Tom Wood, the 12-year-old Kart Racer sponsored by Q8Oils, has had a busy 2014 season contesting the Little Green Man and Super One British Cadet Championships with his team Aim Motorsport and finished the season on a high with a fantastic double at the PFI Circuit at Brandon.
Commenting on this season’s Q8Oils sponsorship, Tom says: "It’s been great to have the support of such a prestigious global company as Q8Oils during the season and I am delighted that I have been able to show my gratitude with some fantastic results.”
Q8Oils is no newcomer to motorsport and can be regularly seen sponsoring drivers, teams and events throughout Europe. Its high-performance, race-proven engine oils – such as Q8 Formula F1 and Q8 Moto SBK Racing – are used in numerous motorsport series including British Touring Car Championships and British Formula 1 Sidecar Championship.
Acknowledged by many as the race of his life and one of the best manoeuvres of the season, Tom went from seventh position to first on the last lap of the final round of the 2014 Little Green Man (LGM) National Championship where, with other drivers going for the inside line to look after their position, Tom took the open wide line at the PFi Circuit in Lincolnshire and went on to win the race and the 2014 LGM Championship 10 points ahead of his nearest rival.
The race and title wins added to an already impressive set of statistics gained during the 2014 season, which included podium finishes for seven out of the eight LGM rounds and a podium finish in his first race in the Minimax class, in which competitors drive bigger, more powerful karts. And, despite losing valuable points due to mechanical issues during two rounds, Tom finished just eight points off third place in the Super One Championship.
Tom has recently been announced as the Official Ambassador for the Donington Park Little Racers’ Kids Cub he helped to launch and these achievements – and acknowledgement as a positive role model in motorsport – have been recognised by Sport England, with Tom being shortlisted for Junior Sportsman of the Year.
Tom has also featured in a recent issue of Motorsport News and was the focus of a spotlight piece for a BBC East Midlands programme, where he was interviewed about his racing career to date and filmed driving supercars with the Race School at Donington Park.
For the 2015 season, Tom will be competing in the Super One Minimax Championship and has signed to 2014 British Champions, RL Racing Department.
Curtiss-Wright Corporation’s (NYSE: CW) Industrial division today announced that it will be attending the 2014 Performance Racing Industry show (PRI2014) in Indianapolis, IN, to promote products from Penny & Giles and Williams Controls.
The Company will be promoting the Penny & Giles range of linear and rotary sensors, including the recently launched NRH275DR. This latest non-contact rotary sensor was originally designed for use on specialty vehicles destined for extreme and hostile environments, but is now proving popular for motorsport applications. The NRH275DR features a slim, low-profile sensor housing and separate permanent magnet assembly and is ideal for throttle position sensing and feedback applications. Because it does not have contacting mechanical parts that are subject to wear, the lightweight and low-profile design of the sensor allows it to be mounted where installation space is limited, e.g. the pivot point of the throttle pedal.
Also on display at PRI2014 will be a selection of throttle control products from Williams Controls, including its electronic throttle pedals which, in an on-going partnership with Polaris Industries are being used on the RZR XP 1000, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) credited as providing the fastest acceleration, highest top speed and flattest torque curve in the industry.
Curtiss-Wright will also be using PRI2014 to highlight the motorsport potential of its range of motor controllers, including the Sigmadrive, from PG Drives Technology.
Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division is a recognized leader in the production of critical controls and assemblies for specialty vehicles, including sensors, electronic throttle controls and joysticks. For further information about other innovative solutions available from Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division, please visit www.cw-industrial.com or call +44 (0)1425 271444.
With the recent Carbon Trust Annual Survey showing energy costs as a key issue for most SMEs and corporate organisations, Monodraught has joined with Salix Finance Ltd to help empower public sector organisations to take a lead in tackling climate change by helping to drastically increase their energy efficiency with the installation of Monodraught’s Cool-phase system.
