Eng Soc Magazine - Volume 1

The

TOOLBOX DIT eng Soc Magazine

INSIDE:

Issue 01

News What is Mechanical Engineering?

Eng Soc events highlights Future events Riddles Jokes

October/November

Welcome to EngSoc AGM and Poker night A note from the careers office What is Mechanical Engineering?

DIT EngSoc go Karting Wells For ZoĂŤ Big Night Out with Music Ensemble Jokes and Riddles News Events Robot Build Challange

page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 7 page 8 page 9 page 10 page 11 page 12 page 13

Editor: Imogen NĂ­ Riain Contributors: Dr. David Kennedy Noel O Neill BSc, MIE, MCIBSE Leah Mattimoe Dan Albaghli.

The Committee: Fiona(Treasurer) Ronan(Kevin St Liaison) Julie(PRO) Will(Chair) Benny(Secretary) Imogen(Media Officer)

Contacts: engineering@socs.dit.ie, imogen.niriain@mydit.ie Design: neilmurphydesign@gmail.com

Welcome to DIT EngSoc!!

Hi Everyone, If you’re new, welcome to EngSoc, if you’re returning, welcome back!

EngSoc signed up a record number of people during Clubs and Soc’s week this year with a total of 200 members. We also had a stand over in Kevin Street in an attempt to involve all the Engineers in DIT rather than just Northside engineers.

So as you might’ve been told during sign ups you’ve signed up to the most improved Northside society of last year and we aren’t going to stop now. We’ve got a great year planned for you all, packed full of academic and social events, with everything from the Nuts and Bolts quiz to Karting and a life drawing class (with real nude models!!!). And of course the Beast Ball, the biggest formal ball held in DIT! This magazine will also be a monthly publication, keeping you up to date with all our previous and future events, competitions and just providing you with some light reading during a not so interesting lecture! If you have anything you feel is worthy of print, be it an important academic article, a joke, a picture, drawing or even comic strip please send it on to engineering@socs.dit.ie and we shall include it (within reason)!

Enjoy the magazine!

Imogen Media Officer EngSoc

AGM and Poker Night with Poker Soc We held our very first event in early October. We kicked it off with our AGM where we officially elected the committee for 2011/12 and briefly outlined the epic year to come.

After a bite of pizza we headed over to Bodkin for a night of betting with the Poker Soc and Event Soc. Everyone was seated at a table, given a few “refreshments” and the first cards were dealt.

As the night progressed the tables got smaller and fewer, until only one table was left standing with 6 keen poker players….and Benny! The race was on for the top 5 spots which each won cash prizes, and tensions were rising.

The final winners were: 1st (€85) Colin Regan 2nd (€85) Chris Lee 3rd (€40) John Sweeney 4th (€25) No one seems to remember who came 4th?!?

5th (€15) Oisin McCarthy We then headed to the Living Room where we met up with the lovely ladies of Nutrition soc, Event soc and Samba soc to hear the unofficial DIT band, No Way Home, play. There we danced the night away to their awesome covers!

Thanks to Poker soc who made it all possible and to everyone who came out, we hope you had awesome night!

A note from the Careers Office: The DIT Careers Service are settling into a busy and active term. All final year engineering classes will soon be offered our award winning 1Day Career Learning Workshop - ask your class rep to contact us for more details!

We are now on Facebook! Come ‘like’ the page to stay up-to date with all our news, job listings & events. We are giving away a great prize after review week, so be sure to like the page.

Also, all graduate jobs & programs are advertised by us through ww.dit.ie/jobscene - Make sure you register today!

Upcoming talks that should be of interest Arup will present to final years from Civil/Structural/Building Services 16th Nov from 1pm Room 249 Mercury Engineering will present to final years from Mechanical & Building Services Nov 23rd at 1pm, Room 247.

IAESTE (The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) offers engineering students the chance to get paid related summer experience abroad - Nov 17th, 1pm, Room 134.

