Mayo award winners in Engineers Ireland competition at GMIT expo
TWO Mayo students have won runner-up awards at the Engineers Ireland West Project competition at the annual GMIT Mechanical and Industrial Student Expo (2021).
The overall winner, Cian Dalton from Claregalway, saw his prototype of a water surface waste cleaner which can be used to safeguard against ecological degradation scoop the top award.
It was one of 85 projects presented in poster format and virtually exhibited to a team of external judges.
The runners-up included students Owen Hennelly from Ballinrobe and Patrick Forde from Ballyhaunis.
Academic Excellence Awards were also awarded to a number of students, including Roy Sheridan, Castlebar, and Aoife Earnor, Headford.
Research has shown that only 8% of Irish beaches and harbour rivers are deemed to be clean, and Irish fishermen have hauled over 190 tonnes of litter in the last three years.
For his project, Cian designed a novel robot to remove litter from water. The prototype is fully operational and bluetooth compatible and the project has gained him direct entry into the Engineers Ireland - Innovative Student of the Year competition.
Owen Hennelly, Energy Engineering category winner for Design and Analysis of a Ranque-Hilsch Vortex Tube for Cryosurgery, explained about his project: “Cryosurgery is a surgical technique that employs liquid nitrogen freezing to destroy unwanted tissue such as warts and lesions. For my project, I proposed that the -40oC cooling necessary could be achieved via vortex tube; a vortex tube is a static mechanical device that can split a compressed air stream into separate hot and cold air streams. Using literature, thermodynamic and CFD analysis, I performed a preliminary investigation into the feasibility of such a device for cryosurgery.”
Patrick Forde won the Mechanical Engineering Energy Specialisation category for his project, Designing an Innovative Quick-Acting Hydraulic Coupler for Agricultural Vehicles.
GMIT’s online engineering poster competition was adjudicated by 14 industry representatives.
Said Dr. Orla Flynn, GMIT president: “GMIT is one of the largest providers of STEM education in the State, and it was very heartening for me to see the range, relevance and quality of the projects being showcased in this exhibition. I was particularly pleased to see the strong engagement with industry and I want to thank all involved: industry sponsors and judges, academic and technical staff, exhibition organisers and especially our student participants.”
Professor Graham Heaslip, Head of the School of Engineering, said: “The combination of creativity, engineering design and technological solutions on display in the exhibition was very impressive.
“Engineering requires an ability to think outside the box and visualise several alternative solutions and scenarios. The student projects showcase the students’ technical ability, engineering knowledge, creativity, and the societal impact of the discipline.”
For further information about GMIT Mechanical and Industrial Engineering programmes, see: