The Cambridge Engineer: Michaelmas Edition 2014

THE CAMBRIDGE ENGINEER Quest for Lift Britecloud

Dear Engineers

Scary Ebola

Inside Shell

Robot Armies Ballooning Population

MICHAELMAS EDITION 2014

Main sponsors

Associate sponsors

CONTENTS 4 5 7 10 11 13 16 19 21

Editorial Quest for Lift Britecloud Dear Engineers Ballooning Population Scary Ebola Inside Shell Robot Armies CUES AOB Editorial Tafara Makuni, Jack Struthers magazine@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk

Cover Photo: Robbie Stevens - Pitching Wing.

Contents Photo: Dhiren Mistry - Turbulent Jet.

Disclaimer The material contained in this magazine represent views of the respective authors and not necessarily those of CUES or the organisations referred to. No material in this magazine can be reproduced partly or wholly without obtaining permission of the respective authors and/or organisations concerned. While we try to maintain accuracy and prevent misrepresentation of information, CUES or any of its members will not accept any responsibility for errors and omissions.

The Cambridge Engineer is Copyright Cambridge University Engineering Society (CUES) 2014

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EDITORIAL Dear Readers,

I will attempt keep this short but sweet (@BeckyJeffers).

For those of you who managed to get a copy, I hope you enjoyed the fantastic Freshers’ Edition, curated by co-editor; Jack Struthers. The Michaelmas Edition was meant to be my sole responsibility (busy schedules - long story) until a virus struck (see Scary Ebola piece). At this stage, Jack stepped in and helped “deal” with our beloved sponsors (articles and adverts – the usual drill).

Fellow PhD students Robbie Stevens and Dhiren Mistry, as well as my youngest brother David Makuni, wrote articles overnight, even with very busy lives. While on the other hand, Ruairidh Cumming - Mr Reliable - had already submitted his column. Tess Catherwood and Raphael Proust then kindly volunteered to be models sporting this year’s CUES sweatshirts and hoodies - but on the condition that I too would “model”. Finally, and to conclude, a quick proof-read of the magazine was conducted by one Todd Davidson and another Dalia Marmer.

So here it is: The Cambridge Engineer, Michaelmas Edition 2014. It’s rough and ready, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

After all, is Engineering not all about adapting to ever-changing situations?

With the very best of wishes from this year’s dream team,

Tafara Makuni CUES Magazine Co-Editor, 2014-2015.

Jack Struthers CUES Magazine Co-Editor, 2014-2015.

4

QUEST FOR LIFT Since the dawn of time, man has been fascinated by the ethereal possibility of flight.

The quest for lift refers to the historical pursuit for an understanding of how the lift required to sustain flight is produced. Early flight pioneers yearned to take to the skies by imitating the flapping wings observed in the flight of birds and insects. Contraptions (so-called ornithopters) often failed in dramatic fashion and many would perish chasing such dreams. The situation was dire, but there was hope. In the 1800’s George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal provided some hope by making early advances in the quest for lift. They proved that it was possible to fly by employing ‘heavier than air’ gliders.

The year is 1903. The venue is Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright brothers make the first powered flight and the world was never to be the same again. With the advent of, and associated frenzy of excitement surrounding, fixed wing flight, the dreams of flying like a bird were abated somewhat. It was even popularly rumoured that according to aerodynamic theory the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly! The institutionalisation of aeronautical science by committees such as the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (ACA) diverted research efforts towards practical aircraft. In the years that followed, great engineers such as Hermann Glauert (Trinity College, University of Cambridge, m. 1910) battled to establish what is now considered classical wing theory.

The ultimate goal was to be able to fly and thus the quest for lift appeared to draw to a close... or had it?

Pivot

In the following decades many more advances in aerospace science, such as supersonic flight, were made. Flapping flight was all but forgotten. Then something started happening in the world. Progressive development of micro-electronics, computing technology and advanced materials began opening up exciting opportunities where none had previously existed. Questions were asked... ‘Could we build a micro-scale flapping flight vehicle?’ The applications were numerous. Large scale Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have proliferated in recent decades but there are limits to their usefulness. Enter the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). A MAV has a size comparable to a small bird or large insect. The opportunity to develop a MAV with a flapping wing configuration was within grasp but we still didn’t know how a flapping wing really worked from an aerodynamics standpoint.

The classical theories were breaking down and so the quest for lift has been re-ignited.

The complex motion of a flapping wing creates a highly unsteady aerodynamic flow field. The large lift forces required for flapping flight must come from fluid mechanisms, which are inherent in this unsteadiness. One such unsteady phenomenon is the Leading Edge Vortex (LEV) [1], which forms on the upper wing surface. An understanding of the LEV might shed some light on how flapping wings work.

The Cambridge University Engineering Department (CUED) has been pursuing the quest. Experiments

Wing

Pivot

Wing section

Simplifying Wing to a Pivoted Flat Plate

5

Simplified pitching kinematics of a flat-plate wing cross-section allow the fundamental fluid physics (of winged insects/birds) to be analysed experimentally.

Str

ea

m

lin

es

Leading Edge Vortex

Wing Section

A two-dimensional slice of the LEV on a flat plate wing. The LEV is visualised using milk.

