ISSUE THIRTY-THREE Autumn 2020
In this issue… 11 16 26 ASSOCIATION NEWS & REVIEWS ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS 3 Presidents Report 31 HS2, ROI and the builders 4 Diary; RSMA AGM 32 Letters 5 CGCA Annual Dinner 2021; CGCA AGM OBITUARIES FACULTY NEWS 32 Reginald Gill (Elec Eng 1946-49, 49-51) 6-7 Covid-19 responses across Imperial 33 Andrew Edward Panter (Civil Eng 1962-65) 8 New RAEng Chairs; New RAEng Fellows; John Morelly Solbett (Chem Eng 1937-41) RAEng Research Fellowships 34 Giles Edward Baynham (Mining Eng 1991-95) 9 Imperial engineers win ERC Grants; John Mortimer (Mining Eng 1972-75) RAEng Special Award; Presidential professor; 35 George Jeffrey (Jeff) Hawksley (Mech Eng 1969-72) New AIAA Associate Fellow; Frank Charles Leighton (Civil Eng 1946-49) The Queen’s Birthday Honours William Henry Gordon Parker (Elec Eng 1943-48) 10 Women of the Future; New Materials Chair; London Mayor’s Entrepreneurial competition; WE Innovate Programme Final
FEATURES 11-15 Return to Vatnajökull, Glen Gowers, Oliver Vince, John-Henry Charles Cover Image 16-22 Valle de las Rocas in Bolivia, Stuart McClune et al 23-25 Managing Black Swans, Atula Abeysekera “Just a Call Away” 26-28 Mineral Deposits of Central & Southern Peru, © 2020 Chin Yeung George Nicholas, Jay Ward Winner of IMPACT 29-30 Seismic 2020, Meiling Cheng Photographic Contest 30 IMPACT Photographic Contest (see page 30)
CORRESPONDENCE and ENQUIRIES Imperial ENGINEER Eilidh Campbell EDITORIAL BOARD Alumni Relations Of ce Peter Buck (Editor) Level 1 Faculty Building, Imperial College London, David Bishop, Eilidh Campbell, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road Tim Cotton, Paul Holmes, London SW7 2AZ Bill McAuley (Emeritus Editor) Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 9238 Email: [email protected] for RSMA queries PRODUCTION AND DESIGN Email: [email protected] for CGCA queries Alison Buck Website: www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/alumni/ CGCA website: www.cgca.org.uk PRINTING RSMA website: www.rsm-association.org Bishops Printers, Portsmouth URLs at the end of items indicate more details online. Where appropriate we use bit.ly short-links for readability and useability. ISSN 2398-1237 (Print) Faculty news items may be derived from Imperial News where full ISSN 2398-1245 (Online) attribution details can be found. STORY IDEAS FOR THE NEXT ISSUE BY FEBRUARY 15 2021 FINAL COPY DEADLINE: MARCH 15 2021 T e opinions expressed in Imperial ENGINEER are those of the contributor and not necessarily those of Imperial College London, City and Guilds College Association, the Royal School of Mines Association, or the Editorial Board. T e Editorial Board of Imperial ENGINEER reserves the right to edit copy for style and length.
2 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 I would like to ofer our thanks again to Prof Dick Kitney (immediate Past President). He came to the role at short notice, when Dame Judith Hackitt had to step down to lead eforts in the independent review of regulations and fre safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Professor Kitney went on to serve as the President for three successful years. I am delighted and humbled to be carrying the baton as President of the City & Guilds College Association. We had a successful virtual AGM in June. In my inaugural presentation at the AGM, I shared my thoughts on ‘managing black swans’ and highlighted how governments across the world will beneft from an ‘engineering’ mindset to solve issues arising from the current pandemic (see page 23). It has been an extraordinary year. Te pandemic has posed several challenges to the College. Te Faculty has prioritised a safe environment and wellbeing, while continuing to provide a world-leading hybrid education. As you know, the College, and in particular the Engineering Faculty, has been at the forefront of research for a vaccine and providing world-class design for ventilators. We owe a great deal of gratitude to those alumni, staf and students who are directly involved in helping with the current crisis. An important item on my agenda as the President is to explore how we can extend support for student and alumni welfare during this uncertain period. I also want to build on the achievements made in the last three years by Atula increasing participation with our younger members. We will continue to develop career mentoring programmes and publicising CGCA’s activities in the current and wider communities. Tis Association has always beneftted from a loyal, dedicated and hard working committee. I personally would Abeysekera like to express my appreciation to the leadership provided by Nigel Creswell as Secretary and Peter Chase as Treasurer. Peter and Alison Buck have done outstanding work in producing Imperial ENGINEER, a crucial link to our CGCA community. Under extremely difcult circumstances, Colin Kerr and his colleagues are taking on the challenging task of planning for our 2021 Annual Dinner. Tim Munday and Milia Hasbani have played a vital leadership role with our younger members. I would also like to thank Chris Lumb and the other board members of OC Trust for their work during this period in supporting students and student activity. As I look forward to this new chapter, I want to give you and your families my best wishes in these challenging times. I look forward to seeing some of you at a CGCA event – whether physical or virtual – in the near future.
PRESIDENTS REPORT
Unbelievably, I fnd myself once again writing to you all in the capacity of RSMA President embarrassingly entering a ffth year in ofce. We are struggling to recruit new Committee members and as such, the Committee and I felt that for consistency I should stay another year. Tis motion was taken to the AGM in August this year and approved by the members present. Whilst the Committee has a reasonable level of membership, time commitments of the members mean that flling the Executive roles in the Committee is becoming harder. If you do have time, please do consider joining the RSMA Committee, it is truly worth it as you can see frst hand the tremendous impact that giving back has on the current student body. As a volunteer organisation, we will always do our best to respond as quickly as we can to your requests and comments, so please do bear with us if we are a bit slow at getting back to you. We rely heavily on the College Alumni Relations team in managing the communication channels with members as they have the systems and people to do this type of work. Te Committee has a good working relationship with these departments which are a great help in running the administration side of the Association and getting any feedback from Members out to the Committee. I am very happy to report that due to the success in 2019 the RSMA once again launched the RSMA Final Year Tim Student Bursary Prize in June 2020. Tis is award is open to students who are beginning their fnal year in September 2020. In a change in 2020, the Committee is planning to award a minimum of three prizes across ESE and Materials Cotton and, depending on applicants, may consider more. As we go to press, there are 16 applicants being considered which is the largest number of applications we have seen so far. Te scheme was created to reward students who show the true RSM Spirit and act as an ambassador for the RSM. Successful candidates must be able to show commitment, achievement and excellence above that of their peers in areas such as academic excellence, community & RSM Union involvement, sporting prowess, or contribution to a sport or club within the RSM. Financial hardship will also be considered as a criterion. Working with Department Directors of Undergraduate Studies at ESE, Materials and the Faculty of Engineering we have had 16 applicants and will be short listing and awarding the bursaries shortly. Remember, the funds have been raised by YOU through your kind generosity at events and specifcally by those members who have supported the 100 Club. Tis is an amazing achievement and is a concrete example of former students of the RSM who want to give back to the current student body. Lastly, the 100 Club continues to slowly grow and I would encourage you, if you are able, to sign up and support the RSMA via the 100 Club or by a one-of donation. If you are already signed up then a huge thank you and please double check your banking details so that you are continuing to pay yearly. Your support is truly appreciated! Read on for a more detailed review of the 100 Club. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the restrictions on social gatherings, the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the Association was held virtually on the 19th August 2020 via video conference. Tragically, this meant the fnal year Bar-B-Q had to be cancelled, as the College and associated faculty was closed. See the AGM report on page 4 for a full update. Te ongoing challenges of the pandemic have led the Committee to reluctantly cancel the 136th annual dinner that was due to be held on Friday 27th November 2020 at the Rembrandt Hotel in Knightsbridge. Only World War II has stopped the dinner in the past but, given the difculty of trying to plan a meaningful event within the continually changing Government guidance, the Committee felt that this is the right thing to do. Te Association is not out of pocket in relation to the booking of the dinner as the Rembrandt Hotel has been extremely fexible in regard to the booking conditions. Te Committee continues to maintain a very active relationship with the RSMU and for the 2020/21 academic year, the new RSMU representatives are Jasmine Crocker and Teigan Collins, respectively President and Honorary Secretary. Between us, we are looking to continue to engage with students on careers evenings and to support the students and associated societies throughout this challenging time. I hope you fnd this issue informative and I look forward to seeing some of you in the RSM and /or at an RSMA event when it is safe and prudent to do so.
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 3 NEWS & REVIEWS DIARY 2020 RSMA AGM Report As a result of the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pan- Two dozen or so RSMA members 100 Club 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 demic, events in most and Committee members connected locations have been cancelled via a video conference link on or converted to virtual Donations £6583 £4550 £7170 £4552 £0 th events. Local restrictions August 19 2020 for the Annual are varied, therefore before AGM of the RSMA. All papers for considering attending any the meeting were placed online on unfortunately, the take up has not event, please contact the the front page of the RSMA Website been what was originally envisaged organisers to check whether and can still be accessed by going to but through the generosity of the the event is still taking place. the RSMA website at: 100 Club members almost £23,000 http://www.rsm-association.org has been raised since 2016. See RSMA Toronto, Canada table above. Informal RSM meeting, noon, Last Friday of every month. The members heard various reports The drop in members is due to: Jason George Pub, 100 Front Street from the President, Treasurer and • 1 member thought it was a one East, Toronto Chair of the RSMA Trust and salient off £200 payment and not a yearly Contact: [email protected] points are noted below. £200 payment. RSMA Perth, Australia • 3 members have been unresponsive Monthly Sundowner, First Friday of President to further communications and every month. The Celtic Club, 48 Ord St, West The President, Tim Cotton, have only made one payment. Perth, WA, 6005 highlighted that once again, due Tim Cotton remains as RSMA • 7 members are in arrears for Contact: to limited success in recruiting President for another year 2019 and the Association is in Alan Dickson – [email protected] John Sykes – [email protected] new Committee members, the correspondence to remind them succession planning for the to continue to pay. Imperial Alumni, Houston, USA Association Executive was behind the RSM. The year was marked by Alumni social, 6pm, Third Thursday of schedule. Furthermore, the a generous and unexpected legacy 2018 saw the frst three £1000 every month. challenges of handing over in the of £16,220 from the Illing Trust, Bursaries awarded and a further Capital Grille, 840 West Sam Houston at the wishes of a former student. three £1000 Bursaries awarded in Pkwy N, Houston, TX 77024 midst of a pandemic were seen Contact: Matt Bell – as too great. Accordingly, it was With this unexpected endowment 2019. In 2020 it likely that at least [email protected] proposed that Tim should stay in the and a growing “100 Club”, the Trust a further three bursaries will be Imperial Engineering Alumni, role for another year, all members anticipates being able to give more awarded. Johannesburg, South Africa present concurred. At the meeting, bursaries in 2020. These will be Quarterly Johannesburg Lunch (18 one Committee member was awarded in the Autumn 2020 Term Chair of the RSMA Trust Nov, 17 Feb 21, 19 May 21) Baron & Quail, Woodmead, elected and the existing members to fnal year students who show the The Chair of the Trust reported that Johannesburg, South Africa and offcers (as listed in the yellow true RSM spirit and act as an RSM in terms of the Trust’s Trust Deed, Contact: Richard Gundersen – box below) were voted in. ambassador. There have been 16 the President, Honorary Treasurer [email protected] applicants and names are currently and Honorary Secretary of the 5&10 Reunion Lunch Treasurer being shortlisted. Association and the President of Saturday 21st November 12 noon GMT The Treasurer reported that the Since the 100 Club was started in the RSMU are appointed as trustees Due to Covid, this year’s “5&10 RSMA and Trust are in good fnancial 2016, there have been 41 members; ex-offcio. The following offered Reunion lunch” will be on Zoom. All health and have the necessary funds as of today, only 37 remain active. themselves for election as trustees: C&G/FoE alumni welcome; let’s create available to continue to support The original idea was sound but Professors Rees Rawlings and John a worldwide gathering! Starts noon Monhemius, Fiona Cassidy, Coen GMT on Saturday 21st November (so, Louwarts, John O’Reilly and Glynne evening in east Asia and breakfast in America!) for 2 hours. Drop in when Election of offcers and committee for 2020/21 Lloyd-Davis and were duly voted in you like. Bring your own fare. Go to by a show of virtual hands. zoom.us/join and join with id 984 0894 In other Trust matters, the 0946. There’ll be separate areas inside President: Tim Cotton following awards were made and Zoom for each decade, where peers can Senior Vice-President: Vacant presentations will be made at meet and chat, followed by a combined session with speakers from today’s Junior Vice-President: Vacant some point during the 2020/2021 students and yesteryear. All on the one Past-President: John O’Reilly academic year: call! Spread the word. Don’t miss it. Hon. Secretary: Hannah Bungey • Peter Harding Memorial Award Hon. Treasurer: David Bishop went to Fiona Cassidy VP International: Vacant • Rees Rawlings Young Member Membership Secretary: Vacant Award will not be awarded. An up-to-date calendar of events of interest to CGCA and RSMA Members: Lorraine Craig Finally, the trust reported that a members is always available on the John Monhemius number of the Trustees would CGCA and RSMA websites. Imperial Rees Rawlings be changing roles. The frst was College maintains a calendar of Daniel Hill Professor Rees Rawlings, who college events at bit.ly/IE-WhatsOn Sam Argyle stepped down at the meeting as and the Friends of Imperial College the Trust Chair and was succeeded regularly organise events of interest Eleanor Jay to alumni (see bit.ly/IE-FOI) Ben Moorhouse by Fiona Cassidy. Second, Hannah Seb Turner Bungey was announced as a Please note that while many of these Richard Griffths successor to Glynne Lloyd-Davis as events are open to all and often free, Aisling Dunn – new member the Trust Honorary Secretary. they usually require registration in Jasmine Crocker (President RSMU) advance. Please follow the links in Teigan Collins (Hon Sec RSMU) 100 Club draw the entry to get more information Alfe Baines (GeologicalSoc President) After the video conference, the including if and how to register draw for the 100 Club £250 raffe and whether there is any cost. Arinjay Jadeja (MatSoc President) Rory Bardner (GeoPhys President) prize was once again won by Martin Levy who won the draw at the last For more information follow links, or see page 2 for contact Overseas: Celia Hayes (Australia) Final Year Bar-B-Q. details Harry Fisher (Australia)
4 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 NEWS & REVIEWS CGCA ANNUAL DINNER 2021
In normal times, we would usually hold our event at the usual time, so membership records. At the same holding our dinner in the frst half start planning for the annual dinner after some discussion, we agreed to time, we will also contact those of 2021 and that we will be able to in the early summer, June or July, to go for the later date of Friday 14 May other friends of the Association who meet friends, members and guests be ready for the event to be held 2021, in the hope that the situation have been regular attendees of the at a convivial occasion next May. in late February or early March of with the pandemic will have clarifed dinner in recent years, so that they Who knows, we may even be able to the following year. This allows us somewhat by then, and I am pleased also have full details. celebrate the success of the Imperial time to book a venue and identify to say that we now have a venue and We very much hope that this College Covid-19 vaccine which is our main speakers, ready for an a guest speaker. We will gather once delay gives us a better chance of currently undergoing clinical trials. announcement in the autumn issue again at the Ironmongers’ Hall in of Imperial ENGINEER, along with a the company of our new President, booking form. As you know, these Professor Atula Abeysekera, and are not normal times, so we have our main guest, the President of had to make some slightly different the Royal Academy of Engineering, arrangements. At the time of the last Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng dinner, February 2020, the Covid-19 FRSE. pandemic was making its way across In view of the continuing Europe but had not really had a uncertainty, we have also decided signifcant impact on the UK. But by to defer the start of the booking the end of March 2020, the UK was period until January, which is why in lockdown. By April the pandemic you do not have the usual booking had gripped the country, there was form with this copy of IE. Instead, talk of a second spike of infections in assuming that all still seems well the autumn or winter and the future with our May date, we will contact all seemed very uncertain. members with full details of booking
Against this background, it early in January, using the e-mail and Ziyuan Mao Photo: seemed particularly risky to try to postal addresses currently held in We last held the Annual Dinner at the Ironmongers’ Hall in 2018
CGCA 2020 AGM – COVID Style 2020 has forced many changes on all areas of our lives, and the CGCA AGM/President’s Evening was not immune. It was due to be held on Monday, 8th June but even though the UK was easing the lockdown restrictions, it was still not possible to have a physical meeting and certainly not a social event following it. So, it was decided to hold a virtual meeting, using the ZOOM platform.
On the day, the whole meeting went Bharath who joins us as Senior Vice surprisingly smoothly, and was very President. well attended, with people far away On a legal point, UK Companies from London taking advantage of House had made a statement to being able to participate while sitting allow organisations to hold virtual in their homes. or hybrid AGMs even if their Professor Kitney opened the Articles of Association strictly did meeting and gave an overview of the not accommodate meetings of that last year for CGCA. He highlighted style. This includes CGCA and one the contributions to CGCA of of the decisions taken at the meeting many people, including: Colin Kerr, was to update our Articles to allow for the Annual Dinner; the Imperial virtual and hybrid meetings in future. Alumni team, for their support of our operations; Peter and Alison At the end of the AGM, Atula gave Buck, for Imperial ENGINEER; and a very well received talk entitled the Committee, for supporting his Managing Black Swans, a transcript presidency. He also thanked Judith of which you can read on pages Hackitt, as she stood down from her 23-25 of this magazine. This was role as Immediate Past President. especially timely, given the current Following his review, Professor pandemic and the widespread Kitney ended his record-breaking criticism received by various three years Presidency, and handed governments of their handling of the over to Professor Atula Abeysekera. crisis and their appetite for acting on One limitation of a virtual expert advice. meeting was that Richard was unable to physically hand over the Sadly, there was no way of replacing medal of offce to Atula! (Maybe we the President’s Evening that need to invest in a 3D copier?) traditionally follows the AGM, so virtual attendees had to provide The accounts for 2019 were their own refreshments! But we approved and a largely unchanged hope that 2021 will see this special Board and Committee were elected. As you can see above, Atula was delighted when he was fnally evening able to be held again. New faces include Professor Anil able to retrieve the medal of offce from Richard
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 5 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY Covid-19 responses across Imperial As has been apparent from national media coverage, Imperial’s medical researchers and academics have been at the forefront of advising the UK government on the scientifc aspects of Covid-19 and how best to deal with it, as well as developing vaccines. Imperial’s research and expertise has been invaluable to many communities around the world. But, less widely reported, has been research and development across Imperial’s Departments, spin-out companies and research partners in White City. We have collected together some of that work below. More information can be readily found on the Imperial News website.
