Category: Engineering project work

Standing beside electric vehicle by University of Brighton sign

Journey from foundation engineering student to Lead Electric Vehicle Engineer

My name is Emmanuel Sakyi, my journey at the University of Brighton started in 2016 on the Aeronautical Engineering (Foundation Year), now Aerospace Engineering with Integrated Foundation Year. I gained a place for a year in industry as Mechanical Engineering placement student with Network Rail after my second year of studies. After the completion of my project I switched from Aerospace to Mechanical Engineering MEng and carried on through till my final/ master’s year of study. I returned from my year out to most of my year group graduating and the migration of lectures from in-person to remote, due to the pandemic.

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European Space Agency logo

European Space Agency collaborative projects

Deploy! Project

The DEPLOY! Project is a collaboration between the universities of Pisa, Parma, and Brighton, as well as the European Space Agency (ESA) sponsored PETRI student project, with additional funding received from the UK Space Agency.

The project focuses on the dynamic deployment of a novel satellite radiator panel thermal interface using a flexible Pulsating Heat Pipe. This research aligns with the ongoing work on Pulsating Heat Pipes at the universities of Brighton and Pisa. The project team, consisting of five Masters’ students and one PhD student, has been mentored by experts from the partner universities, who have provided access to their expertise and key experimental equipment. The DEPLOY! team, led by Erin Saltmarsh from the University of Brighton, has been spearheading the manufacturing and mechanical design aspects of the project.

The flight campaign for the DEPLOY! Project is scheduled to start on November 20th in Bordeaux, France. To learn more about this exciting project, visit their website.

Gell-P (Gravitational Effects of Lower Limb Perfusion)

Gell-P is a collaborative project between the School of Health Sciences and the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering. The project aims to investigate the effects of gravity on foot perfusion to support a wider demographic of astronauts and mitigate injuries. By evaluating foot vascular flow under varying gravity conditions, the project seeks to understand lower limb injury healing for long-term astronaut missions.

The collaboration involves a team of podiatrists from the School of Health Sciences, led by project PI Rachel Forss, along with support from a team of engineers from the School of Architecture, Technology, and Engineering.

The experiment, designed and built at the AEB, will be tested during the 83rd European Space Agency parabolic flight campaign starting on November 20th. Read this post to learn more about this fascinating project.

European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA)

Dr Nicolas Miche has been selected as a mentor for the first European Low Gravity Research Association mentoring scheme. ELGRA is a nonprofit international society that promotes European research in microgravity, simulated microgravity, and hypergravity conditions. It serves as a platform for scientists interested in life and physical sciences in space.

The goals of ELGRA include representing and strengthening the scientific community of altered gravity research and involving young people in research through educational programmes.

ELGRA achieves these goals by organising scientific symposia and courses, cooperating with institutions and agencies to organise scientific events, spreading information about opportunities and new platforms, and supporting students and young scientists through grants and educational programmes from ESA.

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Male student sitting down with a dog and smiling at the camera

Mindful thought processes, science and a world of possibilities

In this blog, automotive engineering student and course representative James Allan, reflects on a recent module, and how it has further enhanced his knowledge and skills as a ‘graduate of the future’.

I have been actively engaged in the Energy Systems modules for 12 weeks and I can honestly say it has been a very interesting subject. With regard to the modern world, there are a vast array of everyday items that rely on productive and efficient energy systems. This module has primarily focused on the transportation sector, whilst also covering fluid dynamics, thermal storage systems, heat exchangers and refrigeration systems.

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Close of female student in engineering lab wearing a white lab coat and safety glasses looking at the camera

Focusing on solutions and sustainability in engineering

Mechanical engineering student Isabel Paglinawan tells us about the Energy Systems modules and reflects on how it has enhanced her knowledge and skills as a ‘graduate of the future’.

Critical Thinker
The ‘Energy Systems’ module, gives us the opportunity to undertake learning in a much more practical approach. Our lecturers have first-hand experience working in relevant industries that made it really engaging. They gave us problems similar to ones they have faced in the industry and walked us through their way of finding a solution. As students, we had to think critically about each possible solution and its possible effects.

Aside from many real-life relevant problems, we engaged with many visuals during lectures which kept our learning experience engaging and easier to visibly understand the function of systems such as Turbofan or Gasoline engines.

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Erin Saltmarsh headshot

Engineering project exhibition 2023: Erin Saltmarsh, Aeronautical Engineering MEng

I have found projects and opportunities, such as the university robot wars, STEP lab projects, or the ESA PETRI programme, especially enjoyable. They have allowed me to engage more deeply with my subject, network with other like-minded people, and engineers, and gain a variety of skills applicable to industry.

