THE POSSIBLE PROJECTS AVAILABLE Our project involved working with Laing O’Rourke, a company whom our school had previously worked with, to solve a real engineering problem within their organisation.
Laing O’Rourke is one of the largest global private construction businesses, consisting of a variety of engineering, construction, manufacturing and other services companies, working throughout the world in many different sectors of industry. The fact that the company’s head office is situated in Dartford, and therefore within minutes of our school, provided not only a close link between us, but also an opportunity to gain an insight into the industry by working with one of its leading companies. In terms of the project itself, after meeting with our engineer from Laing O’Rourke, Richard Tomkins, he gave us two choices: Option 1: Wind Turbine Base The Aim To model a conceptual design for a wind turbine base in order to assess its properties for use in the construction of an off-shore wind farm.
Key Facts/Features:
• A design is already in place from our team but it is very much at the concept stage. It has not been built, tested or finalised as yet.
• The turbine base will be constructed on shore and towed to location at sea where it will be filled with water and sunk to the ocean bed.
• For testing to be successful, the model must be to scale and have similar buoyancy/weight distribution properties. Testing Required: • • • • • • •
Assessment of buoyancy
Assessment of capability to be towed and optimum towing attachment location
Assessment of ability to resist inclement weather, i.e. wind loadings, waves and currents etc. Assessment of ability to push down and spring back. Rate of sinking of the unit once flooded.
Ability to bed down in sand, silt and ripples, etc. Any other issues or problems you can think of.
Engineering Education Scheme: The Report | The Possible Projects Available
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