Early in the pandemic, various of the Imperial even more important.” With the wider range Professor Chris Toumazou, developed their lab- White City Incubator companies started to adapt of customers approaching FreshCheck, the in-a-cartridge technology to create CovidNudge, their technology and skillsets to help the fght team are now iterating their product for more a rapid COVID-19 test that does not require a lab against the pandemic. functionality in the non-food industry. By reducing and can be performed in cartridges smaller than its sensitivity to chemicals, whilst maintaining a mobile phone with results in 90 minutes. “The MediSieve are developing a magnetic fltration its ability to detect bacteria the spray avoids DnaNudge test was developed as a lab-free, on- system as a precision tool for doctors to extract needlessly fagging high levels of chemical the-spot consumer service that can be delivered harmful substances from blood. The company cleaning products, something that would be a at scale, so we clearly believe it offers very moved into the Incubator in 2018 and last year concern in food preparation but is not in offce signifcant potential in terms of mass population received funding from Innovate UK to develop or transport locations. The FreshCheck team testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The their platform to treat sepsis through the is also planning to accelerate the development platform is well suited to testing in primary care removal of pathogens and damaging cytokines of their handwipes which they believe will have and community settings with potential for use from the blood. As the pandemic progressed, universal appeal as a means to check cleanliness in non-healthcare settings such as care homes, data showed that one concerning symptom in and hygiene. FreshCheck believes that their sense schools, transport hubs, offces, and, to help COVID-19 patients was the high level of the of agility has been built into their company from bring the arts back, in theatres and venues.” This infammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the an early stage. All three co-founders have studied transformative, single-chip multiplex test not only blood. Although part of the immune system’s for PhDs in the Chemical Biology of Health and enables a comparison of a sample against both the response to the virus, high levels of cytokines Disease at Imperial and were encouraged to WHO and CDC assays, but could also test for – commonly known as cytokine storms - can take up opportunities for entrepreneurism and FluA, FluB and RSV. In addition, the chip includes cause organ failure or death. MediSieve decided innovation during their degrees. The company a control assay for human RNA, which eliminates to pivot their technology as a potential way took part in the Enterprise Lab Venture Catalyst ‘false negative’ results by testing for inadequate to remove IL-6 from the blood of COVID-19 Challenge in 2015, received support from the swabbing. The test is authorised by the Medicines patients. “The current treatment for excess levels Imperial Advanced Hackspace and since then has and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of IL-6 in COVID-19 patients involves drugs gone from strength to strength, moving into the (MHRA) for clinical use and has subsequently that suppress or block the immune system. But Incubator at the beginning of 2018. obtained its CE mark. An average sensitivity – it’s not ideal to give someone who is trying to compared against numerous NHS lab-based tests fght an infection a drug that subdues the immune Affnity Biomarker Labs are experts in qualifying, – is around 95% and specifcity around 100%. system and remains in the body. We want to use validating and testing blood-based proteins These results satisfed the MHRA’s performance our technology to tune that approach so we can that can be used as indicators of a disease or criteria. The government placed a £161 million remove IL-6 at the time it is causing harm but condition to aid clinical decision making. Based order for 5.8 million high-speed DnaNudge then stop this process as soon as cytokine levels at the Imperial White City Incubator since 2018, COVID-19 test kits to be used in NHS hospitals are manageable so the patient’s immune system the company’s mission is to assist in the discovery, from September. The test is now being rolled-out can continue to function.” MediSieve quickly verifcation, validation and analysis of novel UK wide in urgent NHS patient care and elective refocussed their work on treating this aspect of biomarkers, particularly in areas of high unmet surgery settings, plus out-of-hospital locations. COVID-19. As well as adapting their technology, need. With the outbreak of COVID-19, they The London BioFoundry, part of Imperial’s MediSieve have also helped in the pandemic by have directed this mission towards testing for National UK Innovation and Knowledge 3D printing components for Personal Protective antibodies in the blood that are produced as part Centre for Synthetic Biology (SynbiCITE), has Equipment, responding to a call to redeploy of the immune response following COVID-19 repurposed robotic technology normally used equipment and facilities for this purpose in which infection. At the end of February, the company for synthetic biology research to help with they were joined by other Imperial groups. It launched the SARS-CoV-2 serology testing which testing for COVID-19. During the early stages of is this community spirit that MediSieve cite uses fully automated platforms to test for the the coronavirus pandemic, the rapid rise in the as an important attribute of the White City levels of two antibodies - IgM and IgG - in whole need for testing led to bottlenecks during peak campus, along with access to expertise, facilities, blood, serum or plasma. Unlike methods that demand, creating a need for new approaches to opportunities for collaboration and being able to directly detect the presence of the virus, antibody boost testing capacity. The Imperial team were expand into the space they need. tests help determine whether the individual being able to repurpose an existing high-throughput tested was ever infected, even if that person never robotic platform as a way to help NHS diagnostic FreshCheck produce an innovative spray that showed symptoms. As such, these serological labs avoid these bottlenecks – cutting their provides a cheap and rapid method to identify and tests for COVID-19 antibodies play an important reliance on reagents in high demand from other prevent bacterial and chemical contamination by role in understanding the virus’s epidemiology in testing platforms around the country, which were simply changing colour when applied to a surface. the general population and identifying groups at in very limited supply. In addition to helping with Originally targeted at the food industry, the higher risk for infection. COVID-19 testing, they hope this will enable FreshCheck spray is now receiving interest from the development of low cost testing platforms a broader range of industries who are looking to Other Imperial spinout companies have been for infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis ensure hygiene during the pandemic. Although playing signifcant roles in the response to the and Infuenza. Each machine has the capacity to the FreshCheck spray doesn’t directly detect pandemic: process up to 1000 samples within 12 hours. COVID-19, it does verify that a surface is clean Visbion Ltd, whose chairman is Professor But with initial funding from the UK Dementia and without contamination which, by proxy, is a Richard Kitney, Professor of Biomedical Systems Research Institute, a team led by Professor Paul good indication that it is virus-free. It is also much Engineering in the Department of Bioengineering Freemont was able to adapt the platform to help cheaper and easier to implement than current (and immediate Past President of CGCA), has with testing for active cases of infection with tests to directly detect the presence of COVID-19. deployed their Image Cube product to the NHS SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “Our mission has always been to make a hygiene Nightingale Hospitals, to securely manage imaging The technology is now in use in NHS pathology test that is more affordable. Allowing more people data ensuring there is no delay in providing labs for frontline testing. In order to repurpose to access a scientifc gold standard to demonstrate scanning images to specialists, crucial for the the robotic platform, the Imperial team had to cleanliness. With the arrival of COVID-19, the timely diagnosis and treatment of patients in the create new software and hardware, as well as issue of surface contamination became a priority current pandemic. developing new testing standards to guarantee for everyone making accessibility and affordability DnaNudge, founded and run by Regius highly reproducible results. Building on the
6 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY existing antigen testing platforms in clinical use, complicated, and combinations of three, four, were designed using computational fuid dynamics they applied two new detection methods, based or even more compounds would be impossible and prototypes were then produced by Mercedes on the gene editing protein CRISPR, and a robust to test in the lab. A member of the DreamLab for testing in the wind tunnel. More recently, the colour change assay called LAMP. Working with collaboration, Professor Michael Bronstein from wind tunnel has been used to assess the risk of clinical colleagues based at the Imperial College the Department of Computing at Imperial, said: transmitting COVID-19 during various forms of NHS Healthcare Trust, they were then able to “We are using network-based AI methods to exercise, such as walking, jogging, running and validate their platform on patient samples to identify antiviral compounds amongst a dataset cycling. Human volunteers exercise on fxed show how the platform compared. of thousands of molecules, by modelling the equipment like exercise bikes and treadmills network effects of the interactions between these under conditions which accurately simulate the In another project, Imperial researchers will look molecules and biomolecules in our body. We have relative motion through the air of an exercising for potential new treatments for COVID-19 using previously successfully used these methods to person. Particles of CO2 from exhaled breath the computing power of people’s smartphones. fnd ‘hyperfoods’ containing anti-cancer drug-like are measured within the air currents behind the
Working with Vodafone Foundation, the ‘Corona- compounds, are now retooling them for the new person exercising. CO2 is used as a surrogate for AI’ project will use the free DreamLab app, disease.” Eventually, the team hopes that multi- virus-carrying aerosol, and is measured using new which crunches calculations using a smartphone’s drug therapies with supportive diets could be sampling probes, AirSniffers from AirPortal Ltd. computing power while its user sleeps. The app prescribed to help COVID-19 patients recover. has already helped fnd potential new cancer Three Design Engineering students have drugs and is now aiming to help in the fght SynSapien is a startup founded by Manolya Adan developed a range of antimicrobial face coverings, against the coronavirus pandemic. Data generated and Basil Mahfouz, both alumni from Imperial’s MSc soon to be available across College outlets. from the calculations will help Imperial scientists in Environmental Technology, to develop an open This initiative – developed by Shafae Ali, Jemima identify existing drugs and food-based molecules innovation platform to bring together scientists, Bradley and Alfe Mcmeeking – marks the launch with antiviral properties. Ultimately, they hope researchers and innovators from around the world of the DreamTeam, a concept created with to enable tailored treatments to be developed to share data and collaboratively solve global Dr. Nick Munro, Visiting Professor at the Dyson for patients with COVID-19. The app works by challenges. The inspiration for their platform came School of Engineering and Imperial Consultants creating a network of smartphones to power a from the response of the scientifc community to to provide students with experience on ‘real virtual supercomputer, capable of processing the SARS epidemic in 2003: 84 scientists from world’ projects. The three-layered face coverings billions of calculations, without collecting or 13 labs across 11 countries collaborated to feature technology by Swiss company HeiQ, disclosing users’ location data. No personal respond to the epidemic, achieving in one month with each layer individually helping to keep the data is downloaded to or processed from the what each lab would have needed over a year user safe and comfortable. The inner layer uses a user’s device. Researchers believe that in the to do. The platform currently has several live SmartTemp coating to provide dynamic cooling, long run this work could speed up access to projects being worked on by an interdisciplinary whilst the outer layer is coated with Eco Dry effective drugs and enable tailored treatments community of over 500 scientists, researchers, and Pure water repellent technology. The middle against this infectious disease. While traditional and students across the world, representing layer features Viroblock technology, utilising silver experimental research and standard research universities such as Imperial College London, the ions and cosmetic grade liposomes allowing for methods could take years to develop, the mobile University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, antimicrobial protection. Alongside the custom cloud-based processing approach of DreamLab University of Birmingham, University College branded designs, the intention is for the masks can drastically reduce the time taken to analyse London, Georgetown University, and Sorbonne to represent a face covering that is both state- the huge amount of data that exists. A desktop University. This includes a project to design a low- of-the-art and immediately recognisable. The computer with an eight-core processor running cost emergency ventilator to help lower income students oversaw the entire process, from 24 hours a day would take decades to process communities respond to COVID-19. According branding, development, sourcing, supply chain the data, but a network of 100,000 smartphones to the World Economic Forum, ventilators cost development, marketing and the creation of point running six hours a night could do the job in just around $30,000 each, making them unaffordable to of sale displays. In collaboration with Campus a couple of months. Instead of looking for brand many healthcare systems in low income countries. Services, the range will shortly be on sale across new drug molecules, the project will search SynSapien is inviting scientists and innovators a variety of College outlets and venues, as well through a database of thousands of existing drugs worldwide to design a low-cost ventilator that as being available on the Dill app. Jemima Bradley, that could be repurposed to fght COVID-19. As can be locally produced at a value of less than $99. Commercial Lead on the project, said: “We knew these drugs are already known to be safe, they Compared to other crowdsourcing platforms from the start that the technology was especially could be used much sooner than new drugs. In which run on a competitive model, SynSapien’s important, as I don’t think that Imperial students addition, the project will comb through a database system is a collaborative tool that enables large should expect any less than the best that we can of food molecules that could potentially boost groups of users to innovate together to solve provide.” the drugs’ ability to fght COVID-19 in the body. global problems quickly. The SynSapien team is Coronaviruses need their hosts – us – to survive supported by the Enterprise Lab, which works to Important research is being conducted not just and replicate. They do this by ‘hijacking’ cellular support enterprising activity across the College into the virus itself, but also how to manage processes, using our own proteins to help them by providing access to state of the art facilities, the response to it. The UKRI is funding over survive. The complex interactions between the training, mentoring and a range of programmes to £100K towards an Imperial-led project designing virus’ proteins and our own are called ‘virus-host help Imperial’s student innovators develop new new exit strategies for COVID-19 lockdowns. interactome networks’. Traditional antiviral drugs business ideas, hone their pitching skills and raise Co-investigator Professor Thomas Parisini of only target one of the proteins involved, but this their entrepreneurial aspirations. Imperial’s Department of Electrical and Electronic leaves the possibility of the virus mutating to get Engineering said: “The diffculty with intermittent around the roadblock created by the drug. Instead, Meanwhile, the Department of Aeronautics has lockdowns until a vaccine’s found is timing: any treatment needs to be able to tackle multiple been employing their 10x5 wind tunnel to support lockdown too early, and the peak of infections parts of the virus-host interactome network. various research projects. For one project, early shifts to a later date; too late and it won’t limit This is where the supercomputing power of the in the pandemic, the department teamed up with the peak.” To circumvent this, the team, led by nation’s smartphones comes in. DreamLab uses the Formula One team Mercedes-AMG Petronas Professor Robert Shorten at Imperial’s Dyson machine learning, on a mobile supercomputing and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust School of Design Engineering, with the University network, to analyse billions of combinations of ENT surgical team to test shieldiung devices of Glasgow, will develop periodic short-term existing drug, food-based molecules and genetic designed to minimise the spread of patient- lockdown strategies to suppress cases while interactions, fundamentally reducing the time generated aerosols during surgery such as airway encouraging social and economic activity. They needed to make discoveries. The best treatment intervention, tracheostomies and examinations will also develop network-based infection models could include existing drugs and supportive of the upper airway using fexible video scopes to protect vulnerable communities. The four- molecules found in foods. However, mapping through the nose. As these procedures lead to month project is a worldwide effort also involving how combinations of molecules interact with patients coughing and sneezing, the need for universities in Italy, Israel, Ireland, Australia, the virus-host interactome network is very protective devices is acute. Shield confgurations Canada, Scotland, and France.