Streamlines calculated from PIV data show a high streamline curvature, which is indicative of a high lift force.

are currently being conducted in a water tank facility.

Using water as the fluid allows for the exploitation of Reynolds number scaling [2]. Reynolds number scaling, permits the use of larger wing models, to yield scientific results which are representative of what would be obseved for true small insect flying in air. At present, simplified flap motions are being investigated to establish the fundamental physics. Many expeimental techniques are used.

Using milk as a dye, the flow visualisation method allows for key fluid structures to be identified.

On the other hand, a technique such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) [3] yields quantitative data which can be exploited to extract streamlines [4].

Streamline curvature gives insight into how force is generated. A high curvature is associated with a large force. A high streamline curvature is observed when a leading edge vortex (LEV) is present and lends credence to the supposition that this unsteady mechanism contributes to the lift production.

The crusade has not yet reached its final destination and the LEV is only a small part of the puzzle. In the highest tradition of espousing rigorous fundamental research, the CUED team continues on the quest.

----------------- Some Aerodynamic Jargon ------------[1] Leading Edge Vortex (LEV)

Vortices are present in many situations.

For example, contrails which are often seen “spilling off� the edges of an aircraft wing, occur as a result of wing-tip vortices.

[2] Reynolds Number

This is a non-dimensional quantity that allows for parameters, such as model size and fluid type, to be scaled differently, whilst keeping the fundamental flow physics the same.

[3] Particle Image Velocimety (PIV)

An experimental technique used to obtain detailed flow velocity measurements (as well as other quantities).

[4] Streamlines

Streamlines look to follow the direction of a flow, hence allow for a visualisation of the flow field.

------------------------------------------------------------------All photos and figures by Robbie Stevens.

Robbie Stevens

Third Year Aerodynamics PhD Student, Cambridge University Engineering Department.

6

BRITECLOUD A brief introduction to the world of Electronic Warfare by Selex.

Technology company Selex ES, part of the Finmeccanica group, makes significant advances in many different areas of engineering, from defence and civil security to aerospace and ‘smart’ energy monitoring solutions. The company’s most recently launched product, BriteCloud, is a new expendable active decoy designed to be released from a fast jet in hostile situations to reduce the threat posed by an incoming radar-guided missile. For Selex ES to develop and manufacture BriteCloud, skilled engineers from multiple disciplines work closely to ensure the product is reliable and effective every time it is deployed as an electronic warfare end-game defence.

Electronic warfare (EW) is the use of electromagnetic energy to exploit, reduce or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum whilst also retaining its friendly use. Selex ES works on the reduction and prevention aspect of electronic warfare and provides Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) to defend against the threats which are posed, as well as other aspects of EW. BriteCloud specifically targets the end-game radar-guided missile engagements and acts to defend the aircraft from the threat in a significantly improved way from previous countermeasures

A Brief History of Electronic Countermeasures

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The origin of EW comes from radars being employed to detect aircraft, through the electromagnetic reflection from fuselage and wings, around the Second World War. This initial hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum led to countermeasures becoming important to keep pilot and plane safe. One of the first countermeasures was chaff, originally simple strips of aluminium foil, which is released from the aircraft and provides a significantly large return signal to any incident radar system. This provided a false radar return which was able to confuse basic systems, however, as the chaff has no velocity and dissipates quickly, threat systems quickly improved to see through this crude defence.

The natural progression of EW and ECM led to noise jamming; to effectively hide the returned signal of the plane within a mass of noise. This is analogous to the enemy shining a torch at a small reflector (the friendly plane) but receiving a blinding reflection the size of a searchlight back. This high power signal overloads the radar’s receiver and it cannot function, it is therefore acting to ‘blind’ the radar. Homing missiles would also struggle to operate with this strong jamming signal present. Home-On-Jamming was developed to enable a missile or radar to lock onto this high power signal, as this signal originates from the Defensive Aid Suite (DAS) on-board the plane using this jamming technique once more makes it the primary target.

The logical next step in ECM was to distance the emitter from the aircraft and this was made possible by towed radar decoys. The decoy is towed some distance behind the aircraft, whilst attached via a cable such that data and power can be transferred. The towed decoy can transmit all of the jamming techniques of the aircraft Defensive Aid Suite (DAS) (including more advanced techniques than noise jamming) and is also distanced from the aircraft in an effort to maximise the distance between missile and aircraft. However, Selex ES recognised that there is a market for fully detached and completely independent advanced off-board ECM, and this is where BriteCloud is revolutionary.

Now for BriteCloud Selex ES have designed BriteCloud such that it fits inside the standard (55mm diameter) flare tube of fast jets, and therefore, no significant changes to the aircraft systems are needed for BriteCloud to be used. The packaging size is also remarkable when the amount of capability and technology encased is evaluated. A key advancement for off-board decoys is in the use of Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) within the decoy so that sophisticated jamming techniques can be used. One such jamming technique is the ability to create multiple false targets, and then manipulate the ‘decoys’ to confuse and defeat an incoming missile. This capability is also available on other Selex ES DAS products, although these are much larger systems and so are mounted within a jet.

