In July we hosted not one but three residential engineering summer schools, seeing over 160 students visit and stay at the University to learn about Ship Science.
It all started with the newly designed Smallpeice Course thanks to Drs’ Arun, Francesco and Yikun! This course saw Year 9 students design, build and test wave energy converters and supply vessels.
Filming the action at smallpeice trials
This was followed by the Marine Headstart course led by Dr Joe Banks where Year 12 students designed, built and tested tidal turbines – learning all about renewables, ship science and marine engineering.
While last but not least the Design Triathlon Summer School led by Dr Nick Townsend saw Year 12 students design, build, test and race speedboats – learning all about hydrostatics, hydrodynamics and the design process.
Thanks to all those who participated and the staff and phd student who helped out over the week – it was great fun for all.
If you would like to know more about these courses and engineering outreach at the University of Southampton be sure to check out. Similar course will take place next year and are a great opportunity to learn about maritime engineering and ship science and possible careers that follow.
http://www.etrust.org.uk/marine-engineering-and-nautical-science-southampton
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/schools-colleges/design-triathlon.page
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/schools-colleges/marine-headstart.page
Tag Archives: maritime engineering
Delphin2 in starring role
Our long serving Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Delphin 2 features in a short 15 minute film highlighting the capabilities of autonomous vehicles to support emergency and disaster relief activities. This was made as part of an EPSRC funded UK Robotics Week Grand Challenge entry.
The première was well attended and a very enjoyable occasion, attracting three classes from the local school whose students were in the film as well as parents and teachers.
The film is now on YouTube for all to see https://youtu.be/eD742AI21fk
If you watch this you will of course see Delphin2, a small surface ASV and our own Dr Jon Downes making his film debut!
OCEANS IV
Between the 19th and 22nd June the FSI group was represented by PhD students Yu Cao and Bernat Font Garcia, as well as postdoctoral researches Francesco Giorgio-Serchi and Artur Lidtke at the Oceans ’17 conference in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The event covered a very wide range of topics, from aquaculture, sensor technologies through to signal classification along with many more applied papers relevant to offshore structures and renewable energy. The papers presented by FSI researchers included a study of a mixed renewable energy scavenging device for an autonomous vehicle (Yu Cao https://pure.soton.ac.uk/admin/files/23591223/161201_132.pdf), development of a turbulence model for application to vortex induced vibration on riser pipes and moorings (Bernat Font Garcia https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316734503_Analysis_of_two-dimensional_and_three-dimensional_wakes_of_long_circular_cylinders), testing of a soft robot utilising shape change to propel itself (Francesco Giorgio-Serchi https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/410902/1/GiorgioSerchi_Weymouth_Oceans2017.pdf), and an experimental study of laminar flow effects on an underwater glider wing (Artur Lidtke https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/411106/).
The conference was also preceded by a day of workshops and tutorials devoted to modelling marine renewable energy devices and design of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). Both subjects of significant interest to many within FSI.
Summer Open day opportunities – learn more about ship science, naval architecture and marine engineering
For many the maritime sector is not one they may know much about but there are many exciting careers in the industry, with plenty of opportunities to travel, work abroad and not just to always sit behind a desk at a computer. Our graduates are highly sought after in the industry and can be found in leadership positions worldwide and across a range of sectors from cruise ships, America’s Cup team, offshore industry, ship design and consultancy, marine renewables, defence sector, academia and even Silicon Valley. We are the only degree programme in the UK which is accredited by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. There are exciting engineering challenges in the maritime sector from how do we decarbonise shipping, protect lives at sea, maritime robotics, develop cost effect marine energy harvesters for wind, wave and tide to name but a few.
For those studying hard at school who are interested in the maritime engineering sector we have four open days this summer. Staff and students will be on hand to answer questions and show some of our facilities and educational experience. Our degree course cover a wide range of the maritime sector and provide great flexibility. We look for strong grades in maths and a suitable science such as physics, chemistry or further maths. Our admissions team is always happy to answer question either by email or phone.
This summer’s University open days are taking place on Saturday 8th July, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September and Saturday 14th October. To book for the 8th July or register an interest and find out more http://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/visit/open-days.page . It will be great to meet you and explain more.
Part 2 Ship Science Students Tour China's Maritime Sector
For the second year our second year ship science students have been able to visit ship yards and maritime organisations in China on a 10 day whistle stop tour. The opportunity to visit a variety of ship yards building ships, performance yachts, offshore platforms as well as some of the leading maritime universities and research organisations has been made possible because of a number of on-going educational partnerships between the Faculty of Engineering and Environment and our colleagues in China,
If you want to find out more please find our direct from the student’s blog at csiv2017.blogspot.com. There are some great shout outs to Dr Boyd’s ship production course being seen in action and my personal favourite about the need to reduce the drag of ship rudders..
Long service on board ship science…
A recent innovation at the University of Southampton has been the introduction of a recognition award for long service at 20 years (a glass bowl) and 30 years (a carriage clock). Six members of staff in Fluid Structure Interactions were eligible. Presentations were made by our Head of Academic Unit, Prof Penny Temarel. (Top left) to Prof Ajit Shenoi for 30+ years, (Top middle) by Prof Shenoi to Prof Temarel for 20+ years, (Top Right)PT to Dr Mingyi Tan for 20+ years, (Bottom Left) PT to Prof Dominic Hudson for 20+ years, (Bottom Middle) PT to Prof Stephen Turnock for 20+ years and (Bottom Right) PT to Prof Philip Wilson for 30++ years!
