STEP Lab offers engineering experience to problem-solve energy challenges in a multi-disciplinary, real-world, project-based, research and development environment, via a Tutor-Student partnership. In this three-post series, the recent student teams from the Lab share their journey of professional engineering experience.
One of the key themes at STEP Lab since its launch in 2020 has been developing, maintaining and upgrading the intricate experimental test beds that are used for all renewable energy’s projects. During Oct 2023 to May 2024, a team of three talented individuals took charge of the mechanical power generation experiments and have reported on their research during the Individual Final Year Project Presentations and Dissertations. In this first post, we find out more about the three final year dissertation students and their professional development journey.
Nandish’s experience
My name is Nandish Karmani and I am concluding my third-year aeronautical engineering. I joined the Lab early in my university journey, during the summer after I finished my first year. I was keen on broadening my programming skills and apply them to engineering concepts. As a result, I shadowed Enric, a placement student from a University in France, who worked on a MATLAB script that simulated the Energy Recovery Piston Expander and mapped its performance with the help of MS Excel. As an intern, I gained valuable knowledge and learnt to critically solve engineering problems. Through this volunteered internship, I was introduced to thermodynamic processes much before they were taught to me and learnt how to conduct and document scientific research which has been helpful throughout my academic journey.
During my internship, I was drawn closer to the experimental test bed that housed the Energy Recovery Piston Expander. Keen on gaining new hands-on skills in an industrial set-up, I helped with secondary tasks such has calibrating sensors, troubleshooting errors and offering manual aid to the team during device installations. I made myself familiar with how data was read through the sensors using National Instruments LabVIEW and how the data recorded was processed in order to make sense out of it.
In Oct 2023, I started my final year project. I extended the works on the piston expander and I additionally considered 2-phase vortex flow measurement methods. Although this project was for our individual dissertations, work in the Lab is always collaborative and I was lucky to be in a team with two other colleagues who have proven their own engineering talent through their individual contributions. One of my initial aims for this project was to make data processing easier. I identified writing Macros using VisualBasic to automate repeating actions on MS Excel. I produced a template that processed all the raw data in about 20 minutes instead of the several hours. Working in the STEP Lab for my project has given me important professional industrial experience that has helped me recently land an engineering placement with the company Flowserve, one of the largest suppliers of industrial and environmental machinery.
Charalampos’s experience
I am Charalampos Episkopou, an Aeronautical Engineering with FY, I was immersed in the enriching environment of the STEP Lab. My role revolved around the intricate analysis, modelling, and simulation of the Energy recovery Vane Expander, complemented by expertise in Two-Phase Flow Measurement utilising the Endress & Hauser Vortex Flowmeter within a system.
In the STEP Lab, I didn’t just learn from books, I also gained hands-on skills crucial for industry. The project I work on allowed me to dive into advanced simulation tools, refine my experimental techniques, and grasp engineering concepts deeply. This involved assisting in experimental tests and analyzing the data afterward, using various industrial tools like Aspen HYSYS. The Lab’s multifaceted culture has helped extend my views by exposing me to a variety of ideas and approaches. Collaborative endeavors have not only improved my cooperation and communication abilities but have also encouraged a holistic approach to issue resolution.
As I go beyond the Lab, I am aware of the enormous influence of my experiences there. The things I’ve acquired, whether in terms of technical expertise or soft qualities like adaptation and resilience, will be helpful as I prepare to carve myself a position in the dynamic field of engineering. My progression from inexperienced to skilled engineer within the STEP Lab demonstrates its importance as a catalyst for personal and professional development. Armed with the information and abilities gained through the Lab, I am confident and ready to make significant contributions to the engineering scene and beyond. By showing unique contribution on material testing related activities in my final year project, I recently secured a position at a company in Cyprus that specializes in composite materials, which is part of a project for the European Space Agency.
Alex’s experience
I’m Alex and I joined the Lab during my first year to get more practical experience on my course and a better understanding of the concepts I was learning in lectures. This included helping with experimental tests and post processing the data found in these tests using a range of tools. This experience gave me a good introduction to the projects occurring in the Lab and helped me understand its overall goals. This helped me to prepare for my dissertation in which I took over researching one of the air motors.
My research involved conducting detailed tests I originally helped with. My research allowed me to look at ways of optimizing and modelling the motor I got the opportunity to research on. Using my previous experience from the Lab, I have understood how it works and compares to other Air Motors in technical and performance. This understanding has come from both a practical and theoretical knowledge I have gained since joining the STEP Lab. Overall, I have found the Lab to be a nurturing environment and it has allowed me to gain more practical experience on my course then I could have gotten from the lectures and modules alone. Over the summer, I am extending my research and development experience, and have being recruited on a Research Internship Scheme funded by Santander.
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