Heating fuels supply twice the energy demand of electricity in Ireland, providing a significant opportunity for decarbonisation in the heating sector, writes John O’Shea. As Ireland’s economy recovers, the country’s energy demands continue to grow and, as a result, Ireland faces the challenge of meeting this increasing demand while simultaneously reducing its carbon emissions. Decarbonisation The post How district heating could play a key part in decarbonisation appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

In advance of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Engineers Journal spoke with Brigid Walsh, who will be a contributor at Engineers Ireland’s forthcoming national conference, which will focus on the topic of Engineering Climate Action: Solutions to combat climate change in Ireland. Walsh and her colleagues at Enerpower were responsible for Ireland’s largest The post Why I became an engineer: Brigid Walsh, contracts manager at Enerpower, tells her story appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

With most major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) set to cut ties with combustion engines in the next five years and more stringent government policies on air pollution, we are set to witness an exponential uptake in electric vehicles; however, prolonged charging times and grid stability remain uncertainties, writes Alan Spillane. This article will focus on The post Are largescale battery swapping systems the answer to ‘fast’ EV charging and stable electricity grids? appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

During August 2019, Iarnród Éireann undertook trial stabilisation works to the track at Corracullin bog on the border between Co Offaly and Co Westmeath, with the objective being to trial a method of track stabilisation without removing the tracks, writes Colin Hedderly. The benefit of a more stable track is a lower deterioration rate of The post Iarnród Éireann trial to stabilise tracks with underlying weak subgrade at Corracullin bog appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

Lithium is the non-renewable mineral that makes renewable energy possible – will it become the next oil? The shift to renewables is chugging along at a record-breaking pace. In 2018, they made up 26.2% of total energy production, and that’s expected to rise dramatically over the next several decades. At the core of the renewable The post Will lithium be the next oil? appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

The Humanihuts are currently being used to provide a resting place for Australian firefighters tackling the ravaging bushfires. Natural disasters, political disturbances, warfare, among other emergencies sadly occur all too often, leaving hundreds and thousands of people homeless and in danger. Thanks to a combination of innovative engineering, careful design, and a passion for humanitarian The post One-of-a-kind Humanihut emergency shelters set up in less than five minutes appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

The Palm Islands in Dubai are some of the most ambitious, and technically challenging, feats of engineering in the world, writes Christopher McFadden. Built to attract tourists from all around the world, the Palm Islands in Dubai are incredible feats of engineering. In this article, we’ll briefly explore how they were built and examine some The post Seven plus curious facts about Dubai’s Palm Islands appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

A study estimates that improving the rates of handwashing by travellers passing through just 10 of the world’s leading airports could significantly reduce the spread of many infectious diseases. Improvement in people’s handwashing habits at airports And the greater the improvement in people’s handwashing habits at airports, the more dramatic the effect on slowing The post Study: To slow an epidemic, focus on handwashing appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

Study suggests non-invasive spectroscopy could be used to monitor blood glucose levels. Patients with diabetes have to test their blood sugar levels several times a day to make sure they are not getting too high or too low. Studies have shown that more than half of patients don’t test often enough, in part because of The post Researchers hope to make needle pricks for diabetics a thing of the past appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more

Westport cements its position as largest manufacturing campus in global network as investment in Ireland reaches €750 million. Allergan plc, the global integrated biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Ireland, has opened its €160 million Biologics 2 facility at its Westport campus in Co Mayo. Botulinum toxin brand The new facility will create 63 jobs and The post Allergan opens €160m biologics facility in Westport and creates 63 jobs appeared first on Engineers Journal ..read more