Young Engineers Clean Up Submarine

Five young engineers on an innovative academy programme have designed a Submersible Remotely Operated Vehicle (SROV)

The first cohort of the newly launched Co-Lab Engineering Academy, which brings together engineers to work collaboratively to solve a real-life industry challenge, presented a concept design of their ScrubMarine innovation at an event to conclude a successful debut programme.

Mentored throughout the project by Co-Lab Engineering Managing Director Clyne Albertelli, the delegates learned technical, leadership and project skills, which will prove invaluable when they return to their places of work.

Picking up a challenge to find a method of cleaning unwanted biofouling from the hulls of submarines and ships from the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), on behalf of the Royal Navy, the team produced an SROV which will include specialist cleaning nozzles that induce cavitation to remove the biofouling, controlled from a remote distance. This will limit the need for divers to carry out cleaning work.

Participant Dylan Brennan was amazed at how much the team of engineers progressed in such a short time. “I was skeptical at first that we could pull off such an ambitious project within the timeframe, but the way that five strangers were pulled together and given the guidance required to produce something has been amazing, and we’re all incredibly proud of what we have achieved,” he says.

Co-Lab Engineering Academy is now preparing for its second project which will challenge participants to develop world-first technology to convert water supplies into electricity within domestic and community settings.

Teaming up with Technology Consortia Limited Cumbria, the creation of Compact Hydro Energy Devices is aimed at making power generation across the UK more sustainable.

The Engineering Academy is being supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), University of Cumbria and others.

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Jonathan Newell

Jonathan Newell is a graduate of Loughborough University and has three decades of experience in engineering as well as broadcast and technical journalism.

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