Summer Placement: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield

Aisha Khan, SELA Cohort 2015 

Did you know that less than 1 per cent of paper coffee cups in the UK are recycled? That paper coffee cups aren’t meant to be put into general recycling bins? That they are considered waste paper stream contaminants?

I had the opportunity of carrying out a placement through the SELA research bursary programme in the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, working with Professor Peter Styring on the recycling of paper coffee cups.  

Summer Placement: Geotechnical Engineering in The Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield

Sebastià Despuig Reid, SELA Cohort 2015

In 2008 the Government signed the Climate Change Act which has the duty to cut 80% of greenhouse emissions by 2050. Therefore, the government needs to shift to alternative and cleaner sources to produce electric energy like wind. Three quarters of the planet is covered in water; therefore, it is no surprise that we look further away from our coast shore to take advantage of powerful nature sources. Nevertheless, there are some limitations due to costs and current installation methods which are mostly related to the foundations of the wind turbine, therefore there is need to find solutions to manufacture and install larger and cheaper wind turbines to meet the Climate Change Act target.

Throughout the summer I undertook a research placement in the Civil and Structural Engineering department within the Geotechnical Engineering branch. My project was based on the study of offshore wind turbine rough foundations. I was able to propose my title, always taking into account the interests and suggestions of my supervisor. The project lasted 10 weeks overall and it was supervised by Paul Shepley, a lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at the University.

The main objective was to analyse the behaviour of different rough foundations compared to the same smooth foundations that are currently in use. The tests were performed on scaled samples at the geotechnical engineering lab by applying a horizontal load at the head of the pile. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to test all foundations and throughout the project I decided to narrow down my topic to tackle any gaps in the design codes based on the roughness of foundations. As I started accumulating a larger work load I decided to push my research project into my final year dissertation, where I will be able to tackle issue in greater depth.

This summer research placement gave me the opportunity to experience all the sides of being involved in research, which helped me decide if I want to continue my studies with a PhD after I graduate. Firstly, I had to develop a research proposal and a time plan to work out what I was going to do each week. I conducted a thorough search on what other researchers had found out about topic and wrote a literature review. I also had to find out what instrumentation I needed to perform the tests and learn how to use it. Finally, I wrote about the findings on the tests performed and how these fit with what is already in place.

This project was an incredible opportunity to learn about the subject, experience from first-hand the life of a researcher and work together with other academics which have a broad understanding of Geotechnical Engineering.

Summer Placement: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield

Samuel Grant, SELA Cohort 2015

Over the summer of 2016 I had the opportunity to take part in the SELA Summer Placement Scheme. Through the programme I worked with Dr Mark Ogden in the Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) department.

My placement started off like any new research project, by creating a white paper of previous research in this area. This took about two weeks to finish, under the guidance of Dr Ogden, by which time I had gained some insight into the process that was being used and any limitations that existed.

I then began designing the rig, using CAD in order to create a dimensionally accurate design which could be used for ordering of parts and materials. In addition to this, I began sourcing additional resources that I would need to get the rig to an operational state. With the help of Keith Penny, Dr Ogden’s technician, I found a working Peristaltic Pump and the necessary tubing that would move the chemicals through the extractor. I must give my thanks to Keith, who without this project wouldn’t have moved as smoothly. One of the most important lessons I have learnt during this project is that the vital role technicians play in research is understated and that they deserve respect for the hard work they do, both in helping academics with research and the running of labs for undergraduate study.

With the design complete and materials bought, Keith and I began building the rig. The structure of the rig was going to be made of box section steel and would support rectangular sections of 13-ply plywood, which had been treated to be resistant to chemical spills.