Many of the details of the jamming techniques used are highly classified so BriteCloud also has to declassify itself as it will typically be used over hostile territory. The firmware and software inside the device will erase the initially sensitive data as it falls whilst producing advanced jamming techniques.

The mechanical and aerodynamic design of such a small packaged ECM is also vital as the aircraft will have no influence over the device once it is released.

The package therefore must be able to withstand an initial shock on launch (a g-force of 500gs) as well as the various atmospheric conditions it will experience during its flight. The orientation of BriteCloud is also significant as it must be correctly positioned such to provide the best angle for jamming.

The aerodynamics to allow this precise flight, factors such as the centre of mass and centre of pressure were evaluated to achieve the correct flight profile.

The fins of BriteCloud, which open on release, create sufficient drag on the package to ensure stability.

The power source used to run BriteCloud is also partly dependant on the atmospheric conditions in which it will be deployed. At 50,000 feet above sea-level and -40°C, some battery technology simply won’t cut it.

Selex ES concluded that a standard lithium ion battery would be unsuitable at low temperatures and would self-discharge over time, risking the BriteCloud not operating when deployed. The power is therefore sourced from a thermal battery which has a very long shelf life and so it is very reliable on activation. This is also a key factor as the device must work on every single deployment, due to the possible nature of the hostile threats. The thermal battery is activated by a pyrotechnic charge to raise the salt electrolyte to several hundred degrees. Thermal management within BriteCloud is modelled by mechanical engineering and enables the device to reliably go from totally powerless to fully active and released from the aircraft in less than a second.

BriteCloud is a significant improvement over the previous generation of ECM products and maintains Selex ES as a global leader in force protection. It fits into a common platform flare tube as well as making the package low cost and expendable. This means that BriteCloud a powerful electronic countermeasure to act against modern hostile threats. Selex ES needs all sorts of engineers, working over a range of disciplines, in highly integrated teams to produce world-class products like BriteCloud. With a business based on top quality engineering talent, Selex ES will continue to excel and support the company motto of ‘Help them See, Keep them Safe’.

James White

Industrial Placement Engineer, Microwave Engineering Department, Selex ES. All photos provided by Selex, ES.

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DEAR ENGINEERS It has been brought to my attention that a great shadow has fallen across society. No one is sure when it happened, we just woke up one morning and it was there. The chief symptom of this is that people no longer seem impressed by the incredible technology we have at our disposal. It probably doesn’t surprise you that I wrote this on a computer, or that I emailed it in to the editors. You should be surprised, and really impressed, that using what is essentially some carefully arranged sand; I can send messages around the world instantaneously, watch films, play games or look up pictures of cats. It’s not just computers, I spent much of the holidays on trains up and down the country.

And no one inside seemed to have noticed that they were riding a hundred tonne metal snake!

Or that there was WiFi on the snake. Or that all this was powered by someone burning what was left of some dinosaurs hundreds of miles away. Or that, despite traveling roughly five times faster than evolution has prepared you for, there are on average 0.6 fatalities per billion passenger kilometres travelled by train. Most of the passengers just sat there listening to music or watching films and looking bored. I first realised this when I took a skydiving course over the summer. I was not concerned that that this involved climbing into a box with a big nylon carrier bag in a rucksack on my back, waiting a few minutes until we were about a kilometre up in the air and then throwing myself into the clouds trying very hard to focus on my body position and not looking down. When eventually I drifted back to the ground I was more concerned that I was a bit cold and now I had to re-pack the parachute. If you had talked about something like this one hundred years ago you would have been laughed at; and if you had talked about it; two hundred years ago you, would probably have been burned as a witch. I’m not trying to say that it is bad that all this technology has become normal for people, rather that many of today’s cutting edge technologies will probably be just as normal in fifty to one hundred years time.

Rauiridh is still in search for an evil robot army.

Ruairidh Cumming

Second Year Undergraduate Student, Cambridge University Engineering Department.

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BALLOONING POPULATION It is hard to ignore the warnings of this planet’s growing population.

By the year 2050, our population, currently at 7.2 billion, will reach 9 billion. More worryingly, recent studies have shown that the global population may not, as originally thought, reach a plateau. It is expected that the population will continue to grow to unsustainable levels. Feeding and providing sufficient energy to this population is a considerable undertaking, and it is one that must be confronted by you: future engineers.

The global population numbers alone do not reflect the targets for food and energy production. As developing countries are lifted from poverty, the food and energy demands will increase. Consider that almost 1 in 7 people in 2010 were malnourished: the additional food production required to satisfy their daily calorific intake is by no means insignificant. Similarly, the demands for energy go beyond the increase in population: in the 28-year period from 1990-2008 the population increased approximately 30% but the global energy usage increased by 40%. This divergence of energy use, to the ballooning population is not likely to slow down.

Clearly, the statistics for food and energy demands do not make for easy reading. Fortunately we can contrast these dire warnings with reasons for hope. Our quality of life is attributed to the benefits that result from innovation. Many households in the United Kingdom

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The split: Electricity, heat, transport and agriculture.

