On Thursday 21st March, a group of Year 10 students from Acklam Grange School attended a Day in the Life of a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer at Newcastle University as part of FutureMe’s suite of Regional Masterclasses. Students toured the impressive hydrolab and even made their own foam vessels to test out in a water tank!
Newcastle University’s Hydrodynamics laboratory comprises of three large water tanks: the Towing Tank, Wind, Wave and Current Tank, and the Flow Cell. Students heard from current undergraduate students undertaking their dissertation projects in the lab and after watching the tanks in action they headed to complete a test themselves.
Students split into groups of 5 with a project lead, designer, technical lead, spokesperson and an engineer to create their own boat from foam, PVC, skewers, cable ties and plastic bags. Students attending the Masterclass all had an interest in Naval Architecture or Marine Engineering and got really stuck into the task, all making working boats that held weights whilst floating in the water.
If you’re interested in learning more about this industry, the region’s universities and colleges have lots of courses to offer including Marine Engineering, Marine Biology, Marine Zoology and Naval Architecture. Take a look at their websites to find out more!
