Spain is building the world

[Tietar]

New era for air traffic control dawns at Prestwick

Following hundreds of hours of testing and fine tuning, a state of the art new air traffic control system has entered full operational service at Scotland’s Prestwick Control Centre.



The system – called iTEC – is the next generation of air traffic control technology designed to increase airspace capacity and improve safety by automatically detecting potential aircraft conflicts ahead of time.

It also helps reduce aircraft fuel burn and emissions by enabling the future introduction of ‘Free Route Airspace’ above 28,000 feet, giving pilots greater flexibility to fly the best and most direct routes instead of following the existing network of rigid waypoints and airways.

Over 110 air traffic controllers at Prestwick have spent the last 10 months being trained on the new system, which has been in use periodically at increasingly busy times since January in preparation for a full switch over.

Alastair Muir, Operations Director at Prestwick Centre, said: “An enormous amount of work has gone into getting us to this point. It’s a major milestone both for Prestwick and NATS but also for aviation in the UK. How we do air traffic control is going to change in the next five years, making flying cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient and this is a great step forward.”

Mr Muir added: “We would like to thank our customers for their support during this transition which we recognise caused some disruption to their operations. We have worked to ensure this has been kept to a minimum and will continue to manage this during the peak summer traffic period.”

The system will initially be used to only control aircraft at high altitude over Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, but will be rolled out across the entire UK operation at NATS’ Prestwick and Swanwick centres during the next five years.

The iTEC platform has been developed by Indra to be interoperable with air traffic management systems across Europe. Its introduction at Prestwick – only its second deployment – represents a major milestone for NATS and helps bring the prospect of a Single European Sky closer to reality.

Gonzalo Gavin, Director of Indra ATM Europe said: “Delivering iTEC into Operation at Prestwick is the culmination of a success story between NATS and Indra in a really effective partnership. As a result of which NATS will reap significant benefit that we are sure will exceed the expectations thought possible at the outset of this programme and which will continue to grow as the experience of using iTEC develops. This enterprise places NATS at the forefront of ATM technology and paves the way for the future success of SESAR deployment throughout Europe.”

Prestwick Centre acts as Europe’s transatlantic gateway, with responsibility for 2.2m km2 of airspace and handling 80% of North Atlantic traffic. The successful deployment of iTEC forms part of a broader programme that will see NATS investing £600 million in new technology over the coming five years.

http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/...-at-prestwick/

[Tietar]

SPANISH SOLAR TECHNOLOGY MAKING RIPPLES IN THE US

Technology knows no barrier. Thus a solar technology that originated in Spain has been making waves in the US since 2010. If you are still wondering what it is, we are talking about concentrated solar power or CSP technology.



The country’s association with the technology can be traced back to 2010, when the Obama government gave the Spanish company Abengoa a red carpet reception. The bond has become stronger with each passing year. Abengoa has built two American plants in Arizona and California, supplying electricity to more than 160,000 homes, and also spurring local employment.

Solúcar Solar Farm – Where CSP Took off

When talking about the world’s modern technological wonders you just cannot forget the Solucar Solar Farm of Spain. Sprawling over three square miles, the farm nestles two tall and lean ‘power towers’. Surrounded by lush wheat fields, oak groves and ancient olive trees of Andalusia, this giant farm is the largest solar energy complex in Europe. Bathed in the rays of an otherworldly glow, the towers may look romantic and mysterious, but they were built to serve a more practical purpose – these have been a part of Spain’s push to produce more energy from renewable sources.

How does it Work?

The Solúcar solar farm has pioneered the CSP technology. As opposed to traditional solar panels that use photovoltaic cells to convert the sun’s rays directly into electricity, CSP banks on mirrors to harness solar radiation. Intense heat that is generated in the process is used to drive steam turbines, eventually producing electricity. The method is similar to the processes used in coal or oil-fired plants, but without polluting the environment.

