01.05.15
Birmingham centre for railway research and education speeds into the big bang fair
Source: RTM Apr/May 15
Professor Felix Schmid, director of education at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, writes about the success of this year’s Big Bang Fair in Birmingham.
The University of Birmingham and the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education attended the Big Bang Fair at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham from Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 March 2015.
The Big Bang Fair is the UK’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people, aiming to show students a variety of exciting and rewarding opportunities for successful careers in STEM subjects. More than 75,000 people attended this year’s event, thousands of whom visited the University of Birmingham stand.
The Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, leaders in railway science and education, represented the university, bringing railways to life with an exciting, interactive crash-test challenge.
Visiting children were encouraged to construct and crash-test their own model using a variety of fun materials, such as marshmallows, oasis floral foam, red noses and polystyrene. Before their design was set-off down an inclined ramp and crashed into a solid structure, students were asked what material would absorb the most energy, create the least impact and keep passengers safe. Crash results were transmitted onto a data recorder and re-watched in slow-motion on a video camera.
The idea of the experiment was to teach the visitors about the different behaviours of materials. They learnt, for example, that marshmallows are very springy and, thus, a crash-absorber using this material has the characteristic of releasing the stored energy and pushing the train back. Crunched up newspaper, on the other hand, deforms and absorbs energy without recoil. Interestingly, most of the children grasped the concept – some of the adults found this more challenging.
The Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education was also keen to discuss elements of its research at the university, such as the aerodynamics research team within the Department of Civil Engineering, who have developed expertise in a wide range of aerodynamic areas that affect both network and vehicle operations.
Extreme wind effects and climate change are central to the work of the team, and link closely with the work in the ‘environment’ theme of the Railway Centre. Aerodynamics links these factors with the operation of vehicles through dynamic train modelling and crosswind simulation.
Safety and reliability of vehicles in such extreme conditions is becoming more critical with the demand for higher operating speeds and lower vehicle weight. The safety of passengers, trackside workers and the damage to network infrastructure caused by high-speed vehicle slipstreams are also key themes of the team’s work.
Such concerns have been highlighted by recent events and the team works closely with industry to identify the key factors that are contributing to these issues. There is also an increasing awareness of the need to understand the aerodynamic interaction between vehicles, such as when vehicles pass each other at speed, and the vehicle-infrastructure interaction, such as in tunnels. Such interactions can cause discomfort for passengers as well as damage to vehicles or infrastructure, thereby increasing maintenance costs.
I thought the Big Bang Fair 2015 was a fantastic opportunity to make young students aware of the variety of career options available in STEM subjects. As an ambassador for the university, I wanted students to discover the exciting world of railways and the routes leading into careers in rail, such as civil, electrical and systems engineering.
I attended the fair on Saturday 14 March and specifically remember a three-year-old girl who made up her crash-test cup full of marshmallows, and watched on in awe as it crashed. She then watched the results on the screen and was so inquisitive and eager to learn. We also successfully recruited a few undergraduate and MSc students, who were impressed with the range of research we’re involved in.
Our input at this year’s Big Bang Fair was truly a success. I extend my greatest thanks to all of the staff and PhD students who were involved in designing the stand, preparing and running the four days of the event.
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