Department Of Mechanical Engineering. ISSUE 17: July 2018
MechEngNews
Contents.
Hello!
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The breadth of mechanical engineering is awesome.
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Congratulations Igor, Engineering Student of the Year! Profile Dr Claudia Mazzà An Egg Shaped Question And how mechanical engineers helped to solve it
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Where are they now? Rasan Chandra
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Department News More from across MechEng
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Research focus Testing infant bone strength
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Funding awarded This quarter’s grants
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Make a Change! We meet this year’s winners and their invention to help the visually impaired
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Symposium Success for Energy 2050 Student
Flying High UAS Challenge 2018
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The final word.
But I do think this scope is reflected in the variety of activities our students are involved in, as well as the research undertaken by our associates and academics. So in this issue of MechEng News, I hope to give you a taste of what some of these activities are. From a student project designed to help the visually impaired, to 3D printed eggs that were part of research featured by Sir David Attenborough, I hope you enjoy exploring the reach of mechanical engineering as much as I do.
Editor: Amy Grange Email: a.grange@sheffield.ac.uk Follow us:
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The way it touches so many aspects of our everyday lives has really struck me whilst getting to know the department - if I attempted a list of how, there simply wouldn’t be enough room to include it all!
@SheffMechEng /SheffMechEng /department-of-mechanicalengineering-university-of-sheffield
This publication is produced using 100% recycled FSC certified paper MechEng News: Issue 16
Congratulations Igor, Engineering Student of the Year! One of our mechanical engineering students has been named Engineering A pioneering campaign to transform the way Undergraduate of the Year.
young people see engineering and boost numbers entering the profession has beenMechanical launched. Igor Gawron, who is studying
Engineering with Nuclear Technology, was
The Year of Engineering will see ministers join presented with the award at a glittering forces with engineers, industry experts and ceremony in London with TARGETjobs. businesses to help change perceptions around engineering – and highlight the opportunities it can Withfor award hold youngwinners people. announced by
Countdown ‘numbers expert’ Rachel Riley,
Engineering is oneUndergraduate of the most productive the Engineering of the UK Year sectors, there’s a shortfall 20k and engineering categorybut was sponsored byof E.ON Igor graduates every year. There’s also widespread will now go on to complete a year in industry misunderstanding of engineering among young placement with the organisation. people as well as a lack of diversity.
“I am incredibly honoured and humbled The Year of Engineering aims to fill those gaps, to have been announced Engineering changing misconceptions and sharing inspiring Undergraduate of the Year” says Igor, who engineering experiences with young people, their is also an active member of the Sheffield parents and teachers. Engineering Leadership Academy (SELA). Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling “It was a said: real pleasure to take part in this
amazing opportunity, which has allowed
“We want to show young people and their parents students to meet some of their brightest the immense creativity, opportunity and value of peers and network with top global employers. the profession.
“I’mbringing really excited to be joining E.ON’s “By them face-to-face with engineering team as Community Energy Operations role models and achievements, we can send a clear message that engineering are ainchance Undergraduate Engineercareers for a year industry for all young–people, ofto gender, ethnicity placement a hugeregardless thank you everyone or social background, to shape the future of this who has supported me with my engineering country and have a real impact on the lives of those ambitions.” around them.”
Over the course of 2018, Mechanical Engineering and the wider Faculty of Engineering will be supporting the campaign by taking a closer look at engineering - inspiring the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers. We’ll be doing this through a number of activities and events and by exploring some key engineering themes such solving real life problems, diversity in engineering, raising aspirations and careers. Igorcan being presented with his Undergraduate of the You follow @SheffMechEng @SheffUniEng Year Image: TARGETjobs for allEngineering the latest Award. news on what we are up to!
The annual Undergraduate of the Year Awards are organised by TARGETjobs in association with SHL Talent Measurement™. With 12 different categories each with a shortlist of ten undergraduates, finalists and Award winners came from a variety of degree backgrounds ranging from classics to physics. Professor Neil Sims, Head of Department for Mechanical Engineering said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Igor and a testament to all of his hard work. Congratulations from all of the Department and Faculty, we look forward to hearing more about your time at E.ON over the coming year.” Congratulations Igor!
