a new eco-system enabled by MindSphere, which will provide a vital new model for collaboration between institutions, departments and other key stakeholders to universities.”

Juergen Maier, CEO, Siemens UK

“It was great to work with other engineers from multiple disciplines because you learn so much from one another and can develop and grow together as engineers.”

Brandon O’Connell, MEng Aerospace Engineering with a Year in Industry student, winner of the Sir William Siemens Challenge 2018

“MindSphere Live has been a truly exciting and innovative way for the Talent Acquisition team and Siemens as a whole to engage with the next generation of future makers. The students’ enthusiasm, focus and commitment to the challenge over the 48 hours was amazing to see!”

Simon Roberts, Head of Talent Acquisition, Siemens – UK&I and Nordic Countries


8 9Engineering at Sheffield.


Aerospace Engineering

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

An interdisciplinary engineering degree with established industrial partnerships and visible ties with major firms in the aerospace sector.

The Aerospace laboratories in the Diamond offer state-of-the-art teaching facilities and industry-standard equipment. This includes 17 jet engines from Wren and Rolls-Royce, four wind tunnels and 10 flight simulators. Graduates have gone on to work for world-renowned firms such as Airbus, British Airways, BAE Systems, Dyson, GKN Aerospace, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Navy.

Bioengineering is the interface between engineering and medicine. Working with doctors, clinicians and researchers, bioengineers use traditional engineering principles and techniques and apply them to real-world biological and medical problems.

The impact that bioengineering can have is huge. It is improving the performance and bringing down the cost of healthcare technology. It is reducing the invasiveness of interventions. It is helping to diagnose illness and disease faster and more accurately. Through wearable technology, it is encouraging people to be more proactively engaged with their own health. Bioengineering is helping to secure the health of future generations.

Aerospace Engineering, Bioengineering, General Engineering, and the Science and Engineering Foundation Year (SEFY) are all delivered by an academic teaching unit – Interdisciplinary Engineering.

General Engineering is an undergraduate course, specifically designed through consultation with industry. This interdisciplinary degree offers students the opportunity to study across the breadth of engineering for the first two years, before choosing which of the 11 disciplines to specialise in for the remainder of the course.

They study a problem and project-based, creative and collaborative curriculum, taught by outstanding teachers and world-leading researchers. The interdisciplinary nature of the degree means students are taught a range of transferable technical and professional skills valuable to employers.

General Engineering

Bioengineering

Industrial Training ProgrammeIn the fourth year of the MEng Aerospace Engineering degree, students have the unique opportunity to work with our prestigious industry partners, such as GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Siemens and Boeing.

Focused on a relevant industrial problem, there is a strong emphasis on developing not only team-working skills but also independent investigative exploration and learning. The module includes a variety of academic lectures and industrial seminars, as well as analysis, laboratory work and site visits, and is supported throughout by academics as well as industrial tutors.

“The interdisciplinary approach at Sheffield is incredibly beneficial to students. Not only does it reflect the way we work in industry, the broad-based education and opportunity to specialise gives them the most comprehensive understanding of the engineering environment and prepares them well for the world of work.”

Steven Jeavons, Engineering Lead, UTC Aerospace Systems

“When hiring engineering graduates, we look for skills and knowledge that show graduates can work across disciplines and are able to break down engineering problems in order to suggest viable solutions.”

Mahdieh Ghoddusi, Engineering Leadership Programme Manager, National Instruments

“Being taught by research-active lecturers makes the course really interesting. It also means we’re well placed to enter industry when we graduate because we’re aware of the most current developments in the field.”

Erika Ferreira, MEng Bioengineering graduate, now Drug Safety Officer at Pfizer

“Aerospace Engineering at Sheffield is interdisciplinary so it helped prepare me for work in an industry where I regularly interact with several departments and functions, which has been fundamental in preparing me for work life at Nissan.”

Mina Zakher, Aerospace Engineering graduate, now a Graduate Engineer at Nissan



93%OF STUDENTS SECURE EMPLOYMENT WITHIN

SIX MONTHS(DLHE SURVEY, 2017)

100%OF STUDENTS SECURE EMPLOYMENT WITHIN

SIX MONTHS(DLHE SURVEY, 2017)

Recreated LOGO

The dedicated Year in Industry Team works alongside academic departments to manage the Year in Industry placement process across all engineering departments.

The team supports students throughout the placement application process as well as during the placement year itself. There is regular contact between the team and both students and employers to monitor progress, check on student well-being and to source new placement opportunities.

YEAR IN INDUSTRY:

COMBINING EDUCATION WITH EXPERIENCE

240PLACEMENTS

IN

IN 2018, STUDENTS SECURED

131COMPANIES WORLDWIDE

“The placement has put everything I do at university into perspective. It has given me the context in which the theory I have learnt can be put into practice, as well as adding to the knowledge that can be used in my studies.”

Michael Roberts, Computer Systems Engineering (ACSE) with a Year in Industry at Airbus

“My Year in Industry placement at Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (RB) exposed me to product development in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Now that I've graduated, I am pursuing a career in academia with industrial collaborations.”

Saylee Jangam, BEng Bioengineering with a Year in Industry graduate, now Project Assistant at the Indian Institute of Science



In order to tackle the engineering challenges of the 21st century, it is important to possess teamwork, design, problem-solving, communication skills and global awareness, as well as technical knowledge.

DEVELOPING TOMORROW’S ENGINEERS

Global Engineering ChallengeThrough the Global Engineering Challenge week for first year students, we introduce and develop these transferable skills highly valued by employers through a cross-faculty group project.

Project briefs concern the sustainable development of disadvantaged communities in countries such as India and Kenya, for example, working on solutions to improve the quality of drinking water or using technology to deter poaching.

Engineering You’re HiredThe Engineering You’re Hired (EYH) initiative in the second year builds on this. Working on a project in interdisciplinary teams, students face some of the challenges encountered in the workplace and develop their skills to work effectively with colleagues and produce quality work under pressure.

Past projects have included designing:

• A sustainable swarm robot system that is able to perform the monitoring for a precision agriculture system

• A gadget to be used by cyclists to improve road safety

• An adaptable additive manufacturing system for the design of large buildings

From initial concept through to presenting their project plan, EYH enables students to experience a taste of working as a professional engineer. The students are supported by PhD students and industrial mentors – often alumni – working in engineering companies such as ARUP and Siemens.

“I think the best thing about being an engineer is knowing that you're taking an active role in shaping the world.”

Sharon Kidaha, Electronic and Electrical Engineering alumna, now working for Cundall

“These are the real skills that are useful in the workplace. It’s important to have academic qualifications as well but getting on with people and working in a team is a skill in itself.”

Jonathan Burrell, alumnus now working at Rolls-Royce



Leading the WaySheffield Engineering Leadership Academy (SELA) develops engineering undergraduate students to become leaders of tomorrow, who create positive impact in research and industry.

Industry involvement is central to the intensive two-year programme, which runs alongside students’ degree studies. Industry partners provide motivational speakers and summer work placements, deliver skills training, and offer mentoring to the SELA members. Industry benefits from the opportunity to work with top engineering talent, identify exceptional candidates, and play a role in their education.

Racing AheadFormula Student, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, is Europe's most established educational engineering competition. Backed by industry and high-profile engineers, the competition aims to develop enterprising and innovative young engineers.

Teams are tasked with producing a prototype for a single-seat race car which is then vigorously tested at an annual event at Silverstone. The Sheffield Formula Racing (SFR) team has been taking part in the competition since 2010.

