Some projects by Arkwight Scholars at Therfield

25 Therfield GCSE Electronics students were among those from local schools invited by Halliburton Brown & Root (H B&R) two years ago to design and build a PIG (this is what pipeline users call a device that they send through to clear blockages - possibly originating from the days when pig bladders were used).

A relevant task
The buggy type device had to travel along 6 inch diameter pipe work and take the second exit on the left. On the way it had to detect an intrusion into the pipe work.

The project reflects much of what H B&R does which is, among other things, to inspect and clean oil/gas pipelines such as those which are networked all over the North Sea.

The now Year 10 students were encouraged to investigate different motors - meaning DC and Stepper and the electronic controllers needed for them.

Many of the students also e-mailed Andrew Jackson, an interested engineer at H B&R  who was kind enough to help them with their research.

After designing their buggy chassis and making the motor controller circuitry (one for each motor/gearbox) students completed the controller box.

An umbilical cable from controller to buggy allowed full control - forward/backward motion, left/right turning.

Micro switches on the left, right and top of the buggy cause LEDs to light on the controller box.  A lit indicator on the controller box from the top micro switch indicates where obstacles are (e.g. an intrusion).

Lit LEDs from the left and right hand micros indicate 'open switch' and therefore an opening in the pipe. Such information allows the 'driver' to know whether to turn left or right when navigating the tunnels blind - clever stuff for sixteen year olds.

HB&R generously subsidised the cost  of the components. As part of the project a running inventory was kept of who drew what items, and this was used by many students in evaluating the cost efficiency of their buggy.

Not unsurprisingly, two of the students who produced outstanding buggies also won an Arkwright Scholarship. Both are from Therfield School.

Halliburton Brown & Root's support of the Arkwright Scholarships
H B&R have agreed with Arkwright that any youngster who
(a) attends one of the schools local to their sites and 
(b) wins through the exacting Arkwright selection process

will automatically be sponsored by H B&R, which is magnificent for schools like Therfield which is near one of H B&R's UK sites.

So it was that Daniel Loughlin (student with dark shirt) and Andrew Marlow (student with white shirt) took their buggies around to H B&R. Both buggies use Stepper motors with direct drive to the large yellow wheels. Andrew's buggy also boasts headlights. Also shown below are Mr Ken Beedle (H B&R PR manager) and shirtsleeved Mr David Steel (Parent Governor and Therfield/H B&R liaison).

Congratulations to Andrew and Daniel - and once again many thanks to Halliburton Brown & Root for their generous support of the Arkwright Scholarships.

James Haslam Lighting Project - Minor Project 1