Prediction of the world’s population growth.

relied on coal as a source of domestic heating as recently as the 1950’s. The fact that there was a physical exchange of coal illustrates how outdated this heating source is. Nowadays, for some of us, access to electricity, hot water and heating are common luxuries. However, for us to continue enjoying our quality of life, in the very broadest of senses, we require further advancements in technology.

The technology required to sustain the energy demands for a global population over 9 billion will not be easy to come by.

A significant hindrance in sustainable energy is due to the economics. Coal and oil reserves have thus far been plentiful and very cheap to acquire; cheaper than most, if not all, renewables. Take wind power for instance, once one factors in the limited reserves of rare earth metals required in their generators, and their intermittent energy production; it becomes clear that without government subsidies wind energy will never come to dominate. In fact, without government subsidies, it is unlikely that any source of renewable energy will compete with fossil-fuel based energy sources (which are still present).

However, government investment usually arises due to political situations that may not always have forward-thinking energy policies as the top priority. To truly become a viable alternative energy source, renewables need to become easier to harness and sell.

It may be surprising to learn that the technologies that will (hopefully) be implemented to sustain the global population are already in existence. We should not expect any miraculous solutions to our energy and food crises; although our energy needs will most likely be met by a variable combination of renewables. However these technologies must first become more efficient and cheaper to attain, before they can be widely implemented.

Enter the role of the engineers and scientists of the future.

Here in Cambridge there is a plethora of research projects being undertaken with the aim of achieving greater sustainability. We are looking to improve the efficiency of air travel with improvements to jet engine combustion, and our understanding of turbulent flows to improve the heating and cooling of buildings. The upcoming James Dyson Building for Engineering will be a centre for innovation and design for products that are integrated into our daily lives. There is research into monitoring energy use of consumer products, and the changes necessary for maximising the lifespan of what we currently use.

Even student-run society Eco-Racing, looks to apply current technologies to maximise the performance of solar-powered cars.

(Todd Davidson)

Can Engineers save the world?

Although many universities and companies are addressing these global energy and food issues, it is important to remember that the goals of industrial companies, and those of people, and that of the environment can often be misaligned. Thus a greater concerted effort is needed, not only to overcome technological challenges for cheaper and more efficient technology; but also to overcome the traditional market forces that too have investment in the status quo.

We therefore direct this challenge to you, the engineers of tomorrow. With an engineering degree you will have a skill-set that is well-suited to a range of disciplines. A career in, for example, the banking sector has its advantages (high incomes and job security) and is perfectly suitable for a stable life. However, we must bear in mind that a career in Engineering also comes with big bonuses.

Dhiren Mistry

Third Year Fluid Mechanics PhD Student, Cambridge University Engineering Department.

All photos and figures by Dhiren Mistry.

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SCARY EBOLA This summer, to take a break from my day job (designing jet engine intakes), I decided to conduct two weeks of outreach teaching in South Africa.

Working under socially committed enterprise, Volunteer Africa 32o, the teaching provides computer literacy training to primary schools located in the impoverished regions of East London, South Africa. Good organisation, great cause; do it if you can. However before flying out (for reasons I probably should not go into, although they are largely in the name of charity) I had conducted the ALS ice-bucket challenge twice; on consecutive days. This did not do wonders for the cold my body was trying to fend off, or the standard aeroplane flu associated with long flights. Thus by the time I arrived to South Africa, I definitely had a bad case of the common cold – bugger.

All the volunteers stay in a house provided by the organisation, and are generally from different walks of life. Whilst I was there, there were four of us staying in total. Again, all from different walks of life, and all with different travel histories.

Fast forward two weeks. Teaching, great. People, great. However, I was still feeling a little ill; although much better than I was when I first arrived. But before returning home to England, as I was in the neighbourhood, I decided to pass through Zimbabwe. And in the departures lounge from Johannesburg to Harare:

By sheer coincidence I bump into three World Health Organisation (WHO) delegates from Mauritius.

They were on route to attend an emergency Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting; to discuss the Ebola virus outbreak. My internet had been rather limited for two weeks, hence being informed about the increasing severity of the outbreak was news to me. Furthermore, hearing just how deadly the Ebola virus is scared me – these are experts in their fields telling you the science as it is. Moreover, it is the uncertainties around the virus that disturbed me the most. The most disturbing of thoughts

13

Bulugha Public School is located on the back of a nature reserve therefore it was usual to see animals such as giraffes and zerbas, out of the window, whilst teaching.

being: What if the Ebola virus mutates and becomes airborne? How could the virus be contained then? Is such a mutation even possible? The clincher was: It is key to contain the outbreak (and globalisation needs to be bore in mind). Failure to do so will only worsen

the increasingly worsening situation. If you present any of the symptoms, and you may have been in contact with someone who could be carrying the virus, get it seen to immediately. But of course, take the relevant precautions. Early treatment* increases the chances of survival (although these are pretty low).

Symptoms can take up to three weeks to present.

The delegates went on to tell me how they suspect the outbreak first started: People innocently attending a funeral. Unknown to the attendees, the person had actually died of Ebola - the virus is still contagious even after death. As they parted ways, some took the virus with them; thus began the epidemic.