Rocket LaunchesSunrIde (Sheffield University Nova Rocket Innovation Design Engineering) brings together engineering skills and innovation in rocketry design from across five engineering departments and maths.

In 2018 the SunrIde team was the first and only student-led, UK rocket design team to take part in the Spaceport America Cup, the world's largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition. They launched their first high power rocket at the competition and won the James Barrowman Award for Flight Dynamics for the most accurate altitude prediction.

Inspiring the Next GenerationThe Women in Engineering (WiE) Student Society was founded in 2012 with the aim of redressing the gender imbalance in the discipline. Women are currently underrepresented in engineering – a fact that leads to a loss of talent and innovation.

Raising the profile of talented female engineers and widening the general understanding of engineering are key targets of the programme, particularly through outreach initiatives with school students.

NEW CHALLENGES Our students take part in a wide variety of both curricular and extra-curricular activities. They are involved in societies, hackathons, challenges and enterprises at a University, local and global level – from rocket launches and building race cars to designing bridges and developing healthcare solutions.

“We were able to talk to some very interesting people from very large companies in the field. Our horizons and contacts have been broadened a great deal, offering a future full of extraordinary opportunities.”

Georgios Rontogiannis, Mechanical Engineering student and SunrIde team member

“Formula Student introduces you to a whole new level of learning beyond your degree. It teaches practical understanding as well as people skills – two key areas that can make you stand out from the crowd.”

Rob Newman, Mechanical Engineering student and SFR Team Principal 2018/19

“All of the skills that I learnt from being in the student society – organisational, leadership, teamwork and communication skills – they are all the types of skills that employers look for and I’ve got a portfolio of examples that I can give from all of the activities I was involved in.”

Charis Bronze, Mechanical Engineering graduate, founder and former President of the WiE Student Society



As engineers we are motivated to make the world a better place. We value diversity in research, encouraging creativity and innovation in all disciplines and across all levels, producing pioneering, quality research with real impact.

A SURE ThingSheffield Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) offers undergraduate students the opportunity to become directly involved in research activity, take part in real-life projects and work in partnership with academic staff.

Emerging ExpertsThose who never lose their curiosity of the world make great researchers. Working with our academics who are experts in their fields, research groups with an international reputation for excellence and industrial partners, our PhD students benefit from quality training and support to realise their ambitions, whatever their research interest might be. Our talented postgraduate researchers are making a significant contribution to global issues, working on projects that are changing the world around us.

RESEARCHERS OF THE FUTURE 93%

OF OUR RESEARCH IS INTERNATIONALLY

EXCELLENT OR WORLD-LEADING

(LATEST REF 2014)

DOCTORAL TRAININGOur seven Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) offer four-year, cohort-based training and research opportunities, focused on major engineering challenges such as infrastructure, energy, next generation materials and manufacturing.

CDT in Advanced Metallic SystemsThe EPSRC and SFI (Science Foundation Ireland) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Advanced Metallic Systems is a partnership between three internationally recognised Centres of Excellence in metallic materials and digital manufacturing at the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester, and I-Form (Dublin). Novel metallic materials and engineering solutions are essential to a wide range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, defence and renewable energy.

The CDT first won EPSRC seed funding in 2009 to address the critical shortage of doctoral level metallic materials manufacturing specialists. In 2019 it secured its third round of funding, with an extension into digital manufacturing, through a new partnership with I-Form (funded by SFI). Since 2009, the CDT also received over £10m of funding from industry, and attracted over 140 PhD and EngD students into the metallic materials sector.

“As part of the SURE scheme, I was able to investigate an area of bioengineering that I found particularly interesting but that my course did not cover in great detail. It gave me the opportunity to improve my scientific writing, experience independent research and definitely enhanced my CV.”

Danielle O’Loughlin, MEng Bioengineering graduate



RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

We provide a creative, collaborative environment in which innovative ideas can flourish, as shown through the excellence and diversity of our multidisciplinary, impact-orientated research. Our research is making a significant contribution to solving both local and global issues and is changing the world around us for the benefit of future generations.

The European construction industry consumes about 120,000 tonnes of new steel fibres every year for use as reinforcement in concrete. About twice this amount of steel fibre is produced, annually, as a by-product from the recycling of end-of-life tyres.

Most of this tyre wire is too contaminated with rubber to be recycled by the steel mills, but is prevented by legislation from being landfilled and is being stockpiled awaiting cost-effective disposal solutions.

Researchers in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering have collaborated on projects with industry partner, TWINCON Ltd, to develop uses for by-products of tyre recycling, particularly focused on concrete.

TWINCON Ltd has developed techniques and a unique facility that turns low value tyre wire into a high value product to replace virgin steel fibre reinforcement in concrete. Recovering steel fibre from tyres uses only 5% of the energy that is needed to manufacture it from virgin wire, a huge environmental saving.

TWINCON Ltd and University researchers are now working on a new prototype. Fibre cleaning and integration machines have been developed to turn polymer fibres from end-of-life tyres into usable construction material, which is now tested in various applications. This is the first time that this kind of material has been used to reinforce concrete and, as well as reducing waste, the findings could help increase the safety of constructed infrastructure in the event of fire.

The aim is to commercialise the research that has been carried out at Sheffield and develop industrial processes to make the material available on a larger scale.

Harris Angelakopoulos, Managing Director at TWINCON, said: “We are very selective about who we work with. Sheffield has experts and state-of-the-art lab facilities, it’s the perfect environment for developing new ideas.

“The construction industry is the largest consumer of raw materials and thus has a huge environmental responsibility. Successful adoption of recycled materials, like TWINCON’s Reused Tyre Steel and Polymer Fibres, will contribute towards achieving ambitious carbon targets as well as accelerate the transition towards a circular economy.”

Healthcare of the future is in our hands One of the goals for healthcare is to develop less invasive alternatives to standard surgery as they are usually less risky and have faster recovery times, benefiting both the patient and medical team.

Dr Dana Damian and Dr Shuhei Miyashita (Automatic Control and Systems Engineering) have been involved in a cutting edge project with researchers from the University of York, MIT and the Tokyo Institute of Technology to create an ingestible origami robot.

This tiny robot, the size of a £1 coin, can unfold itself from a swallowed capsule to complete specific tasks in the body, including removing foreign objects, treating wounds and delivering medicine at designated locations, eliminating the need for surgery.

It is made from layers of a biocompatible material, sandwiching a material that shrinks when heated. A pattern of slits in the outer layers determine how the robot will fold when the middle layer contracts. The robot self-folds by applied heat. Once folded, it is placed into a capsule of ice, which, when ingested, melts in the stomach, allowing the robot to fold out into its functional 3D form. The robot can then be controlled via an external magnetic field to navigate to a wound location.

As an example of how it can be used, in the case of a child swallowing a button battery, the acid in the battery can burn through the tissue of the oesophagus or stomach. The origami robot can be navigated to the site of the battery, lift it out of the tissue and eliminate it out of the digestive system, removing the need for surgery.

Dr Dana Damian said: “We are moving toward medical technology that is less invasive and more autonomous and thus can provide safe, improved and consistent outcomes.”

The team is now working on developing origami patches that can patch a hole (not only a wound) in the stomach autonomously.