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 7 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY New RAEng Chairs New RAEng Fellows Sandro Macchietto is Professor of Process The Royal Academy of Engineering recently Five Imperial researchers are among 53 top Systems Engineering appointed two Imperial engineers as Chairs engineers to be elected to the Fellowship of the in the Department of in Emerging Technologies. Professors Emile Royal Academy of Engineering. The new elections Chemical Engineering Greenhalgh and Molly Stevens have been awarded take the number of Imperial Fellows of the RAEng and a leader in the highly prestigious ten-year funding – given to to 97. Becoming a Fellow is one of the highest enterprise and global visionaries pioneering technologies that honours an engineer can receive in the UK and promoting interfaces could have global benefts. The appointments Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding between academia and bring the total number of Chairs at Imperial to and continuing contributions to the profession. industry. His research six – the most Chairs of any UK university. Leroy Gardner is focuses on the development of methods for the Professor Emile Professor of Structural modelling, simulation, control, optimisation and Greenhalgh of the Engineering and design of processes using an integrated systems Department of Aero- Director of Research approach, and their practical use in a variety of nautics has received the in the Department of applications like sustainable energy systems. Chair for his project Civil and Environmental Esther Rodriguez- ‘Structural power Engineering. His Villegas is Professor of and multifunctional research into steel Low Power Electronics structural materials’. structures, advanced in the Department of The Chair will enable analysis and design, high Electrical and Electronic Professor Greenhalgh performance structural materials and additive Engineering and leader to focus on developing structural power manufacturing has underpinned design code of the Wearable composites – mechanically load-bearing materials developments around the world and verifcation Technologies Lab at that can store and deliver electrical energy. These of the world’s frst metal 3D printed bridge. Imperial. Her research multifunctional composites are a completely Philippa Gardner focuses on wearable new way of using structural materials, heralding is Professor of medical devices and low-power integrated circuits an emerging technology that could revolutionise Theoretical Computer with a focus on healthcare applications like brain, sectors such as portable electronics, vehicles, Science and Director heart and lung conditions. aerospace, and infrastructure. If successful, of the Research Omar Matar is such ‘massless energy’ could ultimately consign Institute on Verifed Professor of Fluid conventional batteries to history. Trustworthy Software Mechanics in the Professor Molly Systems (VeTSS) Department of Chem- Stevens of the Depart- in the Department ical Engineering, and ments of Materials of Computing. Her Vice-Dean (Education) and Bioengineering research focuses on program specifcation of the Faculty of has received the and verifcation, exploring ways to describe Engineering. His res- Chair for her project mathematically what programs will and will not do. earch focuses on fuid ‘Multidimensional With her group, she has introduced compositional mechanics and data- T a r g e t - A g n o s t i c reasoning about complex concurrent programs, centric engineering with energy and manufacturing Sensing (MTAS): the developed trusted mechanised specifcations of applications. He is working to develop the next next generation of programming languages such as JavaScript and generation of data-driven, physics-constrained, biosensors’. The Chair will enable Professor Web Assembly, and built a platform to develop multi-fdelity predictive tools for improving design Stevens to focus on developing a range of new compositional analysis tools for programming and decision-making under uncertainty, safety bioengineering technologies for strategies in languages such as JavaScript and C. management, and for reducing carbon emissions. biosensing. Professor Stevens and her group aim to develop the next generation of technology RAEng Research Fellowships expensive lasers, preventing its widespread use platforms on which to achieve these goals, in hospitals. Dr Runcorn will engineer new fbre including a new MTAS platform which will Of 16 research fellowships awarded this year, laser technology to develop cost-effective clinical enable longitudinal monitoring of patients two have been won by Imperial researchers. The endoscopes that use these imaging techniques. and biotech processes over time. Working Academy’s Research Fellowships are designed to Dr James Ewen from closely with clinical and industrial partners, advance excellence in engineering by enabling the Department of her multidisciplinary research will enable early-career researchers to concentrate on Mechanical Engineering, applications in diagnostics in point of care basic research in any feld of engineering. Each – Developing new settings, profling of diseases such as cancer and awardee receives fve years’ worth of funding lubricants. Lubricants monitoring of biotech processes like gene therapy. to advance their research careers. They also help engines and Earlier this year, receive mentoring from experienced Academy other components Professor Joao Cabral Fellows, providing valuable advice and industry run more effciently of the Department of links that will enable the researchers to establish by reducing friction Chemical Engineering themselves as future leaders in their felds. between moving parts. was appointed Procter Dr Timothy Runcorn This enables vehicles to use less fuel and produce & Gamble / RAEng from the Department fewer emissions. Improved lubricants could Research Chair in of Physics – Advanced reduce the energy consumption and pollution Soft Matter Microfow biomedical imaging. from the transportation sector by up to a quarter. Engineering. His work Diseases like cancer Through a combination of molecular science involves creating are usually diagnosed by and engineering, Dr Ewen is developing methods processes which can encourage soft materials to biopsy, where a sample to design new lubricants using computational spontaneously assemble into complex structures. of the tissue is taken and approaches. The fexible tools he develops will This could involve the use of fow, light, or heat. examined in a lab. This also be used to optimise fuids required for the One of his aims is to address current challenges can be a very invasive moving parts in electric vehicles. Dr Ewen will with water scarcity and sustainability and achieve a procedure for diseases like bowel cancer. Instead, collaborate closely with researchers at Shell step-change in predictive research and engineering biomedical imaging can assess the tissue during (via the University Technology Centre for Fuels to enable the use of greener chemistry and lower an exploratory operation without removing and Lubricants) and Afton Chemical, as well as energy processes. any. Currently, this requires highly complex and university researchers across Europe. Photos: Imperial College London Photos:
8 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY Imperial engineers win ERC Grants. kitchenware or, now, cell phone screen and casing. RAEng Special Award But it has more dramatic consequences in place Academics from Bioengineering, Computing, where brittle materials have to be used, at high The President’s Special Awards for Pandemic and Materials, were rewarded in the latest wave temperature, in contact with the human body, Service are awarded by the Royal Academy of of European Research Council Starting Grants. or because they present unique functionalities. Engineering to recognise exceptional examples The ERC grants recognise talented early-career Some materials, for instance metals or polymers, of engineering in the service of society during scientists who show potential to be research can deal easily with brittle fracture with naturally the pandemic. Nineteen individuals and teams of leaders and have a scientifc track record showing occurring reinforcing mechanisms. But the goal engineers from across the UK will receive specially great promise.This year the ERC awarded more of this project is to program reinforcements in commissioned silver medals for their contribution. than 466 grants – including 62 to UK-based any material that could delay or stop a crack by Regius Professor of Engineering Chris researchers – worth a total of €677 million. shaping the part into very small individual bricks Toumazou has received one of the awards for the In Bioengineering, that can interlock.” Dr Bouville is aiming to CovidNudge lab-free COVID-19 test (see page 6). Dr Juan Alvaro develop a new process capable of precisely shaping Galleg’s IntuitiveBCI these tiny elements to control how effciently The Queen’s Birthday Honours project is looking they will interlock when a crack wants to start, at improving brain- independently of the material composition used. Professor Nilay computer interfaces The project could potentially beneft structural Shah, Head of the (BCIs) – devices that ceramics used for biomedical implants or in Department of Chem- analyse brain signals aeronautics. It could also make some components ical Engineering, has to interpret the user’s of energy storage or generation devices safer been awarded an OBE intended action, such and more durable, and could even lead to more for services to the as moving their hand to pick up an object. Dr resistant mobile phones. decarbonisation of Gallego says that BCIs have been used in research In Computing, Dr Mario the UK economy. His labs to control robotic limbs or stimulate Berta’s QENTROPY work aims to optimise paralysed limbs to move as the person intends. research project is in the way we design However, current state-of-the-art BCIs are much quantum information and operate processes in industrial and energy slower and less precise than natural movements. science, a dynamic systems. Some of his most important work has Once the team have a better understanding of interdisciplinary feld been in designing and analysing energy production how the brain executes skilled movements, they at the intersection systems – modelling and optimising technologies will develop and test a new type of BCI. “BCIs of quantum physics, like carbon capture and storage systems, and hold great promise to change the lives of many mathematics, minimising the cost of bio-ethanol production. people, by restoring movement to hundreds theoretical computer Senior Strategic of thousands of people with paralysis or very science, and engineering. In recent years, there has Fellow, Dr Deesha debilitating movement disorders. We hope to been tremendous progress in the design and control Chadha, from the further the knowledge of what parts of the brain of quantum devices, promising revolutionary same Department, to look at and how to combine their information, applications in information processing – such has been awarded an so our fndings could be broadly adopted in as the prospect of physically secure quantum OBE for services to future BCIs. BCIs are still under development, communication over the envisioned quantum faith communities in but the feld is advancing rapidly. So, a sci-f internet. “In my project, we will develop novel her voluntary role as future with people controlling things with their mathematical methods in matrix analysis and co-chair of the Faiths mind may come to fruition during our lifetime.” optimisation theory that will build the basis of Forum for London. She Also in Bioengineering, a computational framework of approximation was elected co-chair in 2019 and has served as a Dr Rodrigo Ledesma- algorithms revealing the ultimate, physical limits member of the National Executive Committee of Amaro’s DEUSBIO of quantum information science. This includes the Hindu Forum of Britain for over 10 years. At project is engineering schemes for cryptography and communication, Imperial, Dr Chadha is involved in the curriculum microbes to provide as well as algorithms for the description of review process in her Department. She is also an them with new strongly interacting many-body systems.” active researcher in this area and teaches some of functionalities that allow the technical content of the programme. them to sustainably Visiting Professor Charlotte Williams, from produce fuels, the Department of Chemistry, has been awarded chemicals, materials or New AIAA Associate Fellow an OBE for services to Chemistry. food. Microbial biomanufacturing has the potential Also recognised is Imperial alumnus Professor to enable the transition to a green bio-based Dr Paul Bruce, in the Department of Graham Medley, who receives an OBE for economy where our commodities and speciality Aeronautics, has been named as an Associate his services to the COVID-19 response. He is chemicals do not depend on petroleum. “In this Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at the project, we will explore novel ways of engineering and Astronautics (AIAA). London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. microorganisms by looking at how individual The AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace Alumna Sheridan Ash, Imperial MBA, was cells organise themselves within the population technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual awarded an MBE for services to women and girls and how we can coordinate their behaviours members from over 91 countries, AIAA brings through technology. by applying design principles. This project has together industry, academia, and government to the potential to enable the creation of robust advance engineering and science in aviation, space, Presidential professor microbial cell factories that can synthesise the and defence. By selecting Associate Fellows, AIAA chemicals of the future in a sustainable manner.” recognises individuals who have made outstanding Professor Thomas Parisini, of the Department In Materials, Dr Florian contributions in aeronautics or astronautics. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has been Bouville’s SSTEEL Previously, Dr Bruce has attended and helped elected President of the IEEE Control Systems project is trying to organise various technical committees at many Society (CSS) for 2021-2022. The Society, part fnd a way to mitigate AIAA conferences. He has been a member of of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics or even remove brittle the Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee for Engineers (IEEE) in the USA, is dedicated to behaviour in material three years, and is now on the Aerodynamic the advancement of the theory and practice of of any composition. Measurement Technology Committee. Dr Bruce systems and control. Professor Parisini said: “I am “We experience brittle joins both Professor Rafael Palacios and Dr thrilled to be elected as President and am excited fracture in our everyday Matthew Santer as AIAA Associate Fellows in the to begin serving the IEEE Control Systems Society life, think about our Department of Aeronautics. for two years.” Photos: Imperial College London Photos:
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 9 NEWS DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY Women of the Future London Mayor’s Entrepreneurial competition
Dr Nuria Oliva-Jorge The London Mayor’s Entrepreneur Programme Engineering. The team have designed a solution of the Department aims to fnd the capital’s best student business to the growing problem of pollution caused by of Bioengineering has ideas that will beneft the city. The competition tyre wear from vehicles. Every time a vehicle been shortlisted as a has four awards, three of which were won by brakes, accelerates or turns a corner, the tyres fnalist for the Aviva Imperial student teams this year, each being wear down and tiny particles become airborne, Women of the Future awarded a £20,000 prize for their business. producing half a million tonnes of tyre particles Awards in the Science The health award, won by Unhindr, aims to annually in Europe alone. Their device captures category. fnd innovations that improve physical and/or microplastics from tyres as they are emitted. The Awards are mental health for Londoners, reduce waste and Once collected, the fragments can be reused in intended to provide a make the health sector more sustainable. Unhindr new tyres or other materials such as ink. platform for remarkable female talent in the UK. is developing a technology to address the issue The smart cities award aims to fnd The Science category recognises a group of truly of infexible prosthetic limb ftting which leaves technological innovations to make London a exceptional female scientists who are forging new amputees in pain and dependent on ftting clinics. better place to live and work, and was won by ground in research and scientifc achievement. Their solution, Roliner, is a sock that understands Toilets4London, a mobile app that enables Dr Oliva-Jorge is currently working on designing the body’s daily changes and adapts to them people to fnd toilets wherever they are in the city. smart materials for biomedical applications, automatically using artifcial intelligence without The app with a focus on improving hygiene and like nanoparticles for cancer treatment and needing hospital visits. Unhindr was founded accessibility, will provide businesses such as cafes, biomaterials to treat infammation and help by Ugur Tanriverdi, a PhD candidate in the pubs and restaurants with a way to open their regenerate tissue. Department of Bioengineering. toilets to the public while charging a small fee to Dr Emma Chapman of the Department of The environment award aims to fnd cover maintenance and cleaning. Toilets4London Physics has also been shortlisted in the Science innovations to reduce carbon emissions and was founded by Biomedical Engineering student category. She is researching the frst stars; how improve the environment in London and was won Nina Rimsky. they formed and how they contributed to the by The Tyre Collective, founded by Innovation The fourth, creative industries award, was won Universe we see today. Imperial College London Design Engineering students, Siobhan Anderson, by Art-Z, a team from the London College of itself is also nominated in the ‘Corporate’ Hanson Cheng, M Deepak Mallya, and Hugo Fashion, UAL. category. Richardson from the Dyson School of Design New Materials Chair WE Innovate Programme Final
The Department of Materials has announced the The WE Innovate programme, run by Imperial’s • Inspire Kids, led by medical student Ahrabbey creation of the Armourers & Brasiers’ Chair in Enterprise Lab, is the College’s fagship Sivananthan, are developing SpiroLyte, a pocket- Materials Science, a new professorial post that will entrepreneurship education programme designed sized collapsible spacer for inhalers used by have signifcant impact on research and teaching to support the next generation of women children with asthma. Asthma spacers are tube- in the Department. The post secures additional entrepreneurs and help them accelerate their like devices that attach to inhalers, slowing down academic leadership in materials science, enabling startups. The nine-month programme supports airfow to optimise drug delivery to the lungs. existing research themes to be strengthened and students to develop an early stage business idea Inspire Kids’ spacer remains attached directly new challenges to be taken on. The Department and advance their leadership and entrepreneurial to the inhaler and can be ejected at the click is internationally renowned for its research, skills. WE Innovate includes business coaching, of a button, eliminating a multi-step process. which spans biomaterials and tissue engineering; masterclasses and networking, offered remotely Their spacer, designed like a space rocket, will ceramics and glasses; engineering alloys; functional for the frst time this year, with the overall aim be linked to an app, Planet Aeroza, to encourage materials; nanotechnology and nanoscale of increasing the number of women in leadership children to improve asthma knowledge through characterisation; and the theory and simulation positions, running startups and raising funding. At a superhero game and interactive videos. of materials. The Department has prioritised the fnal, fve fnalists will pitch in front of a virtual • AqUasieVe is a portable water flter designed efforts to inspire the next generation of materials audience for a chance to win a share of a £30,000 for sustainable travelling. To avoid drinking scientists through school outreach initiatives, and prize fund, sponsored by bp. contaminated tap water while on holiday, many the post-holder will strengthen the Department’s • Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic smaller travellers choose bottled water. However links with the Armourers and Brasiers’ Company, than 5mm that pass through water fltration this still poses problems: many bottled water which shares this aim. systems, entering the ocean and contaminating companies simply sell treated tap water, while The donation, the largest ever in the the ecosystem, posing health risks to humans plastic bottles contribute to waste and are a Department’s history, establishes an endowment and wildlife. A major source of microplastics is source of microplastics pollution. AqUasieVe’s to fund the Chair indefnitely, with the title passing the cosmetics industry, with microbeads being 5cm flter combines two technologies for from post-holder to post-holder in perpetuity. used in exfoliants and scrubs. Green Beads water purifcation: hollow fbre ultrafltration to The exceptional generosity of the gift will make aim to provide an alternative to microplastics mechanically separate water from microplastics, it possible to offer the Chair with an enhanced through biodegradable, non-toxic algae, which and UV light to break up the DNA of odour- salary and access to funding for the post-holder’s they would harvest and shape into beads. The causing and harmful bacteria. Users can attach research, factors which will make the opportunity team, led by Chemical Engineering PhD student the flter to a tap wherever they are, to access attractive to the world’s best materials scientists. Lu Ai, say that their beads could be added into bacteria-free water. The team is Chemistry Attracting and retaining top academic talent is a paints for sustainable painting, or to extend the students, Giulia Casarano and Virginia Chiarentin. priority for the Department, and this post will shelf life of cosmetic products by incorporating • The vestibular system, part of the inner ear, is play an important part in realising that goal. antimicrobial agents into the beads. the sensory system that provides the leading The donation marks the 700th anniversary of • CalidiScope, led by medical student Luthfun contribution to our sense of balance and the Armourers and Brasiers’ Company, which Nessa, have developed a mattress topper to spatial orientation. WeAlign hope to increase was founded in 1322 to oversee standards in the detect and prevent pressure ulcers. Embedded accessibility and adherence to rehabilitation for production of arms and armour. The Company has with sensors, it uses machine learning to people with balance disorders with an online a longstanding association with Imperial, having help nurses to monitor patient movements, platform to help them regain confdence, improve been one of the founders of the City & Guilds automate documentation and predict the mobility and reduce the risk of falls. WeAlign of London Institute. Promoting materials science onset of a pressure ulcer before it develops. By say their at-home therapy, where patients play is one of the Company’s primary purposes and alerting nurses when a patient needs moving, online interactive games, empowers users it has generously supported materials research CalidiScope say their mattress topper could to play and track their progress, and receive and education at numerous universities, including save patients from unnecessary pain, save nurses feedback. WeAlign was founded by Innovation Imperial. time and prevent pressure ulcers developing. Design Engineering student, WuQing Hipsh.
10 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES Return to Vatnajökull In April 2019, a group of three friends, all postgraduate students, Glen Gowers from Imperial’s Bioengineering department along with Oliver Vince and John-Henry Charles from the University of Oxford, set off on an expedition to make a crossing of the Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland, which was f rst crossed by a team of Cambridge undergraduates in 1932. Aside from their personal goals, the expedition aimed to conduct environmental surveys that would provide an insight into any long-term changes taking place in this rarely visited landscape. They also aimed to push the boundaries of expedition science by becoming the f rst team to conduct fully off-grid microbial DNA sequencing. They were supported, in part, by a grant from the OC Trust. This article is derived from their comprehensive expedition report and hopefully provides a f avour of their experience and achievements.
Introduction Early in 2018, we discovered the diary of the 1932 Cambridge Expedition to Vatnajökull. T is diary contains a superbly written and entertaining account of an incredible adventure undertaken by a team of undergraduates during the summer of 1932. Against the odds, and with no prior polar experience, this team of six completed the f rst double crossing of Europe’s largest icecap unassisted and unguided. Soon after the discovery of the diary, we found their scientif c publications, their maps and their photographs from the expedition. T ese discoveries sparked an idea that, through a combination of long hours, determination and luck, led to the most formative project that any of us has been a part of.
Due to the inaccessibility and hostile Vince Oliver Photos by conditions on the Vatnajökull, the area that The f nal sunset of the expedition. The sun barely dipped below the horizon before rising 20 minutes later. the 1932 team studied is visited extremely rarely. Our plan was to repeat the 1932 expedition as closely as practically possible Aims and objectives on the northern edge of the icecap, they in 2019. Among other aims, we planned to T is expedition set out to repeat both the conducted detailed botanical, ornithological, follow their route unguided and unsupported, physical route and the scientif c expedition glaciological and geological surveys. T ey rediscover evidence that they left behind and spirit of the 1932 Cambridge expedition to the also drew detailed maps of this unique push the boundaries of expedition science Vatnajökull icecap in Iceland. Our expedition location. Our expedition aimed to conduct as they did. Retaking their photographs and had three key aims. environmental surveys that would provide resurveying their basecamp would also give us an insight into any long-term changes taking an insight into any long-term changes taking Historical aims place in this rarely visited landscape. We also place in this unique environment. T e 1932 team spent 7 weeks on the icecap, aimed to push the boundaries of expedition We are proud of our expedition results. plus several weeks either side on the south science by becoming the f rst team to conduct Our scientif c programme represented a step- coast of Iceland. During their time in Icelandic fully of -grid microbial DNA sequencing. change in the f eld of remote DNA sequencing, civilisation, they met with many local people Developing this technology opens the door with our f ndings published in the scientif c and took a diverse range of photographs that to increasing our understanding of the vast journal MDPI Genes. show the livelihoods of the Icelanders in range of life forms that exist in the most Amongst other successes, our historical the 1930s. Whilst on the icecap, they took remote corners of our planet. Over 99% of programme re- discovered a handwritten note many more photographs and recorded their the microbes that exist on this planet have that the 1932 team had left in a cairn at their adventures in their diaries. Our expedition’s yet to be discovered. T is technology has the basecamp on the northern edge of the icecap. f rst aim was to repeat their route as closely as potential to change that. Most importantly, we all returned safe and possible and visit the key locations of the 1932 happy. expedition. We aimed to discover any records Adventure and personal development aims T is expedition was much more than the of their visit that remained both on the south Before we began the expedition planning highs and lows of our time on the ice. T e coast and at their basecamp. We also aimed to process, our team possessed limited relevant training, fundraising, promotion, logistics and connect with the environment and retake as experience for independent polar travel. Our research challenged us in multiple dimensions. many of their photographs as possible. aim was to travel unassisted and unguided in T ese challenges have developed us all as one of the planet’s most hostile environments individuals and as a team. Scientif c aims as the 1932 team did before us. T is presented A major focus of the 1932 expedition was enormous personal and team challenges in scientif c data collection. At their basecamp almost every way.
