Important Innovations Collection

Siemens & Deutsche Bahn Innovation - Digital Train Source:  Siemens & Deutsche Bahn No Special Tracks or Infrastructure Needed for New Automated Train German industrial giant Siemens and Deutsche Bahn have developed the world's 1st automated, driverless, digital train that requires no special tracks or new infrastructure.  The "intelligent" train is controlled by digital technology and is fully automated. Four new driverless trains will be deployed first in Hamburg as part of the city's $70 million urban rail system modernization program. They become fully operational in December 2021.  Bringing the Railroad into the Digital Future Siemens and Deutsche Bahn believe that their new driverless train brings the global railroad industry into the digital future.  The companies call the vehicle landmark innovation in "intelligent trains" and add that it is more energy efficient and punctual than traditional trains.  What is breakthrough and a world first is...

Eco-Skies Global Alliance                                        Source:  United Airlines Sustainable Jet Fuel From Trash Chicago headquartered, United Airlines is partnering with Nike, Siemens, Japan's Takeda Pharmaceuticals and 12 other global companies to fund the use, this year, of 3.4 million gallons of low carbon, sustainable jet fuel.  The green fuel will be created from trash.  Sustainable jet fuel can be at least 80% lower in greenhouse gas emissions than regular jet fuel. The global partnership is aimed at starting to reduce the airline industry's carbon/greenhouse gas emissions footprint. Tripling The Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Airlines have been using sustainable fuel since 2008 to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.  But, until now, sustainable fuels represent less than 1% of the aviation fuel used worldwide.  The new partnership ...

Spirit of Innovation E-Plane Hopes to Set World Speed Record                              Source:  Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation Zero Emissions, Fast Flying UK based Rolls-Royce is determined to manufacture and fly the world's fastest electric plane.  It plans to test fly its prototype "Spirit of Innovation" in the spring of 2021. The electric plane is a small, propeller test aircraft powered by a powerful battery pack.  Spirit of Innovation has recently been tested for taxi-ing and accelerating on a runway at a test site in the UK.  The plane propelled itself forward with power from its highly advanced battery and propulsion system that is said to be groundbreaking electrical technology. The battery pack consists of 6,000 cells.  Rolls-Royce says that is the most energy dense battery pack ever integrated into an aircraft. Tech Specs The e-plane has a 400 kW electric powertra...

Green Hydrogen Trains from Siemens Energy & Siemens Mobility Source:  Stock Image of Hydrogen Trains Green Sustainable Energy and Green Travel Newly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Siemens Energy has signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Siemens Mobility to jointly develop and sell hydrogen systems to power trains.  This is another new and important example of the hot and expansive development of hydrogen fuel cell technology.  The two companies have several goals.   They want to standardize the technology for fully hydrogen powered trains made by Siemens Mobility.  They also want to sell the technology to external companies to promote the "hydrogen economy of Germany and Europe". Smart Green Linkage Siemens Energy is developing green hydrogen, which is produced from renewable sources like wind and solar power.  Siemens Mobility specializes in transportation and is still part of the parent company Siemens.  Siemens Energy wa...

Volkswagen's Amazon Built Industrial Cloud Source:  VW Digitalizing Factory Processes Volkswagen is greatly expanding its cloud based software and data portal system.  The world's 3rd largest automaker has a vision and goal to build it into an industrial cloud.  The cloud would serve as an industry wide marketplace where business customers could buy and sell industrial applications.  VW envisions it as an Amazon built B2B marketplace.  VW and Amazon Web Services are designing and partnering on the Industrial Cloud factories of the future concept. App Store Approach The plans for the industrial cloud are bold, innovative and ambitious.  For VW itself,  it will eventually link VW's 120 factories around the world, their 1500 suppliers and their 30,000 plants.  VW wants it to be a place to exchange data and software. The purpose is to accelerate the digitalization of factory processes right down to painting vehicles.  One of the VW ...

Global Traffic Jams Source:  India Traffic Jam Siemens Mobility System in India Globally the number of cars on the roads are expected to double in upcoming decades.  By 2040, there will be 2 billion cars.  By comparison there were 1.3 billion in 2015. New innovations to keep traffic flowing and crash responses are sorely needed. There's an important innovation being tested in India. AI Directing Traffic Siemens Mobility has built a prototype monitoring system that uses artificial intelligence through traffic cameras in Bengaluru, India - a city notorious for traffic jams.  At a control center, algorithms use the information to estimate the traffic density.  The system changes the traffic lights based on real time road conditions.  Another example is in Hagen, Germany.  AI is being used to optimize traffic light control and reduce wait time.  They say it's working and cuts the wait time up to 47%.  Experts forecast that a combinat...