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Photo Courtesy M

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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Titanium alloys are well established in the aerospace and automotive industries: high strength and low density means that the inclusion of titanium components helps to reduce vehicle weights, increase fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

While titanium alloys have similar mechanical properties to steels traditionally used in aerospace and automotive applications, and weigh around half as much, processing of these materials is often resource-intensive and inefficient.

Research led by Dr Nick Weston and Dr Martin Jackson (Department of Materials Science and Engineering) has led to the development of a new hybrid manufacturing processing technology, which is set to turn the world of titanium processing on its head.

FAST-forge consolidates titanium powder, including machined swarf, which would otherwise be sent for reprocessing, into a bulk material in two solid-state steps, rather than the 40 steps in conventional processing. It uses field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) and a one-step forging process to produce a component close in shape to the finished part, thereby foregoing numerous expensive and process-limiting thermomechanical steps.

The research, some of which has been part-funded by Innovate UK, has involved UK industry partners Metalysis, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) and Safran Landing Systems.

Revolutionising titanium production

One such project is thermal imaging on Caesarean wounds, which is led by Dr Jon Willmott (under the ADC), to investigate the relationship between temperature and likelihood of surgical site infection (SSI). This is achieved by thermally imaging the wound area and using a tailored computer algorithm to give accurate predictions of infection probability.

The objective of the research is to provide medical professionals with a new and more effective diagnostic tool.

Currently, infection is tested for once the symptoms are apparent, for example, when discharge is visible or the patient reports discomfort. Cultures can be taken from a wound to check for infection once it has taken hold, but there are very few reliable methods for prediction of infection.

It is often the case that a healthy-looking wound may go on to develop infection. The current treatment relies on antibiotics to treat the infection and some patients with healthy wounds receive antibiotics that are not needed as a precautionary measure. This can cause complications in itself, as overuse of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance, which is a serious concern.

Matt Davies, Optoelectronic Researcher at the ADC, said: “By using these thermal images we have developed a piece of software that will complement the existing forms of infection diagnosis to reduce over-prescription and improve patients' well-being through prediction and early diagnosis.”

This project is a collaboration between The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, led by Professor Charmain Childs from Sheffield Hallam University.

Thermal wound imaging diagnosis reduces need for medicationThe Advanced Detector Centre (ADC) is led by Professor Chee Hing Tan (Electronic and Electrical Engineering), focusing on projects involving optical light (such as UV or infrared) and translating fundamental research through to industrial or clinical application.


RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Blindness caused by corneal scarring is a problem worldwide. It’s a condition that can result from eye injury or an acquired or hereditary medical condition.

A treatment for this condition has been developed by taking a small biopsy from the patient's unaffected eye and then expanding these corneal stem cells in specialist laboratories. These cells are then placed on a human amniotic membrane to graft back onto the eye.

A collaboration of scientists led by Professor Sheila MacNeil and her team at The University of Sheffield, working with L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, developed a technique involving using a very small piece of tissue from the patient’s unaffected eye. This is cut into about 8/10 small pieces (containing the corneal stem cells) and lightly attached to a biodegradable membrane, then placed onto the damaged eye, following the removal of damaged tissue.

The body then grows these healthy cells to form a new cornea and give the patient much improved vision within a matter of weeks and a much improved quality of life.

The current technique uses an amniotic membrane to place the cells on. This membrane is obtained following childbirth, screened, tested and stored in cryogenic conditions until it is needed. Since its introduction in 2011, 25 clinics around the world have taken on this innovative technique (known as Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation) and have now treated thousands of patients.

There are, however, inherent risks around using amniotic membranes as they may contain viruses that could be transmitted to the patient, particularly in developing countries, where many centres do not have access to safely banked amniotic membrane.

Accordingly research, sponsored by Wellcome Affordable Healthcare for India, is now focused on developing a synthetic membrane. This is at an advanced stage and would provide surgeons with a ready supply of safe materials with which to treat many more patients.

CHEAPER,FASTER,SAFERA value engineered solution for corneal regeneration

8-10mIN INDIA AFFECTED BY CORNEAL BLINDNESS

10-15% OF THESE PEOPLE IN INDIA COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS

NEW TREATMENT

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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Tribology – the underlying science and technology of how surfaces in motion interact – is crucial to many of the things we depend upon in our daily lives, such as the bearings in jet engines, wind turbines and your washing machine.

The Leonardo Centre for Tribology (Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering) specialises in the science of interacting surfaces – including friction, lubrication and wear – and surface engineering. The aim of the Centre’s research is to help industries such as aerospace, automotive, rail and energy to improve technology and applications, making designs more efficient, effective and sustainable.

An ongoing research programme within the Centre is the development of acoustic methods to understand how different interfaces and contacts behave within components such as bearings, seals and pistons in ship transmissions, cars and wind turbines.

This innovative research has led to a long-term partnership between the Centre and Ricardo UK Ltd, a global strategic engineering and environmental consultancy that specialises in the transport, energy and scarce resources sectors.

Ricardo designs and build engines, transmissions and electrical systems for a range of machinery – from transport to power generation using clean combustion – and have involved the Centre and its researchers in a variety of major projects to validate specialist sensor methods, including offshore wind turbines.

Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce, Director of the Leonardo Centre, explains: “Bearings in wind turbines are a common, and very expensive, source of turbine downtime. As part of our support contract with Ricardo we are assisting their development of practical measurement systems for large flexible bearings, as inputs to their advanced bearing life models that will guide future designs and improve accuracy of condition monitoring systems.

“The impact of projects like this can be wide reaching – from helping industry to adopt more efficient designs, to helping clean energy approaches such as wind generated power and battery powered vehicles to become more cost-effective and accessible.”

Biologics are the futureBiological medicines derived from genetic engineering technology are big business. They have proved very effective treatments for serious diseases. Examples are the antibodies Herceptin and Humira, both are immunotherapies used to treat breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis respectively. However, as these drugs are complex molecules produced by genetically engineered living cells in culture,

manufacturing process development can be time consuming and costly. This can mean that they are very expensive to use in the clinic and health

services may have to make difficult cost/benefit decisions as to whether to make them available to patients.

Numerous new biological medicines are now in development – biopharmaceutical companies

are actively developing next-generation engineered therapeutic biomolecules, as well as new gene and

cell therapies. Increasingly, they are concerned with manufacturability – is it possible to actually make the complex biological drug product at a scale necessary to fulfil demand? Some potentially important therapies may be just too complex and difficult to make in a timely manner.

This is where new biomanufacturing technology can make a huge impact for biopharmaceutical companies and patients. Research led by Professor David James and his team at Sheffield concentrates on the design and development of new bioprocesses and tools that enable manufacture of next-generation biological medicines, by speeding their delivery to the clinic and reducing their manufacturing cost.

His laboratory works in partnership with several biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies, ranging from small SMEs such as Absolute Antibodies (Redcar, UK) to large multinational companies such as MedImmune (the global biologics research arm of AstraZeneca). This work is inherently multidisciplinary, using engineering design principles to improve the function of complex biological systems such as the mammalian cells used as “drug factories” in manufacturing processes.

Tribology: can investigating interaction make all the difference?

“This is the impact of engineering. Biological discovery always comes first, as with the first antibiotic penicillin, but what enabled everyone to access the biological medicine is the design and development of robust, cost-effective manufacturing processes. The next generation of biological therapies set to revolutionise treatment of the most serious diseases that challenge human health will require similar innovation in manufacturing technology. In the future biomedicine development should not be limited by manufacturing technology, but by the ability of bioengineers to design new, potent therapies.”