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 11 FEATURES Location National Park). We were also able to retake Historical discovery Te Vatnajökull Icecap forms an 8000km2 several of their photographs and re-map the 1932 Expedition frozen plateau between Iceland’s two highest glacial lake, Torbergsvatn. In July 1932, 6 undergraduates from the mountain ranges. Due to Iceland’s position in University of Cambridge with no prior polar the Atlantic Ocean and the icecap’s proximity Scientifc fndings experience made the frst double crossing of to the coast, the Vatnajökull is associated with Our microbial sequencing efort saw us the Vatnajökull icecap in the south eastern unpredictable weather including extremely shrink a DNA sequencing laboratory into a corner of Iceland. In just over a month, the high winds and heavy snowfall. As we lightweight and small enough form to ft into team used pack ponies, skis and their feet to discovered on our expedition, it can also rain the back of a sledge. Tis was designed as a travel unsupported over 120km on the icecap heavily, even in the middle of the icecap. Te modern twist on the fora and fauna surveys and then a further 60km into the volcanic Vatnajökull icecap is situated in the south conducted by the 1932 team. We achieved desert to the north of the glacier. eastern corner of Iceland. over 24 hours of microbial DNA sequencing Storms, the summer melt and failing Te Vatnajökull provides an ideal on the ice cap, comparable to what would equipment made their journey incredibly location for expedition teams looking for an be expected in a full-size laboratory. All tough-going and prevented them from afordable place to develop their experience power for this was derived from solar energy achieving all of their original expedition of polar environments. It has many of the ensuring this kind of experiment could be run goals. Despite this, they were the frst team environmental characteristics of the polar repeatedly during the expedition. Tis work to spend any length of time in this area regions, but it is much cheaper to access. has resulted in a peer-reviewed publication. and subsequently returned with a wealth of Additionally, the presence of an excellent geological, glaciological, ornithological and search and rescue (SAR) service and a lack of Adventure and personal development botanical information along with the frst polar bears makes travel gaining experience Tis expedition tasked us with organising accurate maps of the area and a collection signifcantly safer than elsewhere. a project on a much greater scale than of over 200 stunning photographs. Teir anything we had experienced before. Prior to published account of the expedition Findings the expedition, sourcing sufcient funding, describes their journey in graphic detail. Historical fndings adequate training, and logistical arrangements Te 1932 team consisted of explorers who Our historical rediscovery began in the town proved a steep but invaluable learning curve. went on to excel in all walks of life. Te of Höfn on the south eastern corner of the During our time on the icecap, fresh challenges team was led by Brian Roberts, an explorer icecap. Tis was where the 1932 team landed developed minute by minute and forced us and diplomat who played a key role in the in Iceland – we found records of their visit in to respond accordingly. Having no guide or conception and development of the Antarctic the local museum and library, along with the team member experienced in polar travel Treaty. Te team also included William buildings that they stayed in pre-icecap. meant that this placed a sizeable mental strain Launcelot Scott Fleming, an explorer who Our guide onto the icecap was the grandson on us all. Kudos goes to the whole team for went on to be a director of the Scott Polar of 1932 team’s guide. During our expedition, channelling this strain into problem-solving Research Institute and Chaplain to the Queen. we read their published diary, An Iceland and a constant cheerful, ‘can-do’ attitude. Both men were recipients of the Polar Medal Adventure, in real time as we experienced the Protecting the delicate scientifc equipment for their roles on the British Graham Land same locations. from the elements meant that we developed Expedition. On the northern edge of the icecap, we a conservative approach to progress – keeping scaled ‘Dome 1’, a totem looming over the ourselves well fed and well rested took priority Pre-icecap fndings 1932 basecamp. In a cairn on the summit over distance covered. In the end, this enabled We met several people in both Höfn (at we found fuel cans and, inside, a sealed tin us to achieve every single expedition objective the Glacier museum and in the library) containing a handwritten note from the 1932 and allowed us to live safely and without and Vagnnstadir who knew of the 1932 team. Tis was a historical artefact that had mishap for an extended period of time. expedition. Most notably, the team at Glacier never been seen before (confrmed by the Jeeps (Bjarni and Bjarney). Bjarney was, in fact, the grandson of Skarpajeddin, the guide for the 1932 team. We had the pleasure of interviewing Bjarney and looking at old photographs and, incredibly, skis left behind by the 1932 team. We were dropped of on the ice-cap by a living connection to the 1932 team, making for quite a special expedition start.
Icecap Our main refection from our time on the Icecap with regards to the 1932 team is that they must have had a much tougher experience than us (and were probably just much tougher people). Teir equipment paled in comparison to what we were fortunate enough to bring (notably food, navigation, safety communications, tent, waterproofs). In addition, satellite imagery and access to accounts from people who have previously visited the icecap allowed us to make better preparations than they ever could have done. Decades of climate measurements advised us to conduct our expedition in April, thus avoiding both the summer melt and the worst Satellite image of Iceland (courtesy of the NASA MODIS Rapid Response team) showing of the winter storms. Te 1932 team went in the Vatnajökull Icecap in the south-eastern corner of the country. The icecap occupies July/August during the worst of the summer almost 10% of the surface area of Iceland. melt and had to travel by night to avoid falling
12 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES into pools of meltwater. Nowadays, no-one ventures into the middle Vatnajökull during the summer. We hardly saw any crevasses, whereas they record multiple incidences where they nearly lost either team members or critical equipment into cavernous crevasses.
Cairn In the 1932 diary, they mention that they left a ‘record of their visit’ in the Cairn on the top of ‘Dome 1’. Before departing, we weren’t sure of the exact location of Dome 1 – it is not apparent in satellite imagery nor is it marked on any subsequent maps of the area. We arrived at the northern side of the ice cap in thick fog and set up camp for the night. When the skies cleared in the following morning, we Microbial research sample alteration or degradation signif cantly. happened to be camped only 2km from a large T is work has been published in an open T e result of this is well characterised dome, unmistakably resembling the photos access and peer-reviewed journal, MDPI Genes microbial communities in close vicinity from 1932. in the ‘Metagenomics in situ’ Special Issue. to Western research institutions but a lack We scouted a route of the ice cap (probing [Available via the link at the end of this article.] of data representing the rest of the globe, for crevasses as we went) and scaled the particularly the most inaccessible regions. dome. To our amazement a noticeable cairn Background Recent developments in DNA sequencing was clearly visible. Moving aside a few of the Travelling to the remote northern edge of the technology have resulted in a handheld device rocks, we found a pile of weathered fuel cans. Vatnajökull ice cap in 1932, little was known that can be plugged into a laptop. T is step T ough we were nearly certain this was from about the f ora and fauna of the region. change in technology has allowed researchers the 1932 team we didn’t want to get our hopes to take these devices to remote places and “Our object was to study all the forms of life, both up until we had good proof. After some careful demonstrate that DNA can be sequenced in f oral and faunal, inhabiting a given area” excavation, we found a sealed “24-hour ration situ, eliminating the need to take samples. To Horlicks Malted Milk Tab” tin, caked in rust. T e Cambridge Expedition to Vatnajökull, 1932, date, however, such endeavours have made use Gently removing the rubber sealing we found T e Geographical Journal Vol 81, 4 (1933) of signif cant infrastructure, such as generators a waxed note inside. T is note contained a and vehicles. We saw an opportunity to T eir inquisitive and thoughtful record of the names, college af liations, and demonstrate the ability to conduct DNA characterisation of the life in this remote expedition roles of each of the 1932 members. sequencing entirely of grid, out of a sledge, region was a source of inspiration for our Fantastically, though, a handwritten sentence using solar power alone. In demonstrating this expedition. Where they contributed new survived at the top of the note reading “Camp we hoped to create a blueprint that could mean insights into the types of visible life found in on lateral morraine below this point from July anyone could sequence, and characterise, any the remote northern region, we decided to 14th-28th 1932”. microbial community in any remote corner of turn our attention to characterising the little the planet. And so, in the spirit of the 1932 known world of life invisible to the naked eye. team, we aimed to meaningfully contribute to Microbes (bacteria, and other single-celled the scientif c community by developing the organisms) play an enormously inf uential f eld of expedition science. role in ecosystems. Only recently have we appreciated their abundance and importance Sequencing of -grid in extreme polar environments. Our ability With modif cations to our lab equipment we to study these organisms has, thus far, relied were able to f t the entire laboratory (excluding upon taking samples back to a laboratory laptop and solar panel) into two 9L boxes that where DNA sequencing can be conducted could f t widthways in the back of the sledge. to identify species. A major drawback to this T e only pieces of equipment not transported approach is the propensity for samples to in a sledge were the f owcells, the lab-on-a- change and degrade over time. As we aim to chip devices that perform the sequencing. study more and more remote corners of the Glen carried these on his person for the whole earth the time between sample collection traverse to keep them from freezing. On the summit of Dome 1, with the cairn in and analysis grows, increasing the chance of the foreground where the note was found.
Note from 1932 team, found inside a Horlicks tin in the cairn on Dome 1 All microbial sequencing was conducted within the conf nes of this tent.
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 13 FEATURES Preventing fowcells from freezing A critical requirement for sequencing using Oxford Nanopore devices is to use ‘active’ fowcells. Tese devices plug into a laptop and are about the size of a smartphone. Flowcells, containing biological material, can rapidly degrade if allowed to freeze and it was therefore imperative to prevent the fowcells from freezing for 11 days while we traversed the ice cap and prepared for the experiments at our base camp. The temperature of the fowcells was monitored for the entire expedition During the outbound fight, the fowcells were kept in a polystyrene box. Tis Conducting solar-powered sequencing high enough quantity to perform Nanopore maintained a consistent temperature of 9ºC (solar-seq) sequencing. We frst ran a proof-of-principle during transit. During the ski traverse, warm Te fnal challenge, once we could extract and sequencing run which aimed to use only temperatures were achieved by placing the prepare enough DNA, was to maintain laptop the laptop battery power. Tis allowed us to fowcells in a tupperware box and stringing power long enough to collect a meaningful determine if the run was generating useful this around Glen’s neck. Te temperature was amount of data. Oxford Nanopore sequencing and meaningful data rather than just ‘junk’. monitored continuously using an aquarium runs a computationally intensive programme. Following this successful run, we used a thermometer with the probe attached to the Tis poses a problem where a normal laptop fresh fowcell to perform data collection for outer edge of the tupperware box. Temperature battery may only last a few hours in cold as many hours as possible. Using the solar could be regulated by moving the box between conditions. Ideally, sequencing runs should set up described above provided power from layers of clothing and layering more clothing continue for 24-48 hrs to obtain sufciently 8am–6pm. We continued our sequencing on top. Interestingly, the wind direction and large datasets. We opted for solar power efort using the remaining power banks for a strength were more signifcant factors than to generate enough power to achieve this. further 9.5 hours (until 3.30am). Combined, ambient temperature, and windproof clothing We pre-charged three 20,000 mAh power these two runs achieved over 24 hours of layers were essential. At night, the fowcells banks using a Mobile Solar Chargers 90W sequencing, comparable to that expected in a were kept inside the sleeping bag attempting solar panel which packs down to the size of normal laboratory. to keep them upright as much as possible. a thin briefcase. Tis solar panel could easily Above right, is the temperature graph for the achieve 21V, 3A (~60W) during the long Blueprint for future expeditions entire expedition showing that the temperature days, even in cloudy conditions. During the We hope that the work here lays the never dipped below 9°C, thus validating this sequencing run, the PowerAdd battery was foundations for future expeditions to add method for keeping them warm. Ambient plugged into the solar panel continuously and DNA sequencing to their scientifc toolkit. outside temperatures reached a minimum of simultaneously connected to the laptop when We anticipate that, in the future, performing -16°C during the expedition. Interestingly, required to maintain laptop charge between DNA sequencing should be as easy as taking at night the fowcells got too hot and at one 60-80%. anemometer readings and amateur expeditions point exceeded 30°C, the limit recommended provide a vital resource for scientists to obtain by Oxford Nanopore, thus validating the Results passive data from the most remote corners impressive thermal retention properties of We extracted DNA from a soil sample of the world. We encourage any upcoming the Mountain Equipment Lamina Z - 30/34 collected from the Hveragil hot spring gorge expedition with a scientifc programme that sleeping bag and making for an uncomfortable just north of the ice cap. Our DNA extraction could accommodate DNA sequencing to nights sleep for both Glen and his fowcells. protocol yielded 6.5µg of DNA in total, a contact Glen ([email protected]). Other scientifc contributions Drone mapping As a modern take on the basecamp surveys completed by the 1932 team, we were able to create 3D maps of several of the key locations around the basecamp; most notably Dome 1 and the Hveragil gorge. We believe that these maps are the frst of their kind to be created of the area. Whilst commercial software is available that can automate the path of drone fights, we preferred to maintain manual control to keep battery usage to a minimum and cope with any sudden changes in the weather. For Dome 1, an orbital fight was fown around the summit with a camera angle of 45° to the horizon. For Hveragil, the drone was fown in a line down the gorge (from above), with the camera pointing straight down. During both fights, the drone flmed continuously in 4K. Metagenomic protein-level taxonomic identifcation from both sequencing runs Filming requires much less battery usage than combined. Kaiju output is shown for 44% of reads that successfully aligned to the NCBI stopping and taking photos at intervals and reference database and assigned to “cellular organisms”. The relative percentage of still achieved admirable results. reads assigned to “cellular organisms” of each group of organism is shown. PVC group, When back in the UK, sequential images superphylam named after three important members: Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, (every 5 frames or so) were taken from the and Chlamydiae. FCB group superphylam named after three important members: videos using Adobe Premiere Pro. Tese were Fibrobacteres, Chlorobi, Bacteroidetes. then loaded into the Pix4d online software
14 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES which created high resolution 2D, 3D and topological maps of the locations. T ese 3D Team maps provide an exciting visualisation of the Our team consisted of three friends with a passion for the outdoors who met whilst studying dramatic locations that we visited and allow together at Oxford University. T e complementary strengths and good-humoured, competent an accurate depiction of the site of soil sample nature of the team was the bedrock upon which this expedition’s successes were built. collection. As an added bonus, it allows a small Oliver Vince – Expedition Leader model of the locations to be 3D printed. Oliver’s aims were to travel and live safely and comfortably in the harsh environment Psychological surveys of an icecap. Before starting the expedition, As part of the scientif c output of this Oliver had experience leading climbing and expedition, we took part in a wider study mountaineering expeditions in the UK and the into psychology on expeditions run as a Alps, as well as expedition experience in the collaboration between the University of Atlas Mountains and the Malaysian Rainforest. Aberdeen, the University of Manchester, More broadly, Oliver had led a wide range of the University of Lancaster and NASA. T is projects, experience that became invaluable entailed each team member f lling out a short during the organisation and fundraising parts psychological survey each morning and night of this project. of the expedition, along with a longer pre and Oliver was primarily responsible for post expedition survey. We are awaiting the the overall logistics and fundraising of the aggregated survey results. To f nd out more, expedition, along with the historical research please follow this link: elements and the 3D aerial mapping. As http://bit.ly/IE33-EPP adventure f lmmaking is a personal passion, Mountaineering Oliver also took primary responsibility for the f lm and photography aspects of the expedition. Kverkf öll Oliver graduated with a degree in Engineering In their 1932 book, the team end a chapter Science in 2016 and is currently f nishing his suggesting they are going to climb Kverkf öll PhD in cancer research. and begin the next chapter by saying they’ve got other plans. Our 2019 experience was not John-Henry Charles – Technical Lead too dissimilar. Kverkf öll looks beautiful and John-Henry’s primary aim for the expedition majestic from its eastern side but given our was to develop his polar experience, to build a lack of experience at serious winter ascents, we platform for further expeditions in the future. decided it would be a challenge too far. John-Henry is also interested in guiding and All routes up Kverkf öll from the east wanted to continue to develop some of the appear to entail either engagement with technical skills for this profession. John-Henry quite heavy crevasses and steep glaciers (e.g. took responsibility for route-planning, cooking, Skarphedinsjokull), or loose and crumbly and safety – basically trying to ensure there basalt. T at said, its natural beauty and were no major worries to distract Glen from his isolation would provide an ideal challenge science and Oli from his f lming. to more experienced mixed and winter Having previously completed an unsupported mountaineers. ski crossing of the Hardangervidda, with time spent on two Arctic expeditions (to Svalbard Svörtutirdar and the Canadian High Arctic), John-Henry had From our camp, the clearest mountaineering the most polar travel experience of the team. He objective in sight and within a reasonable also has extensive climbing and mountaineering distance (other than Kverkf öll) was experience across Europe, the Middle East and Svörtutirdar, a feature that the 1932 team North Africa, leading up to E1 Trad and IV named ‘T e Teeth’. Scottish Winter. He had also completed long- We spent a morning skiing to the base of the distance cycles (including UK to Istanbul, and teeth, before John-Henry and Glen ascended the length of Norway). He completed his Earth to the highest point in two pitches whilst Sciences Degree in 2016. Oli f ew the drone. T e rock was crumbly and basaltic. We made an ascent up the most Glen Gowers – Scientif c Lead obvious line, following a chimney in the Glen sought to combine his two major interests: central section of the teeth up to the ridgeline, the outdoors and biochemistry, to execute a before following the ridge up to the summit. scientif c programme inspired by the 1932 expedition. Lava domes Using skills developed during his PhD in We made an ef ort to ski up many of the lava Biotechnology at Imperial, he aimed to identify domes in the area. T e results of our ascents microbial communities at the 1932 basecamp, and descents were spectacular falls on nordic using a miniaturised solar-powered DNA skis, in addition to 360° photographs of the sequencing laboratory. summits of some of the domes. T e 360° Glen has previous experience on of shore photographs of the dome summits have been sailing expeditions and other expedition uploaded onto Google Maps. experience in the UK, Alps, and Tanzania. In addition to the scientif c work, Glen was Further reading determined to improve his polar skills including Read the full expedition report and paper at: nordic skiing, pulk pulling, and snow campcraft. https://www.sledgereport.com/
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 15 FEATURES Valle de las Rocas in Bolivia In the summer of 2019, a team of students (all but one from Imperial) made an expedition to Bolivia to go bouldering in the Valle de las Rocas. Bouldering, in case you don’t know, is rock climbing stripped down to its raw essentials; instead of using ropes and harnesses, the climbers just use climbing shoes and a bag of chalk, with safety mats (pads) in case they fall. The challenge is to climb short but tricky bouldering ‘problems’ (a route, or sequence of moves) using balance, technique, strength, and your brain. Most boulder problems aren’t more than 4 or 5 metres tall, most outdoor problems are located on large boulders (!) Successfully climbing a problem without falling is called a ‘send’. The OC Trust helped to fnance the expedition, and this article is derived from the entertaining expedition report.
