Require MEng Project Suggestions 4

[DavyIA]

Hi

I work in a Brewery and I am currently undertaking a Masters in Engineering through part time study [thought masters] The last task is to complete a project for which I need a proposal in by mid / late Jan.

I currently work as a Engineer in the area of Grains Handling in the Brewery looking after the Conveyors, Elevators, Explosion Suppression, Milling Process and Spent Grains Equipment and workforce.

I have been hitting my head against the wall trying to think of a project to undertake in this area. I cannot for the the life of me think of something.

If anyone works / has worked in a similar area and can think of any problems / projects they came across please let me know

 

[PeterCharles]

How about a project related to the implimentation of explosion protection on the materials handling equipment in your site? (ATEX if you are in the EU).

 

[MikeHalloran]

Spend some time with your maintenance department and your accounting department. Find out what breaks a lot and shouldn't, or what costs "too much" to fix when it does break. Work from the records, and ask the people who do the actual work. Listen, and take detailed notes. You will need a lot of paper.

Select something to fix from the responses. Look for items that:

- Have parallels or backups, so if you 'improve' one to an irreparable extent, you won't bring the plant down. This also gives you control data, so if your improvements actually work, you can measure by how much.

- You have a reasonable chance of analyzing and re-engineering without first getting a PhD in something. This also implies keeping the scope of your project small, and limited to stuff that you can measure or find documentation for.

;---

The maintenance people in particular will propose solutions to long standing problems. Some of them will be stupefyingly brilliant. Some of them will just be stupefying. Accept all such input graciously, without comment. Record who suggested what, and if you use any part of such a suggestion, and it works, arrange some recognition of the originator. It will pay dividends for years to come.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[JStephen]

There has been a fair bit of work done on seismic forces in liquid storage tanks, particularly cylindrical flat-bottom tanks and square tanks. I'm not really aware of any work done with regards to seismic action in granular bins or in cone-bottom tanks, however, and that might be something to look at. The Steel Plate Fabricator's Association has a book on bin design that may address the issue somewhat. And the current IBC has some verbiage (but no real guidance) on the issue.

 

[rmw]

What about automation in the valves/gates in the conveying system?

rmw

 

[mechvhstech]

How about a project that involved modelling a pressure vessel in 3D CAD and simulating an explosion in FEA (ANSYS) to register the stresses due to the impact; hence checking the design under various parametric changes?

vhs

 

[MintJulep]

Something with CFD related to explosion suppression?

 

[DavyIA]

Mint Julep

Do you have any experience in the area of CFD and explosion suppression

 

[Cooky]

How about energy conservation or waste minimization of plant and equipment. There is a huge scope within energy conservation for a MEng project, and it is very topical, especially with the increase in energy prices (especially here in the UK).

I have just completed my project for a MEng degree with Open University, my project was based on the use of heat pumps for drying application.

Good luck

Cooky

 

[tomwalz]

I’d go with Mike Halloran. I’d go with him big time.

In a lot of the consulting I do the maintenance and production people know what’s going on but no one listens.

Call it “Cost Benefit Ratio Analysis of Employee Generated Improvements in a Brewery Using Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing Principles.” The part about “Using Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing Principles.” Is pretty much garbage but it appeals to a lot folks. When you get down to the bottom of most of these ideas they involve constant reexamination and keeping what works.

Sorry, some prejudice showing here. I remember working as a head cook in a food manufacturing plant and being asked for suggestions. I did a couple pages and heard that the general manager really liked them. What he liked was how well they were written. None of them were ever implemented. No even those like “shim up the pump so it matches the pipe. That way you don’t need one guy to stand on the pipe and bend it so that you can fasten it to the pump” Same place where we used electric forklifts. They didn’t replace the lead/acid batteries as they wore out until they wouldn’t take a charge. We did a lot of fork with hand trucks because the forklifts were on the charger.

Tom


Thomas J. Walz
Carbide Processors, Inc.

http://www.carbideprocessor.com

 

[ajamnia]

I agree with Fawkes and Tom Walz. I do have experince with CFD and explosion suppression. It does not even look easy on the paper.

Ali Jamnia

 

[plasgears]

Identify a repeat problem in the plant or processes, and do an in-depth root cause analysis. It requires an analytical engineer with organized thinking to dig deeply and effectively into root causes.

Events seldom are easily identified for cause. After you have done a few of these, write a procedure for the benefit of others now and in posterity. In QS9000 this is called a Work Instruction.

An example:
Crashed DC-10's
comprimised control cables
unsecured baggage door
shear deformation in baggage door frame
Inadequate shear strength in engine-tailcone system
yaw vibration of engine in tail
(engines were observed to fishtail during early flight test.)