Using an angle grinder, I cut the box steel to the necessary lengths that had been designated in the CAD design. After this had been done, I used a MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welder to join the sections together. This was an interesting experience, as I had never used a MIG welder before and the learning curve was harsh with the inclusion of a small piece of melted metal falling into my ear - an accident that even the most stringent health and safety supervisor couldn’t have foreseen.  However after two days of work with no more accidents, the rig was built. The extractor was placed within it and connected up to the Peristaltic pump. Testing was then carried out to check the rig had no leaks, and any leaks that were found were patched up using Teflon. In addition to this any electrical equipment that was used needed to be PAT tested, teaching me that it is important to schedule work orders in advance to avoid delays.

This summer was an insight into the life of an academic researcher, which is a varied and often challenging role within the university system. Hours of work can often vary from anywhere between a few meetings a day, through to twelve hours of designing and drawing using CAD. The challenges of working within a relatively small budget was also interesting, resulting in a hunt throughout the department for equipment no longer in use that could be requisitioned for use within my research , echoing the adage that one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. To any person going into research, I would recommend asking around your department before buying any expensive equipment, it may save you a significant amount of money.

I would recommend doing a research placement to any member of the engineering faculty as it is a rewarding experience that will definitely improve your career prospects.

Summer Placement: Materials Science & Engineering, University of Sheffield

Sam Cheney has been working in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The University of Sheffield carrying out research into Cure monitoring of Electrically cured carbon fibre ply drops. Here's Sam's story:

"I have been using a novel way of curing carbon fibre panels which uses electrical current to heat up a panel and cure the resin. I have been investigating in particular how heat is transferred when there is a decrease in the number layers of carbon fibre between the connecting plates and finding out if there will be any areas of concentrated heat, ideally there will be no change and the panel will cure evenly, however, from testing this theory I have found that heat is transferred slower in thicker sections so I have started investigating solutions and my end aim for the placement is to solve this problem and move on to more complicated ply drop structures.

"After the project I hope to be a contributor to a research paper and become published in a journal.

"I am enjoying my placement, I think the thing I most enjoy is the fact that I am actually making progress on a subject that is currently not fully understood.

"I have been using a blow torch to melt solder and create connecting terminals and the other day I ended up setting fire to the wire, the carbon fibre panel and the tool I was using! Thankfully there was only a small amount of black smoke and I managed to put it out without setting off any fire alarms!"

Summer Placement: Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield

Jordan Rickard has been working with the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University  on a research project about new processing techniques to improve the performance of high efficiency NiFe batteries. He tells us what he's been up to:

So far I have been using a new processing technique to manufacture iron electrodes for use in Nickle-Iron batteries. I start the day by preparing the chemicals needed to coat the iron electrode, then using a press that operates at 120°c and 10 tonnes of pressure I fix the mixture to some nickel plates. These can then be placed in a solution with another electrode and connected to a machine that charges and discharges the newly created battery. I repeat this process for different formulations of chemicals and the data is recorded. The best part of the placement is the freedom I have to try my own ideas. For example, after reading some research papers and learning how to process electrodes under the new manufacturing technique, I was given the responsibility to design, manufacture and test my own electrodes! It has also been very exciting to see the results of the tests as these are completely novel electrode compositions. If all goes well, the results obtained will be reproducible and form the basis of a publishable research paper.

From space to semiconductors, nerve guides to Network Rail

The 2014 SELA cohort are preparing for their first summer placements – a key element in the SELA programme – which are due to start next month.

 

Several students have secured 8-10 week placements with major engineering firms. These include:

• ARM, a leading designer and supplier of semiconductor technology
• Alan Wood & Partners, civil and structural engineering consultants
• Cambridge Consultants,  product development engineering and technology consultants
• Network Rail
• Caterva, which designs solar energy storage systems

 

Some of the cohort have decided to carry out their first placement in research. The projects they will be working on with the University’s Faculty of Engineering include:

• Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of metallic materials for aerospace
• Space engineering in the low earth orbit
• Nuclear waste disposal
• Implants to enable nerve repair
• Self-healing composite materials
• Battery technology, including 3D printing batteries