Introduction our fnal internal fight to El Alto International Our main aim was to travel to the Valle de las Airport in La Paz, the highest international Rocas in Bolivia and develop the bouldering in airport in the world. We landed there at 09:30, that area. We also hoped by documenting our but were unable to check into our hostel until trip to encourage other climbers to visit the midday. area themselves. Bouldering pads in hand, having met up Te Valle de las Rocas is in southwest with Jon, who travelled from Madrid through Bolivia in the department of Potosí, within the Bogota, and having rented our cars (two province of Baldivieso and Nor Lípez. It lies Toyota Hilux 4×4 pickup trucks), we left the 150km south of the city of Uyuni, between airport and commenced the downward drive Photo: Benjamin Jones Photo: the villages of Villa Alota and Mallcu Villamar into the city. The market in La Paz which are roughly 50km apart. Te Valle de las Te brickwork hills rising around us were spoils of our shopping spree, (pasta, potatoes, Rocas is on the altiplano at an elevation of just the staggering backdrop to our frst foray into and porridge), was a selection of uncooked under 4000m, where it provides a vast expanse Bolivian driving, with local rules of the road beans. We would like to take this opportunity of sandstone rock that is largely unclimbed quickly becoming clear. to implore anyone who follows in our and entirely undocumented. After fnally reaching the hostel and footsteps to avoid these beans, with desperate, Te weather in the valley was pleasantly hot checking in, our kind hosts politely bafed by reckless urgency, at any and all costs. Read on during the day but plummeted below freezing the sheer volume of our luggage, we spent the to fnd out why. at sunset. Tere was no precipitation when remainder of the day exploring the city- trying After a morning spent in the markets, camping in the valley. Overall, the conditions new food, crossing terrifying bridges, and the four teams combined (into the Bolivia were excellent for climbing, if a little chilly at constantly losing our breath. Expedition Megazord) to have lunch at the night. Very dry and hospitable. Day 3 Having successfully reached Bolivia and local feminists’ café. With Dara and Veera We tried to leave as little impact of our stay been rewarded with a restful night’s sleep (on a again remaining behind at the hostel, the as we could in the valley. We deconstructed any bed, rather than the shoulder of a disgruntled evening was then spent seeing La Paz from evidence of our stay, took all rubbish and litter fellow Air Europa passenger), the group above, completing a circuit of the cable car with us and buried any ashes left behind. We divided into teams and set of to conquer La system, afording stunning sunset views of the also tried to avoid interfering with any wildlife. Paz, aiming to acquire much of what we would mountain-encircled city. Tankfully, despite avidly preparing for need for our time in the desert. Day 4 We began the long drive to Uyuni, the potential threat of pumas, none were To maximise efciency, four elite teams stopping of in El Alto – the conjoining city encountered. Te main wildlife encountered were formed: Team Food (Ben W, Jon, which unfolds from the brim of the La Paz were llamas, alpacas, donkeys and southern Martha, and Peter), Team Stuf (Charlotte, canyon and sweeps across the plateau above it viscachas (large rodents resembling rabbits). Jacob, and Stuart), Team Illness (led by Veera, – to pick up some more supplies. Some small, fying biting insects were who remained in the hostel because she felt encountered at the third campsite but were unwell), and Team Dara (comprising Dara, not considered a threat. who also stayed at the hostel, because he’s Te most widely spoken language in Bolivia lame). is Spanish, which is spoken by many people in Team Stuf got of to a rocky start. Lacking a the east of the country and larger cities such as fuent Spanish speaker and struggling to get by La Paz. Jon was the only member of our team with Google Translate, it was difcult to track who spoke fuent Spanish. down more obscure items such as tarps and Diary jerry cans. In the end, however, they emerged Day 1 (Saturday 29th June) We set of from (somewhat) victorious. Victoria station at 14:00 for the Gatwick Team Food, meanwhile, ventured into the Express. Successfully boarding our 17:30 city’s food markets, charged with procuring fight to Madrid, despite the best eforts of a basics such as oats, rice, and spices. Tis was seemingly endless sea of Spanish schoolchildren an endeavour fraught with peril, for between ahead of us at check-in, we landed at Adolfo every stall of pasta and lentils lay one of Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, marking the pastries and salteñas, and the team battled to start of both our three-hour layover and a stay on time and resist the beguiling Bolivian blossoming hatred towards the place. street food. Ultimately, we valiantly overcame Day 2 After surviving the eleven-and-a-half- this delectable adversity, stopping for snacks hour fight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, we on a mere seven or eight occasions. Photo: Varalika Jain Varalika Photo: began our second three-hour layover, awaiting It is important here to note that among the The feminist café in La Paz
16 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES Supplies collected, lunch consumed, and compulsive, vengeful urge to desert Ben in Dara incapacitated (following a dare to eat a rural Bolivia, it was decided that Veera (who sizeable red chili pepper), we left El Alto and was still feeling quite ill) and Peter would started heading for Uyuni. Te route took us stay behind to meet him, with everyone else south along roads which slip through the vast heading into the valley. Dara would then expanse of the arid puna grassland, cast golden return to pick up Team Uyuni (providing by the sun, interrupted only by the occasional Veera was feeling better) the day after next. town, tollbooth, or police checkpoint. While Stuart, and particularly Ben W (perhaps trafc was sparse, the presence of speedbumps, due to his truck stop dining escapades) had covertly and terrifyingly positioned at also been unwell the previous night, but had junctions on the motorway itself, ensured we recovered to the point that they didn’t feel the Photo: Charlotte Krishek Photo: remained wary. need to stay behind. Our frst campsite In the light of the setting sun, we pulled over Water bottles and jerry cans flled, and the at a truck stop on the outskirts of a small town cars all packed up, at around 3pm Team Valley join Veera at the hotel. and sat down for dinner. Ben W questionably set of on the fnal stretch of the journey. Te Day 7 We were roused by the rising sun decided to sample some of the local delicacies drive was expected to take about two and a half struggling meekly to warm our frost-laden (there of course not being anything inherently hours, but the poor quality of the unfamiliar tents, and crawled out to our frst view of the wrong with this decision, but there’s a time roads meant that by the time we turned of campsite in the light. A band of inquisitive and a place), and this rewarded him with onto the dusty dirt tracks towards Laguna donkeys eyed us nefariously from a distance, a particularly dubious meal perhaps best Negra (which had been identifed as a reliable and everything was frozen. described as a foss of crispy, shredded llama source of groundwater, and so was where we Having surveyed our camp, our attention (but really, best not described at all). initially planned to make camp), it was already soon turned to what lay beyond it – a boulder- With dinner completed and our destination past 18:00, and starting to grow dark. strewn sandstone landscape carved by rivers now not too far away, we continued into the Persevering through the blackness, pierced now long gone; alive, awake, and longing to be night. Save for periodic blinding by oncoming only by our headlights and the stars, eventually explored. Breakfast was temporarily forgotten drivers’ high beams, we reached Uyuni without we made it to the lagoon, and hurriedly set up as we headed out into our surroundings, an incident, and checked into our hotel. camp. For the frst time since our arrival in investigation yielding icy streams all set to Day 5 Uyuni’s bitter morning air crept Bolivia, we were alone in the wilderness – the slide across, the full seven-donkey family we throughout its dusty streets, noticeably colder terra incognita – away from civilisation and had seen from our tents, countless promising than La Paz. With the life in us reignited by security, only us, the fauna, the dust, and the rocks, and vast numbers of what we eventually the gas burners of the breakfast room, and the Laguna Negra Gift Shop (rated an astounding found to be called vizcachas (but at the time sun beginning to warm the world outside, we 4.8 stars on Google Maps). were simply christened “weird chinchilla headed to the market to tick of the fnal items Te hour of our arrival meant Team Valley things”). Vizcachas might be described as half- on our list of supplies. While our original plan did not venture much beyond the Laguna squirrel, half-rabbit, large and bouncing, and had been to leave Uyuni that afternoon, we Negra car park (the lagoon being a popular much better at climbing than any of us. After resolved to stay another night, since Ben J – spot for guided tours of the area, but with returning to the campsite to “enjoy” some who had discovered he had lost his passport none ever journeying farther than needed to hot chocolate and porridge (which was really a week before we were due to leave, and had get a few scenic photos, into the rocky valleys gruel, since it didn’t have any milk), we set of scrambled to get a new one as quickly as themselves). A pasta dinner was made quickly, keen to climb. possible – would be fying into Uyuni to join as the night turned ever icier, and washing Our frst day, along with many sends, was us the following morning. We thus instead up was deferred until the morning, upon the one of discovery – from llamas and alpacas, ventured to the outskirts of town to explore realisation that the washing up liquid had to large drystone walls standing seemingly Uyuni’s train graveyard – a tangled string of frozen solid. It was a piercingly cold night, and abandoned, breathtaking rock forms cut by abandoned carriages, once part of the Bolivian a bleak start to our stay in the desert. ancient waters and ancient winds, and several mining industry, now washed in grafti and Meanwhile in Uyuni, the town was astir groups of tourists, led around by their guides. rust. with its weekly street market. In the early A typical encounter with such a group Day 6 Having had our second Uyuni breakfast evening, Peter and Veera (who was starting would unfold as follows: (where the jam tasted faintly of cheese, and to feel slightly better, now that all the rifraf Tourists: “Did you guys really camp out here the cheese tasted faintly of cheese), we began has cleared of to the valley) waded into the last night?” our fnal preparations to leave town and drive sea of stalls in search of food, and emerged Us (stifing traumatic fashbacks to frozen into the wild. Originally hoping to depart in with sugary fried dough and an entrancing water, wet wipes, washing-up liquid, beards, the early afternoon, at about 12 o’clock we drink like warm blackcurrant jam. Peter then breath, toes, and souls): “Yes, yes we did.” received a call from Ben J letting us know he met Ben J at the airport at 21:30, and was at Tourists: “I bet that was cold! Hahahahaha!” had missed his connecting fight from La Paz least partly surprised to see he had, in fact, Us: (Pained laughter) to Uyuni, and wouldn’t be able to get another actually made it onto the plane. With Ben’s A slightly more uplifting interaction was that until that evening (a further shining testament storied voyage of tribulation and self-discovery with a friendly local guide (one of many, who to his organisational fnesse). Resisting the coming to an end, the two of them went to were always kind and always helpful), telling us exactly where we were (Valle de Catal), what the “weird chinchilla things” actually were, and where the true Valle de las Rocas (the area we primarily intended to visit) was. At the end of a successful frst day of climbing, the team settled back into camp and began to prepare for dinner. Charlotte, in the meantime, launched her earnest mission to ensure our evenings were never so cold again, constructing FirePit V1.0, and gathering dead and desiccated brushwood to fuel it. Jacob had brought with him a book about Photo: Jon Urquidi Ferreira Urquidi Jon Photo: Ferreira Urquidi Jon Photo: The train graveyard in Uyuni colours – each chapter a diferent colour and
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 17 FEATURES its story. Tat night began the tradition of booked in La Paz, ofering us an extra day to no river. Tere were only dry and depressing a bedtime freside reading from this book, explore the city and tie up loose ends. streambeds containing bones and dead shrubs. adeptly narrated by Ben W, who opened with Back at camp, the morning was spent However, despite this misery and dehydration, mauve: a tale of Queen Victoria, malaria, battling a very broken stove, it having Dara and Jon managed to fnd us the Most and Bunny – the eccentric inventor of Capri somehow become clogged with molten plastic Perfect Campsite of All Time. pants. Tis evening proved far warmer, both the previous evening. After some considered It was enclosed by tall stacks of pockety rock, in temperature and in spirit, than that which tinkering, the blockage was successfully with a naturally formed entrance, back door, came before it. removed, the team treating themselves to some and places for the kitchen and living room. Back in Uyuni, be it due to Ben J’s salty porridge in celebration, followed by a However, there were also a lot of plants that inextinguishable cheer, or Peter’s medical mindful yoga session led by Ben W and Jon. looked like soft grass but were in fact sharp and mastery (there being no other conceivable While many tourists stared, the group were insidious cacti which we fondly named Devil explanations), Veera was thankfully starting to too engrossed to care – since yoga (as it turns Pubes (Do Not Sit On!). Best of all it was far feel much better. After the three of them had out) is hard. Te session completed, Team away from the road and potential tourists. breakfast, Veera returned to bed, whilst Ben, Camp capitalised on their newfound physical, Ten began the water adventures. We split determined to make up for lost time, took mental, and spiritual liberation, heading out into Team Camp and Team Water – Team Peter to experience some authentic street food. to explore a new area close to the Laguna Water had several disasters while Team Camp Peter, being a squeamish eater and until this Negra itself. One of the more iconic climbs of peacefully pitched tents and found a table point opting to eat as much western food as the trip – Fat Africa – was set up, and they sat rock. Because there was no water in Valle de possible, very graciously kept his complaining down to birdwatch across the water. Las Rocas and we had nearly run out, it was to a minimum Team Uyuni having returned, camp morale decided to do the short drive back to a lagoon Reuniting for lunch, the trio decided to improved decidedly with the arrival of Ben J we had spotted and flter the water from that. return to the train graveyard in the early and his dazzling collection of fairy lights, really Te disasters included but were not limited to: evening (which Ben J was yet to see). Tey putting the cute and cosy into desolate desert • Wet, boggy, muddy ground requiring sat in a street level dining room adjoining campsite. A freak pasta spill proved but a building of a dead-shrub bridge into the the market hall. Here, they ate a rich, salty small obstacle to people hungry enough to eat lagoon vegetable stew, into which a fery chilli salsa straight of a rock, and Charlotte upgraded the • Red larvae in the water could be mixed to ward of the cold. With FirePit to V1.1. Te nightly “Poo Circle” was • Leeches in the water cakes and pastries purchased in town, they born, to check in and make sure that everyone • Loose flter and no tool to tighten sat atop one of the broken locomotives and had a healthy digestive tract, and before we all • Filter washer broken watched the sunset over the deserted steel went to bed, Ben W read to us about celadon • Tought had fxed flter, it rebroke with a cemetery. Tey followed the rusted tracks back green, in the fickering light of the campfre, popping noise to town under starlight. the fairy lights, and the Milky Way. • Containers used to collect water from the Day 8 Charlotte and Dara left that morning Day 9 Every morning, the strained grunts one functional flter were leaky to retrieve the straggling team members from of Ben W trying to get out of his 3 sleeping • Water so sedimented it took 4 people to Uyuni, the route now familiar, and negotiated bag liners echoed throughout the valley. Tis pump the flter in far better time. In town, the group stopped particular one was the morning we decided • Even when fltered through sock, silk, by the market to grab some lunch and fetch to move from Valle de Catal to Valle de las and sand, water was too sedimented to go some extra supplies, bringing back sensational Rocas, so we packed up and bid farewell to through Ben W’s flter without immediately new culinary possibilities, as well as at least a the llamas and vizcachas. We initially ended clogging, deeming it undrinkable kilogram of biscuits. Lunch consisted of thin up in the car park for Valle de las Rocas, where Due to this, Dara and Jon had to head back strips of chicken, beaten fat, battered in egg we had lunch and a local guide told us of a to the closest village by car to fll all our and fried. Before driving back to camp, the mystical river somewhere in the valley. We containers from taps there. Team Camp made return journey accommodation in Uyuni was all split up and discovered, over the course of FirePit V1.2, set up the fairy lights, and started rebooked a day earlier, and another night was an hour and some sunstroke, that there was chopping for dinner. Dara and Jon returned just as people were starting to worry, and just