Salix Finance’s 100% interest-free capital for the public sector can help reduce public sector energy costs by enabling the installation of modern, highly energy efficient technologies such as Cool-phase. Cool-phase features an innovative Phase Change Material thermal energy store combined with intelligently controlled ventilation to actively ventilate and maintain building temperatures within the comfort zone. Utilising this technology can reduce energy consumption by up to 90% compared to conventional cooling systems.
Commenting for Monodraught, Managing Director Andrew McCubbin explains: “Uniquely, this combination of energy savings, cost savings and environmental benefits, enables Monodraught’s Cool-phase to meet the requirements of building regulations for thermal comfort, ventilation and energy efficiency in a single easy to retrofit system. And since no compressors or global warming refrigerants are used, the system does not require the expensive servicing and statutory checks required of air conditioning systems which further reduces running costs".
As upfront capital is a common barrier for public sector organisations seeking solutions to cut their energy consumption, Salix Finance and Monodraught can remove this barrier by making funding and technology accessible to the public sector.
By supporting innovative technologies such as Cool-phase, which have the potential to make significant contributions to energy efficiency, the Salix Finance funding mechanism can accelerate the move to a low carbon economy.
How to apply for Salix funding
The funding approach is a client-led process operated directly through Salix Finance. In order to complete the necessary application form, a Persistence Factor (PF) is used to equate the potential savings from using Cool-phase. A higher PF means long-term savings are improved. Cool-phase has been given an initial PF of 23.75, which aligns the use of the Monodraught system to similar efficiency savings achieved using LED lighting.
Salix Finance Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Education, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that its Industrial division has expanded the functionality of its R-net multi-module control system for rehab-type powerchairs, with the introduction of the R-net Gyro Module from PG Drives Technology.
The R-net Gyro Module adds an extra dimension to controlling a wheelchair by maintaining the desired drive direction irrespective of the external forces acting on the wheelchair.
Commenting for Curtiss-Wright, Senior Vice President & General Manager of the Industrial division, Kevin Rayment says: “High-speed, front-wheel-drive type wheelchairs will benefit most from the addition of the R-net Gyro Module; however the technology also offers vastly improved drive performance on rear-wheel-drive models when used with switch-type specialty controls.”
A particularly difficult issue with some fast, front-wheel-drive wheelchairs is experienced on exiting a turn when, regardless of the joystick’s position, the wheelchair can continue to turn and enter a ‘spin-out’ condition. Existing, software-based solutions have attempted to address this by slowing the wheelchair’s turning speed by a set amount, but this often results in a poor drive feel. The R-net Gyro Module offers a more reactive result by only reducing the turning speed of the wheelchair by as much as is necessary. This results in a more responsive and smoother drive feel, as the wheelchair does not need to be slowed down dramatically to maintain control.
When driving in a straight line, there may be a tendency for the wheelchair to veer to one side or the other, a condition known as fish-tailing. The Gyro Module can effectively eliminate all of these conditions. Additionally, if a wheelchair is driving across a non-level surface – e.g. a camber – the user has to make frequent steering corrections to achieve a straight line driving. This is inconvenient when using a joystick, but becomes increasingly difficult when using a switch-type controlling device such as a switch pad or head array. A further challenge in maintaining straight line driving is presented by obstacles, such as a pavement kerb, or door thresholds, particularly if they are of uneven height. The Gyro Module vastly improves control in all of these situations.
The Module includes two gyro sensors as standard. This means that if one sensor becomes defective the other maintains control. In the event of a complete gyro failure or module disconnection, the wheelchair’s drive speed is automatically limited.
The compact size of the R-net Gyro Module from PG Drives Technology means it can be easily accommodated on any wheelchair. Its ability to be mounted in one of four orientations also means fitting and setup is intuitive and simple. The R-net Gyro Module has also been designed to work with existing R-net Modules; and all Power Modules will be upgraded to support gyro functionality as standard.
Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division is a recognized leader in the production of critical controls and assemblies for specialty vehicles, including sensors, electronic throttle controls and joysticks. Its PG Drives Technology business has almost 40 years’ experience in sophisticated mobility control systems and is one of the world’s foremost suppliers of these products. For further information about other innovative solutions available from Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division, please visit www.cw-industrial.com or call +44 (0)1425 271444.
