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Advice for: Students, Parents and Carers | College Applicants | Apprentices
Sustainable engineering was top of the agenda for Level 3 Engineering students from EKC Group’s Canterbury College during the College’s recent annual Engineering Exhibition.
More than 50 final year projects were available for the public to explore including an array of innovative green solutions.
Among the sustainable inventions was Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering student, Isabel Matanle’s algae prevention device. Isabel designed her creation, powered exclusively by wind and solar energy, to move across a body of water, disrupting the surface to prevent algae from forming.
Isabel described her motivation for creating the device saying: “Algae can damage ecosystems, especially in closed water environments where species rely on the warmth and visibility the sun provides.”
She continued: “The process of designing and creating the prototype has been interesting and I’ve definitely learnt a lot. I like the idea of being able to help the environment, and I wanted to create a something that can be scaled up or down to support the sustainability of different sized habitats.”
Isabel hopes to progress with the development of her device in the future.
Elsewhere, fellow student, Hugh Austen, continued the theme with his green irrigation system. Hugh designed his invention to reduce water waste by optimising the release of water into plant beds.
“The System tries to mitigate water wastage by using an Adaptive Data Rate (ADR) mechanism to ensure the water is released at the optimum time, for example, at night when water is less likely to be evaporated”, explained Hugh.
“I’d like to develop the system further so that it can link to peoples’ smart devices, giving people the option to release water when they want.
“I’m also looking to integrate weather data so that the system can recognise when rainfall and droughts are due and make changes to the irrigation patterns,” added Hugh who hopes to follow a career in the renewable energy sector after college.
Alongside the sustainable prototypes, students designed a variety of clever solutions to everyday problems, displaying items including pioneering assistive robotics, inventive car accessories, surveillance system modifications and child-friendly safety devices.
Head of Engineering and Motor Vehicle at Canterbury College, Paul Lewis, commented: “Our annual Engineering Exhibition is an excellent event that showcases the skills and creativity of our students. It’s a great opportunity for them to display their final projects and interact with members of the public, local businesses and industry professionals. The valuable experiences our students gain through the design and development process helps them to prepare for their future careers.”
For more information about Engineering courses at Canterbury College visit www.canterburycollege.ac.uk