18 ImperialImperial ENGINEER ENGINEER Autumn Spring 20182020 Photo: Martha Gutteridge Photo: FEATURES as dinner was done – perfect timing. We were told they’d stew for an hour. We feat of engineering, allowing for a fow of air Tat night we made bananas with dark made the table; we played cards on the table. underneath the embers to keep the fre burning chocolate melted in them, wrapped in tinfoil We built a fre. We wrapped corn in tinfoil hot all night. It enabled us to keep warm and put in the fre. Tey were delicious but and put it on the fre. We listened to music. whilst we tried to contain our anticipation for very hard to retrieve. People realised that feet We unwrapped the corn and passed it round the arrival of the beans. Unfortunately, despite can be even more warmed if you take your for 1 bite each at a time, ultimately having having been cooked for many hours the shoes of, and many socks were happily singed 8/9 of a corn cob each. We waited hours. Te night before, they still took another 3 hours as toes defrosted. beans kept being “nearly done”. Te rice was of them being almost ready for Beangate to Tat night’s colour was gamboge yellow cooked. Te beans still weren’t done, and the fnally be over. Tat night, we also treated – poisonous, earwaxen, yet beautiful. A rice went cold and mushy. Peter went to bed, ourselves to dessert. We combined the last of comparatively warm night! no longer hungry. Eventually, the beans were Ben J’s cake with two cans of unsweetened Day 10 As soon became tradition, Jon led a given up on. We had cold rice with soy sauce condensed milk. Tis was passed around the topless yoga session whilst a small contingent and avocado, followed by desperate handfuls fre with varying degrees of enthusiasm. It of clothed rebels left the campsite to investigate of very dry cake that Ben J had bought in was only by the next morning that some of the rocks nearby. Many top-class climbs were Uyuni. Tere was no poo circle; no colour the more lactose-challenged members realised set up, and eventually the fexible people joined bedtime story. Just desperately trying to warm that maybe they should have had a little less the stifs. All routes were sent except “Tall and up by the fre before bed. concentrated milk cake. Tat night we learnt Snappy”, which was avoided after the largest “Possibly the most disappointing thing to have about Vantablack before bed. hold snapped of in a freak accident. Peter told happened in the universe.” ~ Stuart McClune, Day 12 Everyone woke up exhausted. Te day the rest about a mystical cove of steep, tempting who’d recently lost 5% of a fnger on a climbing started with a slow breakfast and no yoga, and overhangs that he’d seen on his morning run. expedition over 6000 miles from home. then, with three climbing days in a valley flled Everyone set of to try and fnd it but settled Beangate was at least 4 hours long. It was a with literally thousands of rocks, we decided to for a slightly less overhanging area after doing cold and empty night. go back to the ones we went to the day before. several exploratory loop-the-loops to no avail. Day 11 After another morning of topless Te worst thing about Bolivia continued to Te frst tragedy of the day came when yoga, we decided to head back to the car park be the extremely persistent fies that refuse Stuart, whilst trying the group’s most difcult of Valle de las Rocas in search of good rocks to leave you alone. Dulce de leche wafers ran ascent so far, ripped a chunk out of his fnger to climb. Peter’s excellent rock divining ability out rapidly – a highly prized currency in our on a small spike in the rock. It was a gruesome lead us to the moon boulder at the start of a desert community. scene. Blood was everywhere, Stuart was put ridge full of many promising rock formations. Tere came a point where we’d exhausted out of action, and we no longer had a resident Stuart and Martha went on a hike southwards the boulders in our small area, so decided wad. Te climb was named “Finger Shredder,” to do some adventuring despite the shredded to check out what we called “Te Lone to honour the occasion, but was never fnished. fnger, and still ended up fnding a beautiful Boulder” – a reasonable-looking rock a Little did we know that this was just boulder to climb despite their trekking short walk away (or so we thought). What the beginning. A lovely peaceful evening, intentions. we hadn’t considered is the distance-warping containing a blissful massage train and a By this point in the trip we were starting efects of the desert light on a vast fat stunning watercolour by Ben W, was a brief to feel quite comfortable in the fow of wild plane. We eventually reached the boulder, respite in our stress, before the most notorious camping. Our campsite became very homely. not sure how far we walked to get there. event of the trip began: Beangate; the longest Te kitchen included a table, stove, drying We decided that there was some interesting, wait for beans any group of humans has ever rack; the living room had a great freplace; the if probably quite hard climbing on it. endured. bathroom was massive, with amazing views. However, we hadn’t brought crash pads or We boiled the beans for 20 minutes, Tat evening Ben created frepit V2.0, shoes. having soaked them in the day – they smelled inspired by the cooking of the corn the night absolutely delicious! Oh, how joyfully and before. Firepit V2.0 was naively we chopped the onions to throw in. an impressive
Imperial ENGINEER SpringAutumn 2018 2020 19 FEATURES vision, another car drove towards the frst and stopped, lights of. “Tey could outnumber us now,” said most of the team. “Tey probably have a puncture and that’s the mechanic,” said Stuart. In a chaotic move, Ben J sneaked away in the darkness and then jumped out at us, causing several near-heart-attacks. Eventually both cars turned their lights on and drove away, presumably because the faulty tyre had been replaced. Ben W read to us about khaki, which comes from the Urdu word for “dusty”. Day 16 Te group decided to relax and climb in an area that Jacob and Ben J had found the day before. Peter did a little climbing, attempting some more challenging boulders Photo: Charlotte Krishek Photo: Our second campsite which he didn’t quite manage to top, then went back to camp and relaxed in the sun After the walk back, Martha and Stuart potential site away from the roads. At this with a facemask and some good music. He has led us to a boulder they had found on their stage in the trip the group set up camp like absolutely no idea what anyone else was doing. hike the previous day. It had one challenging, a well-oiled machine, quickly identifying Te frst cloudy day of our expedition led to sharp problem, removing 30% of the group’s the kitchen, living room and sleeping areas. some very calm and creative cloud-spotting by fngertips. However, it was fnally defeated by Firepit V2.1 was set up and the group settled the people who stayed at the climbing place. Jon, but only after he had taken his top of. into their new home. Ben W read aloud about We walked back to the campsite along a very Tat night, we discovered that if you don’t woad and its indigo defeat, and everyone felt beautiful sunset-lit ridge, as the full moon rose. eat carbonara quickly enough it turns into a much better after food. As a treat for dinner, we chopped up all solid cold mass that’s quite hard to eat. Martha’s Day 14 At this point in the trip, people were the potatoes we had left, and Dara deep-fried feet were so cold that she melted the soles of starting to feel quite tired. Half of the group them in a wok above the fre. Ben W was her shoes before her feet were successfully went on a long walk up a nearby hill ... the “monkey with a bunch of spices” who warmed by the fre. Te new and aggressively Te other half decided to chill at the seasoned the chips before they were passed ventilated frepit was much needed. campsite. For some people this decision was round. We also had corn on the fre, and Day 13 Dara, Jon, Peter and Charlotte left made due to laziness. For others, it was due deep fried some bananas in whiskey sauce. early in the morning for a general resupply, to unfortunate ailments, mainly diarrhoea. A Whilst we were eating our delicious desert- heading to San Cristobal. Unfortunately, very relaxed day was had lounging in the sun, junk-food, a dog came up to us! It was a bit because it was market day in Uyuni, the market and occasionally disappearing out of sight scared though, and only emerged twice before in San Cristobal was somewhat depleted. with a shovel. disappearing forever (or so we thought). It had Nevertheless, the group was still able to buy Martha and Stuart went on a hike, and a bow around its neck and a single dreadlock some jerry cans for water storage and top up found a valley containing a stream and very and was very overgrown. food supplies. Jon also went on a mission to many llamas. Te llamas had tiny scarves, and People went to bed at diferent times due try and fnd a source of internet as Charlotte while lots of them made normal llama sounds, to difering levels of illness, so there was not a and Peter’s exam results had been released and a select few made noises of other species – cats, colour that night. they were eager to know whether they needed sheep, quiet cows. Day 17 We woke up early to set of for the to start practicing for re-sits. He tried asking a Dinner was good and lentilly. Te colour National Park, leaving some beans to soak man who worked in the local phone shop, but we studied that eve was heliotrope, which is ready to be cooked on our return. We stopped the shopkeeper didn’t appear to know much so pleasing to say it “feels like a rich, buttery of for a quick breakfast at Villamar Mallcu more than we did. It was only after talking to sauce in the mouth.” before taking some small winding roads the local youth that we discovered you can get Day 15 On the morning of the 13th, half of towards the National Park. Whilst stocking data after purchasing a Bolivian SIM. Jon then the team woke up to fnd that the other half up on petrol there, we saw the same little dog successfully purchased a SIM card and Peter had diarrhoea. Ben and Peter left at 10am to that had visited our campsite! We ate in the and Charlotte found out they had passed their climb a nearby 5200m mountain, in a casual restaurant “todo pollo”, who defnitely don’t exams!! But not before a dramatic day of Peter manner. Te campsite boulder was climbed, normally do breakfast, and had bread with refusing to look at his results *cough*. and a route was named “fzzy pineapple”, jam and eggs. On the drive, some concerns Te San Cristobal team returned to the old after the slightly fermented pineapple that were raised as one of the cars seemed to have campsite where everything had been packed we suspected was the cause of the diarrhoea. a slowly leaking puncture. However, with no away ready to move on. In a handstand/stretch Stuart made the decision to climb again – but way of fxing it, the group decided to carry on. session, Ben J did a forward roll straight into a with his fnger very strapped-up – and climbed Tere were a few hiccups at the entrance to the cactus. After packing everything onto the back a very difcult route annoyingly quickly after National Park, including not having enough of the 4x4s, the group said a sad goodbye to making this decision. Ben and Peter returned bolivianos to enter. Fortunately, the group a perfect campsite, then ventured of into the victorious to a beautiful sunset, having had enough US dollars, but these needed to unknown – towards Lost Italy. climbed a closer 4990m mountain instead of be exchanged inside the park before we could As we drew close to Lost Italy, the group the 5200m one. leave. After much deliberation and Jon’s expert became slightly skeptical, looking up at the After dinner, a car stopped quite close help in translation we were let in. Te scenery tall rocks on either side of the road. Becoming to our camp and everyone was healthily inside the park was amazing, with magnifcent conscious of the time, we pulled over and split concerned. Ten they turned their lights multicolored mountains. Te f rst attraction up into pairs, heading in diferent directions of, and a large portion of the group became we saw was an outstanding orange lake, home to fnd somewhere to set up camp. Te terrain unhealthily concerned with thoughts of to a fair fock of famingoes. After taking an was so full of guinea pig burrows that people bandits and people creeping towards us in the appropriate number of pictures and doing frequently fell through the ground. Jacob darkness, with us blind to their progress. Just some litter-picking, we set of to try and fnd and Charlotte came back victorious with a as we let the fre die down to gain better night the geysers.
20 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES After some wrong turns, we ended up at some hot springs. It was at this location that we learnt that usually when tourists went to the National Park they would spend a few days there to make the most of it. Te group thought that this was a good idea and decided to stay the night. Despite the last-minute change of plans, half the group miraculously had their toothbrushes. Unfortunately, none of the group had any swimwear. We checked Photo: Stuart McClune Photo: with the locals if there was a dress code The setting of the desert sun for bathing in the hot springs, and we were assured that going in naked was acceptable. location to the GPS – a useful, albeit slightly at a mechanic in San Cristobal so they could We cautiously peeled all our layers of and less romantic tool). check the tyre of the car. It turns out there was dashed into the deliciously hot water. To our Day 19 We woke up to our last full day in a large nail through one of the tyres. Tis was alarm, there was also a group of young local the valley. One last day to fulfll our climbing quickly patched and we were on our way back children trying to enjoy the hot spring as well. dreams. Te morning started slowly, with to Uyuni, feeling a bit better. We made sure to keep to opposite ends of the people trying to get their sends in on the camp We checked into the hotel around lunch pool. As we sat there soaking, the grime that boulder. However, some members were keen time, marvelling at the luxury of it all. had built up over the last two weeks slowly to fnd some new boulders. Jon and Peter However, we didn’t have time to stop as we washed away revealing whether you really had wandered of to investigate some potential wanted to go and see the salt fats. After got a tan or not. new boulders... hurriedly unloading a mountain of equipment Unfortunately, all good things must come Charlotte, Jacob and Ben tried to fnd them, into the foyer we divided up into our diferent to an end and as the sun started dipping and, when they couldn’t, ended up going back rooms. We paused quickly to buy some food down towards the horizon, we decided that to the cloud-spotting area where they found before getting back on the road and heading getting out of the hot water was probably some parkour problems and an interesting to the salt fats. better done sooner rather than later. Shivering traverse. Unfortunately, skin got too thin and We marvelled at how truly fat and salty and somehow with only 9 towels between 10 stomach started to gurgle before anyone could they were. We visited a closed-down hotel people, we got dressed again and headed back send the traverse. Tey left it as a project and made out of salt, and saw the sunset from a to the hotel. Long hair held enough water went back to fnd out what everyone else had cactus island. Te group was sad, as it was to freeze, which we discovered as Veera’s hair been up to. likely our last beautiful sunset in Bolivia, and turned into dangerously sharp corkscrews. Te unfortunate incident of the our last chance to see the magnifcence of the Exhausted, after a much-needed warm dinner undercooked beans part II, moral of the story stars. we went to bed. To maximise warmth we – don’t try to soak beans for three days, or We returned back to the hotel and got decided to sleep two to a bed with double the even better, just avoid them at all costs while changed for dinner. We returned to the amount of blankets. Tis was a good tactic, as camping. Beanageddon. restaurant recommended by Ben J. It was very the ‘beds’ were actually just blocks of concrete If you recall, some beans were left soaking strange to be around other Caucasian people that were continuous with the concrete foor. before we left for the National Park. We and to be spoken to in English. After a very It was not warm. thought we were being smart by leaving the satisfying dinner, everyone headed back to the Day 18 Without the light of the sun to wake beans to soak for all that time. We thought we hotel for a much needed shower with soap. us up, the group had a long lie in. During had learnt from our previous mistakes. We split Day 21 In the morning we had to wait breakfast we exchanged our dollars for the beans into two large saucepans and started for the cars to be cleaned after our salt fats bolivianos so we could pay to exit the park. cooking them on the fre. As they cooked we adventure. Tis allowed the group to have a After talking to the local guides of the park reminisced, laughed and planned for the next luxurious bufet breakfast and do some last we set of for Laguna Verde, a bright green day. A few hours later one of the saucepans of minute shopping for friends and family. Once lake as the name suggests. Next we went to beans was cooked. We eagerly dished out the everything was ready, we packed up the cars the Geysers, where you had to choose between beans, proud that they had cooked in only one and started the drive back to La Paz. In Dara’s freezing winds or smelly warmth. night. Only Peter, who wasn’t feeling hungry car, we were initially entertained by medical After this we decided we should head back did not have any beans. Tere was an incentive facts from Peter. However, the drive was long to camp to try and avoid returning too late. to eat everything to minimise food waste, thus and things soon changed. We had decided to not visit the fabled rock those who could eat more forced themselves Peter the indestructible medic who had tree of the National Park (a rock that is in the to have as many beans as possible. We forced been well all throughout the trip was struck by shape of a tree) as you can’t climb it, and what’s ourselves to wash up after dinner so we could an awful bout of diarrhea and vomiting. He the point of a rock if you can’t climb it? We pack away everything ready for the morning. ended up almost pooping in someone’s front were sure that there were plenty of better rocks Everyone settled in for an early night, aware yard on our journey back out of urgency and back at camp. Te drive back to camp was that we would be waking up early the next desperation. long, requiring us to use our emergency fuel morning to get back to Uyuni in good time. Te fog as we drove through Oruro, a after following the wrong path. It was getting As people settled into their sleeping bags major city on our way back was incredibly late by the time we returned to Villamar. We Beanageddon began. Frequently through the thick. Making it very difcult and stressful to had a to beg a local restaurant to stay open night people had to run out of their sleeping drive. However, we managed to get through and feed us. Whilst they prepared our food, we bags, grab some toilet roll if they were lucky unscathed and the rest of the journey to La Paz were entranced by the TV showing Clash of the and sprint as far as they could make it into the was uneventful. Titans poorly dubbed in Spanish. After Clash night (which sometimes wasn’t very far). Day 22 Last day in La Paz. Team car split of to of the Titans fnished, we set of for camp, Day 20 After a miserable night for some take the cars back home to Europcar. On the guided by the GPS. (and miserable morning for others) the way, they were rewarded for their hard work as We were blessed by our previous group packed up camp as quickly as possible, they stumbled across a Peruvian Gastronomical forgetfulness of not turning the fairy lights shivering with cold and generally feeling sorry Festival and gorged on local(ish) delicacies. of (also blessed by long battery life). A thin for themselves. Soon they were in the cars with Te remaining part of the team went around line of light amid the darkness guided us the heating on full blast, driving back through La Paz for last opportunities to buy mementos home (helped by Peter having saved the camp the valley towards civilisation. We stopped and soak up the culture. Te last evening with
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 21 FEATURES the whole group together, now more a family Te expedition team than a team, was spent eating traditional local Expedition Leader food, drinking locally brewed beer and being Charlotte Krishek absolutely exhausted but merry. Medicine 6th year, BSc Medical Sciences with Day 23 Our alarms went of painfully early, Respiratory Science (2019) with many people only getting a few hours 2017–18: ICMC, President sleep. We rushed to get our fnal things packed 2018–19: ICMC, Stores Manager and get to the taxis. However, we had to do all this as silently as possible as one person in Chief Medical Ofcer the room wasn’t part of our group. We made Peter Rhodes it successfully to the airport and blearily Medicine 6th year, BSc Medical Sciences with walked through security, crossing our fngers Pharmacology (2018) that all our luggage would make it back to the UK. We tried to amuse ourselves by reading, sleeping or watching the free movies on tiny screens. Dara loved watching How to Train Treasurer your Dragon 3 for the fourth time. Varalika (Veera) Jain Day 24 We landed in the early hours of the BSc Biological Sciences (2019) morning in Madrid, exhausted after the long 2018–19: ICMC, Secretary fight. As it was early most of the shops were closed. We hoped that Burger King would open before our next fight. But alas, our dreams came crashing down and we had to eat Junior Medical Ofcer more expensive but equally unhealthy food. Dara Vakili Te only redeeming aspect of the airport – and Graduate Entry Medicine 2nd year (Imperial), perhaps the biggest triumph of the expedition BSc Applied Medical Sciences (2018, UCL) – was the 3 for £10 deal on 300g bars of Milka in duty free. After a not-too-long fight to Gatwick, we Ofcial Route Grader stood waiting for the train back into London Stuart McClune with our mountain of luggage (thankfully it BEng Computing (2019) all made its way to London with us). It was 2018–19: ICMC, Vice President a moment of strange surrealness. Returning to normal life after spending two weeks in the desert without showering. Sadness spread through the group as one by one, people Chef, Water Master parted ways from the group they had spent all Benjamin Warmington their time with for the last 3 weeks. It was a MEng Biomedical Engineering 4th year truly unforgettable experience with a bunch of 2018–19: ICMC, Social Secretary amazing people (and Peter).