Please tell us about your project

I am working in the STEP (Sustainable Technology and Engineering Project) lab to look for improvements to a parametric optimization process, for coil wound heat exchangers, that uses Aspen EDR, developed by a previous STEP lab student. In addition, I am using a combination of simulation, and experimental methods to compare the performance of different types of heat exchangers, such as fan cooled, plate, and coil wound heat exchangers.

Why did you choose to study engineering at Brighton?

I have always been interested in engineering and aircraft. When looking for a degree at college, this subject felt like the best fit and appeared to have everything that I wanted from a degree. The apparent niche of aeronautical engineering, compared to mechanical engineering, for example, also seemed enticing.

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Photo of Jasmine Montgomery

Engineering project exhibition 2023: Jasmine Montgomery, Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng(Hons)

I have enjoyed my final year project as it has given me the chance to create and build my own project to work on, and it is a topic I find interesting. The independence is a great skill to carry forward into my career.

Please tell us a bit about your project

My project is an investigation into communication networks and how different configurations of networks change the network metrics and behaviour of traffic.

I have used simulation tools like Cisco Packet Tracer and GNS3, along with my research, to run simulations of scenarios, used to compare changes in a network. Videos of the simulations being built and run are also provided as an aside to the dissertation, which will run alongside my poster on the poster exhibition day to give a visual aid to what my investigation entailed.

My supervisor, Dr Deshinder Singh Gill, has been extremely supportive in my progress in many ways, including setting up weekly meetings with students, being there for many 1-to-1 meetings, always doing his best to advise me on how to make my project the best I can, and also for general support and advice. I could not have asked for a better project supervisor.

How did you choose your course – why did you choose to study an engineering degree and why Brighton?

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Three students with their model rocket car

Getting motivated through competition and seeing projects come to life

In the third and final blog in this series about the Engineering Practice module, Cristian, one of our Electrical Engineering students from Group 17, shares his thoughts on researching, workshops, cooperation, competition, and public speaking as part of this module.

Read about Theodore, Connor and Will’s experiences of the Engineering Practice module here

Read about Jake, Valentin, Edward, Connor and Isabel’s experience here

Engineering Without Borders

Since our objective was to help a region of the UK with relatively low life expectancy, we chose to go with a sustainable and overall cheaper way for the consumer to motivate them into exercising more frequently. Using our field in electrical engineering we opted to lower membership prices and have a reward system integrated by connecting electricity generating attachments to gym equipment. What made us the proudest was finishing a full-fledged project with complete research and being able to present in such a way that would be appealing to regional infrastructure developers and investors underlining the importance of physical exercise with some niche improvements on sustainability.

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Four students with their rocket car

Engineering projects for future careers

In the second blog in this series about the Engineering Practice module, Mechanical Engineering students Jake, Valentin, Edward, Connor and Isabel from Group 15 tell us about their experience, and how they developed and enhanced their skills individually and as a group which will now help them in their professional futures.

Read about Theodore, Connor and Will’s experiences of the Engineering Practice module here

Read about Electrical Engineering student Cristian’s experience here

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Group of students testing antweight robots

Engineering projects – rocket cars, robots and Engineering Without Borders.

The Engineering Practice module, co-delivered by over a dozen Personal Academic Tutors, and led by Dr Angad Panesar, is our first-year flagship module on our Aerospace, Automotive, Electrical and Mechanical courses. We’ve asked three groups of students taking part in the projects for this module, to talk about their experiences.

In this blog Theodore, Connor and Will, our Mechanical Engineering Students, from Group 14 discuss their experience on the module, about sustainability, multidisciplinary projects, and communal aspects of the technical activities, leading to their first-class output and poster. 

Read our other blogs about electrical engineering student Cristian’s experience of these projects and the way Jake, Valentin, Edward, Connor and Isabel worked together on theirs.

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Tech drawing of engineering part

Engineering project exhibition 2023: Harry Michell, Mechanical Engineering BEng(Hons)

“The biggest highlight of my course was the final year. It’s a chance for you as a student to prove to yourself and others what you can achieve. Also, with your final year project you can steer it in the direction you want. This paired with more practical work – there isn’t much better.”

My project is looking to improve the steering of a F24 Greenpower kit car. These kit cars are currently used by the university as an outreach activity for local school children aged 11-16, the purpose of this is for each student to get an insight into engineering and what can be done with certain skills. I chose this project because I have been involved with Greenpower for almost a decade now, participating in Greenpower events throughout upper school and now university also, due to this I know what activities like this can do for people and it’s part of the reason I’m an engineering student today.

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