And how did I come to have such a conversation with WHO delegates from Mauritius?

See cartoon sketch below.

Moving on, when I eventually got back to England, I was still ill, and getting worse. Naturally I consulted Dr. Google, only to panic when I realised I was currently presenting half of the early-stage symptoms of the virus (feverish, muscle pain and sore throat). Furthermore, it then dawned on me that I didn’t know much of the other volunteers’ travel histories within Africa since the outbreak had started. Panic. PANIC.

To cut the long story short: I went straight to the general practitioner. Turns out I am Ebola-free, and indeed was simply suffering from a bad case of the common cold. And possibly a small viral infection of some sort - thankfully not Ebola...

------- Ebola Virus Symptoms (Source: NHS) ------“An infected person will typically develop a fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, sore throat, and intense muscle weakness. These symptoms start suddenly, between 2 and 21 days after becoming infected, but usually after 5-7 days.

Diarrhoea, vomiting, a rash, stomach pain and impaired kidney and liver function follow.

The patient then bleeds internally, and may also bleed from the ears, eyes, nose or mouth.

Ebola virus disease is fatal in 50-90% of cases. The sooner a person is given care, the better the chances that they will survive.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

But in all seriouness, as the epidemic continues to build momentum, and the world tries to fight it; we should perhaps keep in mind a point well-made by Ebola co-discover, Professor Peter Piot: “The international community initially took too long to react to the outbreak.... The world must now put in place mechanisms and means to handle better the next epidemic, which will undoubtedly come”.

Such a challenge is definitely something an engineer could (and probably should) get involved with.

Tafara Makuni

CUES Magazine Co-Editor 2014-15 All photos and sketches by Tafara Makuni.

x Stranger leans over and asks, “Are you also going to the conference?” x x Puzzled but slightly amused, I politely reply, “And what conference is this?” x x << Commence Ebola conversation >> x x << Conclude Ebola conversation >> x x Stranger then asks, “So what do you do?” x x Slightly amused again, the location could not be better, I point towards x x the aircraft we are about to board and respond, ”Jet engine intakes”. x x << Commence Jet engine conversation >> x Stranger

Me Departures Lounge O.R. Tambo Int. Airport Johannesburg, South Africa

Jet Engine

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Make an impact.

Not the tea.

Engineering placements and internships – summer 2015 3, 6 and 12 month opportunities Malmesbury, Wiltshire £17,000 pro rata Dyson digital motor V6

At Dyson, a placement in one of our engineering divisions is about getting hands-on. Not getting bored. In fact, last year one of our research interns found herself presenting ideas to our chief engineer.

(That’s James, in case you didn’t know.)

Make the machines that make Dyson.

Inside our top-secret Research, Design and Development Centre, the brightest engineering minds in the UK continually push the boundaries of science and technology – building better machines than anyone has ever built before. Smarter robots. Faster motors. Quieter aerodynamics.

And you should be working alongside them. Not making the tea.

So if you’ve got what it takes, tell us why we should choose you – email your CV and a short supporting note to RDDInterns@dyson.com Eligibility For a Dyson placement or internship, you’ll need 340+ UCAS points from your A-Levels, Scottish Highers or equivalent qualifications (excluding General Studies), and have the right to live and work in the EU. You’ll also be studying in your second year or higher on one of the following degree programmes: •

Computer Science

•

Electrical, Electronic or Robotics Engineering

•

Mechanical or Design Engineering

•

Physics, Biology or Chemistry

•

Maths

•

Power Electronics or Motor Drives

•

Aerodynamics

INSIDE SHELL Get an insight into a typical graduate job at Shell by two ex-student interviews!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Name and year of graduation: Kevin Lau, 2010 Role, Location: Subsea Engineer, Kuala Lumpur/Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

1.

Typical day I am currently working on the Prelude fLNG project – the first floating LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) plant in the world in which I work on the development and delivery of the subsea system (see attached picture). We are very involved in various aspects of the design of the subsea equipment: • Defining the required parameters and functionality that is needed to operate the entire subsea system safely and efficiently.

• Looking at the mechanical design of the equipment and ensuring that it can be fabricated in a safe manner.

• Managing the delivery of the equipment at the fabrication plant by ensuring that the HSSE, Quality, Schedule and People aspects are taken care of.

Of course, these things only look great on paper, so it is always a challenge to ensure that all these objectives are met during my day to day work! Never easy but it is definitely extremely exciting.

2.

Working in your location/asset I currently work in 2 different locations – the design office at Kuala Lumpur, and the fabrication yard at Johor Bahru. Both locations are in Malaysia, and the challenge in working in both locations is to ensure that communication between both sets of staff is always constant and aligned. An example would be how we view safety – in the design office we design for safety all the time but we can never be sure if it’s feasible. This is where the need for good communication with the fabrication yard is needed – any mistakes from the design office can cause some real consequences.

3.

Training and development at Shell Shell has always been well recognised for providing a well-structured path for personal and career development.

