REPORT ON

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LANTERN RE-DESIGN

2012

By: Bryony Christmas, Aidan Mason, Jonty Newton and Charles Ross

SUPPORTED BY:

ContentsExecutive Summary

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction1.1 Background Information1.2 Project Brief

2. Method Project plan2.1 Problem Background2.2 Research and fact finding

3. Implementation of Project3.1 Results and Analysis

4. Solutions and Evaluation4.1 Solution and Evaluation of results4.2 Future Development

5. EES participation: Evaluation5.1 Scheme Launch5.2 Residential Workshop5.3 Minutes of Meetings Prior to Site Visit5.4 Skills, Experience and Knowledge

6. Conclusions7. References8. Glossary9. Appendices

A) Company ProfileB) Official BriefC) Our TeamD) Gantt ChartsE) Team MeetingsF) Calculations/Tables/Figures/PhotographsG) Company Visit

H) Summary of Key Communications

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Executive SummaryOur team has written this report to track and record the progress of our project as we participate in the Engineering Education Scheme.

This year Kelly College was sponsored by the Royal Navy, represented by Lieutenant Anthony JR Lofts RN, to take part in the Engineering Education Scheme (EES), an Engineering Development Trust (EDT) programme aimed at lower sixth form students.

The project this year was to research, re-design and improve the Automatic Emergency Lantern (AEL). The original model is outdated, provides inadequate illumination and takes up too much space in already crowded compartments of the naval ships.

We had strict criteria which our product would have to meet which was expected considering we were working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Some of the criteria that we had to meet were:

Identical mounting footprint

IP 67- This classifies the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects, dust, accidental contact and water.

After our first few meetings, we came up with multiple ideas of materials to use for the casing and how to design our lighting circuit. Some of these ideas were making the casing of the lantern out of aluminium, stainless steel, carbon fibre, fibre glass and polyester resin. We also needed to decide what shape the Lantern would be. Some of the ideas we had were to keep the original shape, redesign it into an “iPod” shape or to have it as a flatter, square model. We also decided to remake the circuit board with all new components inside the lantern so we could reduce its size, overall weight, and efficiency.

We concluded that the best design would include a polyester resin casing with a shape similar to an “iPod”. We chose this because it is very resilient and a lot safer than the metal ones considering the live cabling inside. Also this model was one of the cheaper ideas meaning we could keep the project to a minimal cost. In addition making the circuit board smaller by redesigning it completely would save money.

We decided that this was the best solution because we could save the most money and we could reduce the lantern’s size creating more space aboard the ships. By participating in the Engineering Education Scheme, the team members gained an invaluable insight and understanding of multiple aspects required from us to be successful in the engineering world. Some of these aspects were communication, problem solving, project management, time management, working under pressure and presentational skills.

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AcknowledgementsAs a team representing Kelly College, we give our appreciation and many thanks to all the people who

made the Education Engineering Scheme possible to us.

The Engineering Development Trust.

The Engineering Education Scheme.

The Royal Navy for their sponsorship.

Lieutenant A J R Lofts, Royal Navy, for being our engineer and supporting us throughout.

David Hall, our mentor for helping us through the project and providing us with the guidance and connections we needed.

The University of Plymouth for the extensive use of their facilities. A special thank you must go to Daniel Blackmore in the electronics and robotics department for his help with making our circuit board, Craig for helping to create a prototype and Lee for assisting with the Computer Aided Design (CAD).

The teachers at Kelly College, especially Dave Turnbull for making the project happen, Mark Tailyour for helping us learn the basics about electronics and circuits and John Waymark for his help in constructing the lantern casing.

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1. Introduction

1.1 Background Information

The objective of the Engineering Education Scheme (EES) is to encourage and inspire lower 6th Form students to consider engineering or engineering based subjects to study at university and to possibly take up engineering as a career. This subject base is normally aimed at people who are studying mathematics and physics at A level. Over the past six months we, as a team, have developed hugely in many different aspects. We have developed many key life skills such as communication skills, time management and organisation which are all very important in the working world. The Engineering Education scheme encourages companies to offer real life projects to lower 6th form students for them to work on over a 6 month period, giving them an invaluable insight into the role of engineering in our society.

The Royal Navy sponsored and mentored our team from Kelly College, Devon, to participate in the Education Engineering scheme, with our project being to design and build and Automatic Emergency Lantern (AEL) to provide light for when the power on the ship fails.

1.2 Project brief

The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces and is a component part of the Naval Service. Over a long period of time the Royal Navy has been making numerous updates due the advancements in technology, one of them being the automatic emergency lighting system. The current Royal Navy emergency lanterns are over engineered, taking up excessive weight and space. This is costing the Royal Navy an excessive amount of money which they could be spending on more advanced equipment. The lanterns are about £100 and there are approximately 250 lanterns on a ship. This means that the Royal Navy is spending approximately £25,000 on emergency lights per vessel.

Our brief is to redesign the automatic AEL which must fit onto the same back plate that is there from the previous lantern, making the transition from the old AELs to our new one quick and easy. Also to reduce the amount of space the lantern occupies and the weight of the lantern. It must operate for at least 8 hours on battery power and must emit more light than the previous lantern.

