• Question: Describe a time when you where faced with a problem that really tested your engineering knowledge

    Asked by lauren to Hilly, Lee, Liz, Tadhg, Yasmin on 16 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Tadhg O'Donovan

      Tadhg O'Donovan answered on 16 Jun 2015:

      So this happens almost every day. By the very nature of research, we are looking into the unknown…in the pursuit of new knowledge. My engineering education and experience somehow has given me the confidence that either 1) I will be able to figure it out myself or 2) I will know who to ask, or where to find the answer.

    • Photo: Liz Meddings

      Liz Meddings answered on 16 Jun 2015:

      I had to design a college building so that it used natural ventilation to stay cool in summer. The design is different from our normal solution where individual classrooms are linked to “chimneys” for hot air to leave the classroom directly through the chimney. For this college, the air leaves the classroom, flows through an acoustically treated opening into the corridor then into chimneys at either end of the corridor. I had to calculate the difference in air pressure between the window in the classroom and the opening at the top of the chimney above the roof, then work out how much pressure was lost at every point in the system. It took a long time to work out that that’s what I needed to do and the work out how to do it.

    • Photo: Yasmin Ali

      Yasmin Ali answered on 16 Jun 2015:

      The extraction system in my kitchen wasn’t working properly last week! I took it all apart, found that the filter was covered in grease, and also behind that there was an activated carbon filter. I looked up how long those things normally last, and realised that I should probably replace it. I ordered all the spare parts, hopefully they will arrive this week and I can put everything back together :).

    • Photo: Lee Margetts

      Lee Margetts answered on 24 Jun 2015:

      Every day is like this! Its not because I’m not very good at engineering, but because I work in research and actually look for this type of problem. It is what keeps me motivated to go to work every day.

      I worked in a factory for about a year when I was young. Every day, I looked at the clock on the wall many times and I’m sure time ran more slowly at work. It was sooooo boring. Now, if I’m facing a tough problem that is testing my engineering knowledge, I’m very happy!

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