Howden, A Chart Industries Company, are pleased to announce that we have recently welcomed three S5 students through the Nuffield Research Placements (NRP) programme.
 
The NRP programme provides students with the opportunity to take part in hands-on and engaging research projects. We were motivated to provide students with the opportunity to be involved in making meaningful contributions to the work we do here at Howden.
 
Throughout their 2 weeks with us, they have gained real-world experience through working in interesting and rewarding research projects. We hope by providing the students with meaningful work, they have found valuable insights to the careers available here at Howden, and learned new skills that will follow them throughout their future.
 
The NRP programme is an incredible initiative that matched over 1000 students to work placements in 2021, with 190 organisations being involved during that time. Howden are proud to belong to this group, having hosted placements for the past two years. It is our belief that we have been able to provide students with a valuable experience as a leading global provider of air and gas handling products.
 
We would like to wish our student placements all the best for the future and we hope that they have enjoyed their time with us and have been inspired to consider a career in STEM. Howden looks forward to welcoming new Nuffield Students in the summer of 2024.
 
To find out more about the projects each student worked on and what the students learned from their time with Howden, please read below:
 
Anvika Singh - Creation of an Animated Assembly of a simplified SG Turbo Blower. This research project involved using Autodesk Inventor to create an animated assembly which showed an ‘exploded view’ of key components which make up an SG Turbo Blower. Throughout the project, Anvika researched the SG Turbo Blower and its different applications and uses, paying specific attention to the role of different components within the blower assembly and how they fit and function together. Once the 3D model was created, Anvika also considered potential faults and failures that may arise in the machines if important build features, such as clearances, are not set up correctly. Anvika’s research provides a comprehensive and useful guide of the SG Turbo Blower, and will contribute towards improvements in build and design within our teams. Anvika is now “confident using Inventor and would like to continue to develop my skills in the future.”
 
 
Megan Reilly - Investigation into Carbonic Acid Resistant Materials and Coatings for Carbon Capture Technologies. Megan’s research sought to consider materials that we could use for holding adsorbent materials that are used in rotary carbon capture machines. These machines create conditions that enable the formation of carbonic acid, so an investigation was carried out into potential options for carbonic acid resistant materials for this application. Megan researched a large number of materials and coatings, before recommending a material for the application based on her findings. A 3D model was created on Autodesk Inventor and a stress analysis conducted simulating the research conditions to ensure the stresses and deflections were acceptable. Megan’s research will undoubtedly assist the research and development team in furthering their investigations and deriving a viable solution for the application. From her experience at Howden Megan would now “consider a career in engineering.”
 
Aiden Ramsay – A Feasibility Study of a Modification to the Screw Assembly Process for the Howden Screw Compressor. During the placement, Aiden’s main task was to consider the current assembly process of the screw rotors within the compressor casing and determine any potential improvements. Aiden spent time on our factory floor understanding the assembly process, watching the experts assemble the compressors real-time. He assessed each step of the process, understood the limitations and what was required to allow successful, timely completion of this step in the process. Aiden created two viable designs of a lifting jig that would hold the two screw rotors in place during assembly using Autodesk Inventor and discussed these designs with our engineers. He then carried out stress analysis and design calculations to ensure that the final design was fit for purpose and cost-effective. Aiden’s solution has provided an invaluable foundation for our engineers to build upon to improve efficiency in our assembly processes. From this Aidan confirmed that “design is now something I’d like to pursue in the future.”