What we would do diferently In the future, we would make sure to properly Motivational Cheerleader check water flters are working before the trip, Martha Gutteridge and to take with us methods of pre-fltering BSc Biological Sciences 3rd year water. Tis would have saved a lot of time and money on our trip. Te vast majority of Bolivian people only spoke Spanish. Many people of our group did not speak any Spanish. Tis therefore made Eager Newbie communicating quite tricky, for all aspects of Jacob Mitchell the trip. It was infnitely useful having Jon on MEng Design Engineering (2019) our trip as he spoke fuent Spanish. It would have been useful if more members of the group had a greater understanding of the language. Trying to cook dried beans was a mistake both times. We would not recommend Photographer and Videographer, Backup Ben attempting to cook beans on any camping trip. Benjamin Jones It would have been useful to have more Medicine 2nd year information on the National Park before visiting it. It was difcult to access information online beforehand as the main way people visit the Park is through tour guide companies. However, it would have been useful to know Translator, Coordinator and Driver: the cost beforehand and how long it would Jon Urquidi Ferreira take to drive round. Ten we could have Graduate Entry Medicine 2nd year (KCL) planned for a two day trip rather than it being a spontaneous decision. Photos: Stuart McClune Photos:
22 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES Managing Black Swans Professor Atula Abeysekera, FCGI took over as President of CGCA at the (virtual) Annual General Meeting held on 8 June 2020. Following the AGM, he gave a talk entitled ‘Managing Black Swans’. It was timely in June, and is still as timely (maybe more so) now. We present a transcript here as it will be of wider interest than just those attendees of the CGCA AGM.
My thinking was this: Get rid of silo and the Marquis of Salisbury studied thinking. mathematics; Baldwin and Chamberlain I said the government should introduce engineering metallurgy. Alone … Margaret “system thinking”. In managing extreme risk Tatcher … read Chemistry. She was our only there’s always been too much departmental real scientifc PM in 300 years. (Incidentally, thinking. Cut across departments and a much Angela Merkel is a physicist by education.) broader and more intelligent consideration of Only two engineers. A great shame. Because risk challenges emerges. engineers are good at risk assessment. Tis is Tis very nearly happened, but the politics what they spend most of their life doing. of Brexit intervened. Te iceberg that is Tat’s what the recently late, and certainly Covid19 seemed a long way away from the great, Jack Welch, Chairman and CEO of Titanic of government back in 2010, despite General Electric in the 1980’s believed. He my and others’ cautions. graduated – and did his PhD – in Chemical And that was very disappointing. Engineering and he said: Today I wonder if I shouldn’t have been [Engineering is…] “one of the best backgrounds more blunt and echoed George Osborne’s for a business career. Tere are no formulaic mantra – fx the roof while the sun’s shining. questions to most business problems. Te same is But I didn’t and – anyway – I suspect they true of engineering.” Te story about No 10 wouldn’t have listened … then. Can you imagine Downing Street in the Government is – always – So a third of me is an engineer. A third is a frantic days of February, March, April and senior risk ofcer at Schroder Cazenove (an May of this year? more concerned with today’s institution that’s 236 years old, where risk Well, I can give you an insight as to what news story than the future. assessment is vital.) A third is a teacher at it’s like there. Imperial College. Risk, engineering, investment and teaching In 2010, shortly after the fnancial crash of Its preparedness for risk remains more hopeful – these are my greatest loves after my family. 2008, I was invited to No.10 to advise one than prudent. of the most senior members of the Coalition My role in all this is that I’ve spent my life Government. in risk management. I’m regarded as having Tinking Small – a new way Te picture above is me on the day … expertise and long experience in the feld for forward … I confess it was rather thrilling. over 30 years. Te benefts – and the risks – of globalisation My meeting – which then became a series have been brought to life – and death – by the of meetings – was with the Minister of State “Engineering thinking” leads coronavirus pandemic. for Government Policy. And later I had the way Ten years ago I produced for government a short book called “What’s the small idea?” interactions with other Junior Ministers. My proudest day – apart from the achievements In it I argued that a big drive of innovation Our frst conversation was about sharpening of my three children – was when I was asked was key to our future national prosperity. And up government’s ability to foresee and plan for to become Professor of Risk at Imperial innovation starts in small places. Usually with the unexpected. College, London. Tis was at the department individuals and small businesses. 1. To be better prepared for and smarter about of Civil Engineering, arguably, the best civil But innovation by defnition takes one into avoiding risks. engineering department in the world. the unknown and that’s risky. Innovation is 2. To be constantly alert and avoid being I started life as a chartered engineer. I found in a small lake where Black Swans swim. mugged by what are commonly called … did a 5 year stint of apprenticeship at Mott I talked about small ideas because one of the Black Swans. MacDonald, an organisation over a century things government consistently exaggerates Is there anyone in Britain today who hasn’t old. It was a wonderful place to learn about is the power of big, centralised government. heard of Black Swans? Or, as Donald Trump engineering. Engineers learn about risk the I believe exactly the opposite is needed: would probably call them, Chinese Swans. hard way. If they get things wrong, buildings decentralisation and the licence to think small. Our conversations were constantly fall down and people die. In trying to solve any problem, you need to interrupted by Larry. Larry as you may know Recently on a BBC Radio 4 programme break the problem into smaller components is regarded as very important. He’s allowed to the achievements of George and Robert and take small steps. Tis is better than go everywhere in the building and make his Stephenson, the Victorian engineers and attempting great, audacious, problem-solving views and presence felt. ‘Father of Railways’, were being discussed. An leaps. But … Larry is a cat. interviewer asked how important engineers In computer science a divide-and-conquer He’s a rather irritating cat. were seen as being back then. Engineers were algorithm works like this. By recursively With all my meetings with the Minister he’d revered in the 1880s – we were told. Tey had breaking down a problem into two or more rub himself against my legs and occasionally great infuence. Men like Brunel, Bazalgette sub-problems of the same or related type until give me a disapproving look. I’d refect, “Larry and Watt. these become simple enough to be solved doesn’t agree with risk assessment and crisis Of Prime Ministers since 1721, only fve directly. planning” as the cat glared at me. graduated in anything scientifc: Gladstone
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 23 FEATURES What has changed as a result of What about the story of Black We are constantly told that knowledge is my Initiative? Swans? power … but it isn’t. We never know enough. First – some good news. Where did this strange breed come from? Even the smartest get it wrong. A Black Swan is Te most satisfying thing about my spell at Te phrase “black swan” was created by the something that you don’t know about because: No.10 is that a few things did change and to 2nd-century Roman poet Juvenal signifying 1. It occurs outside projected expectations. good efect. something that doesn’t exist, that can’t exist. 2. It carries an unexpectedly extreme impact. 1. Each government department now has a Black Swan was widely used in 16th century 3. It seems only explainable after the fact. lead Non-Executive Director responsible for London as a statement of impossibility. But interrogating Black Swan Risks. in 1697 Dutch explorers saw Black Swans in A Black Swan could manifest itself like this: 2. Investment has been made into “Horizon Western Australia and the impossible became it actually happened to a friend of mine. He Scanning” thinking about tomorrow and reality. took a great-sounding C-suite job involving the day after tomorrow not just today. Tese More recently author, academic and future moving from the UK to Tokyo. Tis was at are made up of academics, people from and options trader, Nassim Taleb wrote a a considerable personal cost and disruption industry and ‘wise’ men and women. book called ‘Te Black Swan: Te Impact of the to the family. On the day he arrived, a major 3. Te initiation of “Tree Lines of Defence” Highly Improbable’. earthquake happened in northern Japan. for risk framework for major infrastructure Tere, a nuclear reactor was fooded by sea projects. Treasury now insists on a water. Te waves produced by the particular documented risk assessment encompassing earthquake were so large that the sea barriers three lines of defence. at the reactor proved 8m too short to stop Te real key lay in shifting thinking away from the resulting tsunami. Te damage was “how do we react?” to “how would we react if the substantial, and this created a mini-recession unthinkable happened and what’s missing in our in Japan with remediation cost of $250bn. He toolkit to deal with such an eventuality?” was made redundant and returned to the UK Interestingly the former Minister of at signifcant personal fnancial costs. Government Policy has just written a book Could he have predicted this? No. It was a called “Apocalypse How?” set in the year Black Swan – an extreme event. An unforeseen 2037. Its thesis is that our increasing reliance event. But on refection an event that should on integrated digital technology may be have been foreseen (and was foreseen by an leading us, and ultimately every country in ignored few engineers.) the world, in the direction of a catastrophe. Big companies spend a lot of money We are getting so integrated that when the identifying Black Swans but this expertise is system fails, everything in our lives will fail … not widely available to individuals or small driverless cars, WiFi, phone systems, utilities, businesses or governments. emergency services and media – everything blacks out. It’s a disturbingly dystopian vision. In the future we shall increasingly need As I read it I felt rather fattered to fnd so to assess how much we must invest much of our conversations in Downing Street to mitigate the risk of something bad had found their way into his book. happening. But here’s the bad news. Be they foods, earthquakes, invasion, war, All that listening, all that nodding and all In a fast moving world we’ve come to believe a global collapse of the Internet, a worse that’s in his book says that he got it. Tat he that our advanced technology has given us pandemic and so on. understood the importance of being ready. greater control over our destinies, that social Apparently, all risk analyses done as recently But then? Nothing happened as it should have media has given us information, opinions and as last year’s Davos Economic Review thought done. Especially in investing in critical issues news at such breakneck speed that this makes a pandemic would potentially have high like crisis planning. us omnipotent. impact but that there was only a relatively low likelihood of its happening. Tey simply forgot to factor in an important component – Velocity. When something bad happens it behaves like a tsunami. It gets bigger, worse and accelerates very quickly. One way to help avoid Black Swans is to widen your research and consult people outside your industry network. Tis helps to reduce groupthink, get fresh ideas and understand the potential risks you face. I must also stress the importance of modelling – stress testing and scenario analysis. A ‘good’ model is as good as the quality of data feeding into it. Otherwise garbage in and garbage out. Te models need to be independently validated and continuously recalibrated. Whilst a model can give some guidance, sole reliance on it can be equally dangerous. Ultimately, in my opinion, there’s nothing to beat experience and knowledge from other, diverse industries. Photo: Ellerslie / Shutterstock.com Photo: Black Swans are often bad luck. You can’t In 1697 Dutch explorers saw Black Swans in Western Australia … beat bad luck but you can shorten the odds. … and the impossible became reality
24 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES My work on the Grenfell was doing this. Why was I prosecuting my Enquiry lonely course of trying to get busy politicians I am a little closer to that particular Black and cabinet ministers to turn their attention Swan event. I was asked to serve as one of the towards and think about the unthinkable. industry experts to assist the Government on Tere are four simple reasons: how to change the culture to support greater 1. Because I believe it really matters, especially building safety following the tragic Grenfell in such a fast moving world. fre. We had to implement recommendations 2. Because I believe by being intelligent, from Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent circumspect and calm we can avoid many Review of Building Regulations and Fire expensive and tragic events. Safety in 2018. 3. Because I passionately believe the short Twelve of us, made up from diferent termism culture must change. Politicians’ industries, met every two months from attitudes towards managing risk are woeful. November 2018 under the Chairmanship of 4. Because I believe we can tame Black Swans Dame Judith with the remit to:– Advice from an Advisor, 1. Hold to account industry players responsible Professor and Tinker for driving forward specifc changes of the I’d like to conclude with seven pieces of advice Building Safety Programme and … that I’d urge you to think about. 2. Accelerate the industry culture change to 1. Tink small. Tink in manageable chunks. prevent a Grenfell disaster ever happening Remember the computer engineers who again. take small steps solving big problems. Dame Judith’s 159 page fnal review pulled no Tinking small can lead to big solutions. punches and concluded: 2. Tink velocity. We are (as I’ve said) living Consider the Coronavirus issue. “… the current system of building regulations in a fast moving integrated world. And it’s Te Government was juggling. It was trying and fre safety is not ft for purpose. Te system getting faster. If we can’t keep up with its to protect the NHS’s capacity to cope, to failure identifed in the report has allowed a speed we shall fail. safeguard the lives of the ft and well, to save culture of indiference to perpetuate.” 3. Tink about resilience. Are you tough and the elderly and less ft from untimely death, A culture of indiference … hmmm!!! calm in a crisis? Do you panic? to keep the economy ticking over and capable “A culture of indiference” is pretty In another book by Nassim Taleb called of being restarted and, fnally, it was trying damning. Anti-Fragile. Tings that gain from Disorder to sustain trust and confdence in central Te increasing need for rigorous scrutiny in he refects that human bones get stronger government. a number of sectors in their processes and their when subjected to stress and tension. It got some things right. But it did not attitude towards risk has been deemed urgent. Similarly many things in life beneft from grasp the importance of velocity and failed to Perhaps some of my urgings and pressure have stress, volatility and turmoil. Anti-Fragile is prepare adequately. helped make this happen. I hope so. resilience lifted to a new level. Anti-fragile Recently I’ve been asked by Dame Judith describes things that not only gain from In 2007 Black Swans were rare – to examine the relationship between the chaos but gain immunity when exposed to now they’re everywhere insurance business and the construction change. Black Swans are not only a reality – they are industry which many believe is broken. I’ll be 4. Tink radical. People are prone to talking becoming commonplace. Tere are focks of doing this as an external expert working with about normal … in a crisis they say the wretches wherever you look. Plagues of and guiding a ministry team. “when things get back to normal”. In my locusts in East Africa, bush fres the size of the Tis world of risk is getting hot. experience normal is history and you can’t UK in Australia, foods – a month’s normal turn back the clock. You must go forward. rainfall in a day now commonplace in parts of Why are you doing this? Radical is the new normal. the UK – earthquakes in Turkey, volcanoes in Tere’s a big question I was frequently asked. An example of this was the speed of New Zealand and of course catastrophes like For instance, a senior and active member of construction of the Nightingale Hospital at the Grenfell Tower fre. the House of Lords quizzed me as to why I the Excel centre. Not normal. Just radical. 5. Tink failure. When I was young, I remember a friend who deliberately broke his toys. He pulled them apart to see how they worked. We test cars by crashing them. We constantly run pressure stress tests to see how fnancial systems will survive or fail. Tinking about failure is thinking about consequences. 6. Tink individual, then local, then national and then global. Build your thinking from the bottom up. Tinking about the big picture and globalisation leads us away from the most important thing of all … people. 7. Tink people. Put people frst, not processes. If you think about people frst, I believe you ’ll be on course to help create a better, stronger and happier world. If you have questions please ask them. I’ll take the risk that I can manage to answer them. http://www.small-idea.co.uk/ Photo: Alex Danila / Shutterstock.com Photo: Grenfell Tower
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 25 FEATURES Mineral Deposits of In September 2019, the Imperial College London Society of Economic Geologists Student Chapter organised a Field Trip to Peru. It was funded, in part, by the OC Trust. This article is derived from the report produced by two of the organisers, George Nicholas and Jay Ward, who were 4th year MSci Geology students.