The two towers – PS10 and PS20 – at the Solúcar site collect light reflected by 1,879 enormous glass mirrors. Called heliostats, these angled mirrors reflect the sunlight, while the radiated energy is then captured by a receiver located at the top of each tower. This reflected sunlight illuminates dust and water vapor in the air, resulting in the brilliant glowing rays. Heliostats face south, but changes direction to follow the sun as it crosses the sky. Heliostats in their full capacity can generate 300 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 220,000 households, or all of metropolitan Seville, the largest city of Andalusia.

http://www.coasttocoastsolar.com/blo...les-in-the-us/


CSP World Map Termosolar

[Aëlwenn]

I like it !

[Tietar]

Indra will provide air traffic control radars to Danish Royal Air Force

• The three Air Force bases will be equipped with Indra's primary and secondary radars
• The company competed with the world's leading radar providers to secure this important project
• Indra has thus strengthened its position in the north of Europe, a region that has spearheaded modernization of key infrastructure and where it has several offices

In an international public tender run by the Danish Ministry of Defense, via the Danish Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO), Indra has been awarded the contract to provide radars to support air traffic management at the country's Royal Air Force bases.

The company will provide three systems, each equipped with a primary radar (PSR) and a secondary radar (MSSR). These systems will bolster airspace surveillance and air operations at the Skrydstrup, Karup and Aalborg airfields.

Indra was the only company to meet the client's requirements, in a tender that saw the world's leading manufacturers compete with each other. The Indra PSR primary radar offers high operational ratios thanks to numerous features, including its ability to cross-select equipment from the main and backup chains in the event of element failure. Meanwhile, the secondary radar (Indra MSSR) is a mature and latest generation product that can operate in cluster mode, working in coordination with other radars to avoid repeatedly interrogating the same aircraft. This makes it highly effective in regions of high traffic density, such as in the north of Europe.

The contract sees the company extend its global leadership in civil aviation traffic to the military field. The company has deployed air traffic technology at 4,000 facilities in 160 countries, making it one of the world's leading radar providers.

In military air traffic management, Indra has run major projects such as providing mobile air traffic management systems to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), ensuring that these military air traffic controllers have access to first-class airspace surveillance and air traffic control capabilities.

Indra has also strengthened its position in the north of Europe, a market that demands the most advanced technologies and where Indra has been a driving force behind infrastructure modernization in several countries. For example, Indra developed and deployed the systems that manage air traffic in the skies over Germany and Poland; it supplied air traffic management systems to Lithuania and Ukraine; it deployed, jointly with Alcatel-Lucent, the system used by Latvia to manage maritime traffic on the Baltic coast; provided communication systems to shipyards; and lead the development of the Eurofighter Simulator, among others. The company also has offices in Germany and Norway, with significant technological capabilities.

http://www.indracompany.com/en/notic...oyal-air-force

[Tietar]

Amsterdam selects CAF as preferred bidder for LRVs

AMSTERDAM Municipal Transport (GVB) has chosen CAF as its preferred bidder for a contract to supply a fleet of 63 low-floor bi-directional light rail vehicles with an option for another 60 vehicles.



The tender was launched in July 2015 by Amsterdam City Region in cooperation with the Municipality of Amsterdam. It is planned to have a full-scale mock-up of part of a vehicle on show next year to allow passengers and other interested parties to comment on the interior design and accessibility.

The first vehicles are expected to enter service on the 213.3km Amsterdam tram network in the second half of 2019 with delivery completed by 2022. The LRVs will replace older trams.

“This acquisition fits in with the further modernisation of our GVB equipment,” says GVB’s managing director, Ms Alexandra van Heffelen. “In addition to passenger comfort, other reasons for this order include the ability to introduce these trams on the entire network with minimal modifications to the infrastructure.”

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php...ml?channel=526

[Tietar]

£415m harbour growth plans take step forward

Engineering firm Dragados, which is involved in the creation of the new Queensferry Crossing, has been announced as the preferred bidder for the £415 million Aberdeen Harbour Board development.



But environmental groups say questions still remain over the safety of the site.

One sample from the bay found high levels of contamination, but a second test found levels were normal.

Richard Dixon, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said further studies to test the true condition of the seabed need to be carried out. He said: “This first sample, the one which caused concern, came back with alarming results.

“It may be that sample was contaminated, but this needs to be proven through further testing. We need to be able to disregard the first sample.

“Our advice would be proceed with caution, especially on a project of this scale.”