Full details of the services offered to students can be accessed at www. dit.ie/careers Marie Gonnelly – Careers Advisor, Bolton Street engcareers@dit.ie

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Thinking of doing mechanical Engineering? This article courtesy of Dr. David Kennedy, Head of Mechanical Engineering Dept might help you make that decision.

Mechanical Engineers design products and systems essential to everyday modern life-from home appliances, sports equipment and motor vehicles, to satellites, wheelchairs, airplanes, robots, solar panels, fuel cells, industrial equipment and environmental control systems. They are the designers of the mechanical, thermal and fluid-flow related aspects of all such systems, including computer and feedback control of complex systems. In fact, mechanical engineers play a role in designing most of the things that people use. Look around you and you’ll see their contributions everywhere.

Design of these products involves a broad, basic education and significant knowledge of how to apply, interface and use computers in modern engineering systems.

Mechanical engineers work in almost every technical field imaginable, including aerospace, automotive, biomedical engineering, computer aided design, energy and environmental systems. Indeed, a Mechanical Engineering (M.E.) education is the broadest of all engineering disciplines, with the widest applicability and most flexibility in terms of career paths.

HISTORY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING The history of mechanical engineering can be traced directly to the ancient world, to the designers and inventors of the first mechanisms, which were powered by human or animal labour, water or wind energy, or a combination of these.

The words engine and “ingenious” are derived from the same Latin root, “ingenerate”, “to create”. The early English verb engine meant “to contrive”. Thus the early engineers were the people who contrived (i.e. invented) new things.

Today’s mechanical engineer is heavily involved in the development and use of new materials and technologies, and especially in computer aided engineering. A rapidly growing field for mechanical engineers is environmental control, comprising the development of machines and processes that will produce fewer pollutants, as well as the development of new equipment and techniques to reduce or remove existing pollution.

Although mechanical engineers may occasionally work alone on a small project, they are more likely to be working on large, multi-disciplinary projects, liaising with specialists from other areas.

In almost every sphere of modern life, from the air-conditioned office or home to the modern industrial plant or mode of transport, one sees the work of mechanical engineers who continue to develop and apply new knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life for

Sample of Student Laboratory and Project work

Levitation device Medical Robotics

Inverted pendulum

DIT EngSoc Go Karting Engineering society tried their hand at karting last Tuesday the 18th of October with DIT’s Karting Club. We set off at 6pm from Bolton street, and after near fatal incident (with the emergency door of the bus flying open), we arrived at the outdoor track at Kart City Santry.

Everyone got kitted out and the Karting began, and even the rain and cold couldn’t dampen the excitement as the karts whizzed around the track. As soon as the finals were complete we hopped back on the bus for a few refreshments in Bodkins to warm everyone up!

Thanks to the Karting club for bringing us!

Wells for Zoë Wells for Zoë is our chosen charity this year and any fundraising we do with the society will be towards it.

Wells for Zoë is a small, Irish, sustainable development organisation working with some of the world’s poorest in Northern Malawi. It was founded by John and Mary Coyne from Lucan, Co Dublin in 2005.

For the past four years, a group of DIT students have volunteered in Malawi (South East Africa) every Easter with the NGO Wells for Zoe. A note from the DIT W4Z Volunteer Coordinators: “So why get involved?

Well firstly and most basically, it’s the cheapest way you’re going to get to Africa. We’re not one of these organisations that charge massive over-heads for administration. Currently there are three of us organising the trip and we (stupidly) do the whole thing for free. Meaning, all you have to do is fundraise the money for your flights, accommodation and shots. In total this will come in at around €1,600.

Secondly, volunteering provides you with opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise get.You see people at their best and their worst.You can get really really dirty.You experience a culture that’s so different from your own and it is (cheesy) eye opening. Its gives you perspective and clarity and focus.”

