Even though copper is the most popular choice for use in busbars, and used very often in other electrical applications because it is more resistant to rust and corrosion than other metals, this doesn’t mean that it won’t oxidize over time.
When metals oxidize, the resistance in the conductive metal will increase, requiring more power to be used to carry current along the surface. When the copper oxidizes beyond a certain point, the metal can begin to flake and fall apart.
As an engineering challenge, the Crossrail is one of the finest examples of the need for not only highly skilled and well trained engineers in Great Britain, but it also highlights the need to remain focused on the education and training of future engineers. Even though the Crossrail is perhaps the most challenging task of its kind to date, in the future there will be other challenge that will likely be greater.
Who will head that project and ensure that it works out without an issue within the confines of the existing systems and networks in place?
Underneath the ground in London is one of the most complex networks of utility lines as well as rail systems in the world. Merely navigating the treacherous web of lines and tunnels can be a weeks’ long process, but when you couple that with the idea of adding a new rail system, affectionately known as the Crossrail, then you come across a logistical challenge that can put nearly any engineer to an early retirement.
Keeping costs down is generally considered an important caveat of a healthy industry, but when it comes to industries such as the railroad system, there are more issues at stake than merely keeping the cost of tickets down. Safety in an age of threats, both foreign and domestic, as well as the high rate of copper theft that has been affecting the railway industry are just two examples of the issues that are affecting the commuter railway world.
The idea of cutting costs is certainly one that will be agreeable to a number of people, but the plan has to pass a number of criteria before it can be determined to be effective in the long run.
Anthony Smith, who is the Chief Executive of Passenger Focus, a watchdog group that has the interest of the riding public in mind, believes that there is certainly a need to have a more cost-effective railroad for the consumers, but he isn’t convinced yet that the simple act of cutting costs is going to have the right impact on the public at large.
He states, ‘How will it affect the way we travel? [The plan] need[s] to pass two tests: will passengers find the changes both affordable and acceptable?’ If consumers don’t find these cost cutting plans to be either, or preferably both, the long-term effects, such as reduced ridership, revenue, and more can have a greater bearing on those long-term costs that the government is aiming to save.
Regulations that will go into effect in the future under this cost cutting plan will also be a factor in impacting how the major companies deal with the shared costs of operating their rail lines. Some of the proposed regulations also indicate the potential for mismanagement and misuse, such as allowing individual operators to charge more for busier times. During the commuter rush hours, there are currently no provisions in place with this cost cutting plan to limit or cap the amount that can be charged for specific fare times.
However, it is important to note that while the government plan is to cut 3.5 billion pounds from the cost of operating the railway throughout the UK, as reported by The BBC, they are exploring all of the options available to them in order to ensure that they not only achieve the greatest cost savings, but that it also benefits the riding public as well. One final doomsday note comes from RMT general secretary Bob Crow who admonishes this proposed legislation, stating that it will return the industry to the days of disasters, such as Hatfield and Potters Bar.
The coming months of debate will highlight the full potential impact of this proposed cost cutting legislation.
As the economy throughout the world, and in Great Britain began to sink at the latter part of the last decade, copper thefts were on the rise. There is a direct and measurable correlation between a poor economy and copper thefts, which is tied together through a complex equation of supply and demand. While homeowners and businesses have faced the prospect of having pipes and electrical wiring stolen from their vacant properties, it has moved into more occupied space, as well as other industries.
Manufacturing is not the only strength PRV engineering has. In this post we want to talk about our capabilities in the areas of installation and maintenance and how we truly provide a one stop shop for our customers.
At PRV Engineering our Installation and Maintenance Services are performed to a very high standard. We not only install our own equipment but equipment supplied by third parties.
So why use PRV Engineering for these types of services?
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