There are a number of points to consider:

Material used to create the casing for the circuitry Increasing the light intensity What type of battery to be used to light the bulb when the power cuts out It must be within a reasonable budget

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The time to repair the lantern would be as short as possible for maintenance purposes

See appendix B. for full brief as presented to us by Lt. A J R Lofts.

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2. Method and Project Plan

2.1 Problem Background

In current Royal Navy vessels there are up to a few hundred of these AEL units. The units being used at the moment are very out of date and over engineered. Although the primary purpose of these units isn’t to be particularly aesthetically pleasing we felt that the current model needed to be brought in the 21st century.

When thinking about redesigning the AEL unit, we needed to resolve a few problems with the current over engineered and poorly performing unit. We would have to address the lighting issues; the current filament lamp produces a limited amount of light which is less than ideal especially in emergency possibly life threatening situations in which it may be required. Secondly, we would have to address the issue with the size of the housing unit, the overall dimensions of which would be set by the possible sizes of circuits to be enclosed within. This would mean needing to gain a much wider knowledge of electronics. With regards to the casing we would have to investigate and analyse the properties of materials that may be suitable for use and would fit in with the specifications of being fireproof, waterproof (IP67 standard) and shockproof.

2.1.1 Electronics

As the main purpose of the AEL is to emit light we felt that the electrical performance of the unit was of paramount importance. The circuit controlling the light output dictated the design of the housing with regards to size. As the subject was very new to all of us we enlisted the help of a school technician who gave us a few lessons introducing us to the world of electronics. Firstly, we investigated some basic electrical ‘bread boards’, so we started to learn about logic gates and the options they gave us. Then, with the technician, we discussed the basic function of the circuit we would be designing, for example harnessing the 115V AC power supply of Navy vessels and transforming it to charge a 6V battery contained within the housing, so if the power goes off for whatever reason, the AEL is activated. Also we had to gain an understanding of the different components we

may have had to use; diodes, transformers, capacitors etc. Having a few miniature lessons proved very useful as it gave us an idea of how complex the circuit we would require is to construct. Armed with a rough idea of how our

circuit would look we knew what we wanted to achieve at the Plymouth University during the three-day residential workshop in December.

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Figure 1. Original Automatic Emergency Lantern.

Figure 2. Original AEL circuit.

2.1.2 Housing

Once it was understood that the dimensions of the housing were restricted by the size of the circuitry we could then start to think about materials in real depth. We could also begin to brainstorm the aesthetics and design of the new unit but we were unable to set any final dimension prior to producing the final circuit design. However, since we knew that the new improved circuit was due to be a great deal smaller than the current one this did not prove much of a problem. We started our research of materials by utilising Aidan’s knowledge of materials, and he came up with some suggestions that he felt may work. We then began to research them further on the internet and drew up a rough specification of what the material had to withstand and go through (see appendix F.). This helped us to make a decision which was to use polyester resin. This material satisfied the specification best of all the materials we researched.

2.2 Research and Fact Finding

We were initially able to investigate the problems of the existing AEL by studying one of the units in depth, kindly given to us by our engineer, Lt Anthony Lofts. Also we visited HMS Sutherland and had a look at the units in situation and how many are onboard the ships. This gave us an idea of how important these units truly are. It also gave us an idea of the amount of light given out by the filament bulbs. This was really quite poor and needed drastic improvement. After our visit, we had several meetings with our mentor, where we brainstormed ideas and different potential solutions for the problems the current AEL had. Details of which included that we felt that instead of a filament bulb, LEDs would be the way to go; also like the original we felt a diffuser would be extremely useful, although we felt the frosted glass of the original reduced the light emitted so we thought about having a mirrored background behind the bulbs to really increase the intensity of the light.

2.2.1 Main Proposal

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Figure 3. Testing the strength of the AEL by crushing it at the university.

Result: over-engineered

Figure 3. Testing the strength of the AEL by crushing it at the university.

Result: over-engineered

Figure 4. The team at HMS Sutherland, with our engineer Lt. Anthony J R Lofts.

After much research we calculated that 9 LEDs would be appropriate for the main light, with another coloured LED bulb to be used as a charging/status light. This meant that the coloured LED would light up indicating that the battery was being charged by the mains power supply, but not when the ship’s power fails. These bulbs would shine through a transparent panel on the unit and we did decide to include the mirrored background. All these components would be housed within a polyester resin casing. This initial design was drawn up on Solid works at Plymouth University, during the three day residential workshop.

2.2.2 Problems That Occurred

After drawing up this initial design we had another look back at the brief and specification, and we had left out a gasket in order to keep the unit and all components within it free from water. So we had to go back and include this. Also in our original design we had overlooked the section where the mains cables of the vessel enter the unit, so we had to go back over the design and allow holes for this, whilst still maintaining the waterproof integrity of the unit.

2.2.3 Final Proposal

After updating our designs to include previously overlooked aspect, we started to concentrate on the aesthetics of our design taking inspiration from Apple’s ‘“iPod”’ with a large rectangle screen displaying the lights and a large centre button for the test switch, we felt it was a simple design but very effective and timeless.

2.3 Project Management/Programme

The project was managed via many different methods, the most important being that we would have regular meetings so we knew how far each other were along with their work and what else needed to be done. The time for this was generally lunchtimes on a Monday and Friday, however if we needed any more time together we would meet up out of school hours.