Professor David James

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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

The new Diamond Pilot Plant (DiPP) features a world -leading continuous powder processing plant, the first of its kind in any UK University.

The pioneering facility manufactures pharmaceutical tablets from blends of model active ingredients and excipients. DiPP includes key powder processing steps for formulated product manufacture such as crystallization, blending, granulation and tableting.

DiPP will spearhead industry-driven research and learning for engineering students across the globe.

Students are using the facility to test and explore integrated processes with state-of-the-art simulations and world-class control systems in a safe, production orientated environment. They are also using it for open-ended research and design projects, making sure they are industry ready after graduation.

Researchers will target industry-based problems. There are also opportunities to use DiPP for training and upskilling employees in the pharmaceutical industry and other related sectors, in modern engineering processes and tools.

Professor Jim Litster, Head of Department (Chemical and Biological Engineering) said: “The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing the most significant change in manufacturing processes in the last 30 years. It is tremendous that our students can use this cutting-edge technology in their education at MEng, MSc and PhD level studies.”

Project lead, Professor Agba Salman said: “Product development using continuous powder processing platforms is becoming the first choice in the pharmaceutical industry. The integrated powder processing line here at Sheffield will help address knowledge gaps through experimental and modelling techniques.”GROUNDBREAKING

CHEMICAL PILOT PLANT

“By supporting continuous manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry, we can accelerate that process and both design and deliver drugs that address unmet medical requirements in a seamless way: from development to manufacturing. It’s fast, it meets industry needs by differentiating products and delivers the high quality that’s expected from this sector.”

Dafni Bika, Global Head Pharmaceutical Technology and Development at AstraZeneca


RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

More than £216m has been invested as part of the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) by the EPSRC and other partner organisations to create a network of new urban experimental facilities, conducting world-leading research to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure.

The Sheffield Urban Flows Observatory is a £2.4m project under this initiative to enable characterisation of how Sheffield as a city ‘works’, how its constituent systems function and interact, so we can understand how Sheffield can thrive within the carrying capacity of the planet. The Departments of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering and Civil and Structural Engineering are working in collaboration to gather and analyse city data.

The aim is to use cutting-edge research to make Sheffield a more sustainable, productive and happier place for those that live and work in the city and to learn how this can help other cities around the world achieve the same goals.

The team is developing a comprehensive platform for monitoring the city, including using fixed and mobile sensors – such as air quality sensors, weather stations and thermal cameras – to gather information on energy, air quality, materials, resources, food and green spaces. This feeds in to a computational infrastructure which stores, analyses and visualises the data generated in real-time.

Director, Professor Martin Mayfield (Civil and Structural Engineering), added: “Undertaking radical change in cities has been likened to doing open heart surgery on someone running a marathon. We can’t afford for things to stop, but we need to change the way cities function if we are going to address the significant local and global challenges we face.”

Co-Director, Professor Daniel Coca (Automatic Control and Systems Engineering) said: “Issues such as how to reduce our carbon footprint and improve air quality can only be addressed if we have a broader systemic understanding of the challenges and the underlying processes that make a city function.”

Co-Director, Dr Danielle Densley Tingley (Civil and Structural Engineering), commented: “One of the biggest challenges humanity currently faces is reducing greenhouse gases in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. To address this at a city scale, it is crucial that we have a good understanding of how, and where, we use energy and resources, in order to identify where the most effective opportunities are for reduction. Gaining this understanding is a core aim of the Urban Flows Observatory.”

HELPIN

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ITIES TO TH

RIVE How can we make our cities healthier, happier and more resource-efficient?

Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing problems in modern society. We are hugely dependent on interconnected devices and systems for everything from household appliances to aircraft and manufacturing. Unsurprisingly, the threat of cyber attacks is increasing with data breaches, the spread of malware and hacking into systems all being reported on frequently by the media

Professor John Clark (Computer Science) leads a research group promoting cybersecurity across the University. Active research collaborations have been developed between the AMRC (authentication of collaborative robots), Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (trapdoor detection) and the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (smart building security).

A key element of the research team’s work is the cybersecurity of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT lies at the heart of the UK’s drive for increased productivity via digitisation, as exemplified by the Made Smarter Review. It refers to the interconnection of computing capability in everyday objects and supports ‘smart’ applications, for example, remotely monitoring when a factory machine needs maintenance.

Many industrial sectors are embracing IoT approaches and this is reflected by a corresponding increase in IoT research within the University.

Time to Pitch-InProfessor Clark leads the Pitch-In consortium (Promoting the Internet of Things via Collaboration between HEIs and Industry), a £4.9m award from Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund. This collaboration with the Universities of Cambridge, Newcastle and Oxford seeks to identify barriers to IoT exploitation, trial solutions, and share learning outcomes and best practice.

The funding is enabling new IoT collaborations with stakeholders in four key sectors: Manufacturing, Energy, Health and Wellbeing, and Cities. It also includes cross-sector support from the Social Sciences. A critical aim is to create effective regional IoT innovation ecosystems, working with a wide range of organisations, from start-ups to global leaders such as Siemens.

Pitch-In will disseminate guidance regionally, nationally and globally and will support the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy by significantly enhancing the commercialisation and wider exploitation prospects of UK IoT research, technology and expertise.

Cybersecurity Matters


RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Case StudyMetron Advanced Equipment Limited, based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, is working with the team at the RTC to produce parts for aerospace and automotive applications, such as jet engine components and turbochargers, from Titanium Aluminides (TiAl) using Additive Manufacturing (or 3D printing). Using advanced alloys with new technologies will enable the production of more complex parts with greater efficiency, providing the potential to exploit new commercial opportunities.

Case StudyThe LVV’s partnership with Sheffield-based Magnomatics, through the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Dynamics Research Group (DRG), focuses on testing the vibration performance of their magnetic gear components. They will now use the environmental chambers at the LVV to test under extreme conditions such as temperatures of plus and minus 50 degrees, one of an extremely limited number of facilities worldwide where they can carry out testing of this type.

Case StudyICAIR has worked in partnership with Sheffield’s Environmental Monitoring Solutions (EMS) to manage the increased risk of urban flooding caused by climate change. The artificial intelligence-based technology called CENTAUR™ means that sewer flow control systems can be managed at a local level, providing better protection using the same infrastructure.

INTEGRATED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH CENTRE ICAIR is a powerful experimental facility for investigating both underground and above ground infrastructure, using data, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing techniques to increase productivity in the design, construction and operation of civil infrastructure.

ICAIR hosts the UKCRIC National Distributed Water Infrastructure Facility, understanding how to make the nation’s infrastructure resilient to extreme events, such as flooding, and more adaptable to changing circumstances.

Jointly established by ACSE and the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, ICAIR provides a unique opportunity to put the University at the forefront of global research in intelligent infrastructure.

LABORATORY FOR VERIFICATION AND VALIDATIONThe LVV is a unique facility for conducting vibration and acoustic testing across length scales and climatic environments, scaling up to real-world industrial application. It’s one of the only openly accessible research facilities of its kind in the world.

In addition to being able to study the dynamic behaviour of substantial engineering structures in both expected and extreme conditions, the LVV is also focusing on the validation of computer models, which is crucial for both the design and continued safe use of critical structures and components. They can enable the development of more efficient, lower cost and more robust products to extend life span and predict how failures may occur.

Translational Research Facilities The Faculty of Engineering’s new world-leading translational research facilities are housed in custom designed buildings opposite the AMRC’s Factory 2050, creating 3,000m2 of high-technology facilities at an investment of £47m.

