Written by: Birju Galaiya
Time for another blog! I thought
this blog would be a good follow up from the previous blog. In my second year
we again had a week long workshop after the January exams. This workshop builds
upon the ‘Global Engineering Challenge’ and was much more challenging. Have a
good read.
‘Engineering You
’re Hired
’
was quite similar to the
‘Global Engineering Challenge
’
I had undertaken last year. We were split into various groups and had hubs
where the demonstrator led the workshop. However there were few changes this
time round. Before the week began, we were given an option of choosing 11
problems, each having its pros and cons. To name a few, the topics included Additive
Manufacture of Buildings, Scavenging Energy from the Sewers and Sleep
Monitoring System for Diabetics. Since I enjoyed lectures on thermal
conductivity and radiation I chose the problem of designing a smart temperature
control system for our engineering building called the Sir Frederick Mappin
Building. We had to reduce the energy used in heating the building by making
sure it was efficient.
In my group we were meant to be
five students but on the first day only four turned up. We started off by
carrying out a team building activity which required us to make a bridge made
of straws, strings and sellotape to support a bottle of water. Although we did
not know each other particularly well, we managed to work together by
contributing potential ideas and discussing what is the best type of structure
we could build with the resources we had. Though our bridge failed (most other
groups failed as well!), it was a good way to break the ice between team
members. Day two, surprisingly, only three of us turned up. You would have
guessed that we would be down to two on day three but fortunately this wasn’t
to be. Short of numbers, we learnt how to deal with such situations by working
harder and longer to cover up for other members. In industry, if your
co-workers can’t make it for some reason, you have to continue working
regardless of the situation. It was not the ideal situation, but hey no
situation is!
We prioritized our tasks and established the scope of the project-
ensuring all users of the building are comfortable throughout the year by
implementing innovative but affordable solution while making sure the energy
required for heating the building would decrease. Coming up with a solution was very difficult
as we were overwhelmed by the large scale of the project which was further made
complex by the fact that large parts of the building could not be shut down due
to ongoing educational activities. After researching similar retrofit schemes
carried out, we came up with a concept of using temperature sensors throughout
the building and using a live control system that regulated the temperature.
One of the days, we had a short consultation meeting with an engineer
from industry where we discussed our problem and the solution. He criticized
our idea in a positive manner explaining what changes to be made. Throughout
the week, we had representatives from different companies, such as BAE Systems,
Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK and Siemens, helping us with our project. It was
interesting to hear how certain problems were tackled in industry.
Finally, we had to pitch our
solutions in a presentation. As this was a pitch, it was essential for us to be
confident and talk about our solution without having any doubts about whether
it would be the best solution. During the question and answer session after the
presentation we were posed with several questions. Unfortunately some questions
caught us off guard and thus we were able to give only vague answers. This
experience taught me to be thorough with the research I do- it’s
important.
After the presentations, prize winners were announced by the academic
staff involved. Yes, it was a tiring week- 9-5 everyday but I gained so much
from the week. I learnt about commercial awareness by researching about patents
and copyrights that can limit your solution. Furthermore, I improved on my oral
communication skills through presenting the solution in a professional way. Rumours
have it that from next year, other faculties such as Social Science will have a
similar workshop that is designed to supplement the degree by providing you
with valuable skills.
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