Procter & Gamble need to understand the processes inside a dishwasher, as these are key to improving the performance of dishwasher detergents. The student team built a camera system that was able to film what happens to items in a dishwasher while they are being washed. They also produced a suite of software that enabled detailed analysis of the images produced.
The students worked on the design of the lander for the Asteroid Impact Mission to Didymos (1996 GT). Based on the results of preliminary simulations, a one- third scale prototype landing system. was built. Using this prototype, static and dynamic tests were performed which (among other things) highlighted the likely effects of recoil from the asteroid’s surface.
A film of the prototype is shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijcFVMbSA4A&feature=youtu.be.
The film, taken at 1200 fps, shows the prototype lander being lowered onto a simulated asteroid surface.
Cottam Brush manufactures a wide range of brushes, including steel brushes used in magnetic pipeline inspection systems. The company were interested in understanding the magnetic properties of the material they were using but lacked the specialist equipment to do this. The Durham student team was able to measure the properties of the material and model its likely performance in a pipeline inspection system.
Neue Schule are a leading manufacturer of bits for horse bridles. The students performed an investigation into the forces on a horse’s bridle produced by three different types of bit. To do this, they developed a system using two load cells which was able to transmit real-time data wirelessly to a computer.
The students were asked to construct a model or models which could be used to predict design limits for spacing between ports, tube geometry, and moments of force while taking into account typical materials and manufacturing methods for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chambers. Combining experimental work with theory and computer modelling, the students came up with an Excel-based calculator to aid the design of UHV systems.
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