Another aid that helped everybody know what they were doing were the action lists. These gave everybody an idea of what needed to be done and was helpful in dividing up outstanding tasks amongst the team.

We all handled our time fairly well and were able to finish each of our sections with time to evaluate and edit it. Aidan juggled the sections of the report he was writing whilst providing some design

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sketches on Google Sketch-up. Jonty worked on the casing section with Aidan and worked hard on his sections of the report. Charlie continued writing his sections of the report and soldered the etched circuit boards. Bryony wrote her sections of the report and took overall charge of the project, whilst working on the circuitry with Charlie.

The Gantt chart (see appendix D.) helped us to show our progress and still what we had left to do as we followed the weeks this gave us a really good idea of how far we were along in the grand scheme of things.

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3. Implementation of Project

3.1 Results and Analysis

For our solutions to work we needed to calculate the correct specifications for all the electrics involved. To do this, we revisited Plymouth University on many occasions where Dan in the Electronics and Robotics unit could help us with our problems. However, we did not do this until we had properly designed our circuit on the universities software. This was not a problem though, as we had strong ideas on what our circuit was going to be like. Also for our solution, we needed to know what sort of strength the casing could withhold and also the dimensions of the casing because it has to fit a certain size back plate. To do this the Royal Navy gave us one of the existing emergency lanterns to carry out tests on and to extract important information from.

In our final solution we had to take into account the weight of the object, the size of the object and what electrical components we should use. We had the choice of a few types of bulb. We settled on the LED because it gave us the strongest light intensity.

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4. Solution and Evaluation

4.1 Solution and Evaluation of Results

Our project has been broken into 2 main categories, electronics and casing. Each had their own separate design problems yet both had to work in accordance with each other.

Our solution to the problem was to make it cheaper to manufacture, emit a brighter light source and to provide it with a longer battery life for if the ship’s power fails. We decided to use GRP (glass reinforced plastic) which is considerably lighter than aluminium, but still yields strength and rigidity. We had to design the casing to a set footprint, so that it could quickly and easily replace the existing AELs scattered all over the ship. We made sure that the depth of our newly designed AEL wasn’t greater than the old one, to make sure a permanent object nearby the AEL fixing didn’t obscure its mounting point. Also by keeping it quite a shallow depth it reduced the chance of it being bashed and hit by busy crew rushing back and forth, especially in an event of a fire, where the chance of being struck by a very solid fire extinguisher is high.

Casing design and material went through many developments and changes (see appendix F. – Designs). We started off thinking of reshaping the AEL altogether but realised that there may be constraints either side of where the AELs are to be mounted. Also the case had to fit around the electrics that would be held within. After much discussion we came up with dimensions that could be worked around. We rounded off the edges and gave the AEL a more sleek and modern look. As a result of using a square of LEDs we decided to have a flat light source that will incorporate a diffusing lens to spread out the light, and reduce dazzling to sailors, as well as a mirrored backdrop to the LEDs to maximize light output. We dismissed the idea of having anything that protruded due to the fact that it could be bashed or broken by passers-by. The IP67 rated switch sticks out a bit, so we angled the casing back, reducing the risk of being damaged (see our final casing design in appendix F.).

Throughout the course of our project the electronics proved to be the most complicated part. After our first design at the three day residential we soon realised that it needed many improvements, which involved returning to the university multiple times, as our school simply didn’t have the facilities of expertise required for any adjustments.

Our first design had a vital part missing which was necessary for the transistor to work. For this we returned to the university to work with Daniel and John in the electronics and robotics department and added in the necessary components to our circuit. After returning back to school and trialling our circuit in our science department we discovered yet more issues. These issues needed rapid solving and the only way this could happen was to once again return to Plymouth University.

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By the time we returned for our second visit, all our components had arrived, including the IP67 switch, the battery and the LEDs. When we revisited the university, Dan once again kindly joined us and showed us a number of features which would improve our circuit, including terminal housing and smaller, flatter components. This saved us a lot of space and made it easier to work with. Unfortunately we had to completely remake our circuit including etching a new board, drilling the holes for the components and soldering. This was necessary as we had so many components that needed changing and the new modification that needed adding to the board.

On returning to school, we tested our circuit for the second time with all the modifications. Unfortunately due to a loose connection there was a short circuit which led to our transistor failing. This caused us to once again return to the university to visit Daniel. Here, we finally fixed our circuit, and took photographic evidence of the circuit working as it should. Although components needed replacing many times we are happy with our final product (see our final circuit designs in appendix F.).

4.2 Future Development

Future developments to the AEL unit would include improvements to the casing design and material used. GRP isn’t a very quick material to batch produce hundreds, if not thousands of AELs, which would be needed to replace all of the existing ones. The product needs to undergo testing of a commercial and military standard, making sure that it meets the very high standards necessary for the safety of the crew. This could include tests such as shock testing, underwater submersion testing and also testing to make sure it emits the correct amount of light for a long enough time. Furthermore another idea would be to integrate an internal testing system that could automatically test them on a daily basis and would acknowledge any faulty ones without the necessity of having to go around and pressing the test switch every day. This would save both time and money, and would help to create a more efficient system. As far as the circuit is concerned, newer and better components are being created all the time so no doubt in the future there will be more efficient components that could be integrated into our circuit in the years to come.

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5. EES Participation Evaluation

5.1 Scheme Launch

The day began with us being introduced to our engineer for the first time, Lieutenant Anthony Lofts, who works in the Royal Navy at HMS Drake in Plymouth. A presentation shortly followed, telling us what is required from us throughout the scheme and what the benefits of taking part are.

Throughout the day we were given various engineering tasks to complete, the first one being to create a structurally sound paper tower which could support a marble at its highest point, requiring us to try and test various shapes and structures to see which fitted the criteria the best. We successfully erected the tower within the fifteen minute time frame and it stood firm during the judging.

On completing our first task we were escorted to another building in the University for the Project Management presentation from which we learnt about the project coordination and the necessity of understanding the limitations of our brief.

Following this we were told about all the facilities the university offered to us in order for us to complete our project, and were given a detailed tour of the different departments on campus. The university looked incredible and we could see from the onset that it will be invaluable to us throughout our project.

The second task involved building a wind turbine out of K’Nex and various other materials, including string and paper. Luckily for us we had Lieutenant Lofts and his useful knowledge and guidance with us, helping us through each step. As a result we managed to create a working masterpiece.

To conclude the day we attended a lecture which educated us about the benefits of the scheme which included completing and receiving our CREST award, which is a project-based award scheme for the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), and can play a major part in completing our Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Finally, after much anticipation, Lieutenant Lofts presented us with our brief; designing and developing an Automatic Emergency Lighting (AEL) solution to replace the existing ageing solution on conventional RN Warships. As a team we strongly felt that this was an excellent project and were really look forward to getting stuck into it as soon as possible; with the next step being a trip to look around a warship and see the lighting in situation.

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5.2 Three Day Residential Workshop

Between the 16th and 18th of December 2011, our team and our teacher attended Plymouth University for the three-day residential workshop; an invaluable part of our project.

DAY ONE:

The workshop began with an introduction from the EDT regional director, Mrs Charity Watkins, who welcomed us all to the scheme and outlined the programme for the following three days. Following on from this we were given a tour of all the facilities available to us in the different departments at the university which would help us get our projects well under way, and enable us to make developments which we would not be able to make anywhere else. After the tour we were allocated some desks in the main room and were able to set up and begin developing our project.

Our first task was to allocate who in the team would be responsible for the different sections of the project. We realised early on that our project was divided into two sections: electronics and design. After a brief discussion we came to the conclusion that Aidan and Jonty would develop the design aspect of our project whilst Bryony and Charlie would build the circuit. As a result we spent the majority of the day in our two sub-teams to focus on our areas.

Bryony and Charlie took our existing, basic circuit to the electronic department in the university to work further on it in the hope that by the end of the three days we would have a fully functioning circuit to take away. They met with Daniel Blackmore who ended up helping them throughout the three days. Their first job was to work out the relationships between the voltages, current, and resistances using Ohms Law of V=IR. In addition to this they also worked out the relationship between time, amp hours and current which we would need to apply further in order to ensure each component in our circuit is the correct value. They followed this with more work on the current and voltage and the need for a transformer at a worked out ratio of 19.2:1. With all this information they began designing our circuit on one of the computers, with the expertise of Mr Blackmore, and started researching different rechargeable battery types that could be used in our circuit.

Meanwhile, Jonty and Aidan began brainstorming ideas for the casing of our AEL. The base material was an important feature and decision that needed to be made as it had to be durable and reliable whilst being light and cost-effective. The idea of making the chassis out of metal was dismissed fairly quickly as this was seen as to be far too heavy compared to a plastic alternative. The favoured idea came out to be polycarbonate-a thermoplastic with a melting point of 267 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, an essential piece of data that they needed to acquire was the dimensions of the back plate of the existing AEL as Lt. Anthony Lofts had told us that it was imperative the new model had

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exactly the same back plate as the existing one to ensure the changeover would need minimal alterations to the ships. These dimensions were then sent up to Charlie and Bryony in the electronics department so that they would know what the circuit would have to fit onto. In addition to this Aidan and Jonty continued to find out and research the criteria which the casing had to meet and came to the conclusion that it had to have a durability rating of IP67 and had to be shock proof to 170g. They concluded their designing session with a brainstorm of various shapes and Lt. Lofts reminded them that the less protruding parts on the casing the better, to ensure nothing would be knocked. They came to the conclusion that a rounded shape or at least rounded corners would be the best idea as it was safer and minimised weak points in the basic structure.

To conclude the first day, the whole team with Mr Turnbull, Lt. Lofts and Mr Hall, met to gather the day’s developments and to plan for the following day.

DAY TWO:

As soon as our team arrived to the university we divided into our two sub-teams. Bryony and Charlie immediately went to the electronics department whilst Aidan and Jonty continued to discuss their design from the previous day.

Jonty and Aidan developed their initial ideas further and, mid-morning they began sketching. Once some detailed sketches had be drawn with the guidance of Lt. Lofts, they departed the main room and went to the CAD department where they first used 'solid works'- a programme they continued to use for the remainder of our time at Plymouth University. On solid works they assembled the various components and converted their design into auto CAD format. In addition to this they also narrowed down the material for the casing to a polyester resin. In order to have the design prototyped they had to marginally alter their dimensions however this could be amended later on. Following this they went down to the laser cutter and had their design cut out of MDF which they could assemble to form our first prototype.