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Claudia in the biomechanics lab wearing sensors used as part of her research.
Profile: Dr Claudia Mazzà
Image Credit: Orestes Rix
What made you want to become a mechanical engineer?
I then spent eight months working in a Research Centre for Rehabilitation Robotics associated to the Scuola Sant’Anna in Pisa, before starting my PhD in Biomechanics at University of Rome “Foro Italico”.
For my final year project, I was involved in a study that aimed to discover the physiological mechanisms that link the contraction of a muscle and the amount of force that is produced.
For my PhD, I investigated the joint use of mechanical models and low-cost instruments to characterise the movement of patients with motor disabilities.
I am not a Mechanical Engineer by training, but I discovered biomechanics towards the end of my degree in Computer Engineering.
When I understood the impact that research in this field could have when applied to clinical conditions - such as a stroke or neurodegenerative diseases - I decided to pursue a career in this field.
Where did you train?
I studied engineering at the “Sapienza” University of Rome, where I received my degree in Computer Engineering, with a specialisation in Bioengineering. 4
I was lucky enough to carry on part of my research at the US National Institutes for Health in Bethesda, where I had the opportunity to interact with patients and see my techniques successfully applied in a clinical context. After completing my PhD, I worked in Rome for one year as a post-doc, where I became a lecturer. I then joined the University of Sheffield in 2013, where I am now a Reader in Biomechanics as well as a board member at the Insigneo Institute for in silico medicine.
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What are your research interests?
My research interest is still in human movement. I am interested in understanding how and why we move the way we do and, even more, in understanding how we can use this information to support clinical decisionmaking.
What are you working on at the moment?
My research here in Sheffield is part of the Insigneo Institute for in silico medicine, where we aim to develop predictive medicine technologies to improve healthcare. More specifically, I am currently working on the use of wearable inertial sensors and musculoskeletal models to monitor and quantify disease progression and the effects of intervention in patients with neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Motor Neurone Disease. Within a large Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project called MultiSim, we are also developing multi-scale modelling techniques to predict and prevent the risk of hip fracture in women with Osteoporosis.
If there was one Mech Eng problem you could solve, what would it be?
There are currently two main challenges that I would love to see solved soon.
This would allow us to provide clinicians with continuous accurate information that they could use to optimally tailor interventions and improve the quality of life of elderly individuals and people with chronic disabilities. The second one would be to accurately quantify the force produced by each of our muscles when we perform daily life movements. We could then use this information to design models that support the design of optimal surgical interventions, such as ligament reconstruction, muscle transfers or joint replacements.
What words of advice would you give to your student-self about the future?
Never choose to work on something that you don’t have fun doing. And never stop being curious.
You can read more about the Insigneo Showcase on Page 10, as well as recent research from the MultiSim project on Page 14.
The first one is to be able to accurately quantify real world gait in very slow walking patients.
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3D printed eggs used as part of the research.
Understanding Eggs: How mechanical engineering helped a leading zoologist crack an egg shaped question. Research from a leading zoologist at the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences that also involved input from Mechanical Engineering academics was featured in a nature documentary with Sir David Attenborough.
Drawing on research from Prof. Birkhead’s book ‘The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird’s Egg’, the programme followed the story of how the egg is made and fertilised, as well as how the chick develops and hatches.
Professor Tim Birkhead, a Fellow of the Royal Society and lecturer of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Sheffield, appeared on an episode of the BBC’s Natural World series.
Input from University of Sheffield mechanical engineers, Professor Patrick Fairclough and Professor Roger Lewis, also supported Prof. Birkhead’s research into why eggs are the shape they are – in particular, for cliff dwelling species such as the guillemot.
The documentary explored how eggs are made, why they are the shape they are and why eggs are used in reproduction despite millions of years of evolution.
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“A bird’s egg is an external, free-standing incubation system’” explains Prof. Birkhead.