Colin Parker, chief executive of Aberdeen Harbour Board (AHB), said: “Although this project still requires the final planning consents from both Marine Scotland and Transport Scotland, the selection of a preferred bidder demonstrates the advanced stage to which the project has reached.

“This announcement represents an important milestone in the journey which started almost six years ago for the port authority. What will now follow will be a period of finalising the contractor’s tender proposals.

“We hope to sign the construction contract later this year and for work to commence in 2017.”

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/...-step-forward/

[hedonist]

c'mon lets be real, Spain had it's time as a world superpower in the 16th century, that's all passed now

[Tietar]

Gamesa to install Asia's tallest wind turbines in Thailand

Wind Turbine maker Gamesa today declared it has won a contract for installation of Asia's tallest wind turbines in Thailand. The towers will stretch 153 metre high and the turbines will also be the longest-ever supplied by the firm.



New Delhi: Wind Turbine maker Gamesa today declared it has won a contract for installation of Asia's tallest wind turbines in Thailand. The towers will stretch 153 metre high and the turbines will also be the longest-ever supplied by the firm.

"In designing such tall towers, which are almost 30 metre taller than is usual for this model, and at a competitive cost, Gamesa's Reseach and Development team has achieved a major technological feat, " said Juan Diego Diaz, Marketing Director, Gamesa .

On the one hand, we reduce the cost of energy of the complex by boosting total energy output as the turbines will reach heights at which the wind blows harder. On the other hand, we are demonstrating once again our ability to respond to what the market needs thanks to the versatility of our turbines.

The project, owned by the company Gunkul Engineering PCL, will install 33 turbines with total capacity of 67.5 MW at the Sarahnlom wind farm being built by the developer PowerChina ZhongNan in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima in central Thailand.

All the turbines at this wind complex will be equipped with 153-metre tall towers factoring in its 56-metre blades. They will reach a total height of around 210 metres from ground to blade tip. The turbines will be supplied during the first quarter of 2017 and commissioned the following quarter. Gamesa will also maintain the complex for 10 years.


http://energy.economictimes.indiatim...iland/54424228

[Leo Iscariot]

Soon...

[Tietar]

Indra will implement spain’s system for space surveillance and tracking

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Indra contracts to deploy the S3T surveillance and tracking system for objects in low Earth orbit, worth a total of €17 million.



Indra has thus established itself as the main contractor in this Spanish program, the technical management of which has been entrusted to ESA, by virtue of an agreement with ESA, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, and the Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).

The system is set to establish Spain as one of the few countries in the world to have such capabilities, helping to drive Europe’s independence in terms of ensuring the security of satellites and space missions.

As part of the program, Indra will be entrusted with developing and supplying the surveillance radar, as well as coordinating implementation and integration of the operations center and the radar and electro-optical sensors for gathering complementary information.

The surveillance radar provided by Indra will cover orbits of between 200 and 2000 kilometers altitude above the Earth’s surface, where most orbital debris and satellites to be protected are found.

This state-of-the-art radar is strategic for Indra. It is a cutting-edge system that few countries in the world have access to. Development of the same will pose a significant technological challenge due to its size and the significant number of objects that it must detect simultaneously.

Its scalable design may transform it into the most powerful radar ever designed in Europe through successive phases of Spanish and European investment.

The new S3T system will provide Spain with a catalog of Earth orbiting objects, which can then be used to offer collision warnings of these objects with satellites and space infrastructure; an object re-entry warning service that includes information on the time and place of Earth impact; and a fragmentation service, which will detect the presence of new debris clusters and help to identify the object that generated these.

Once the system comes online, Spain will be one of the few countries capable of providing such services to the European Commission, which will harness the infrastructure of member states to monitor and track the trajectories of such objects in space. The service joins other key initiatives driven by the EC, such as Copernicus and Galileo.

To date, space missions and satellite launches depend on databases provided by the United States space monitoring system, the only country in the world capable of providing such services. It is thought that more than 70000 uncontrolled objects are orbiting the Earth, posing a significant risk to the infrastructure that our communications and positioning systems, among many other services, depend on, as well as to the safety of the International Space Station.

http://www.flyorbitnews.com/en/2016/...-and-tracking/