University of Nottingham researchers get triple at The Engineer Awards
Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering are celebrating after scooping all three awards they were shortlisted for at this year’s Collaborate to Innovate (C2I) Awards.
Made up of eight categories, the annual C2I Awards are in their seventh year and celebrate the UK’s depth of engineering talent and the role they play in addressing some of the biggest global challenges we’re currently facing.
The faculty had projects that were shortlisted across four categories; Aerospace and Defence, Manufacturing Technology, Energy and Environment and Wildcard – and clinched three of them, replicating its success at the awards in 2019.
Manufacturing Technology winner: Snakes Everywhere – From aerospace to medical and beyond
COBRA is a snake-like robot that has been developed at the University of Nottingham’s Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Manufacturing and On-Wing Technology and has been successfully demonstrated in jet engine inspection and repair, as well as nuclear plant installation and maintenance, and is being now refined for medical use.
Energy and Environment winner: EV-elocity
The EV-elocity project investigated how bidirectional charge points can improve battery life in electric vehicles and cut carbon and charging costs. Results found that electric vehicle charging optimisation can cut carbon emissions by nearly half a tonne and save up to £400 per vehicle each year.
Wildcard winner – Innovative PCM Heat Storage Device for Control of Varroa Mites in Beehives (BeeSave)
Research shows that Varroa mites can be killed if they are exposed to temperatures ranging from 40°C to 47°C for 150 minutes, but that these temperatures can be safely tolerated by honeybees in hives. BeeSave aims to develop an innovative device to kill these mites using a phase change material (PCM) pack that will be installed in the hives.
Chris Tuck CMS
We’re thrilled to have come away from the C2I awards with such a strong result. To have won in three out of eight categories highlights the sheer variety of multi-disciplinary research that’s being undertaken right here in Nottingham, and I’d like to congratulate everyone on their successes at this year’s awards.
Professor Chris Tuck, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange in the Faculty of Engineering