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“It works for birds breeding at the poles and on the equator; for birds incubating on wet, soggy nests and birds breeding in arid deserts and at different altitudes. “The guillemot egg shape has, for years, been recognised as the most extreme. It’s more pointed than any other species and that’s been a puzzle for a long time.” Whilst investigating its pyriform (pointed) shape, Prof. Birkhead approached Profs Fairclough and Lewis to undertake research exploring the way the egg rolled and whether this motion was a key factor in the shape evolution. “We were delighted to collaborate with Professor Birkhead and colleagues from Animal and Plant Sciences to better understand why guillemot eggs are the shape they are,” explains Prof. Lewis, who alongside Prof. Fairclough is acknowledged in ‘The Most Perfect Thing’.
explanations for the pointed shape – such as to avoid falling - are incorrect. Instead he suggests that the pointed shape helps keep the large end of the egg, where the chick’s head lies, free from dirt on the often filthy ledges where guillemots breed. Prof. Birkhead said his experience of working with Sir David was extraordinary. “It was a real privilege to work with him. He was charming, knowledgeable and above all, modest. The fact that in an earlier interview (in BBC-Wildlife) he referred to my book ‘The Most Perfect Thing’ — on which the programme is based — as ‘magnificent’ is the greatest praise a zoologist could ever hope for.” You can read more about the programme and Professor Birkhead’s involvement at www.sheffield.ac.uk/news
“Our part in the puzzle involved designing a ramp that allowed us to experiment with different egg shapes and how they rolled. “We used a high speed camera and image analysis to look at the relationship between egg shape and motion, exploring whether the shape evolved to avoid eggs falling from the narrow ledges they’re laid on. “The eggs we used were additively manufactured by the Centre for Advanced Additive Manufacturing (AdAM) at the University of Sheffield too, so it was a really interesting collaboration across the departments.” However, through his research, Prof. Birkhead discovered that traditional
Professor Tim Birkhead pictured with Sir David Attenborough. Image by Ellie Birkhead.
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Where are they now? Rasan Chandra studied with us from 2011 to 2016, graduating from our MEng Mechanical Engineering with a Year in Industry course. Originally from Malaysia, Rasan was an International Engineering Ambassador during his time at Sheffield and was also involved with a number of other societies. He now works for British Sugar. He tells us more about his Sheffield experience and where his career has taken him so far… What attracted you to mechanical engineering?
I’ve always been excited by how things work. When I was young, I was given a pen as a gift and the first thing I did was take it apart to figure out how it worked - unfortunately, I couldn’t put it back together again! As I also enjoyed doing maths, I saw engineering as the logical route for me. However, at the time of applying to university, I wasn’t sure what field of engineering I was most interested in so I opted for mechanical engineering as the broadest of the bunch.
What attracted you to Sheffield?
Sheffield is one of the top universities in the UK for engineering, so it was always on my radar and after applying to a number of universities and receiving offers, it was Sheffield that I chose. This was for a few reasons. One was cost of living; I needed a balance between tuition fees and living costs and Sheffield ranked well on that. I also read that Sheffield had a great student-led community and Union. This was proven to be the case when I arrived!
What were your favourite things to do in Sheffield?
I enjoyed spending time with friends, attending society events and going to the gym 4-5 times
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per week. I also played football and even attended tournaments. As Sheffield is close to the Peak District, I really enjoyed hiking on various treks, some of which were very challenging! There is always something to do in Sheffield whatever your interests may be, you just have to find it.
Did you get involved in any clubs or societies during your studies?
I joined the Malaysian Society and was actively involved in many events such as dancing for the International Cultural Evening (ICE) and performing for Sheffield Malaysian Night. Additionally, I was captain of the society football team and even briefly joined the Muay Thai Society (a form of kick boxing), though very quickly stopped this - ouch! I was also involved with Engineers Without Borders and a project to build a wind turbine. This was for a competition in the Netherlands and I was the group leader for aerodynamics and blades, helping to design, develop and build the rotor blades. I was also an International Engineering Ambassador, encouraging other overseas students to study engineering and also helping them to make the most of their time in Sheffield.
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What are your best memories of Sheffield?
Spending quality time with friends, many of whom I have built life-long relationships with.
After graduating from Sheffield where did you go?