As a graduate, we are placed in a 2 year programme called the “Shell Graduate Programme” in which the main components are: • Technical learning and leadership courses • 2 job roles – this will vary depending on which engineering discipline • Assessment at the end of 2 years • Coaching/mentoring from senior engineers The development programme provides everyone great depth as well as a broad view of the whole industry – I have attended some great courses involving how we design a well all the way to how we can influence our stakeholders.

16

4.

Most challenging experience on the job so far Being involved in the testing of the subsea equipment has to be the most challenging aspect of the job so far – working 12 hour shifts to ensure that the testing can be carried out efficiently and safely was certainly a test of character.

Having to change the test sequence due to unavailability of equipment, troubleshooting during any failed tests/ equipment was never straightforward. However it was all very exciting as it required on the spot decisions and ensuring that the appropriate processes were still being followed.

5.

Advice to CUED students who are considering a career with Shell If you are looking for a job which provides you an opportunity to look into all the aspects of engineering - design, manufacturing, stakeholder management, commercial – and being involved in the day to day work as well as the management of these, Shell is certainly the place to be. Shell will help develop you personally in the skills you aim to achieve and provide you a holistic view of the industry.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Name and year of graduation: Sarah Tariq, Mechanical Engineering, 2011 Role, Location: Technologist, Pearl GTL, Qatar

1.

Typical day + Working in your location/asset I started working at Shell about six months after graduating, at the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids plant in Qatar. This is a complex and highly integrated plant that takes cheap natural gas and catalytically converts it to valuable crude oil products. Pearl GTL is one of Shell’s largest and most profitable assets, and with its huge size and technical complexity, is an amazing place to kick start an engineering career.

I initially started off as a maintenance engineer on the Shell Graduate Scheme, based at the site office. After Cambridge’s highly theoretical course, I welcomed the chance to see and feel the actual equipment in the field, and learned how difficult it is to troubleshoot and maintain it. In my first couple of months onsite, I was lucky enough to witness a major plant shutdown, and took the opportunity to crawl in and out of offline reactors and columns, and see huge gas turbines being dismantled and inspected! These experiences gave me the chance to translate my engineering knowledge from equations and diagrams to actual steel and concrete. This was absolutely essential to gain the trust and respect of my colleagues: most of whom were highly experienced and came from very hands-on backgrounds, like welding and construction. The first couple of months was a serious learning curve, and at times very frustrating to realize that I didn’t even know what the simplest things looked like in the field! Fortunately, my colleagues were always happy to show me around, and with such a large plant there was always something interesting going on to get involved with.

After about a year in maintenance, I wanted to move into a more technical discipline, and seeing an opportunity in the Technology department, I changed role to become a graduate technologist. Technologists are essentially chemical engineers who give onsite support to operations, by investigating unexpected process behavior,

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ensuring process safety in any changes made on the live plant, and monitoring of the plant performance. A typical day for a technologist starts off with the daily morning operations meeting, which is where we get the bulk of our work. We’re briefed on plant performance and activities for both the last and upcoming 24 hours, and provide support in making plant changes and investigating issues that operators face in running the plant. In addition, we’re also responsible for process optimisation, and frequently connect with the Shell R&D group to discuss future improvement opportunities.

One of the best things about Shell is the interaction between different parts of the business – nobody can work in a silo, and every role gives you the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people. My main stakeholders are the operations staff, but I also work closely with safety and discipline engineers, maintenance, finance, product supply and marketing team, and R&D. Each group brings their own views and areas of focus to discussions, and ensuring that we all align on how to achieve safe and reliable production is one of the most fascinating parts of the job.

2.

Training and development at Shell Coaching by peers and learning on the job are the most common (and effective!) ways of learning at Shell, but the Shell Graduate Program also suggests a number of training courses to accelerate development and build up leadership skills. Regarded as having one of the best programs for engineering graduates, Shell gives you the opportunity to build up skills and work with deliver value in a structured way, and the feature of rotations and multiple assignments lets you see different parts of the business (or even different countries!) very quickly.

3.

Most challenging experience on the job so far One of the most challenging aspects of my role is regarding process safety: taking accountability to ensure that there is no harm to people and no leaks. As a technologist, process safety is one of the most important focus areas of my day-to-day activities, and whether I am making changes to the live plant, or looking at performance trends for my units, I need to thoroughly risk assess and ensure that my actions will not lead to an incident. It may sound pretty melodramatic, but as we’ve seen with Piper Alpha, and more recently the Deepwater Macondo blowout, incidents can occur and we need to ensure that our actions do not cause them. Luckily, there are a number of resources available at Shell to give instructions and guidance on how to ensure safety in engineering activities, which are freely available on the internet, along with training on how to use them. In addition, Shell has a very visible and proactive safety culture, where people are encouraged to talk about safety, and so my colleagues are always happy to discuss technical issues and give coaching as necessary.

4.

Advice to CUED students who are considering a career with Shell I’ve really enjoyed my time at Shell so far, and I’d advise interested students to get to know more about the different graduate roles and Shell’s different assets before applying, so you can make more informed decisions about your career. Internships are the best way to quickly get a flavour of the potential roles (and can result in job offers!), but careers events are also a great way to meet and talk to Shell employees and campus ambassadors.

All photos provided by Shell.

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ROBOT ARMIES

Image reproduced with permission from Sohail Qaisar.