The three centres – the Royce Translational Centre (RTC), the Laboratory for Verification and Validation (LVV), and the Integrated Civil and Infrastructure Research Centre (ICAIR) – build upon the Sheffield City Region’s manufacturing and digital strengths to support the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy.

Working with companies to help develop new technologies, the centres are using the transformational power of research to cut costs and lead times which will revolutionise industrial processes.

The centres were part-funded by the University of Sheffield, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), including funds received as part of the Henry Royce Institute and UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) programmes.

ROYCE TRANSLATIONAL CENTRE One of the prestigious Henry Royce Institute facilities, the Royce Translational Centre is home to Royce@Sheffield and the metals research group of the AMRC, the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC).

It accelerates the transfer of knowledge to industry in the field of Advanced Metals Processing, including lightweight solutions for transport, new steels for nuclear, net shape aerospace components and materials tailored for orthopaedic applications.

35Engineering at Sheffield.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

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The Organisations, Information and Knowledge (OAK) Research Group, headed by Professor Fabio Ciravegna, is based in the Department of Computer Science. OAK focuses on large scale data and information acquisition and management, spanning a number of application areas including aerospace, health and well-being, medicine, mobility and transport.

OAK’s current developments include the coordination of SETA, a multi-million pound, 15 partner project, funded by the European Commission as part of the Horizon 2020 programme.

SETA’s aim is to provide large scale data solution for intelligent and sustainable mobility: the smarter, greener and more efficient movement of people and goods. Results from the project will be used to inform decision-makers on how to improve town planning and infrastructure, as well as to provide support for individual citizens to plan their journeys more efficiently and sustainably.

The project has spanned three years and comprises a consortium of partners from five countries: Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. Case studies have been held in Birmingham, Turin and Santander.

At the University of Sheffield, a main focus is on creating mobile technologies for tracking active mobility (cycling, walking, running, etc.). We have developed a class of algorithms for automated mobile 24/7 tracking of mobility, coupled with large-scale data architecture to collect data from hundreds of thousands of users.

In Birmingham, the Sheffield SETA technology is used as a tracker in the Big Birmingham Bikes project, an inspiring initiative which provides thousands of citizens with free bikes and has achieved considerable success in improving the health and well-being of local people. The technology is also used by the City Council in Santander, Spain, to run a mobility competition amongst schools, involving over a thousand citizens.

The core mobile SETA tracking technology developed by Sheffield has been used in Active 10, an OAK spin-out project funded by Public Health England. Active 10 tracks mobility for well-being of over 620,000 users in England.

MAKING EUROPE ACTIVE


RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

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The University of Sheffield is part of the UK Railway Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), an initiative that is bringing academic research and industry together to revolutionise rail innovation and accelerate the introduction of new technologies.

Launched in 2018, UKRRIN has been established in response to the Rail Technical Strategy – a 30-year vision for the future of railways in the UK – and will offer industry the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers and facilities to support innovation. With a 10-year funding commitment from both UK Government and leading industrial partners, the collaborative research will include working with British Steel to design and test new rail metallurgies.

The ultimate aim of the Network is to help contribute towards ambitious targets for the sustainability of rail including reducing costs, improving customer experience, halving the carbon footprint of the railway, and doubling the capacity of the UK network.

As rails are exposed to extreme load, especially on curves, they are generally considered a consumable by the industry – something that needs to be regularly replaced, similar to tyres on a car. Led by Professor David Fletcher (Mechanical Engineering), University of Sheffield research will help develop more durable rails, supporting their installation through developing design guidance with Network Rail to optimise their application in the network.

This will not only help to manage the cost of replacing steel, but will also help to offset additional impact in terms of energy required to create new rails and the time the track is out of action – all contributing towards a more sustainable railway infrastructure and ultimately, a better experience for passengers.

These goals are also addressed in other Sheffield railway research projects. Students and researchers are working with industry partners to extend the life of overhead power lines, in rail application of energy storage technologies, and in optimisation techniques to design future trains and stations for better passenger experience.

Industry partnership in railway engineering

A new partnership in offshore windThe opening of Siemens' new £310m offshore wind (OSW) turbine blade factory in Hull is a milestone for the industry. It coincides with increased investment in operations and maintenance activities to service the increasing capacity of OSW farms, especially by the world’s largest OSW developer, Ørsted.

The five-year £7.64m Prosperity Partnership project brings together these two major players in the OSW industry – Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted – working together for the first time in the UK with world-leading academic researchers led by Professor Zi-Qiang Zhu (Electronic and Electrical Engineering).

The project involves a multidisciplinary team of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers from the University of Sheffield, Durham University and the University of Hull. The project will research the key technologies at low Technology Readiness Levels, for the manufacture of large scale wind turbines.

The direct impact through the industrial partners includes new generator designs for the next generation of even larger wind turbines at lower capital cost, structural health monitoring for reduced operation and maintenance costs and novel designs of blades and foundations.

The programme will enable more affordable and efficient technology to facilitate growth of offshore wind power to meet energy needs worldwide. It will provide growth in the UK offshore wind supply chain and help the UK to achieve its CO2 emissions targets by ensuring resilient low-cost energy.

The findings of the research project are relevant to academics working in a number of fields directly connected to wind energy. Furthermore, the underlying technologies developed within this programme will impact on research in a number of other market sectors, including aerospace, automotive and medical. For instance, the modular generator could be applied to fault tolerant machines for more electric aircraft and ship propulsion, and the structural health monitoring techniques can be applied to earthquake zones and civil engineering structures such as bridges.


RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Addressing the most pressing global issues, from energy and healthcare to manufacturing and infrastructure, our research centres produce internationally renowned transformational research, recognised for both quality and impact. That's what we do at Sheffield, we make a difference.

Our growing population, ageing infrastructure and the impact of climate change are resulting in an increasingly unsustainable water system.

So, how do we build resilience, efficiency and adaptability into our systems, networks and catchments to ensure we all receive clean water, sustainably, by the year 2065?

Led by the University of Sheffield, TWENTY65 is an EPSRC-funded research consortium, made up of six UK universities, undertaking ambitious research across eight thematic areas to begin the transformative change needed in the water sector over the next 50 years.

A unique feature of TWENTY65 is the Water Innovation Hub that is revolutionising the way innovation is delivered. The Hub, based at Sheffield, is a place for exchanging, training, networking, exploring, questioning, testing and dreaming together.

“This collaborative approach to working with industry enables our research expertise to be rapidly translated into real-world applications and solutions, making water systems better for the future.”

Professor Joby Boxall (Civil and Structural Engineering), TWENTY65’s Principal Investigator

• Minimising Carbon Emissions

• Demand Based Technologies

• Robotic Autonomous Systems

• The City as a Water Resource

• Adapting to Changing Catchments

• Collaboration for Innovation

• Foresight and Integration

• Effective Public Engagement

The financial cost of dealing with blockages in the UK’s sewers runs into millions each year and many blockages are caused by 'fatbergs', made up of fat, oil and grease that have been disposed of incorrectly down sinks and drains and accumulate over time.

Professor Simon Tait (Civil and Structural Engineering) and Professor Kirill Horoshenkov (Mechanical Engineering) have been working with wastewater and systems experts, nuron, on a new technology to provide an early warning for sewer blockages. This could save water companies significant costs and dramatically reduce instances of flooding.