Whilst Aidan and Jonty were designing the casing, Charlie and Bryony continued to work on the previous day’s circuit. They finished off the circuit diagram on the computer by adding a push button for a 'tester' which, when pressed, would simulate the power on the ship failing. Also they added a green LED which would show when power was flowing through the circuit, so was essentially a charging light. They continued to work out the values of the various resistors using Ohm's Law and started making a prototype on a circuit software which was only available to us at the university. They added onto it all our components with their carefully calculated values, however, some had to be changed as Mr Blackmore pointed out to them some of their fundamental calculation errors. The university kindly etched the copper board for us (another facility that we would not have had access to

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had it not been for the three day residential) and Bryony and Charlie began wiring the components onto the copper board. Screen shots of our circuit were taken using the 3D views and we repeated the whole process for our daughter board which was essentially the LED circuit. Finally they emailed their design to the chief technician, ready for etching the following day.

During the afternoon, the whole team joined together and went down to crush test the old version of the AEL to see how durable it was. The result was very disappointing as, although it appeared indestructible, it was evident that the AEL was most definitely over-engineered.

Finally, the team met at our 'base' and once again we gathered together all our developments and planned for our final day at Plymouth University, bearing in mind that we had a presentation to give in 24 hours.

DAY THREE:

As soon as the team arrived at the university for their third and final day, Bryony and Charlie dashed upstairs as they realised a fundamental error they had made on their daughter board which they wished to amend before it was etched. Luckily, they made it in time and were able to put the LEDs and resistors in series rather than in a parallel array which they previously had. They also realised on the motherboard that further modifications needed to be made so both boards were resent for etching.

During this time, Jonty and Aidan admired their work on the prototype however recognised some sizing issued which would need to be addressed on returning to school. They looked at modifications to the shape and also introduced the idea of having reflectors slanted at an angle behind the LEDs to maximise the light output of our device.

As our team had a presentation to prepare for, our workshop time was unfortunately cut short. Mr Turnbull helped the team with a PowerPoint presentation whilst we collaborated all our ideas and categorised them ready to present to the other schools. Our 5 minute presentation included a brief outline of our project, what developments we made whilst we had access to the fantastic facilities available to us at the university, what we learnt along the way and what our ideas for development in the future months were. Our presentation went well and Lt. Lofts arrived toward the end of the day to discuss with us what developments needed to be made after leaving the university.

Overall, the team found the three day residential to be invaluable to our project and incredibly interesting. The developments made at the university would not have been able to be made anywhere else as we simply did not have access to these excellent facilities anywhere else. It provided us with a unique insight into the world of engineering and the different areas that are available to us as well as

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the skills required. Furthermore the various presentations on report writing and presentation tips will prove to be very useful to us in the future, even after completing our project.

5.3 Minutes of Meetings Prior to Site Visit

Monday 31st October

Review of introduction day and scheme launch at Plymouth University Distribution of brief to team members First thoughts and ideas regarding the brief: Light source? LEDs? Cost/Budget? Casing Material?

Is it over engineered? Could it be smaller/lighter/more discrete? Ideas and thoughts regarding a site visit to HMS Drake to meet with our engineer and see the

conditions and surroundings of our Automatic Emergency Lighting units. Opening of the old version of the AEL received from Lieutenant Lofts at the introduction day. First impressions: large, thick casing and small/dim light output. Gantt chart launch-Aidan.

Monday 7th November

First meeting with our mentor. Going through the brief with our mentor. Discussion of cost and budget. Possible dates for a site visit to HMS Drake. Discussion of Plymouth university facilities which could be useful for our project. Electronics?

Design? Prototyping? Information needed-McGough website? Manufacturer name located on old AEL.

Monday 14th November

Site visit to HMS Drake confirmed for Tuesday 22nd November-13:00. Information required for site visit-photo identification (passport). Gantt chart progress-Aidan-dates required. Information collected from the McGough website (previous AEL manufacturer). Information

includes an in-depth specification of current AEL systems.

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Monday 21st November

All information collected for site visit. Mark asked to attend meetings and to help us progress with the electrical circuit? Discussion regarding electrical components: logic circuits. Next Monday in science lab to focus on the circuit. Tomorrow-front of school-12:00 with photo ID. BRAINSTORM OF QUESTIONS FOR UPCOMING SITE VISIT TO HMS DRAKE:

o Logic circuits and their relevanceo Rechargeable batterieso Wattage?o How long does the light have to stay on after the electricity/power has returned?o AC or DC?o What is the area that the light has to illuminate?o Cover over light-is a diffuser a good idea?o Specifications for waterproofing and durability

5.4 Skills Experience and Knowledge

By participating in the Engineering Education Scheme we have all developed as individuals as well as a team. This project has given us a brilliant insight into the engineering world and the importance of team work within it. We all contributed our different skills and abilities to the project and used each member to their full potential making us a functional and productive team. This has also enabled us to bring our project to a successful finish.

We have also gained many skills over the course of our project. As well as the engineering world, it has also given us a fantastic view into what University life will be like and the quality of work required at that level of education. Furthermore we have learnt many valuable presentational skills and the importance of being able to deliver a speech in public. Creating this report has also given us valuable writing skills and is a good experience for university and later life. We are all now able to use the CAD programme; Solid works, this programme is the package that many Universities now use and being competent and having a basic knowledge and understanding of this programme will be useful for when we go to university.