It started off as a bright and boring Saturday morning. It had been a hard week of learning (age 14) so I was taking my mind off things with some brain numbing internet surfing.

As you do on the internet I came across an article which caught my attention: “How to Build Your Own PC”. The thought had never occurred to me; that one could assemble an entire computer from scratch in the comfort of your own residence. I was more than intrigued and it almost felt like a childhood of playing with Lego had prepared me for this very moment; I saw the opportunity and took it.

After a few days of obsessive research and leaving no stone unturned, I compiled a list of PC components.

Realising the incredible margins most PC manufacturers were making on their products, I then thought: “What if I started a business selling PCs, while taking a bit less of the pie…” Turning ambition into action I ended up being the founder (well, co-founder - I eventually enlisted my sister and a good friend to the cause) of a moderately successful IT Retail business.

The company wasn’t born from a dormitory in Harvard, but from me being a penny pincher. Admittedly not your most colourful origin story.

In its inception there was so much manual and repetitive work to be done. I never realised how often suppliers changed their prices, seemingly just to annoy me.

Once you have updated 500 (or so) component prices

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only to find your evenings work has been nullified by the morning; annoyance comes naturally. But surely there must be a better way? It’s this predicament or my laziness (or both) which drove me to seek comfort in the confines of the most convenient programming language known to me at the time: BASH.

Through this I was able to write scripts which updated prices, sent routine emails to customers and even handle the entire return cycle; with me just keeping a “Big Brother Eye” on the preceding events. Gone were the days of trying to be the salesman; the data clerk; the web designer. Gone all at once. I simply ‘coded’ the employees I needed, and even a few I didn’t. This increase in efficiency of course shouldn’t surprise anyone. Computers are remarkably good at improving business operations, especially for a small business owners who can’t afford to waste time. Computers allow for fast processing of data, almost instantaneous retrieval of information and guaranteed performance, while their human alternatives are far more prone to errors (as well as sick days).

All around us we see how technology has streamlined business performance resulting in ventures which would not have been possible a few years back.

It’s quite amazing how a few “YES/NO” statements can be combined to create a form of artificial intelligence. The intelligence might not be smart enough (yet) to process complex concepts such as “loving an individual but hating what they do”, however it is clever enough to make informed business decisions in milliseconds, which at the same time, makes certain job roles obsolete. Herein lies the problem.

Bring on recreational therapists

Probability that computerisation will lead to job losses within the next two decades, 2013 (1 = certain)

Job Recreational therapists Dentists Athletic trainers Clergy Chemical engineers Editors Firefighters Actors Health technologists

Probability 0.003 0.004 0.007 0.008 0.02 0.06 0.17 0.37 0.40

Job Economists Commercial pilots Machinists Word processors and typists Real estate sales agents Technical writers Retail salespersons Accountants and auditors Telemarketers

Source: “The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerisation?”

C. Frey and M. Osborne (2013)

Until very recently the jobs which were vulnerable to automation were those of repetition and routine.

Thanks to the exponential increase in processing power and the utilisation of digital information in the form of “Big Data”, computers are now able to perform very complex tasks more effectively and reliably than humans. Examples such as detecting intruders on a CCTV machine, or identifying minute patterns in numbers which indicate fraud in a banking system; clearly show that computers are out for our jobs. In the coming years they are very likely to replace a lot of the current workforce. It’s no wonder that a recent study by economist Carl B. Frey and information engineer Michael A. Osborne from the University of Oxford suggested that almost half of today’s jobs could be automated by 2035. Occupations which required a distinctive human touch are not off the hit list either.

Computers nowadays can be programmed to “learn” a set of human actions, meaning even your “art form” of a profession can be reduced to few thousand lines of code.

Domains we saw as untouchable, such as the realm of language, have now become a playground for experimentation – a key example being Nick D’Aloisio who at age 17 created an app with the ability to summarise news articles utilising very complex algorithms.

He later went on to become £19 million pounds richer as a result. We can soon expect to see accountants sharing dole money with travel agents as technology, programming and automation continues to see wider adoption in the modern world.

Jobs such as tax preparers, cashiers and taxi drivers (to name a few are) all in danger of going the way of the switchboard operator. This lesson can be seen when one looks at recently flourishing businesses, compared to those filing for bankruptcy. For example: Instagram, a photo sharing application was sold to Facebook for around $1 billion in 2012 in which they employed 13 people; Kodak which then filed for bankruptcy months later employed 145,000 people in its peak

Probability 0.43 0.55 0.65 0.81 0.86 0.89 0.92 0.94 0.99

years. We can see it’s the routine jobs which are most vulnerable to the programmer typing away in a dark office corner.

Between the years of 2001 and 2011 an estimated 11% of “routine jobs” disappeared and this trend is expected to not only continue, but intensify. Bill Gates was recently quoted as saying: “Software substitution, whether it’s for drivers or waiters or nurses is progressing. Technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of skill set.” The likely driver for this change is our good friend “competition”. Once one company enjoys increased market share due to the benefits of automation, we can expect others to follow suit; which isn’t good news for everyone. So having said all this, a question lingers: is there a remedy to the gathering storm clouds of redundancy, a potential solution perhaps to the coming all-consuming technological fire?