The fibre optic ‘nervous system’ for sewers enables water and wastewater companies to monitor the flow of sewage in pipes in real time, so that they can act before blockages have time to build up.

It not only transforms existing sewer and wastewater monitoring capabilities, but includes capacity for the integration of existing sensors and telemetry to create a comprehensive management network. As it is based on optical fibres, this new technology could also enable a more cost effective and efficient means of broadband roll out without the need to dig up roads and pavements.

It is the only dual-purpose technology of its kind, enabling solutions to address the impact of climate change, ageing infrastructure and urbanisation.

70+RESEARCHERS

(FROM MASTERS STUDENTS TO PROFESSORS)

6PARTNER

UNIVERSITIES

100+INDUSTRY PARTNERS

£4mEPSRC GRAND

CHALLENGE FUNDING

Tailored water solutions for positive impact

Fatbergs and

fibre optics

TWENTY65



SHEFFIELD ROBOTICS Robotics, Autonomy, Artificial Intelligence: all for a better futureThe world is standing on the verge of a revolution in robotics. The kind of life-changing innovations we’ve been dreaming about for decades are now only steps away.

Taking those steps, through responsible, ethical research, the team at Sheffield Robotics is pioneering new products and processes that will transform the way in which we live and work, whilst ensuring the needs and concerns of stakeholders are addressed.

A collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, the research institute wants the robotic revolution to drive economic growth, create jobs and improve lives.

Sheffield Robotics has one of the largest portfolios of ongoing publicly-funded robotics research in the UK, supported by both the UK Research Councils and the European Union. As well as partnerships with leading industrial, commercial and government organisations in order to ensure the real-world relevance and impact of our research.

135+ACADEMICS

1,000+ ROBOT

PLATFORMS

• Flexible Manufacturing

• Health and Social Care

• Challenging Environments

How will immersive technologies

impact our future selves?

This is the question being asked through Sheffield Robotics’ latest project, aiming to explore the effects

of technologies such as robot avatars, virtual reality and AI servants, brought to life for most of the general public through film fantasies including The Matrix and Avatar.

With the development of next-generation virtual reality, social media and telepresence, our ‘cyberselves’, the people who we become in these virtual worlds, could become as important to us as our ‘real’ selves.

Principal Investigator, Professor Tony Prescott (Computer Science), said: “Our Cyberselves project thinks it imperative that we examine the transforming impact of immersive technologies on our societies and cultures. At Sheffield Robotics we have developed a system, using state-of-the-art motion capture, virtual reality and robotics equipment, that will offer the opportunity to experience telepresence and interact with researchers about their experiences.

“By collaborating with a wide cross-section of the public, industrial partners, educators and policymakers, we hope to understand better what people want, and do not want, from such technologies, so that they are more genuinely useful to those people on whose lives they will have the most impact.”

There are important applications of immersive technologies in many other sectors. For example, teleoperation of remote equipment can clean hazardous environments, such as in the nuclear industry; telepresence can be used for helping children with long-term disabilities attend school virtually; and augmented reality can be used in areas such as design, tourism and retail.

There are concerns that the increased use of these technologies could put people at risk of cognitive, physical or emotional damage through over-exposure. Thus, while important economically, we must be having these conversations and informing all affected publics about the broadening use of immersive technology.

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Engineering at Sheffield.44

Delivering affordable, secure and sustainable energyEnergy 2050 is one of the UK’s largest energy research institutes. Going beyond traditional university research boundaries to deliver industry and policy relevant innovation, the research team works with industry and government to de-risk investment in energy technologies by delivering commercially viable, zero-emissions solutions to ensure a competitive low-carbon UK economy.

The institute has world class facilities to test new energy technologies, prototyping expertise to accelerate the process from blueprint to market, and advanced engineering and manufacturing understanding to reduce the cost and time of making components.

There is an urgent need to balance the growing global demand for cheap, reliable energy with the increasing risks and challenges of tackling climate change. The UK has committed to a legally-binding target of reducing its emissions by 80% of 1990 levels by 2050, and it is the mission of Energy 2050 to support the achievement of this target.

The UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC), part of Energy 2050, is supporting research into Bio-energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS).

BECCS power plants have the ability to produce energy with net-negative CO2 emissions. Therefore, BECCS has been identified as an integral component in many of the low-carbon scenarios proposed to meet the Paris Agreement, a global commitment to limit the world’s temperature increase to 2oC, and preferably 1.5oC.

BECCS works by combining biomass fuels (made from plants), which absorb CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow, with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), a technology that captures CO2 from an emissions source, such as a power plant, and stores it safely, deep underground.

Researchers at The University of Sheffield, led by Head of Energy 2050, Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, are working to understand how the range of biomass fuels available perform with different Carbon Capture technologies to produce the most efficient and environmentally sustainable bio-energy power plants.

Extensive testing is taking place at the Pilot-Scale Advanced CO2 Capture Plant (PACT) facilities, also based at the University, which helps researchers bridge the gap between bench-scale and commercial-scale applications and make a real world impact on emissions reductions.

The findings of this project will further consolidate the UK’s position as world leaders in the technological understanding of decarbonising existing power generation infrastructure.

4ENERGY

DOCTORAL TRAINING CENTRES

3STATE OF THE ART TESTING

FACILITIES

250+PHD STUDENTS

120+ACADEMICS

ENERGY 2050

• Energy Generation

• Energy Use and Demand

• Energy Infrastructure

• Energy Policy

Negative Emissions Energy

CARBON CAPTUREThe UK Government has announced its support for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology in both its Industrial Strategy and Clean Growth Plan, recognising the key role CCUS can play in decarbonising the UK economy.

The UK Carbon Capture and Research Centre (UKCCSRC), led by Centre Director, Professor Jon Gibbins, based at the University of Sheffield, and part of Energy 2050, brings together leading CCS academics to provide a national focal point for CCS research and development.

The Centre funds both a core research programme and awards flexible funds across the spectrum of CCS to support the drive towards an affordable, low carbon future for the UK.

Professor Jon Gibbins, UKCCSRC Director and Principal Investigator (PI)



Reducing radiation for lung disease patients It is estimated that over 12 million people in the UK are living with lung disease.

The Pulmonary, Lung and Respiratory Imaging Sheffield (POLARIS) project provides very detailed images of patients’ lungs without the use of radiation from X-rays. The technology creates functional images of the lungs in patients affected by debilitating lung conditions, including cystic fibrosis, emphysema, pulmonary hypertension and asthma.

Collaborating with clinicians in Sheffield and across the UK, the POLARIS team, including physicists, engineers, physiologists and clinicians, is leading the way in translating these techniques into clinical practice.

The group, led by Jim Wild (Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease) is one of the key research groups in Insigneo.

Their work is inherently multidisciplinary covering the fundamental physics of laser polarisation, MRI engineering and image computing, and, through Insigneo, computational modeling. Central to the cutting-edge, translational clinical imaging research is the excellence in the underlying strength in MRI physics and engineering, which has led to significant collaborations with GE Healthcare.

POLARIS pioneered the use of hyperpolarised gas and proton lung MRI for the early diagnosis and functional assessment of lung diseases. The project’s lung imaging technology and computational physiological models have reached TRL 8 (technology readiness level). This means the technology has been tested and qualified at an advanced stage, with NHS clinical referrals from respiratory physicians around the UK.

This work has grown significantly over recent years with two substantial NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) and MRC (Medical Research Council) awards of £9.5m to expand the imaging infrastructure and translational capacity, including a new scanner at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield.