I joined the Graduate Scheme at British Sugar after graduating from Sheffield. I secured this by completing my year in industry with its parent company, AB Sugar. When I first joined university, I didn’t consider a year in industry course. However, after speaking with peers and lecturers, by my second year I decided this would be a great opportunity for me. With the University’s encouragement, I dedicated myself to applying for a placement during my third year and was successful, which eventually led to my graduate job. As a graduate I learned the sugar manufacturing process from a chemical engineering perspective whilst working shifts at the factory and gained experience as a Shift Performance Manager. Additionally, I have undertaken various roles within the Maintenance Process team, including the Mechanical Team Manager role, and I’m now based within the Combined Heat & Power team.
What’s your ultimate career goal?
I wouldn’t say that I have an ultimate goal. I constantly set myself goals as I achieve them and will continue to do so for the rest of my career. However, I do envision myself in a leadership role in the future, helping to develop teams and sharing my knowledge and experience.
Rasan now works for British Sugar in the Combined Heat & Power team. Photo courtesy of Rasan Chandra.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self or a recent graduate starting off in their career? Be ambitious: Have a vision of what you see yourself doing in the future and work towards it. You will not always go down the exact path you imagined, but it is the learning experience that counts. Don’t hold yourself back - take opportunities as they arise and you will see yourself develop rapidly. Be inquisitive: As a graduate, you have next to no experience in industry. Whichever company you join, there will be colleagues who have a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can gain from. So ask questions and be curious! Travel the world: I cannot stress how much travelling has opened my eyes to new cultures. Take your holidays and travel. Explore places you have never been to. It is the hidden gem of personal development.
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WELCOME TO OUR VISITING PROFESSOR
insigneo showcase
We are pleased to welcome Mike Maddock as our newly appointed Visiting Professor. Professor Maddock’s appointment builds upon his active involvement in the Science and Innovation Board (SIB), that works to influence the strategic direction of the Sheffield City Region (SCR) to support growth and economic impact in areas that depend on science led innovation. With substantial experience in a variety of business environments including winter sports research and development and blue chip multi-site retailing, Mike is currently Managing Director and co-owner of Performance Engineered Solutions (PES) Ltd. As Visiting Professor, Mike will continue with his current activities with the University and will also deliver keynote lectures to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, sharing his experiences and supporting the next generation of problem-solvers, leaders and innovators in their development. Read more at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/mecheng/news-events
Courtesy of Insigneo
The 2018 Insigneo Showcase took place on Thursday 3rd May at the University of Sheffield’s Octagon Centre, highlighting the latest in silico medicine innovations produced by Insigneo. Interest in the potential of in silico technologies continues to grow. This year was the biggest Showcase event ever with over 250 attendees from academia, industry, and funding bodies. The programme for the day was divided into four themes: • • • •
In silico science In silico technologies In silico medicine: predictive medicine In silico for industrial exploitation
Following an opening address from Insigneo Executive Director, Professor Marco Viceconti, there were talks from mechanical engineers Professor Damien Lacroix, Dr Cécile Perrault, Dr Zeike Taylor and Dr Alberto Marzo. To find out more about Insigneo and the showcase, visit www.insigneo.org
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STUDENT ROV-ING
A question of padding
Twelve engineering students from the University of Sheffield, including three from Mechanical Engineering, qualified for the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) International ROV Competition 2018 which took place in Seattle, USA. The competition requires teams of students to design and build a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that will carry out specific tasks underwater whilst meeting a number of technical requirements. This year, teams were focused on creating an underwater ROV that could investigate wreckages, explore the seabed or support construction of underwater structures. Out of 28 competing teams from all over the world, the Sheffield team - known as Team Avalon - achieved 6th place in the Marketing Display, 7th for Technical Documentation, 4th for Outreach and 5th for Safety with an overall placing of 14th. Dhruvit Shah was one of the Mechanical Engineering students taking part: “As a Mechanical Engineer for the Avalon Team, I designed and manufactured several components in the ROV like the Gripper, OBS Actuator and Camera Casings. I was able to apply my knowledge and do handson engineering, which I hope will help me in industry in the future.”