There are those in the world (myself included) who believe that technology has made the world a better place, and that this is the natural flow of prosperity. Innovation may kill some jobs, however it leaves space for better ones to take their place. But these jobs are likely to demand a higher skill set. This widespread change is on the horizon and is already beginning to manifest. “Hon Hai” which some westerners may know as “FoxConn”, have recently announced plans to replace 500,000 workers with robots within the next three years. The jobs at risk the most are lower down the wage ladder, whereas the occupations which require creativity and intuition are less vulnerable to automation. This may result in the stagnation of median wages and income gaps are likely to widen as a result. If this analysis is even half-correct, then effects on our socio-economic balance will be huge. Then again, a few decades ago they said we would have flying cars by now, so I guess everything should be taken with a pinch of salt.

David Makuni

MEng Mechanical Engineering, Warwick University (Amongst other things.)

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S T N E V E S E CU cuengineeringsociety.org.uk/events

Careers Fair Monday 20th October, 2014 at 12:00 CUES Swap Tuesday 21st October, 2014 Jaguar Land Rover lunch-time presentation Tuesday 21st October, 2014 at 13:00 BP Graduate & Internship lunch-time presentation Thursday 23rd October, 2014 at 13:00 The BP Experience Event Thursday 23rd October, 2014 at 18:30 Rolls Royce lunch-time presentation Tuesday 28th October, 2014 at 13:00 Shell lunch-time presentation Thursday 30th October, 2014 at 13:00 P & G lunch-time presentation Tuesday 4th November, 2014 at 13:00 ARM lunch-time presentation Thursday 6th November, 2014 at 13:00 Ramboll Presentation Thursday 6th November, 2014 at 16:30 Rolls Royce lunch-time presentation Tuesday 11th November, 2014 at 13:00 CUES & OUEngSoc Swap Wednesday 12th November, 2014 Rexam Can Manufacturing Plant Visit Wednesday 12th November, 2014 at 13:30 Selex ES lunch-time presentation Thursday 13th November, 2014 AECOM lunch-time presentation Tuesday 18th November, 2014 at 13:00 Ramboll Work Shadowing Tuesday 18th November, 2014 at 14:00 Shell Malampaya Workshop Wednesday 19th November, 2014 at 15:00 TTP Group lunch-time presentation Thursday 20th November, 2014 Christmas Dinner Saturday 22nd November, 2014 National Space Centre Trip Saturday 22nd November, 2014 Cambridge Consultants lunch-time presentation Tuesday 25th November, 2014 at 13:00 INEOS lunch-time presentation Tuesday 2nd December, 2014 at 13:00

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Picture: Brooklyn Bridge, New York City; irst steel suspension bridge Photo by Tafara Makuni

Rexam Can Plant Visit

Rexam, a company you probably haven’t heard of but you come into contact with their products on a daily basis. Rexam are one of the world’s leading can manufactures and produce over 60 billion cans annually for top drinks brands including Redbull, Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and hundreds more. The plant uses cutting edge technology to produce vast quantities in the most efficient way, engineering at its finest. Get excited for this exclusive tour of the plant and see how slick can manufacturing can be.

Date: Wed 12th November, 1:30pm – 6pm.

Cost: CUES Members - £5 Non-Members - £15

National Space Center Visit “Rendezvous with a Comet”

Half day simulated mission. Improve your skills: • Leadership • Communication • Decision Making After the mission.... free access to Space Centre • exhibitions & theatre • Soyuz & moon rock • Café with rockets above!?!

Date: Saturday 22nd November 2014 Cost: CUES Members - £15 (inc. travel) Non-members - £45 (inc. travel)

A Dandy Wander to Munich 4 day trip to Munich, Germany!

Itinerary includes: • BMW manufacturing plant • Segway tour of the city • Roof walk and zip line on the Olympic Stadium • Brewery Tour • Tour of the famous Deutsches Museum • Loads of free time to enjoy the city Date: Friday 13th – Monday 16th March 2015 Cost: CUES Member - £150 Non-Members - £350 The small print: Cost includes flights, accommodation, transport, all visits. Meals not included. Places are limited to 20 and are first come first serve.

To secure a place, please email:

events@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk

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Season 2014-15

SWEATSHIRTS AND HOODIES

cuengineeringsociety.org.uk/store

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CONTACTING CUES 2014-15 COMMITTEE

Mihir Bhushan ------------- president@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Helen Sheehan -------- vice-president@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Laura Andrews ------------- secretary@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Kai Yu Tan ------------------ treasurer@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Peter Birch ---------------- webmaster@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Peter Birch -------------- membership@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Faizan Qureshi -------------- publicity@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Miles Fan -------------------- publicity@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Milad Mehrabanifard ---------- events@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Charlotte Murphy -------------- events@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Alex White ------------ presentations@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Maximilian Schinke --- presentations@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Richard Ollington ------------- socials@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Sarah Barrington -------------- socials@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Jack Struthers --------------- magazine@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk Tafara Makuni -------------- magazine@cuengineeringsociety.org.uk

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