The techniques are free from ionizing radiation and highly sensitive to changes in lung function and, as such, are ideally suited for therapy assessment. Collaborations are in place with Novartis, GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim in this area, using clinical lung imaging as outcome measures in trials.

The Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine is Europe’s largest research institute dedicated to in silico (computational) medicine technologies, applying the predictive power of computer modelling to the human body. The institute is an initiative between the Faculties of Engineering, Medicine, and Science at the University of Sheffield, and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.

The institute supports the development of patient-centred healthcare systems which provide clinicians with the tools to interpret medical data in new ways.

Generating knowledge from either in vitro biological processes or from patient measurements (such as clinical imaging and wearable sensors), the resulting data can inform computer models and be used by clinicians to make predictions about patients and their diseases, dramatically improving the way they can be treated.

The key challenge facing modern medicine is that the diseases having the greatest impact on quality and length of life, such as cancer and heart disease, are highly complex. They involve multiple body parts, are influenced by a mixture of genetic and lifestyle factors, and develop across many years. This complexity means that traditional medical research techniques are struggling to prevent, diagnose and treat these diseases, something Insigneo is aiming to address.

• Cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary pathologies

• Neuromotor, musculoskeletal, metabolic, and oncological pathologies

• Mechanobiology of connective tissues

• Reduction, refinement and replacement of animal experimentation

• Computational neuroscience and neuroimaging

• Pathophysiology of ageing

INSIGNEO INSTITUTE FOR IN SILICO MEDICINE

150MEMBERS

260+AFFILIATED PROJECTS

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AND CLINICAL DEPARTMENTS

£54mRESEARCH

INCOME SINCE 2012

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The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing helps manufacturers of any size to become more competitive, by introducing advanced techniques, technologies and processes.

With over 100 members, ranging from global giants such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Airbus to innovative local companies, the AMRC specialises in carrying out world-leading research into advanced machining, manufacturing and materials.

The AMRC with Boeing is part of the AMRC Group, a cluster of world-class centres for industry-focused research and development of technologies used in high-value manufacturing sectors. It has a global reputation for helping companies overcome manufacturing problems and has become a model for collaborative research involving universities, academics and industry, worldwide.

The group also includes the Nuclear AMRC, which helps UK companies win work in the civil nuclear sector and the AMRC Training Centre, which provides training from apprenticeship through to MBA level.

The AMRC with Boeing is a core part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, an alliance of seven leading manufacturing research centres backed by Innovate UK.

200+INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS

680+STAFF (UP 25%

SINCE 2017)

1,300APPRENTICES

TRAINED SINCE 2014

“For an SME to be able to access this technical level of knowledge to develop a project or resolve manufacturing issues is incredible.”

Ken Shackleton, Managing Director, The Cardboard Box Company

“Our work with the AMRC is on track to save BAE Systems millions of pounds in capital and operational costs over the coming years."

Austin Cook, BAE Systems

“We evaluated several options to achieve this objective, but the opportunity created by the AMRC at the University of Sheffield was compelling. At the AMRC, we will have access to some of the world’s finest composites and materials research capabilities.”

Mike Flewitt, CEO, McLaren Automotive



The rise of Aerospace 4.0Aerospace has to take a more conservative approach to new technologies – failure at 30,000 feet is non-negotiable. Therefore the industry may not have been able to capitalise on the same benefits of digitalisation as less risk-averse sectors.

Professor Ashutosh Tiwari (ACSE) was appointed as the Airbus/Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Research Chair in Digitisation for Manufacturing in 2017 to address advanced manufacturing challenges in the aerospace industry.

The focus is on establishing a unique, world-leading research collaboration between ACSE, Airbus, Sheffield Robotics and the Integrated Manufacturing Group based at the University’s internationally renowned Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Professor Tiwari’s vision is to develop a digitised factory. His research is structured around three themes that together, address the zero-setup (no setups for manufacturing part variants) and zero-inspection (no inspection on parts for ensuring quality) challenges in manufacturing, focusing on: digitisation of machines, human activities and manufacturing environments.

He and his team are working to develop and demonstrate highly automated and flexible manufacturing solutions that deliver a step increase in productivity of aircraft wing manufacturing and assembly.

Professor Tiwari’s research on Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) is an excellent example of a three-way collaboration between his team, the AMRC and Airbus' team. The comparison and validation of the simulation results with the real behaviour have led to the identification of problem scenarios that informed physical testing and modifications of the AMR.

The aim is to transition this underpinning research to high technology readiness levels (TRLs), resulting in the application of successful new technologies in the aerospace industry to improve quality, productivity, cost efficiencies and flexibility.

Collaborative RoboticsThe manufacturing domain is set to be transformed by the emergence of collaborative robotics – robots that share spaces and collaborate with human users, enabling us to combine the benefits of both manual and autonomous ways of working.

The nature of these systems requires consideration of a wide range of factors in their development, including the robot platform, processes, interfaces, control systems, safety and human factors. To tackle this, Dr James Law from Sheffield Robotics has formed a partnership, combining the broad research expertise of the group with the manufacturing domain expertise of the AMRC.

Sheffield has a pioneering history in both manufacturing and robotics, and this partnership is addressing the complex challenges raised by the novelty of human/robot co-working.

Projects have included the development of an application programming interface for collaborative robots to expedite process prototyping; research and development of intuitive spoken and graphical interfaces to support user interaction; and delivery of co-design workshops to engage stakeholders in the development of new robotics processes. The latter has resulted in further projects being formed around the industry-driven challenges of safety, skills and education, and cyber security.

Amongst workers, concerns about robotics and artificial intelligence taking jobs are having a negative impact on the successful deployment of new technologies.

To counter this, researchers from the faculty are working with academics from the faculties of science and social science to develop responsible research and innovation practices to understand attitudes and address the concerns of workers and the public. In doing so, this partnership brings together the expertise to develop not only the technologies required to collaborate with robots, but also to consider the needs of stakeholders, and the impact on wider society.

RESEARCH TO DATE HAS FOCUSED ON:

Developing intelligent

drilling techniques

for quality assurance,

contributing to

Airbus’ transition to

electrification of its

shopfloor.

Contributing to the

Wing of Tomorrow

(WoT) programme

at Airbus through

digitisation of skill-

intensive tasks in wing

equipping/assembly.

Developing simulation

models to provide

an assessment of

how Autonomous

Mobile Robots

(AMRs) will interact

with the shopfloor

environment.

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The UK is a key player in high value manufacturing – from a thriving aerospace industry to some of the world’s largest pharmaceuticals groups and a renowned automotive sector.

Advanced manufacturing provides an important institutional foundation for learning and developing process skills and capabilities that are increasingly intertwined with core R&D in some industries vital to the country’s economic future.

Manufacturing research is a core strategic theme at Sheffield, cutting across a wide range of disciplines, from fundamental research through to applied research with our partners and the translational research capabilities at our AMRC.

• Materials Processing

• Additive Manufacturing (3D printing)

• Photonics and Semiconductors

• Electrical Machines

• Digital Manufacturing

• Robotics

• Formulated Products

• Biomanufacturing

10%OF THE UK ECONOMY

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R&D

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MAPP is the EPSRC Future Manufacturing Hub in Manufacture using Advanced Powder Processes.

The aim of the Hub is to deliver on the promise of powder-based manufacturing to provide low energy, low cost and low waste high value manufacturing routes and products to secure UK manufacturing productivity and growth.

