Graduating students in the School of Trades & Apprenticeship showcased capstone projects at the college’s Cambridge - Fountain Street campus on August 14 and 15. Faculty, employers and industry partners were present to evaluate the presentations and network with more than 300 students who set-up over 60 displays of their work.
(Pictured L-R) Sai Vineeth Reddy Disereddy, Harwinder Singh, Ashitha Sangani and Sai Divya Sree Meesala presented their proposal for a solar-powered water heating system for a brewery at the Trades & Apprenticeship capstone event.
Capstone projects are the culmination of skills and knowledge that students have gained throughout their programs at Conestoga.
“The capstone projects showcased the ingenuity and talent of our students, and are a link between what the students have learned at Conestoga and their creativity and ambitions,” said Amanda Feeser, chair, School of Trades & Apprenticeship.
“It was especially encouraging to see that many of the projects focused on carbon footprint reductions for businesses. It’s clear this generation of students is acutely aware of and dedicated to developing solutions to address climate change, one of the most pressing issues of our time, while also having a solid grasp of the entrepreneurial and business opportunities it presents.”
Vivek Nair Adumari Padmanabhan Nair, Luisa Fernanda Campillo Zuluaga, Tirth Brahmbhatt, Jees Henry, Ashbishbhai Maganlal Patel and Satish Kumar from the Applied Energy Management - Renewable Energy Stream program developed a plan and proposal to convert a coal power plant in Nova Scotia to natural gas rather than fuel oil as planned. This proposal also involves a system that recovers and recycles waste heat from the gas turbines, further increasing operational efficiency and environmental benefits.
Sai Divya Sree Meesala, Ashitha Sangani, Harwinder Singh and Sai Vineeth Reddy Disereddy from the Applied Energy Management - Renewable Energy Stream program devised a rooftop solar power model to meet the water heating needs of a brewery, and used a Calgary, Alberta brewery as a test model. The group plans to pitch their proposal to the brewery, which would entail a carbon footprint reduction and energy cost savings that would mitigate initial conversion costs.
Steevo Steephen, Amritha Ashokan, Christin Babu, Donal Benny and Mohammad Haroon from the Applied Electrical Motion and Control Management - Logistics Automation program developed an electro-magnetic elevator system using Maglev technology that increases the safety and efficiency of elevators in large buildings. The proposed system uses magnetic levitation to create frictionless movement, a technology already being planned for select buildings worldwide. The system uses no cables, creating a faster and smoother ride while extending the lifespan of elevators and reducing maintenance and power costs as well as emissions.
Other projects on display included a solar-powered lawn mower, an automated carwash with a wastewater recycling system, and an automated duct control system that integrates with home heating and air conditioning to optimize temperatures of residential homes.
Conestoga is a provincial leader in the delivery of trades and apprenticeship training to serve industry needs and the growing community. Comprehensive programming includes a wide range of post-secondary trades programs that provide pathways to employment in skilled trades careers as well as pre-apprenticeship training and in-school training for apprentices.
Visit the School of Trades & Apprenticeship for more information.