Getty Images
Academics from the Department of Mechanical Engineering are researching padded clothing in rugby on behalf of the sport’s global governing body, World Rugby. Along with colleagues at Manchester Metropolitan University, they will be helping to ensure that padded clothing is assessed and controlled in a way that best replicates real life play, providing appropriate protection for the nature of the game. University of Sheffield research - involving Dr Matt Carré, Dr Heather Driscoll and PhD student Angus Hughes - will investigate how the testing required by current regulations should be adapted so that it provides a more accurate assessment of impact behaviour. The project is now well on the way, with players being invited to feed back on their experiences of padded clothing. Results of the research from both universities are expected over the next 18 months. Find out more about the project on our Youtube channel ‘shefunimecheng’.
Courtesy of Team Avalon
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Flying High How Mechanical Engineering students took to the skies as part of an International Drone Competition. Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Automatic Control and Systems Engineering students from the University of Sheffield were flying high as they took part in the annual UAS Challenge, organised by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. The competition, now in its fourth year, is a year-long project where teams are challenged to design, build and operate an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) that could be used in a humanitarian aid mission – completing a series of tasks such as waypoint navigation (following a route towards a specific mark), location search and accurate delivery of an aid package. Twenty-one teams took part in the 2018 Challenge, with students coming from across the UK as well as from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Project HEX, from the University of Sheffield, was pleased to be competing amongst them and not for the first time. As Andreas Mertzios, Project HEX team captain and MEng Mechanical Engineering student explains: “This is the third time Project HEX has taken part in the UAS Challenge and, as the name suggests, it has been a challenge, but that’s the most rewarding part!
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“Our aircraft was a hexacopter - hence the team name - and our aircraft consisted mainly of carbon fibre and 3D-printed parts. “3D printing was chosen as our main manufacturing process as it provides huge flexibility on geometries of the parts and rapid prototyping. This became particularly important as we had a major crash whilst testing two weeks before competition. “The design and manufacturing process meant we were able to rebuild as well as undertake further flight tests in time for the final fly-off event.” The ‘fly-off’ took place over two days in June at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre in Wales and was sponsored by Qinetiq and GKN Aerospace. Alongside the operating tasks, the commercial viability of each project was also tested with a Dragons’ Den style pitch to a panel of judges. Peter Finegold, Head of Education Policy at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “Taking part in the UAS challenge provides students with an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between education and industry. “Students are involved in an engineering project which brings theoretical knowledge to life and encourages authentic work
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experiences such as working in teams, to deadlines and solving real problems as they arise.” After two days of intense competition, Team Hedef from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey were crowned grand champions followed by the University of Southampton in the runner up position. And although Team Project HEX didn’t come away with an award, the team gained invaluable experience that will support their development as engineers.
Members of the Project HEX team at competition including Andreas Mertzios, John Gifford, Demetrios Loizides, Stephanos Hadjistephanou, Alexander Murray, Quincy Agyapong, Jamie Berlofsky, Alexander Johnson and Jack Orton.
About this year’s hexacopter: •
Consisted mainly of carbon fibre and 3D-printed parts
“But we’ve all gained so much from taking part and I have personally enjoyed every single moment - even the drawbacks and when things don’t go as planned as they make sure you’re always learning.”
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3D printing offered huge flexibility on geometries of the parts and rapid prototyping
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Carbon fibre sheets were CNC-ed by the team to best fit with the 3D printed parts
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The ‘control’ sub-team developed a unique code for the two missions using matlab and python
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Hardware included a Pixhawk flight controller, raspberry pi and camera
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Linking the aircraft and the ground station was achieved using Direct Wi-Fi
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Included a Flight Termination System that stopped all motors whilst quickly deploying a parachute using a CO2 cannister
Congratulations Team Project HEX!
Andreas Mertzios, Project HEX team captain with the hexacopter.
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Images courtesy of Team Project Hex
“Being involved in the project whilst keeping up with coursework can really test your ability to work under pressure,” added Andreas.