Leading natural daylighting and ventilation specialist Monodraught will be on Stand E17 at the Education Estates Exhibition 2014 at the unique Manchester Central city centre location from the 11th to 12th of November.
The Exhibition covers the entire facilities lifecycle, from design and specification, through construction, to maintenance and management; and offers opportunities for visitors who are ‘Creating Learning Environments’ for the UK’s maintained schools, academies, free schools, independent schools, colleges and universities.
Visitors to Stand E17 can find Monodraught exhibiting the best ventilation and lighting solutions within the education sector focusing on innovative solutions such as Sunpipes, Cool-phase, HTM and Windcatcher; as well as a range of other Monodraught products.
Following the recent announcement that Q8 Volta now meets MAN Turbo SPD and Alstom Power specifications, Q8Oils can confirm that its turbine oil – created using a high-quality Group III base fluid that has been specifically developed to offer outstanding resistance against ageing and oxidation – is now officially approved by all major gas and steam turbine circulation system OEMs including Siemens and GE Energy.
Commenting for Q8Oils, energy specialist Tony O’Keeffe says: “MAN Turbo SPD 10000494596 and Alstom Power HTGD 90117 approvals were achieved following months of exhaustive testing and we are delighted to add these specifications to an already impressive list of official OEM approvals that include Siemens TLV 9013 04, Siemens TLV 9013 05, GE Energy GEK 32568 and GE Energy GEK 107395.”
All oils in the Q8 Volta range can be used for either gas or steam turbine applications and exceed other OEM specifications such as ASTM D4304, Siemens MAT812108, Siemens Westinghouse M-Spec 55125Z3 and SolarTurbines/Turbomach ES 9-224. In addition, industry standard specifications include DIN 51515-1 & 2, BS 489, ISO 6743-5, ISO 8068 and JIS K-2213 Type 2.
Q8 Volta provides a long, trouble-free service life, excellent protection against rust and corrosion, outstanding water separation performance and features rapid air-release properties. Q8 Volta 32 and Q8 Volta 46 are developed specifically for conventional gas and steam turbines; and Q8 Volta EP 32 and Q8 Volta EP 46 for geared systems.
Following the hugely successful re-launch of its QCare field service technician service in 2014, Q8Oils is continuing its drive into the industrial and engineering sectors and, on its stand at Southern Manufacturing, will be launching a new metal working fluid initiative for machine shop owners and operators.
Commenting for Q8Oils, direct sales manager Jeremy Dineen says: “Further information will be announced closer to the time, but we are confident that our comprehensive portfolio of neat and soluble Q8 cutting fluids will prove to be an ideal manufacturing solution for our customers and save them money.”
Visitors to the Q8Oils stand will also have the opportunity to discuss the individual benefits of the versatile range of Q8 metal working fluids currently available from the company, including Q8 Brunel, Q8 Berlioz, Q8 Baroni, Q8 Beethoven, Q8 Bach and Q8 Brahms. By keeping up to date with this rapidly developing technology, Q8Oils customers can also learn how the optimum lubricant choice can increase production speed; extend product and tool life; and reduce costs.
Monodraught has reinforced its position as a leading innovator in the building services industry with the recent presentation of two technical presentations to CIBSE and Brunel University's IEA Annex 62 conference on Ventilative Cooling.
First, Monodraught's Commercial Product Engineer Sam Whitfield presented an illustrated talk on 'How is technology transforming the way we, as engineers, work? which looked at the use of 3D printing in building services manufacturing. This was presented to the CIBSE Young Engineers' Network, chaired by Angela Malynn, senior mechanical engineer at Arup and former CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year.
Says Sam: "Having used 3D printing extensively in the development of our Cool-phase system we wanted to give our audience an insight into the opportunities of the highly-digital approach to today's specified projects and working practices."
The presentation featured a series of short 'burst' presentations covering leading-edge technologies that are transforming the way the modern building services engineer works and included 3D printing; the growing sophistication of computer aided design; IT networks that allow engineers to work from anywhere in the world; etc. The full presentation will be reported in the CIBSE Journal and other leading industry journals.
