Rugby employees mentor local student innovators

For the past six months, Alstom have been sponsoring two schools in the Midlands with their involvement in the Engineering Education Scheme (EES).

​Engineers from Alstom Rugby worked with Countesthorpe Community College for the first project. The students were required to design a new seal, which is wear/rub resistant. The chosen concept was required to be demonstrated by building a test rig which was constructed during a Workshop Day at Loughborough University. The students successfully demonstrated a concept that can be put forward to develop a new seals product capable of increasing turbine efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

A second project entitled ‘Wave Energy Device’ was completed with students from Rugby High School, an apt theme considering Alstom’s commitment to developing renewable technologies. A watertight device for measuring forces from surrounding waves was designed and manufactured, followed by a successful test campaign in a wave tank at Coventry University. 

On 26th April, the biggest ever Midlands regional celebration event for the EES took place, with 300 students showcasing innovative project solutions at Cranmore Park, to over 700 visitors. As part of the event, the teams of students interacted with a team of professional engineers in the form of a 15 minute presentation and a question and answer session at their stand. 

Alstom has a strong association with the EES scheme, providing mentoring to local schools in the UK for over ten years. Please click here to read about a previous project that Alstom supported last year.