One of the most important skills the team has acquired is the skill of finding a solution to a problem that we have been given and use that solution in a real life situation, learning how engineering affects everyday life.

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For Charlie and Bryony this project has been an invaluable insight into the world of electronics. We have learnt how to etch circuit boards, drill the necessary holes into them and the art of soldering small components into the circuit boards. It has been a considerable learning curve considering at the beginning of the project neither of us knew anything about electronics or circuitry. Creating the circuit proved to be a great struggle at the beginning, however as the project has progressed we have learnt considerable amounts from Mark Tailyour and Daniel Blackmore, with Plymouth university being an excellent environment and opportunity for us to learn the essentials as well as being an excellent facility generally for making our circuit. We went through many design stages for our stages learning from each of our mistakes, helping us to progress through our project and enabling us to make critical adjustments to our circuit. We have both thoroughly enjoyed this learning process, and now feel that we have a brilliant insight into the world of electrical engineering, a possible career path for both of us.

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6. ConclusionsOur team has addressed the problem of finding an alternative to the Automatic Emergency Lantern (AEL). After large amounts of research and team discussions, we decided what the best solution would be to completely redesign the AEL. This meant changing the shape of the casing, changing the weight, reducing costs and also to increase the intensity of light from the AEL. Furthermore, we had to make sure that the unit was easily repairable or replaceable and that it wouldn’t require a great amount of skill in doing so.

Overall we are happy with our design. It is lighter due to the lack of metal, neater and more aesthetically pleasing, and is no longer over engineered. We have successfully eradicated any protruding parts making it safer onboard the ship in tight compartments, yet it still fits onto the original back plate; one of the crucial criteria. We have also brought it more into the twenty first century by creating a sleeker more modern design so that it follows the trend of all the new advancements in technology, currently in progress throughout the Royal Navy.

As far as our circuit is concerned we are all very happy with our efforts. The circuit successfully works and has been tried and tested throughout this project making any necessary adjustments along the way. Our smaller components have saved valuable space and materials and we have integrated a much more efficient battery into it. The battery life should exceed that of the old one and the chosen LED array should be far greater. We have created the circuit in two parts; a main mother board and an LED daughter board. This means that each board can be replaced and repaired individually without having an impact on the other one.

Our solutions still require some further development and refinement. It would be useful if we could create a final model and test it to make sure it is waterproof for at least up to a meter of water, to check if it is dust proof and also to clarify if it can withstand the large forces acting on the unit. This would then tell us what we would need to improve and or redesign to make sure that the unit was up to Royal Navy specifications. The electrical circuit would also have to undergo these tests to ensure that each component is safe and secure and also meets the required specifications.

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7. References

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Found initially by Daniel Blackmore at Plymouth University to give us an idea of what our circuit would need to be like, however it certainly does not meet our criteria and was only a reference.

The most recent design of the Apple iPod Nano. We consider it to be a symbol of the twenty-first century and something that we wanted to incorporate into our design to modernise the AEL and make it more aesthetically pleasing.

8. Glossary

AEL Automatic Emergency Lantern

AC Alternating Current

DC Direct Current

LED Light Emitting Diode

GRP Glass Reinforced Plastic

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

MDF Medium Density Fibreboard

CAD Computer Aided Design

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9. Table of Appendices

A. Company Profile B. Official Brief C. Our TeamD. Gantt ChartE. Team MeetingsF. Calculations/ Tables/ Figures/ PhotographsG. Company VisitH. Summary of Key Communications

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A. Company Profile

The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Its origins can be tracked to the 16th century when it was first employed to defend the Kingdom of England and then later the whole Kingdom of Great Britain. From the end of the 17th century until the 20th century it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as a dominant world power.

Following victory in the First World War the Royal Navy was significantly reduced in size, although at the onset of the Second World War it was still the largest in the world. By the end of the Second World War the U.S. Navy had emerged as the world’s largest.

The Royal Navy operates an array of technologically sophisticated ships including an aircraft carrier, a helicopter carrier, landing platform docks, ballistic missile submarines (which maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent), nuclear fleet submarines, guided missile destroyers, frigates, and patrol vessels. As of February 2012, there were 79 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy, plus 19 commissioned ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) which also contribute to the Royal Navy's available sea-going assets.

The current role of the Royal Navy (RN) is to protect British interests at home and abroad, executing the foreign and defence policies of Her Majesty's Government through the exercise of military effect, diplomatic activities and other activities in support of these objectives. The RN is also a key element of the UK contribution to NATO, with a number of assets allocated to NATO tasks at any time.

The main naval base in the UK is situated in Plymouth, more specifically Devonport; this was the area we were working in so we were lucky to be so close to an important British Navy base. Other important bases include Portsmouth and Clyde.

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B. Official Brief

The official brief as outlined to us by Lt. A J R Lofts at the scheme launch day.

Lt A J R LOFTST23 Platform Group OfficerSuperintendent Fleet MaintenanceBuilding N173AHM Naval Base DevonportPLYMOUTHPL2 2BG

Mob: 07971104588Mil: 93765 3839

Email: Anthony.Lofts961@mod.uk

14 Oct 2011

POTENTIAL PROJECTS FOR EES - ACADEMIC YEAR 2011/12

1. Introduction. This brief proposes and lays-out potential projects for the partnership between the Royal Navy (RN) (Superintendent Fleet Maintenance, Devonport) and Kelly College for the Engineering Education Scheme in the 2011/2012 academic year.

