In undergraduate industrial design exercise at Rolls-Royce plc

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath has been conducting an undergraduate engine-related design exercise at Rolls-Royce, Bristol, since 2000. Each year, between February and September, a team of six undergraduates completes an engine-related design project under supervision from the company. This work is co-ordinated and assessed at both the company and university, and counts overall as 20% of the student's four-year degree. In addition to working at Rolls-Royce, the students submit reports and give seminars at the university. The design exercise is predominantly technical in nature but must include a significant business element. The students are paid as company employees, typically £7200 for the six months. This paper describes the design exercise and how it is accommodated within the undergraduate programme of study at the university. The benefits to the university, the students and the company are discussed. In addition, the six students undertaking the 2005 exercise describe their projects. In 2005 there were three projects: an experimental and computation study of engine vibration using a rotor-dynamics rig, simulating the engine; a study to create a tool to enable the designer to evaluate the environmental aspects of the life cycle of an engine component; and various design aspects of aero-engines, both computational and business.