Research focus: Designing safer car seats Researchers at the University of Sheffield, including those from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, have successfully used computer simulated models and medical imaging to test the strength of young children’s bones, producing results which could help car seat manufacturers design safer car seats. The study - the first on infant bone strength in relation to age/weight using models developed from modern medical images - used CT scans and subsequent computer models to set up different scenarios, exploring how force affects bone; bending and twisting the bones to detect the breaking point. These non-invasive techniques created 3D models of the femur (thigh bone), in the study of children’s bones in the newborn to threeyear-old age range. Protection has improved significantly since the introduction of car seats but car accidents are still a leading cause of life threatening injury in children. Current testing for car seats in simulated crash tests often use scaled down models of adults to simulate a child in a given situation. However, anatomically, a toddler has a very different bone structure to an adult - the bones are not fully formed and are still growing. Dr Xinshan Li, from the Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine and the Department of Mechanical Engineering said: “There is currently very little research looking into the bone strength of young children. “Our data can be applied to help car seat manufacturers, pram manufacturers, toy manufacturers and any other companies designing children’s products, to design and make safer products and use our modelling of bone strength in testing their products before bringing them to market.
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“We will be continuing our research in this area and hope to work in partnership with these industries to demonstrate the impact our work could have in helping to prevent and minimise the impact of potential accidents.” Dr Amaka Offiah, Reader in Paediatric Musculoskeletal Imaging in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism at the University of Sheffield, and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Radiologist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, said: “Bone fractures are common in childhood and have been estimated to account for 25 per cent of all paediatric injuries. They can broadly be categorised into accidental or inflicted injuries. “Currently, distinguishing between these can often be extremely difficult. Due to the difficulties in obtaining paediatric bone samples, there has been a lack of research to provide evidence-based information on bone strength in young children. “In addition to the child safety industry-based applications, the findings from our study can be used in future to aid clinical diagnosis. “If we can provide a table which shows bone strength by age range for different bones in the body, we can then calculate the force required to break that particular bone. “This would help clinicians to use evidencebased information to decide whether an injury is accidental or inflicted, particularly
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Research funding received
£1,450,000 between march and june 2018, with top research grants including: Getty Images
for younger children who aren’t able to articulate how the injury occurred.” The team is continuing their work in this area and will be building on the current research to assess other long bones, such as the tibia. They are also looking to expand their database to ensure a good representation of children in each age range as well as explore more complex injury scenarios. The Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine is a collaborative initiative between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. It is a multidisciplinary collaboration between over 140 academics and clinicians to develop computer simulations of the human body and its disease processes that can be used directly in clinical practice to improve diagnosis and treatment. MultiSim is an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded programme which is based in Insigneo. ‘Investigating the mechanical response of paediatric bone under bending and torsion using finite element analysis’ by Zainab Altai, Marco Viceconti, Amaka Offiah and Xinshan Li is published in the Journal of Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology.
Professor Keith Worden - Structural Health Monitoring of Systems: Populations, Networks and Communities - £704,822 from EPSRC Dr Elizabeth Cross - Predictive Modelling in Complex Uncertain Environments: Optimised exploitation of physics and data - £579,374 from EPSRC Professor Kirill Horoshenkov and Dr Anton Krynkin (PI Professor Simon Tait - Civil and Structural Engineering) - Rapid monitoring of river hydrodynamics and mortphology using acoustic holography - £104,375 from EPSRC
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RESEARCH ASSOCIATES ON THEIR GRANT SUCCESS: Dr Karen Finney - Degradation behaviour of amine based solvents for C02 absorption £11,955 from the Royal Society Dr Mohammed Ismail - Fundamental Insights into Advanced Functional Carbon-based Materials as Fe-N-C Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction - £11,500 from the Royal Society
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Students ‘make a change’ with innovative invention to help the visually impaired. A cross-faculty team of engineering students are celebrating after their invention to help visually impaired people identify different bank and loyalty cards scooped first prize in this year’s ‘Make a Change!’ Engineering Challenge. A popular engineering module, ‘Make a Change!’ gives students from different engineering disciplines the opportunity to come together and apply their theoretical engineering knowledge to solve real world problems. This year, students were tasked with developing a marketable solution that will help visually impaired people in their daily lives. As part of their research and development, students had the opportunity to speak with local resident Anthony O’Keefe about his day-to-day routine and the challenges he faces due to visual impairment. “It was after speaking with Anthony and understanding some of his daily challenges that we realised the opportunity for making bank and other cards more accessible,” explains David Scott, a final year Mechanical Engineering student on the team. “Although legal tender in the UK has been designed with visual impairments in mind – such as size, colour, font sizes and braille on the new
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notes – the vast majority of bank, loyalty and other plastic cards do not. “We wanted to create a solution that would give people with visual impairments the freedom to own and use multiple debit, credit and loyalty cards with ease.” Along with fellow Mechanical Engineering students Camilla Seward and Lawrence Hogg, Aerospace Engineering students Amy James and Matt Williams and Chemical and Biological Engineering student Usama Mujtaba, the team developed Desind - a simple card stamping device which makes indentations (including Braille) on the user’s various cards to make each card identifiable. “The great thing about Desind is that it not only offers over 30 unique stamps, but it will also help users to orientate their cards, which is particularly helpful when using an ATM or card machine,” adds Camilla. “It has been a really challenging but rewarding module and to receive such amazing feedback from Anthony on how the product could help him day-to-day has been a great example of how engineering really can improve lives – it is a message that I will definitely take with me into my future career.”