General Points of Consideration for Projects

2. As with all engineering projects there is a vast scope of investigation, costing, and research before a product even enters the design, development and contracting stage, let alone prior to becoming available for tests, trials and evaluation. Clearly, with the timeframes and experience of the students, each stage of development will be limited. However, it is hoped that the project will follow a route similar to that of a commercial enterprise in order to reflect the workings of industry and provide students with an insight into the considerations and difficulties of a procurement process.

3. Considerations. Following the identification of a requirement, a few items to consider when procuring a product for a Naval Application are:

i. Safety & Environment – From ergonomics and general use to hazardous materials used, recycling and disposal

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ii. Cost/Benefit Analysisiii. Packaging – Generally ruggedized, shock proof/mitigated – waterproof & salt resistant for

upper deck itemsiv. Ease of use and training requirementsv. Ease of repair, availability of spare parts (for complex systems, contacts for OEM support

arrangements)vi. Design lifevii. Conformation – To various industrial standardsviii. Integration – With existing Ship systems

4. Standards Conformation. Often, due to their unique requirements, the Royal Navy utilise bespoke solutions constrained within their own set of rules and standards. However, increasingly there is a movement towards ‘Commercial off the Shelf’ solutions to reduce costs and increase the availability of spare parts, therefore new items of equipment may simply now conform to BS or ISO standards.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Working Title

5. Design & Development of an Automatic Emergency Lighting (AEL) solution to replace the existing ageing solution on conventional RN Warships.

The Problem

6. Should a ship loose all power whilst at sea, the only form of fixed lighting available is in the form of legacy AEL systems – heavy cast boxes containing a battery power source, 115v transformer/charger circuit and filament lamp. These provide low levels of light, utilise fragile filament lamps and require regular routine checks and maintenance.

Scope

7. This project would evaluate, research and prototype a replacement AEL system that would integrate with the Ship (mounting points, 115v power), have a robust, reliable light source and provide a minimum of 8 hours of light on removal of 115v power. It should be suitable for mass production, highly robust (to survive shock, water, fire) and relatively cheap.

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Suggested Avenues of Investigation

8. Areas of consideration and interest

a. Lighting

i. How much light required?ii. Technology?iii. Replacement options?iv. Testing – automatic self test?

b. Power supplies

i. Battery technology – cost vs output vs life vs safetyii. Charging circuit safety and reliability – indication of functionality?iii. Integration with 115v 60Hz power

c. Packaging

i. Refurbish current packaging or design bespoke chassis? (Cost/Benefit approximations would be beneficial)i. How robust does the system need to be?ii. Integration with current mounting points?iii. Internals accessible for maintenance vs sealed, complete replaceable unit?

d. Commercial certification requirements? (BS 5266 Compliance?)

Signed on original

A J R LoftsLt RNT23 PGO

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C. Our Team

From the beginning of our project we have all been keen and enthusiastic to develop our learning in multiple aspects of the project. As a team we made all the decisions throughout the project even if we some of us weren’t assigned to a particular part of the project.

Of course, some of us specialised in aspects which others did not. Therefore in the interest of efficiency, some tasks would have been assigned to specific people which would leave us more time to spend on the more demanding parts of the report. This experience of working independently and in a group has developed our skills in these areas enormously.

Aidan Mason

Aidan worked alongside Jonty in the Computer Aided Design programme of solid works. He designed and drew up multiple models of what our design could possibly look like. Aidan was also a key part in making the presentation on the three day residential workshop to display what we had covered.

Jonty Newton

Jonty was also a fundamental part in the creation of the Computer Aided Design models throughout the project. He contributed significantly to the mind mapping sessions and the drawings of the final product. Jonty was also imperative to the editing and formatting of our report.

Charles Ross

Charles was a large contributor to the production of the electronics throughout the scheme. He took large interest in the development of the electrics right from the beginning. He was a key part of designing the different circuit boards on different software programmes. Also Charles was another key part in the writing of the report.

Bryony Christmas

Bryony was our team leader throughout our project. She has been a major part throughout the project from organising team meetings to getting involved with both sides of the project. Bryony has primarily taken part in the electronic side of the project along with Charles. Bryony has been a key part in writing up notes from all the occasions throughout the project. She has also played a large part in writing the report.

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D. Gantt Chart

E. Team Meetings

During our project, as a team we met twice a week to discuss the project’s current standing and its ongoing progression. We were able to highlight key areas of concerns and issues, as well as delegate tasks and push on with the report. The meetings also gave us the opportunity to meet with our mentor David Hall, who came in about twice a month to answer our questions and point us in the right direction.

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Table Of LightingLight Emitting Diodes

(LEDS)Incandescent Light

BulbsCompact Fluorescents

(CFLs)Life Span 50,000 hours 1,200 hours 8,000 hours

Watts of Electricity Used 6 - 8 watts 60 watts 13 - 15 watts

Annual Operating Cost £20.95/year £209.56/year £48.88/year

Carbon Dioxide Emissions 451 pounds/year 4500 pounds/year 1051 pounds/year

Sensitivity to low temperatures

None Some Yes - Doesn’t work undernegative 10 degrees.