The second presentation, by Monodraught's Senior Research Engineer, Dr Zsolt Bako-Biro, covered the 'Analytical and experimental modelling of energy storage in phase change material for natural cooling of buildings' in the context of Monodraught's innovative development of the second generation of its Cool-phase low-energy ventilation and cooling system.
Two installations were discussed in the presentation. One is the evaluation of the innovative phase change material (PCM) technology that was achieved by installing Cool-phase systems in two 'control' areas in Anglia Ruskin University. The second was for a Science Lecture Room at Bournemouth University, which was fitted with two new Cool-phase systems to provide natural cooling. The Monodraught design team carried out full dynamic thermal modelling to predict that the systems would fully dissipate heat gains within all areas of the building where the Cool-phase was to be installed.
Commenting for Monodraught, technical director Nick Hopper says the company's application of innovative green tech solutions are pioneering energy savings within the built environment. These presentations demonstrate Monodraught's continued development of sustainable solutions since the launch of its original Sunpipes and Windcatchers more than 40 years ago.
Leading automotive lubricant specialist Q8Oils has launched Q8 T 2300 CVT, a synthetic Universal Tractor Transmission Oil (UTTO) suitable for use in most modern agricultural and off-highway vehicles as well as equipment featuring a Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) and requiring separate engine and component lubricants.
Q8 T 2300 CVT is a multipurpose agricultural lubricant for use in hydraulic systems, transmissions and oil-immersed brakes and clutches. Its excellent viscosity retention provides smooth CVT operation throughout the life of the oil; and the use of the latest synthetic technology ensures excellent oil-ageing resistance to provide extended drain intervals.
For oil-immersed brake applications, Q8 T 2300 CVT provides optimal frictional characteristics for smooth brake operation and, thanks to a reduction in wet brake noise, friction plate wear is limited while brake capacity is maintained. For transmission applications, operators can be sure that their equipment is protected against rust and potential component corrosion. In addition, as a hydraulic fluid Q8 T 2300 CVT contains effective anti-foaming agents and is compatible with conventional elastomers to avoid leakage.
Q8 T 2300 CVT – which is available in 20 and 208 litre drums – has been specifically developed by Q8Oils to meet numerous OEM specifications including API GL-4; ZF TE ML-06B / 06D / 06E / 06F / 06H / 06L / 06M / 06R / 06S; John Deere JDM J20C/Hygard; CNH MAT 3525 / CNH MAT 3540 (CVT); Valtra G2-08 (XT-60); Same Deutz-Fahr (ZF 06D); Claas CVT; Fendt Vario; and AGCO CVT ML 200.
For further information on Q8 T 2300 CVT from Q8Oils and its range of agricultural lubricants, visit www.Q8Oils.co.uk, email Marketing@Q8Oils.com or call +44 (0)113 235 0555.
Monodraught's innovative Cool-phase low energy ventilation and cooling system is now further enhanced thanks to its high-performance phase change material (PCM) being awarded a RAL Certificate following extensive testing. The two-year test programme, which involves heating and cooling the material to capacity during 10,000 cycles, measures the material's performance levels and working life. The actual figures achieved by the PCM during the 10,000 cycles is equivalent to 28 years of life in service, which well exceeds the 5-year Cool-phase guarantee and the 25 year design life estimated by Monodraught during its own Cool-phase product development programme.
Commenting for Monodraught, technical director Nick Hopper says this level of accredited performance, furthers the long term acceptance of the technology within the built environment.
RAL Certification provides an audited test for long term performance of Phase Change Material. Successful certification puts the Cool-phase system in a class of its own as a low energy cooling, ventilation and heat recovery system that reduces the running costs of buildings while creating a fresh and healthy indoor environment without compressors or hazardous coolants. The system uses intelligently controlled phase change material to actively ventilate and cool buildings, maintaining temperatures within the comfort zone, while radically reducing energy consumption by up to 90% compared to conventional cooling systems.