Anthony O’Keefe, who helped to judge the projects and offered insight into his own experiences as part of the module, says: “It was a great module to be involved with and there were some great ideas that could genuinely make life easier for people with sight loss.
A working protoype developed by the team
“Second prize went to a group that developed a product with the potential to revolutionise the sport I love, goalball. Their tactile tape idea could save a substantial amount of our court time that is spent laying the court instead of playing.
After a period of design, including the development of a working prototype, the team presented their solution to a panel of judges including Anthony and representatives from industry. Following deliberation of each project, Desind came away with first prize.
“First prize went to a group [Desind] that developed a card punch, that could allow me to easily identify the various bank and loyalty cards in my wallet. It is a wonderfully simple idea that could really help people with sight loss to be more independent.”
Dr Alaster Yoxall led the module and was impressed with the calibre of projects that were submitted:
The Desind team are now looking at how they can potentially develop their invention into a business, following in the footsteps of other alumni, such as Exyo, who have taken projects developed at university to market.
“The module is called ‘Make a Change’ for a reason - it seeks to place the development of a business proposition that helps change the lives of real people with real issues firmly in the student’s consciousness.
“There is a lot of potential for Desind and we are excited to explore opportunities to develop it further. Watch this space!” adds Lawrence. Images courtesy of Team Desind
“In doing so, it shows how engineers can create a positive impact on people’s lives and be at the centre of solving the many challenges facing individuals and communities in the 21st century. “The module is unique in that it requires the students to use their engineering and design knowledge and mix that with business know-how and the ability to empathise with the customer; in this case Anthony. “The quality of the projects was outstanding across the module. I was genuinely impressed with the levels of engagement with the issue and the business ideas produced.”
Team Desind (l to r): Top - Matt Williams, Usama Mujtaba and Lawrence Hogg. Bottom - Camilla Seward and Amy James. Not pictured - David Scott.
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Symposium success for Energy 2050 student Jonathan Morris, Energy 2050 EngD student, was awarded departmental first prize for his presentation at the recent Engineering Research Symposium and went on to represent MEC in the Faculty Competition. Jonathan’s background is in Chemical Engineering having studied at the University of Nottingham. This was followed by a year working as a technical writer for an engineering consultancy firm, before deciding to start an Engineering Doctorate. Under the supervision of Energy 2050’s Dr Bill Nimmo, Jonathan’s Doctorate is sponsored by Sembcorp Utilities UK, which owns the 2000 acre Wilton International site in Teesside, Middlesbrough, where they supply electricity, steam and water treatment services to industrial clients on site. One of their assets is the Wilton 10 Biomass Power Station, which uses the same combustion technology (fluidized bed combustion) that the EngD project is focused on. He also spends one week per month in Teesside with Sembcorp’s Performance Engineering team, helping out with a mixture of different engineering projects. For example, creating heat and mass balances for combustion within the Wilton 10 boiler, or looking at steam turbine performance at different operational conditions. Here Jonathan explains a little more about the research that inspired his winning presentation.
a fluid. Whilst the bed is being fluidized, it is also heated to the point where it is hot enough to burn a fuel, in my case, biomass. Once the biomass is burning, the start-up bed heating can be turned off and the fuel will continue to burn. “Biomass fuels – such as wood or agricultural wastes – can be highly variable in quality, which fluidized beds are better equipped to handle. However, biomass ashes will start to form melts at high temperatures. “In a fluidized bed boiler, the ashes will form deposits on boiler metalwork, and within the fluidized bed itself, will cause bed material to stick together into lumps called agglomerates. With enough agglomerates present in the bed, the bed will defluidize, as the air flow can no longer suspend it. “At this point, you would have to stop the combustion process in order to replace the bed material, and then start back up again. My research focuses on this issue of agglomeration, specifically the effects of different fuels, bed materials, and additives, as well as determining the mechanisms that drive it. I primarily use a pilot scale fluidized bed combustor at the PACT facility in Beighton, Sheffield, to do this work.