DIT Students can apply now for the Easter trip. Its running this year from the 30th March – 16th April (the Easter break). Contact Cassie Delaney (cassandra.lorraine@gmail.com) for information and application forms.

Check out the blog: http://w4zvolunteers.wordpress.com/

Music Ensemble and Engineering Society Big Night Out DIT Engineering society joined forces with the lively musicians from Rathmines last Thursday night, the 20th of October, for the DIT Music Ensemble Society’s Launch party in aid of Wells for Zoe. It kicked off in MacTurcaills pub with cheap prinks and yummy finger food and then moved onto Doyles for a bitta dancing.

There was a great turnout, from both Music and Engineering alike, with plenty of mingling and meeting new people, non-engineers for a change! (Girls!!) And we made €80 for Wells for Zoe! Thanks guys!

Thanks to the Music Ensemble society too, we’ll definitely be seeing you all at future events!

Jokes A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts, “Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?”

The man below says, “Yes, you’re in a hot air balloon, hovering 50 feet above this field. “ “You must be an engineer”, says the balloonist “I am”, Replies the man. “How did you know?”

“Well”, says the balloonist, “everything you have told me is technically correct, but it’s of no use to anyone.”

The man below says, “You must be in management” “I am”, replies the balloonist, “but how did you know?”

Well”, says the man, “you don’t know where you are, or where you’re going, but you expect me to be able to help.You’re in the same position you were before we met, but somehow now it’s my fault.”

10 Good Reasons to Date and Marry an Engineer

1. The world does not revolve around us. We choose the

coordinate system.

2. No “couple” could enjoy a better “moment.”

3. We know how to handle stress and strain in a relationship.

4. We have significant figures.

5. EK 301: The motion of rigid bodies.

6. Projectile motion: Need we say more?

7. Engineers do it to specifications

8. According to Newton, if two bodies interact, the forces are

equal and opposite.

9. We know it’s not the length of the vector that counts, but

how you apply the force

10. We know the right hand rule.

Riddles First person to email all correct answers to engineering@socs.dit,ie wins an EngSoc t-shirt!!!

•Six glasses are in a row. The first three are full of juice; the second three are empty. By moving only one glass, can you arrange them so empty and full glasses alternate?

•Rectify the following equality 101 – 102 = 1 by moving just one digit.

•2, 3, 4, 5 Using all of the above numbers but only once and the +, -, * (multiplication), / (division) signs make 28.

News Chartered Engineer of the Year 2011 We are proud to see two Bolton street graduates in the final 6 for the chartered engineer of the year award Kirsten Foy works as senior carbon capture and storage (CCS) engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering consultancy firm. She graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2002 with a first class honours degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. After a stint as a mechanical design engineer, Kirsten completed a PhD in CCS at DIT, subsequently joining Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Paul Dunne is chief engineer with OpenHydro. Originally from Drumcondra, Dublin 9, he was a graduate in mechanical engineering in DIT Bolton Street in 1994 and obtained postgraduate degrees in mechanical engineering from IT Tallaght in 1998 and UCD in 2002. He has worked for the past six years for OpenHydro, an Irish company specialising in the development of tidal energy devices.

He previously worked in the medical device industry for four years.

We wish them both the best of luck with the award and we hope to talk to them about it and working as an engineer afterwards.

Events Mechanical and Building Services students, Mercury Engineering hope to run their graduate recruitment programme in 2012, and will be presenting on opportunities for current DIT final year Students.

Venue: Room 247 Date: November 23rd Time: 1pm

DIT Engineering Society Clothes Drive Do you have any clothes that you don’t need anymore? Why not give them to a worthwhile cause!

Wells for ZoĂŤ will have a new charity shop opening soon and you can make a difference. We will have containers on most of the larger sites that you can drop your unwanteds into.

Date: End of November Keep your eye open for the event page going out soon

DIT Engineering Society Christmas Ball Date: Thursday 8th December Venue: TBC