MAPP consists of an interdisciplinary team of leading UK researchers solving some of the fundamental challenges limiting the uptake of a vital class of new and emerging technologies and training the scientists and engineers to implement them.

The £20m Hub is led by Sheffield and brings together leading research teams from the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and Oxford, Imperial College London and University College London, together with a founding group of 17 industry partners, including Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and Safran, and the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

The UK generates more electricity from offshore wind than any other country, with the wind energy sector providing around 5% of annual UK electricity requirements – and that’s set to double by 2020.

As demand for renewable energy gathers pace, operating turbine structures in the hostile offshore conditions around our shores is proving a major challenge. The costs of operating and maintaining turbines to ensure an economically useful lifespan is now a major concern, and wind farm operators are looking to adopt more innovative design and operational methods to reduce these costs.

Enter DigiTwin, a £5m Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded programme led by the University of Sheffield, which aims to develop the concept of digital twins for dynamic structures such as wind turbines.

Through creating a reliable virtual ‘twin’ of a real, physical structure, it is hoped that engineers can develop more efficient and effective designs that can be tested more robustly. Ultimately, helping manufacturers to progress to more sustainable designs that will support the sector and offshore energy generation into the future.

Although the benefits of developing digital twins has already been recognised and explored to varying degrees within the engineering sector, creating virtual models that can be highly trusted has been a significant challenge – meaning that the impact on more efficient and effective design has been limited.

The DigiTwin project is working to overcome that challenge, with researchers working to turn the concept of a digital twin into a robustly validated technique that will both minimise and control uncertainty with applications for the offshore wind industry and beyond.

Professor David Wagg (Mechanical Engineering) who leads the DigiTwin project said: “The scientific challenge has been a sticking point for industry and is where our research steps in. By creating a robustly validated digital twin that can be applied in dynamic systems, we can help transform the way manufacturers approach design and asset management.”

The five-year research project is being delivered in collaboration with the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool, Southampton and Swansea.

It also involves industrial input, with partners including Airbus, EDF Energy, Leonardo Helicopters, LOC, Romax Technology, Schlumberger, Siemens Gamesa, Siemens Turbomachinery, Stirling Dynamics and Ultra Electronics.

How digital twins will help power the future

3D printing of critical aircraft structuresRolls-Royce has used additive layer manufacturing (ALM), also known as 3D printing, to construct a titanium front bearing housing which is held inside a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine

The construction of the bearing marks the first time ALM has been used to produce such a significant load bearing component, rather than the conventional processes of casting or forging.

Members of MAPP worked with Rolls-Royce to develop its ALM techniques through a programme of testing, research and quality assurance, building on Rolls-Royce's experience of innovation in high value manufacturing and drawing on the academics’ excellent research base in additive manufacturing.

Professor Iain Todd (Materials Science and Engineering), MAPP Director, said: “This is a great example of how academics can work with industrial partners like Rolls-Royce and the HVM Catapult Centres to translate our ground-breaking early stage research to industrial practice.”

MAPPINGTHE FUTURE

MANUFACTURINGSOLUTIONS

56 57


For further information or if you have any questions, please contact Benjamin Short, Head of International and External Engagement on [email protected]

DEPARTMENT OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING : sheffield.ac.uk/acse

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING : sheffield.ac.uk/cbe

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING : sheffield.ac.uk/civil

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE : sheffield.ac.uk/dcs

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING : sheffield.ac.uk/eee

DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING : sheffield.ac.uk/materials

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING : sheffield.ac.uk/mecheng

INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING Aerospace, Bioengineering and General Engineering : sheffield.ac.uk/aerospace : sheffield.ac.uk/bioengineering : sheffield.ac.uk/meng-engineering

AMRC GROUPAMRC WITH BOEING : amrc.co.uk

NUCLEAR AMRC : nuclearamrc.co.uk

AMRC TRAINING CENTRE : amrctraining.co.uk

AMRC KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER CENTRE

ADVANCED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (ADAM) : adamcentre.co.uk

ADVANCED BIOMANUFACTURING CENTRE (ABC) : sheffieldbiomanufacturing.org

CENTRE FOR BIOMATERIALS AND TISSUE ENGINEERING : cbte.group.shef.ac.uk

CENTRE FOR CEMENT AND CONCRETE (CCC) : sheffield.ac.uk/ccc

CENTRE FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS : sheffield.ac.uk/acse/spcs

ENERGY 2050 : energy2050.ac.uk

INSIGNEO: INSTITUTE FOR IN SILICO MEDICINE : insigneo.org

INTEGRATED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH CENTRE (ICAIR) : icair.ac.uk

LABORATORY FOR VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION (LVV) : lvv.ac.uk

MANUFACTURE USING ADVANCED POWDER PROCESSES (MAPP) : mapp.ac.uk

RAIL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE (RITC) : shef.ac.uk/ritc

RESEARCH CENTRE IN SURFACE ENGINEERING (RCSE) : sheffield.ac.uk/materials/ centresandfacilities/2.4424

ROLLS-ROYCE CONTROL AND MONITORING SYSTEMS UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE : sheffield.ac.uk/systemsutc

ROLLS-ROYCE UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE IN ADVANCED ELECTRICAL MACHINES AND DRIVES : sheffield.ac.uk/eee/research/rutc

ROYCE TRANSLATIONAL CENTRE : sheffield.ac.uk/materials/ centresandfacilities/royce

SHEFFIELD INSTITUTE FOR TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE (SITRAN) : sitran.org

SHEFFIELD ROBOTICS : sheffieldrobotics.ac.uk

TWENTY65UK CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE RESEARCH CENTRE (UKCCSRC) : ukccsrc.ac.uk

UK CENTRE FOR CARBON DIOXIDE UTILISATION : sheffield.ac.uk/cduuk

RESEARCH CENTRES AND INSTITUTESACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

CONTACTS

58

mailto:[email protected]

http://sheffield.ac.uk/acse

http://sheffield.ac.uk/cbe

http://sheffield.ac.uk/civil

http://sheffield.ac.uk/dcs

http://sheffield.ac.uk/eee

http://sheffield.ac.uk/materials

http://sheffield.ac.uk/mecheng

http://sheffield.ac.uk/aerospace

http://sheffield.ac.uk/bioengineering

http://sheffield.ac.uk/meng-engineering

http://amrc.co.uk

http://nuclearamrc.co.uk

http://amrctraining.co.uk

http://adamcentre.co.uk

http://sheffieldbiomanufacturing.org

http://cbte.group.shef.ac.uk

http://sheffield.ac.uk/ccc

http://sheffield.ac.uk/acse/spcs

http://energy2050.ac.uk

http://insigneo.org

http://icair.ac.uk

http://lvv.ac.uk

http://mapp.ac.uk

http://shef.ac.uk/ritc

http://sheffield.ac.uk/materials/

http://sheffield.ac.uk/systemsutc

http://sheffield.ac.uk/eee/research/rutc

http://sheffield.ac.uk/materials/

http://sitran.org

http://sheffieldrobotics.ac.uk

http://ukccsrc.ac.uk

http://sheffield.ac.uk/cduuk

ENGINEERING AT SHEFFIELDThe University of Sheffield Sir Frederick Mappin Building Mappin Street Sheffield, S1 3JD

: sheffield.ac.uk/engineering : @sheffunieng

http://sheffield.ac.uk/engineering

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