School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Students Developing Theft-Proof Boilers

Mr Cathal Rafferty from FIREBIRD presents a new oil fired heating boiler and burner to support Stage 3 students in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. As part of their third-year group project, the group (which includes 3 Mechanical Engineering and 2 Product Design and Development students) has been working in collaboration with Mr David Robinson, District Maintenance Manager Fermanagh, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, to investigate methods of eliminating the theft of burner units from oil fired boilers.  The theft of oil burners is becoming more common and the students have developed two products which have the potential to help stop the thefts.

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School Ranked Among the World’s Best

Queen’s University Belfast has been ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world, according to a new report by the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Out of 30 subjects evaluated, Queen’s now has 5 subjects in the top 100 and 13 subjects in the top 200. Our School is currently ranked 169th in this list which is a significant jump.

The rankings series is the only international evaluation that allows prospective students to compare universities in their particular area of interest. The by-subject categories are designed to provide comparative information at discipline level and to highlight the excellence of institutions in specialist areas. Six indicators are used to calculate the rankings – academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-student ratio, proportion of international students and proportion of international faculty.

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Lightweight Vehicles Conference

PPRC Rotational Moulders have been invited to speak at the forthcoming Lightweight Vehicles Conference in October on the Total Car Concept which has been developed in conjunction with QUB.   The car is a groundbreaking demonstration vehicle with a body made from two rotational moulded plastic parts and weighing just 85kg.  Full details of the Conference, including details of the Total Car Concept and QUB's session, are available here.

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Royal Academy of Engineering Advanced Engineering Leadership Awards

Three Students from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering win prestigious Engineering Leadership Advanced Awards from The Royal Academy of Engineering.

Product Design and Development undergraduate Rachael Lockhart, along with Mechanical Engineering undergraduates Stuart Nevin and Adam Patton have been named as three of the 2013 recipients of an Engineering Leadership Advanced Award from The Royal Academy of Engineering. These awards are highly prestigious and no more than 40 awards are made annually across all engineering disciplines in all UK universities.

The objective of these Awards is to allow ambitious, inspiring engineering undergraduates, those who want to become leadership role models for the next generation of engineers, to undertake an accelerated personal development programme. They will get the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to fulfill their potential, moving into an engineering leadership position soon after graduation.

The Academy in its selection process is identifying high calibre individuals with the desire and abilities to be the leaders in top engineering and manufacturing businesses of the future.

The Award comprises £5000 to help the recipients act on their individual Personal Development Plans over the coming 3 years, the assistance of The Royal Academy of Engineering in developing their plans and the allocation of a Sainsbury Management Fellow as mentor who will offer advice on personal development and career options.

Dr Trevor Robinson is the Coordinator of Engineering Leadership Advanced Awards within the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

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