http://ec.europa.eu//research/transport/index_en.cfm en Fri, 24 May 2013 14:46:58 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss For more RSS news feeds click the link above. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:46:58 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=rss http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-devco-rdi-sunny-vehicles&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30116 It doesn't look much like the car of the future: the vehicle parked in a workshop in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt's Red Sea tourist haven, resembles nothing more than a golf cart or a milk float. But thanks to its pioneering solar technology, it could pave the way for the production of Egypt's first ever eco-friendly road vehicle. ]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-24:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-devco-rdi-sunny-vehicles&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30116 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30093 Over half of the world's population lives in urban areas and that proportion is rising. This has severe consequences for the quality of the air we are exposed to thanks to increased transportation and industry within built-up areas. Rising levels of pollution prompted the European Commission in recent years to fund a number of projects into air quality across the EU at the city, regional and country level.]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_05_23_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=30093 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-qualiti&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30095 The research team behind the European Union (EU)-funded "QualiTi" project has developed a new testing system for titanium-made airplane parts that improves by 20 percent manufacturing-related defects' detection, even if the probability of such flaws causing any potential incidents is very low. ]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-qualiti&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30095 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-railect&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30094 Europe's railway networks have dedicated teams devoted to checking track safety, inspecting the metal for any cracks or defects that could cause problems. If a track needs fixing, it is often welded on-site. But for all their expertise, the track inspectors have few tools to check whether the resulting welds are strong enough. Now, however, researchers have built a new tool to provide an easy yet reliable ultrasonic test of track welds, adding a much-needed layer of safety to the rail network. ]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-23:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-railect&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30094 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-oil_spills&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30076 Major oil spills from sinking supertankers are thankfully very rare these days. However, smaller oil spills from shipping are unfortunately still common. Most ships have some type of fuel on board and if they are involved in an accident, there is a risk of that fuel leaking into the sea.]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-22:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-oil_spills&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=30076 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-hiwi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29995 Presently, drives for Fully Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles develop their highest efficiency of around 93–95% within a speed range of usually 1/4 to 1/3 of the maximum, and at an ideal torque, whereas in real-life driving cycles the motor operates at a wider range of speeds and at partial load, resulting in much lower efficiency. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-hiwi&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29995 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fuerex&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29994 Overconsumption of fossil fuels, excessive carbon emissions and threats to air quality are all urgent problems that would be addressed if all-electric vehicles were fully operational and in widespread use. Research conducted by the European Union funded Fuerex project could give consumers in the near future the option of driving a car with almost zero emissions, without compromising on the range of the battery. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-15:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-fuerex&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29994 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=9DB6A153-DD44-D11F-6F706F19FDC59FC5 Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=9DB6A153-DD44-D11F-6F706F19FDC59FC5 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-modtrain&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29955 When Europe's rail pioneers created the first steam engines some two centuries ago, they gave little thought to whether their inventions might be used in other countries: while their ingenuity helped transform travel, they never got round to setting uniform rail technologies across the continent. ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-modtrain&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29955 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-supra&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29925 For pilots, one of the most difficult skills to learn is 'upset recovery' - righting a plane that has stalled or been thrown into an unstable situation due to weather or a technical problem. When a pilot is not able to fly out of an 'upset' and the plane proceeds out of control, accidents can result. And it is precisely because these extreme conditions seldom occur in real life that it is hard for a pilot to be prepared for them: up to now, no flight simulator reflects adequately how an actual aircraft behaves during upset situations. Alternative training methods – such as using large commercial aircraft for training or smaller ones – are either too dangerous or too expensive, or may not be comparable to how large aircraft behave and respond. ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-05-08:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-supra&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29925 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=17A41A7B-DBD0-29F6-C3F55EAFBE4B6D4B Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-17:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=17A41A7B-DBD0-29F6-C3F55EAFBE4B6D4B http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=FEBC337C-D008-F89F-F73EDBF97A186F33 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-12:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=FEBC337C-D008-F89F-F73EDBF97A186F33 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=FDC0744A-DF69-8ECF-828981963B021489 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-12:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=FDC0744A-DF69-8ECF-828981963B021489 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=D93742F8-B701-D85F-C530499508FA5F64 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-05:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=D93742F8-B701-D85F-C530499508FA5F64 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_05_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29573 Anyone living near an airport will testify to the ferocious sound of airplanes taking off and landing. It can be deafening very close to the runway and still very disruptive at a distance. But thanks to a European Union research project, those thundering flyovers could be muffled, sparing the eardrums of people under the flight paths.]]> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-04-05:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_04_05_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29573 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-storage&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29520 Powering a car with batteries is basically a question of numbers. The more you have, the further you can expect it to go. However, larger batteries do not necessarily bring more mileage. Their sheer weight and size can cancel out power gains and limit performance; a battery in a 1200 kg Tesla Roadster weighs in at a hefty 450 kg. ]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-27:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-storage&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29520 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-rapolac&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29519 The production of advanced high-tech components for aircraft and other aerospace applications is an expensive and time-intensive process involving design, prototyping and then machining of parts often using costly high strength-to-weight materials such as titanium. A new production approach developed under the European Union (EU) -funded RAPOLAC project (Rapid Production of Large Aerospace Components) can bypass the prototyping stage and build a new part in a fraction of the time with production costs reduced by as much as 40%. ]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-27:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-rapolac&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29519 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-tellibox&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29516 Used all over the world to ship goods stamped with "Made in …", containers are at the very heart of global trade. They have been around since the 1950s and have literally revolutionised the way we manufacture, trade and consume goods. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-tellibox&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29516 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-odicis&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29515 With its all-around touchscreens, futuristic design, and dazzling interactive displays, it looks more like a flight deck from the Star Wars or Star Trek movies than anything in use today. Yet the ODICIS concept is a vision for a very real application: a cockpit that airplane or helicopter pilots might use within a decade from now. ]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-26:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-odicis&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29515 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29353 Millions of European city dwellers endure urban noise pollution every day. Apart from its nuisance value, noise in Europe has health risks with stress and cardiovascular issues being particular concerns, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The social costs of traffic noise in Europe have been estimated to 0.4% of total economic output, mainly from road transport. ]]> Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/headlines/news/article_13_03_13_en.html&item=Infocentre&artid=29353 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-safeast&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29359 In Europe over 41,000 people die and 1.6 million are injured in traffic accidents every year. However, there are striking regional differences. In Southern Europe the number of traffic deaths is as much as two to three times higher for the same number of vehicles. The project SAFEAST, Towards Safer Road Traffic in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, was set up to examine the reasons behind these differences in October 2004. Universities from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Greece participated in the four-year project. ]]> Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-safeast&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29359 http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-premaid&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29358 As the group of components that generates power for a locomotive, the powertrain – which includes the transmission, drive shafts, and differentials – is the motor of the railways. It needs to be watched and maintained carefully to ensure every aspect is safe and in proper working order. But this is a tough task: there are few diagnostic tools available to check the reliability of powertrains, so maintenance is either done after a component fails (with all the associated risks to the service), or through a systematic yet indiscriminate replacement of key parts. ]]> Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-13:/infocentre/article_en.cfm?id=/research/star/index_en.cfm?p=ss-premaid&calledby=infocentre&item=Infocentre&artid=29358 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=493CA34C-B149-F634-E91884BAF0F05432 Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-08:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=493CA34C-B149-F634-E91884BAF0F05432 http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=45883730-E1F2-2CAC-5620CDC18A1F4F6D Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-07:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=45883730-E1F2-2CAC-5620CDC18A1F4F6D http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=458CA974-DCDE-EFE2-8919F8BCA7792583 Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT tag:ch,2013-03-07:/index.cfm?pg=events&eventcode=458CA974-DCDE-EFE2-8919F8BCA7792583 http://ec.europa.eu/research/transport/index_en.cfm For more information on Transport, click the link above, which will take you to the Transport web site. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:46:58 GMT http://ec.europa.eu/research/transport/index_en.cfm