Promoting Maritime Engineering at the IMechE Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture
Professor Stephen Turnock and Laura Marimon Giovannetti had a busy day on the 7th July talking about the University of Southampton’s experience in engineering excellence in performance sport. Firstly in the afternoon at an event hosted by the Bishop Wordsworth school in Salisbury to an audience of 230 year 10 to year 12 students from four different school’s in the Salisbury area. Then again in a slightly longer format to the IMechE’s Wessex Region as the 11th Annual Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture to an audience of over 100 .
The talk linked the long standing work at Southampton in performance sailing led for nearly five decades by the internationally renowned Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics now based in B185 adjacent to our new 138 m long towing tank, the work on developing F1 and Indy cars in the R.J.Mitchell wind tunnel from the late 70s as well as over a decade of collaboration with UKSport/EIS(R&I) supporting a wide range of sports. The pursuit of performance that ensure that all athletes have the best possible equipment relies on a deep understanding of the physics of the problem coupled to possible engineering solutions. A common thread was the human aspects of the work where able PhD students work alongside sport scientists, coaches and athletes. To date PSEL has graduated 8 EngD/PhD students many of whom have an undergraduate Ship Science degree.
In a final section the relevance of the techniques and technologies developed in performance sport to the wider world and in particular the necessity to find solutions to the essential challenge of improving the energy efficiency of global shipping which transports 90% of the worlds goods, emits 3% of CO2 in 100,000 ships. How will these ships be fuelled in a low carbon world? An example of the cross-over is in Dr Angus Webb whose spin out company Dynamon offers services to the logistics industry.
For both talks the audience asked challenging questions and were in turn asked to spread the word that many more maritime engineering and ship scientists are needed!
GDP 43 Life saving transformers
The Transformers GDP is a team of eight fourth year engineers: seven of whom are mechanical engineers with one aeronautical student. The project is supervised by Dr Nick Townsend from FSI.
Drowning is a huge worldwide problem, which puts thousands of lives at risk every year:
- 372,000 drowning fatalities per year (WHO, 2016),
- 1,000,000 rescues per year (ILSF, 2016),
- Few victims are ever wearing a lifejacket (CDC, 2016).
A frequent risk for lifesavers is being pulled under the water by a drowning person. Therefore, the project intent is to improve lifesaver safety; the robot will save a person from drowning before the lifesaver begins to rescue them from the water. Passive lifesaving robots exist, such as the EMILY robotic buoy (http://emilyrobot.com/portfolio-gallery/photo-gallery/ ), but none exist to actively save lives.
The project aim will be to; design, build and test a working prototype of a marine lifesaving robot, to actively secure casualties in the water. The team will accomplish this by achieving the following:
- Literature review of drowning casualties, existing lifesaving techniques and technology and the human body form whilst drowning,
- Define the anthropometric maxima and minima for an identified human group at risk of drowning for the robotic device to wrap around,
- Design a robotic mechanism to aid lifeguards in securing drowning casualties,
- Research and develop a sensing and control system to allow the device to work semi-autonomously,
- Build a working prototype of the design,
- Perform a realistic, in-depth testing procedure on the device.
Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) Donald Maxwell Award 2016 Winner Announced!
At the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) AGM Luncheon on the 6th October this year’s Donald Maxwell undergraduate award was presented to Kate Devereux who is just entering her 4th and final year of her MEng as a Ship Science student at the University of Southampton.
Kate received a cheque for £1,000 and her certificate from the Chairman of SMI Mr Peter French.
Mr French said: “Kate is a worthy recipient of this year’s award. Her dissertation is a fantastic example of the work young women are doing in our industry and SMI is proud to be part of celebrating British female engineers.”
The award is given for the best final year degree project from a UK resident student undertaking their study on a degree accredited by The Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology (IMarEST).
Judging was undertaken by SMI Board member Mr Duncan Cunningham FIMarEST and Mr Phil Green CEng FRINA. Kate’s paper most impressed the judges and was on the topic of “Investigation into the suitability of composite materials for the construction of marine propellers.”
The work was carried out following a summer internship at local propeller company CJR propellers working with FSI Alumni Dr Simon Lewis.
The Route to Sustainable Shipping
A combined SMMI and FSI panel discussion
Wed 12th October 2016 at 18:00
University of Southampton, Boldrewood Campus, 1125/176L
FSI post grad student Josh Taylor has organised a panel discussion as part of Southampton Sustainability Week.
This public event explores the challenges faced by the maritime industry on the route to becoming more sustainable. The unique framework of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute facilitates the continued exchange of ideas between people in both academia and industry.
This event is part of Southampton’s first annual sustainability week and should provide a stimulating discussion to create opportunities for change while showcasing the maritime industry’s presence in Southampton. Southampton sustainability week is a series of city-wide events which encourage sustainable behaviour change by increasing awareness of issues and celebrating progress to date. The week is organised by a group of volunteers and headed by the founder Jenny Barnes.
A distinguished panel of industry experts and academics will discuss the challenges the maritime industry faces in achieving environmental sustainability, guided by structured questions from the chair, Professor Ajit Shenoi, University of Southampton director of the SMMI. The discussion topics will include Ship design, Maritime law, Regulation and innovation, Fleet operation, Waste management.
For those interested in attending please register for free via Eventbright:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-route-to-sustainable-shipping-tickets-28168759518
If you are interested in exploring our study opportunities in maritime engineering and ship science then the video interviews with two of our graduates Thomas and Emily from graduation this summer maybe useful.