“I’m looking at ash related issues during fluidized bed combustion of biomass. A fluidized bed is where air is passed through a bed of particles, e.g. sand, from below.
“There are several power stations in the UK using fluidized bed boilers with biomass fuels in the UK at present, with more to open in the near future. Ash-related issues such as agglomeration cause numerous reliability and maintenance problems for operators.
“Once the air flow reaches the minimum fluidization velocity, the bed of particles will become suspended by the air and behave like
“Furthermore, operators often use fuels with lower ash contents, such as fresh wood chips, to minimise ash related challenges. Mitigating
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MechEng News: Issue 17
or overcoming these challenges would allow for increased use of alternate fuels such as waste wood or agricultural wastes.” Jonathan says he was drawn to an EngD programme because of the industrial involvement in each project. “I was excited by the idea of working on a project that already has interest from industrial partners, and may have a real impact on their business. “As my EngD project is part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Carbon Capture, Storage and Cleaner Fossil Energy, I’m part of a wider cohort across other universities that are carrying out energy projects with industry. “We also undertake a dedicated programme of modules to broaden our understanding of the energy sector, which was a plus for choosing the EngD.” He also credits the University of Sheffield’s reputation and the expertise of his supervisor, Dr Bill Nimmo as being major influences on his decision to study here. Dr Nimmo said of Jonathan’s win:
PhD students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering made it through to the UK finals of international innovation contest, ActInSpace®. Sheen Mclean Cabañeros, Tom Garwood and Victoria Mawson (pictured), also known as Team VSTr, made it to the UK finals after taking part in a 24-hour hackathon heat where they developed - from scratch - a business plan to utilise space technology for earth-based applications. Initiated by the French Space Agency (CNES) and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and ESA Business Incubation Centres network, ActInSpace® involves participants from over 60 cities across 5 continents. Teams come together to work on real-life challenges alongside business mentors and technical experts designing innovative services and products that find every day uses for space technologies or data. After the hackathon heat, the team went on to compete in the UK final on 8th June where Team VSTr came a close second. “Although we didn’t make it to the international final, we were thrilled to make it to the UK finals and the feedback from the judges was really positive,” says Victoria. “The whole experience has been fantastic and we have taken a lot from it, in fact we are looking at different options for potentially progressing our business idea outside of the competition.” Image courtesy of Team VStr
“I am really pleased for Jonathan. He is a worthy winner of the MEC prize and a strong champion for the department and Energy 2050. He loves his research and I am sure that would have been obvious in his presentations. Well done!”
PhD Students make actinspace uk final
To find out more about Energy 2050, one of the UK’s largest energy research institutes, please visit www.energy2050.ac.uk
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The Final Word. And so we come to the end of another academic year – time certainly flies! But as we move into the Summer, it is also a great opportunity to reflect on how far we have come since this time last year. Overall, it has been a great year for the Department of Mechanical Engineering with so much good news from our students, staff and alumni. From the pioneering research we are leading, to the amazing (and many) successes of our students and alumni, not to mention the hard work of all our departmental colleagues that keeps us evolving and improving, this edition of MechEng News really is the tip of the iceberg when I think about how much we have accomplished over the last twelve months. Thank you to you all. It is also time to wish our final year students all the very best with their future plans – it has been a pleasure to watch you develop as engineers and we look forward to celebrating with you at graduation! As we look towards Autumn and welcoming our current and new students to Sheffield, I am also excited about the opportunities we have to inspire and encourage the next generation of mechanical engineers. Here’s to another great academic year.
Neil Sims
Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering
This publication is produced using 100% recycled FSC certified paper
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MechEng News: Issue 16