STFC

Read the report: Detection Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF] The Detection Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. It featured five engineers: Will Smith works at Daresbury Laboratory collecting data from the particle accelerator. Lulu Buford works for Wood plc, an engineering partner for STFC, designing gas pipelines for a laboratory that detects dangerous elements in samples. Fahim Dhalla works at CERN as a cryogenics mechanical engineer, testing superconducting magnets. Chris Parmenter, the winner of this zone, works at STFC RAL Space designing cameras and other equipment to use in space. Candice Basson is a PhD student funded by STFC using the Large Hadron Collider to look for the building blocks of our universe.

Read the report: Milliampere Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF] The Milliampere Zone was a general zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and NCOP schools. The six featured engineers were all employed or funded by the STFC, or worked at an STFC partner company: Ryan Smith, the winner of this Zone designs and builds cameras that go to space to look back at Earth or out to the stars. Nadine Priestman processes hardware kits containing engine parts for aeroplane. Matt Keith is trying to figure out how to recycle really big things like bikes, cars and aeroplanes. Emma Hancock is an apprentice in the second year of a University degree, currently working on software for detector systems. Daniel Wye is the Flight Controls Lead Engineer for the Lightning II F-35B fighter plane. Allanah Green is an apprentice for BT developing services for customers worldwide.

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The Energy Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council. There were six engineers in the zone:

• Oliver Moore, who is on a graduate scheme at UKAEA//Culham Fusion Centre, in Oxfordshire.
• Lesley Colquhoun, who provides equipment to manufacturers who lay subsea power/telecommunications cables at MAATS Tech Ltd who’ve worked with STFC.
• Leah Morgan, the winner of the zone, who maintains the equipment used to power fusion reactors at UKAEA/Culham Fusion Centre.
• Hannah Griffin, who builds software and computer systems for scientists at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
• Graeme Burt, who is funded by STFC and works on particle accelerators as well as teaching at Lancaster University.
• Aleks Sokol, a Distribution Planning Technician for UK Power Networks, who work with STFC.

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The Milligram Zone was a general engineering zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council. There were six engineers taking part:

• The winner of the zone, Shruti Turner, a PhD student who researches the development of artificial legs for people who have lost theirs.
• Mark Bentley, who designs and makes bespoke and custom made “things” for scientific research and teaching practicals.
• Faranak Bahrami, who designs better ways to perforate thermoplastics without reducing their load-bearing capabilities at TWI Ltd who partner with STFC.
• Douglas Wragg, who is a road transport consultant engineer.
• Charlene Chung, a hydraulic modeller who works on designing sewers and drainage system at Aktins Global, who partner with STFC.
• Alistair McConnell, who designs and builds robotic sensor nodes for monitoring offshore structures.

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The Energy Zone was a themed zone funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The participating engineers were working in energy-related fields such as developing renewable energy power plants, improving how buildings use energy and planning the infrastructure needed to deliver North Sea gas to the UK. The Zone had a high percentage of active students (92%) and they were keen to find out about what engineering involves, what the working life of the participating engineers was like and the education needed to become an engineer. This was a very competitive zone amongst the engineers, with Yasmin, Tadhg and Lee in particular engaging well throughout. Download the full report

The Kelvin Zone was a general engineering zone funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Simon, Norbert and Craig worked for organisations related to the research council. The engineers taking part covered a wide range of fields from aircraft engineering, satellites, flood defences, scientific research equipment and automotive engineering. Both ASK and live chats were quiet compared to other zones in June. The main focus of the zone was on engineering as a career, either what the engineers enjoyed about their current jobs or how they came to be where they were. More specific engineering questions covered the wide variety of topics related to the work of the engineers. Norbert, who won the zone, put a great deal of effort into attending chats in particular. All the engineers interacted positively with the students and their different experiences of engineering illustrated nicely the varied potential the discipline offers. … Continue reading →