On/off Cycling No Effect Some Yes - Can reduce lifespandrastically

Turns on instantly Yes Yes No - Takes time to warm up

Durability Vey Durable Not Very Durable Not Very Durable

CONCLUSION Efficient, durable. Expensive to use, fragile.

Fairly cheap, not very versatile.

F. Calculations/Tables/Figures/Photographs

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Casing MaterialAluminium GRP Mild Steel

Cost Fairly expensive Cheap Relatively Low Cost

Strength Relatively Tough Glass fibres are very strong Relatively Strong

Durability Corrosion resistant Corrosion Resistant Not durable if left unprotected

Manufacturing Casting Laying up Casting

Weight Lightweight Lightweight Heavy

CONCLUSION Expensive, but strongCheap and good strength to

weight ratioCorrodes, but very strong

Table of Batteries

TypeVoltagea Powerc Efficiencyd Dischargef Cyclesg Lifeh

(V) (W/kg) (%) (%/month) (#) (years)

Lead–acid 2.1 180 70%-92% 3%-4% 500-800 5-20

Alkaline 1.5 50 - <0.3 100-1000 <5Nickel–iron 1.2 100 65% 20%-40% 50+

Nickel–cadmium

1.2 150 70%-90% 20% 1500 -

Nickel–metal hydride

1.2 250-1000 66% 30% 500-1000 -

Nickel–zinc 1.7 900 - - 100-500 -

Lithium-ion 3.6 1800 99%+ 5%-10% 1200-10000 2-6

Lithium-ion polymer

3.7 3000+ 99.8% 5% 500~1000 2-3

Lithium iron phosphate

3.25 1400 93.5% - 2000+ >10

Lithium–titanate

2.3 4000+ 87-95%r - 9000+ 20+

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PnP transistor

Full wave rectifier

Potential divider

Charging current limiter

Reverse protection diodeSmoothing capacitor

Voltage regulator

Charging/power indicator-green LED

Final Circuit Design

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The circuit design. We changed this design as the capacitor stood too tall. Flattening it enabled the casing to be shallower, therefore reducing the cost for materials.

Holes for ease of attachment to casing

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Circuit Testing

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‘Ships power’ working as normal.

Charging LED lit.

‘Ships power’ working as normal.

Test switch activated. Charging LED lit. LED array lit.

‘Ship’s power’ fails. Charging LED unlit. LED array lit.

Final Casing Design

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Back plate - same dimensions as original in order for it to easily replace previous model.

Entry points for mains cables. Same place as previous model in order for easy changeover to this model.

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LED Array of 9 (bright white)

Mirrored Background (for maximum light output)

Green LED ‘charging light’ (although actually indicates that power is flowing through the circuit) IP67 classified push

button switch

Designs

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G. Company Visit

Over the course of our project, we had one site visit, which took place on Tuesday 22nd November. This

site visit was to HMS Drake in Plymouth where we were invited on-board HMS Sutherland to see the

lights in situation. This brought our project to life and enabled us to put it into context. The visit was

both exciting and fascinating for all members of the team and we feel that it was a huge step forward

in the progression of our project. All questions were answered to great detail and we were able to

understand the necessity and value of these lights on-board the ships.

As well as seeing the AELs scattered all over the ship, Lt. Anthony Lofts gave us a full tour and a unique

insight into the role of engineers in the Royal Navy. They play a vital role and the Royal Navy would not

be able to function as effectively without them.

The visit was an excellent opportunity and was essential in the development of our project.

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H. Summary of Key Communications

To/From Type and Purpose

Outcome/Result

Lt. Anthony Lofts

Site Visit possibility Taken on a site visit to HMS Sutherland.

Three-day residential

Confirmed his attendance at the three-day residential.

Purchasing Offered funding to the school, to reimburse for purchased components.

David Hall

Meetings in School Attended many meetings and helped us with the progression of our project.

Report Proof read and gave feedback on our report at different stages.

Daniel Blackmore

Electrical circuit help

Invited back to the University on multiple occasions to adjust and improve our circuit.

Component advice Invited us back to Plymouth University to replace component.

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Mr Turnbull

Mr David Turnbull was our supervising teacher from Kelly College. He was the main link between everyone involved with the project, setting up and attending our regular meetings to make sure we were on track and up to date with the project. Mr Turnbull’s jokes and humour was a key factor of keeping us going, and his motivation was always apparent and welcomed by each team member. Without Mr Turnbull, this project would not have been possible.

Mr Hall

Mr David Hall was our team’s mentor. He was on hand to help put the project into perspective as he attended a lot of the team meetings at school offering us his countless years of engineering knowledge. He read through our report as well as helped us with the physical part of the project. This gave us the confidence and reassurance we needed throughout our project.

Anthony J R Lofts Lt RN

Lt Antony Lofts was an enormous help throughout our project. He gave us the brilliant project which we all found incredibly easy to get interested in and passionate about. Furthermore he managed to organise for us to go on a site visit to HMS Sutherland in Devonport Dockyards. This was a huge help to us because it gave us a heads up in what we needed to know for the project in the future, and enabled us to put the project into perspective. Lt Lofts provided vital information to us which was of great help to our project, and was in constant contact with the team leader offering his support and knowledge throughout.

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