Unprecedented industry sponsorships support students' technology projects
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Mechanical Engineering Technology Student Project Showcase
10am-2pm, Friday, September 21, 2012
Outdoor basketball court at Camosun's Interurban Campus, 4461 Interurban Road, Victoria
September 13, 2012
For the first time ever, a Camosun student team has been granted more than $50,000 to fund their final project. With NEPTUNE Canada as their sponsor, four Mechanical Engineering Technology students are developing a prototype for an Underwater Wireless Tsunami Detection Station.
Petro Barrier Systems provided a $15,000 budget for another student team to redesign a Mobile Water Decontamination Plant that will eventually be used to clean up ground water at sites such as the City Centre development in Colwood. "It is remarkable what these students have been able to do in such a short time frame," says Zac Dalrymple, Petro Barrier Systems' Manager of Sales and Operations. "The system that they have created will allow us to penetrate new markets and further the scope of our business."
The Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, which is headquartered at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, is providing funding for a student team to design and build an Observatory Telescope Corrective Optics Device to correct for atmospheric noise for the Plaskett telescope.
"This level of industry sponsorship is fantastic," says Jeffrey Stephen, faculty advisor in Mechanical Engineering Technology at Camosun College. "It proves the relevance of what these students are learning. They're graduating with advanced technological skills that are very much in demand, along with a can-do attitude that industry appreciates. "
"It's phenomenal to see how this program is applicable in the real world," says Gord Cooney, one of the students who worked on the NEPTUNE Canada project. "I already have a paid internship lined up, and then I plan to continue with the Engineering Bridge program so I can finish off my degree. Camosun was a great investment for my career future."
The public is welcome to attend the showcase and talk to the students about their inventions and the processes they used for turning their ideas into reality. A $5 barbeque lunch will be available.
Project Descriptions
Underwater Wireless Tsunami Detection Station
NEPTUNE Canada has commissioned this proof of concept prototype which could eventually replace their hard-wired fiber optic underwater tsunami detection network. It is battery-powered and uses acoustic modems and retrieval mechanisms. The project budget is more than $50,000.
Mobile Water Decontamination Plant
Petro Barrier Systems is sponsoring this redesign of their current ground water treatment plant to include better mobility and easier maintenance and operation. The device will be deployed across Vancouver Island to clean up the ground water at sites such as Colwood's City Center development. The project budget is $15,000.
Observatory Telescope Corrective Optics
The Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics asked this group to design and build a 2-DOF adaptive optics mechanism for the Plaskett telescope to correct for atmospheric noise. This started as a proof of concept idea with a budget of $1,000. After a design review, the Herzberg Institute tripled the budget and anticipates a fall installation.
Steady Flow Heart Valve Testing Equipment
Designed for Vivitro Labs, this commercial prototype heart valve tester will help characterize the performance of artificial human heart valves.
Refrigerated CPU Heat Sink
This group has designed a glycol to refrigerant cooling system to better cool a CPU while overclocking (making the computer work faster, which produces more heat.) This new hybrid technique out-performs traditional fan systems, achieving near world record levels of effectiveness at a fraction of the cost.
Destructive Pressure Testing Containment Unit
Prototype Equipment Design of Victoria commissioned this testing chamber in which they will safely conduct 40,000psi pressure tests on various critical components as well as destructive tests up to 60,000psi.
Computer-controlled Plasma Cutting Table
To aid a business start up, this group is designing a CNC plasma table that will be easily portable.
Wave Energy Converter
This proof of concept design will use the energy of surface lake waves to generate a constant flow of DC electricity.
Contact
Jeffrey Stephen
Lead Projects Instructor, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Camosun College
250–370–4514
stephen@camosun.ca
About Mechanical Engineering Technology
Mechanical Engineering Technology is a nationally accredited, 2 ½ year diploma program that prepares graduates for a career or for further education. Many of the students graduating this month have already found employment, while others will choose to continue their education with Camosun's six-month Engineering Bridge program that leads directly into third year studies of an engineering degree program at UVic or UBC.
Over the summer, eight student teams spent many hours in campus labs inventing, designing and manufacturing projects required for their last course before graduation, MECH 295 Project Planning and Design. Within the realm of technology education, MECH 295 is unique due to its intense design and prototype focus. Each four-person student team starts with a blank slate and in only 11 weeks must conceptualize, design, manufacture, test, and present a device that reflects elements of what they’ve learned over the past two years. The project finale is the Technical Defense, where each group presents their work to a panel of engineering professionals from universities and industry. The panel quizzes the teams as to why each design decision was made, and then grades them on presentation, design, function, and construction quality. This grade accounts directly for 10% of the students’ final grade.
About Camosun
From accountants to welders, professional chefs to nurses and software engineers, Camosun College helps transform lives to build a better future.
Camosun College has two campuses and serves approximately 20,000 learners a year in certificate, diploma, bachelor's degree and continuing education programs. Each year Camosun welcomes over 1,000 Aboriginal students from 50 Nations including Métis and Inuit groups, and over 550 International students from 53 different countries.
Camosun facts
- 20,000 learners annually
- 1,000 Aboriginal students from over 50 nations
- 570 International students from 53 countries
- 160+ certificate, diploma and bachelor's degree programs
- 1,000 employees
- $100 million annual budget
- $816 million economic impact per year
- 94% of recent graduates satisfied/very satisfied with their education
- 87% of graduates live and work in our region
- 97% of graduates live and work in BC
Last updated: April 16, 2019 12:38 pm