Preface 3rd September: T is year’s f eld trip to the Central and Cerro Lindo Cu-Zn-Pb VMS Southern Peruvian Andes built on the success We started of our f rst f eld day with a long, of the 2018 trip to Namibia and was organised early morning drive south of Lima, arriving at by George Nicholas, Jay Ward, Dan Keogh, the primary security gate for Nexa Resource’s Tom Matthews and Jonny Coad of Imperial Cerro Lindo VMS deposit at about 10 AM. College London SEG Student chapter. An unfortunate breakdown of communication T e trip ran from the 1st to 12th of between the mine site geologists and security September and was attended by 11 students contractors meant we had to leap through – 3rd and 4th year MSci Geology students a fair few bureaucratic hurdles to get our from Royal School of Mines, a Minerals insurance documents conf rmed. Following Processing MSc student from Camborne this, an unexpected 2-hour drive up into the School of Mines, two PhD Research Students mountains to arrive at the actual mine site from the Natural History Museum and a MSc then meant that we didn’t arrive on site until Mining Resources student from Pontif cia around 2 pm. T ough this meant our visit Uni. Católica del Perú (PUCP). In addition, was cut a little short, this is part and parcel of our group included a Project Geologist operating a mine in remote areas and I think from Mineco, a Base Metals Analyst from the whole group was left impressed at the CRU Group, a Geological Analyst from CD ambition to build this large an operation in
Capital, and Diego Mesa, a PhD Research such inaccessible terrain. Photos courtesy of Imperial SEG Student Chapter Student from Imperial who was also acting as Cerro Lindo is a polymetallic resource with Pure pyrite in drill core our guide and interpreter. primary income derived from its Cu & Zn We visited nine sites across a variety of content. T e group were given an in-depth 4th September: operations to provide attendees with an and knowledgeable introduction to the deposit Pisco Sn Smelter overview of the whole mining process; and regional geology; also learning about A short morning drive brought us from including: open-pit mines, underground interesting processes such the remobilisation our accommodation in Pisco to the Funsur mines, smelters, processing plants, SXEW of toxic elements (e.g As or Bi) which are smelter. Once again, we had a few paperwork plants and even geochemical laboratories. usually associated with VMS deposits by issues but the staf at the smelter were fantastic metamorphic f uids, and how this has resulted and really went out of their way to get the 2nd September: in a cleaner ore body relative to others within necessary insurances sorted in order to make Joint-PUCP SEG Symposium the deposit class. our visit happen. T e Geological Society of Peru (Sociedad One half of our group were then taken to T e smelter is one of the biggest of its kind Geologica del Perú) hosted our annual the original discovery location of the deposit in the world and solely processes tin from the symposium, jointly organised and chaired by whilst the second were given the chance to San Rafael mine, also owned by Minsur. T e Jay Ward (Imperial SEG Chapter) and Raquel inspect the drill core. Here we picked up concentrate is shipped overland by daily truck Chang (PUCP- UNSAAC SEG Chapter). T e useful tips on f nding mineralisation using convoys. Symposium included talks from professors, texture mapping (e.g. monomict vs polymict) We were given an introductory lecture researchers and students from Imperial – whereby mineralisation is generally found from Alexis, the H&S manager, who talked us College London, Natural History Museum only in breccia not conglomerate, because the through the novel and pioneering technology (London) and PUCP (see box below for a list structure more easily allows f uids to percolate employed by the smelter such as a Top- of the Symposium presentations). through. Submerging Lance – of which there are fewer
Symposium Outline Session 1: Mining operations – From exploration to processing Exploration Project Celebici: Dragana Stojanović, Mineco Copper Market Outlook: Jaime Sepúlveda, CRU Group Challenges in Minerals Processing: Diego Mesa, Imperial College London
Session 2: Geochemical insights into ore systems Titanite in Porphyry Systems: Tom Matthews, Natural History Museum Apatite in Porphyry Systems: Emily Brugge, Natural History Museum
Session 3: Peruvian geology and mineral deposits Peruvian Mining and Mineral Endowment: Miguel Cardozo, PUCP Critical Elements in the Central Andes: Jean Vallance, PUCP Full auditorium at the Geological Society Au-bearing Pyrite at Shahuindo, Peru: Lisard Torró, PUCP of Peru for the joint symposium Organic-rich Facies in Eocene Red-Beds: Silvia Rosas, PUCP
26 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES Central & Southern Peru
geology and four-stage paragenesis of the Uchucchacua deposit, before inspecting rocks and drill cores from dif erent mineralisation zones and then learning how the Buenaventura geologists had built their resource model. A varied and novel way to gain a good understanding of the operation. T e trip underground was fascinating and, again, represented a f rst for many of the student members of the group. We observed mineralisation hosted in the tunnel walls and machinery conducting daily operation. Of course, some time was spent hunting for A view of the Pisco Funsur smelter from samples! the car park (no phones allowed inside!) Finally, both groups received a tour of the processing plant. T is was especially interesting than 25 in the world. Alexis provided detail given we already had an understanding of how on the smelting process far beyond what we the Mn-rich concentrate was being treated have received in our lectures which resulted further down the valley. A much older and in an enriching expansion to the students’ more ‘traditional’ operation than Río Seco the knowledge of the mining industry beyond Looking across the Rio Seco facility plant certainly gave us an appreciation of how the purely academic geological understanding investments in new technology can result in which tends to be covered in lectures. 6th September: Uchucchacua Ag-Mn-Pb- higher levels of ef ciency. We were then treated to a tour of the Zn Skarn smelting operation and took in the huge A tough day but well worthwhile! After an 7 & 8th September: stockpile warehouse before inspecting the especially early (4.30 AM) wakeup to avoid Rest weekend (Lima & Arequipa) furnace – where we saw the lances being road closures, and a windy drive up to 4500 After a hectic week of early starts and long repaired – and then watching a live pour of m.a.s.l. (through stunning scenery) we arrived bus journeys, including an 8-hour monster molten metal, a f rst for many of the group at Ucchucchua, feeling somewhat worse for back from Ucchucchua, the group f nally who had not visited a smelting operation wear and certainly noticing the lack of oxygen. got the chance to relax and recuperate. T is before. Welcomed by our hosts we took breakfast, gave us the chance to take a bit of time to completed our medicals (those who needed it appreciate Peruvian culture (and cuisine...) 5th September: enjoyed a dose of oxygen) and then we headed and importantly make our way to Arequipa in A minerals processing grand tour of to inspect some rocks. order to begin the second leg of the f eld trip! Plenge Metallurgical Laboratory In the morning we stopped of at Plenge 9th September: Laboratories, a mineral processing Cerro Verde Cu-Mo Porphyry consultancy, where Angélica guided us around Ready to get stuck back into the f eld trip and explained the whole Metallurgical process proper, we were collected by a Freeport in great detail along with some fantastic minibus from our hostel in Arequipa for a short demonstrations of the froth f otation process. drive to the Cerro Verde mine. Consisting of Despite most of the group having taken a three separate deposits: Cerro Verde, Santa minerals processing module at university, Rosa (both porphyrys) and Cerro Negro seeing a small scale operation close-up was a (tourmaline breccia) with current life-of-mine f rst for many. It was also interesting to see Half the group pose for a photo with the running to 2040 we were all impressed by the Ucchucchua’s f otation cells their geochemical equipment and miniature detailed exploration work which had gone into processing plant, featuring a mini SAG. A We were split into two groups, with the f rst def ning three such large ore bodies. Def ning worthwhile visit! group heading immediately underground and such a large resource required Freeport to drill the second receiving a lecture on the regional exploration holes up to 2 km deep – and there Rio Seco Mn Processing Plant After a brief drive to the north of Lima we arrived at the Río Seco Mn processing plant. T e plant ingeniously turns unwanted Mn-rich impurities in Uchucchacua’s concentrate into a valuable by-product, avoiding concentrate penalties as a result. We were given a fantastic introductory talk by Richard Villagary, the Head of Process, before being taken on an in-depth tour of the operation. T e ef ciency, cleanliness and smooth operation of the plant impressed all of us and the facility really set a gold standard for the other facilities we would visit throughout the rest of the f eldtrip. Enjoying the view in Arequipa
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 27 FEATURES is still signif cant exploration potential! the key lithologies and mineralisation types 12th September: A massive deposit deserves a truly massive giving us the opportunity to take samples and Pucamarca Au-Ag Epithermal processing facility. Although we were unable to develop a well-rounded understanding of the A colossal day to round of the f eldtrip. tour the processing plant, the entire group was deposit’s geology. Following another early (4 AM) start – so astonished by the sheer scale when we looked Following the visit, Southern Peru kindly we could get the necessary documents from a from a nearby viewpoint. Currently processing treated us to lunch in their canteen before Tacna checkpoint in time to avoid temporary 360,000 tpd the facility is the world’s largest we headed on to our overnight stop in road closures – we took a roughly four hour copper processing plant. Moquegua. Filling the free afternoon, on the drive to the mine, arriving there at 9AM, after recommendation of our bus driver, Don Elias, a 4300m climb in elevation. with a tour of a local Pisco vineyard. T e highest mine of the trip at 4700 m.a.s.l. we necessarily had to spend some time passing 11th September: the requisite medical checks – with variable Toquepala Cu-Mo Porphyry performance across the group. Eddy Zapana Once again, route issues meant we arrived gave us a great introduction to the geology slightly behind schedule for our visit. T is and geochemistry of Pucamarca highlighting time the road was too narrow and dangerous the relatively low grade and very f ne nature of rather than closed and we had to take a longer the gold (just 4 – 10 µm). lowland route – though, of course, safety f rst! We were then bussed around the various The group outside Cerro Verde’s Our tour began at the Toquepala SXEW pits in operation, some being mined and Concentrator II. What can’t be seen in plant with a very thorough presentation (and a some under development. T ough always the photo is, just to the left, two erupting great set of demonstrations) illustrating exactly disappointing not to f nd visible gold, it is volcanoes – making this possibly the most how the process works. T is was followed with amazing how a mine can be sustained both at picturesque processing plant I have ever a walk to the operating room for an overview high altitude and in such a remote location – visited. of the plant – certainly a quieter and more a logistical triumph and great example of the We were then allowed to inspect some of the pleasant place to be than the crushing and advances in mining technology. core in the coreshed with Freeport geologists f otation plants we had toured earlier in the on hand to point out interesting textures and f eldtrip. mineralisation features to us. Aside from the usual culprits of pyrite, chalcopyrite etc., we were able to pick out some seriously cool and colourful minerals. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed inside so you will have to take our word for it!
10th September: Cuajone Cu-Mo Porphyry Observing the Pucamarca open pit T e f rst of the two Southern Copper mines that we visited, the group enjoyed an excellent A view from the control room of forming After a spot of light lunch we were able to look tour of Cuajone. copper cathodes through some of Pucamarca’s core – a treat Oscar Concha gave us a very informative for the geological purists amongst the group general presentation covering the long history We were then able to tour Toquepala’s before heading back to the meeting room to of the operation (during which time they have Concentrator I – a plant which has been in learn more about the processing aspect of the been able to drill 44,898,218 m of core), the operation since 1960. With a 60,000 tpd mine. We also had the chance to hear about whole suite of 51 lithologies at the deposit and capacity it is certainly dwarfed by the operation the sustainable practices of the operation, the various deposit models which Southern we saw at Cerro Verde but this only served, Minsur have impressively managed to control Copper have built e.g. alteration, hardness and yet again, to highlight the positive impact new their water supply tightly enough so they are specif c gravity. technology can have – especially in reducing not abstracting any water from basins which We then headed for our f rst tour of an the considerable footprint of mine sites. are utilised by the local community. operating open pit of the trip. From the f rst Following the visit, we bade goodbye to of f ve viewpoints we were able to observe our f nal hosts, returned to Tacna for the f nal preparatory blast drilling in action and saw a group meal and then began the monster drive wide range of mine vehicles in operation. back to Arequipa where we would end our trip T e tour then continued on to four more after a great 12 days. viewpoints, each progressively deeper inside the pit and highlighting a dif erent style of Sponsors mineralisation for the deposit. At each location We are very grateful to our sponsors for the the Southern Peru geologists would point out funding to make this f eld trip possible. • Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) • Old Centralians’ Trust Our tour of the processing plant – very • T e Minerals Engineering Society (MES) different from the four huge SAG mills • MinSouth utilised at Cerro Verde • Geological Society of Perú Unfortunately, due to our delayed arrival we • MDSG were unable to view the open pit or coreshed • SEG Stuart Wallace Fund so, after a delicious lunch in the workers • Mineco canteen, we departed for our long drive to our • CRU Group overnight stop in the border town of Tacna. • CD Capital • AMinpro Metallurgical Services The group inside the Cuajone open pit
28 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 FEATURES Seismic 2020 Te Role of Seismic in Unlocking Value in the Energy Mix Meiling Cheng is a third year Research Postgraduate student in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering. With fnancial support from RSMA, she attended the Seismic 2020 conference in September 2020, and wrote this short article about the conference and her experience of it.
Why I attended Seismic 2020 As seismic plays a signifcant role in the Energy Mix, geophysicists and engineers have been using seismic data to image and understand the subsurface for decades. However, due to the complexity of seismic events, it is a challenge to efciently and accurately identify the earthquake response from the detected seismic data. Recent advances in computing power and machine learning methods have been recognised as powerful statistical tools to tackle this issue. My PhD research is to develop new numerical tools for data assimilation and optimal control applied to dynamical systems. I have developed diferent machine learning methods like generative adversarial networks for efciently simulating nonlinear fows in a dynamic system with large data- driven computation. I think it is a very good opportunity to share and discuss with others about these machine learning methods applied into seismic prediction. In addition the latest scientifc fndings and discussions CCS, and Energy Mix. Tese sessions provided it could broaden my knowledge in the area among scholars, which could lead to new me with a benefcial learning experience, as it and skill development. Machine learning developments and future collaborations. was a great opportunity to participate fully in can automatically mine data sets for hidden However, after I attended this well-organised discussions with plant-related researchers and features or relationships. From extracting conference by SPE, I realised that there are to share fndings and views. meaningful sensing data to unveiling seismic some advantages for online conferences. First, One of the interesting themes is 4D imaging. events that are below the detection level, we can continue scholastic conversations and David Blake proposed an Ocean-bottom node machine learning assists in identifying ensure the difusion of research fndings. In processing technique for 4D imaging at the Ivar unknown features to accurately predicte addition, we can save much time, efort and Aasen feld. Special processes used for high earthquake activity. money in long travel, and it is easier for us quality 4D imaging hinge around up/down For me, it is an opportunity but also a to talk to other researchers even if we are all deconvolution, which enables the efcient challenge. It provides a very good opportunity at home. Another positive aspect has been attenuation of free-surface multiples, corrects to have face-to-face discussions and share cutting the carbon footprint of researchers for source signatures and mitigates water- experiences in seismic technology research. It while reaching a wider audience. All these talks column velocity changes. David presented an will boost my understanding and awareness of have been recorded, and participants can also evolving sequence of fve processing workflows, the development of new seismic technology watch them on demand, while virtual breakout with a focus on missing-trace reconstruction combined with machine learning. In addition, rooms can provide networking opportunities and 4D co-denoise as enabling techniques for attending this conference will accelerate my among scholars and the possibility to discuss up/down deconvolution. Te fnal workflow personal maturity, broaden my horizon, research questions. includes re-imaging using a velocity model inspire potential and enhance my ability. built with multi-parameter FWI, showing How was the online Seismic signifcant changes in anisotropy and What is the impact of Covid-19? 2020? introducing geologically consistent details As it became apparent that Covid-19 was Te online Seismic 2020 was held from 14 to in velocity around localised injectites. Teir hard to contain and spreading at an alarming 18 September. It covered the entire spectrum results reveal strong 4D changes in the seismic rate in many countries, the conference was of seismic technology from exploration image consistent with the reservoir model, cancelled in April 2020 and then rearranged through development and production to re- production and water injection history. to September as an online event. purpose or abandonment – the full lifecycle of Tis is a creative technique because the I think it is a pity for many students and the asset. It included diferent themes, such as interpretation of 4D seismic data helps ensure scholars that they were not able to be there in New Seismic Technology, Machine Learning, optimum oil and gas recovery in realistic person to take advantage of the networking 4D, Quantitative Interpretation, Acquisition applications. As we know, during production, and communications. Also, I think cancelled and Processing, Novel Methods, Te Geo- changes in reservoir pressure, temperature conferences may impact the difusion of physics Value Chain, Te role of seismic in and fuid saturation can cause changes in
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 29 FEATURES the physical properties of the reservoir rocks themselves. Te 4D image results in high- IMPACT Photographic Contest defnition images of seismic changes that The College summer term of 2020 was like no exams and projects. A frst prize of £50 in enable us to interpret changes in a reservoir other summer term in history. The Covid-19 vouchers was supplemented by two ‘honourable lockdown and subsequent restrictions closed mentions’. with more certainty. In a long research College, and students were left to study alone. With support from CGCU, we are glad to perspective, I think the 4D image de-noise Realising this piled even more pressure on report the contest was well supported and the technique could also be applied to other areas, students, CGCA felt some light relief may be standard of entries gave the judges quite a task like ocean modelling or medical imaging. needed and ran a photographic contest open to to select the winner! The winning entry and Another interesting talk was Seismic Image all students of the Faculty of Engineering. We honourable mentions are below, and the winning Processing by machine learning. Can Yang’s called it the ‘IMPACT Photographic Contest’. entry is also on the cover of this issue of IE. presentation was De-risk West of Shetland It was simple. Just take a picture on a Following this success, we have decided to (WoS) Area Exploration using Generalized smartphone that portrayed the effect of lockdown run the photographic contest on an annual basis Radon Transform (GRT) Depth Imaging and and submit it together with a short title. Quick starting in 2021, hopefully with a theme not Unsupervised Machine Learning Methods. and easy so as not to distract from vital studies, related to a virus! Can used GRT migration to preserve true First Prize amplitude and output exact angle gathers, and then integrated machine learning methods into Quantitative Interpretation workflow. Can Yang also discussed the importance of parameterisation, algorithm choice, and data quality. He drew a conclusion that GRT migration, integrated with machine learning methods in QI workflow, can de- risk WoS exploration and enable the precise understanding of the amplitude anomaly for any further feld development. It was one of the most innovative talks as it looked at how to introduce the popular machine learning methods to improve the accuracy of traditional methods, which also highlights the great promise of machine learning methods applied in seismic technology research. “Just a Call Away” What have I learned? by Chin Yeung (Bioengineering) Te conference was incredibly valuable and useful. It provided a great platform for the Honourable mentions geoscience community for sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences. What most impressed me is that we often ignore some challenges or details in developing our models for the realistic cases. In realistic cases, the true conditions are often more complex and challenging. To develop an accurate computational model for a realistic case, researchers may spend many years exploring the structure of geometry, glacial features, and gas distribution, and then characterise these structures by parameters in models. In this conference, with their talks many speakers from diferent famous industries provided me with a great insight into diferences between the industry approaches to research and development. Tis inspires me about my future career in industry. Overall, it was a great experience, I would like to acknowledge SPE and the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial “London underground rush hour scenes – coronavirus edition” College London for letting me be able to by Wei Ooi (Chemical Engineering) attend. In addition I would like to thank the Royal School of Mines Association for providing the fnancial support in order to attend the conference.
Alumni: we want your news (see page 2 for contact details) “The Lone Rider” by Yaashiene Pukazhendi (Mechanical Engineering)
30 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS HS2, ROI and the builders Our lives are largely governed by an construction companies, having part of Birmingham into a commuter here. A large but low key campaign agenda out of our personal control. worked for a couple of them in the suburb for London. donation to a party or a candidate It is also surprisingly out of the 1980s. Their holy grail is a baseload I commuted to the City of in or adjacent to a project location control of our so called “lords and of steady building work guaranteed London for about ffteen years. is a standard way of gaining support masters” or in these times perhaps for decades. Private sector work is Some was from my then family for it. Our major constructors our “ladies and mistresses”? I will notoriously volatile; what is sought home in mid-Buckinghamshire and (builders?) are very experienced and try to illustrate this by linking our is a long-term public sector base some was from a daughter’s fat in good at this. builders (construction companies), workload. Inevitably, this leads them the North London suburbs. Part Coming back to my original ROI (return on investment) and HS2 in to the political arena. of that time I drove in by car, part theme, and wearing a private (High Speed 2 rail project). Wearing your safety helmet, you travelled by underground, part by sector investor’s hat, your personal I spent several years in the City are chasing public money. You are train and shanks’ pony and part by a investment yardstick is a simple of London in the 1970s working looking for one (or more) projects mix of all four. one. You can leave your money on on major international private and with an implementation period of I came to realise that, door to deposit in a bank or you can invest public sector projects. Some were decades. Public sector housing is door, none were that different in time it in something riskier and more of the order of a US$ billion (1970s an obvious one; another is a major terms although costs and stresses volatile but with the promise of a values) or more in total frst costs. infrastructure scheme. Transport were very different. Birmingham / high and steady income later. You They took a minimum of ten years is a perennial here and for many HS2 to central London fts into that now become a speculator. between frst serious action and decades the motorway system general description. The criterion that is particularly seeing any income. A few were to provided a steady source of work. As a country, we have a long important is ROI, the project take much longer. The Channel Tunnel served history of successful investment equivalent to the interest on a Some were in countries where the constructors well, although in the railways, going back to the bank deposit. It takes into account the political risk was high. There fnancially for us, Joe Public, it 1800s. Money was made and money the delay of seeing income. If you were always technical risks. The was a disaster. Currently, airport was lost, but it left us with a system do nothing else with your money, attraction was that potentially they expansion is in the political spotlight. which is still serving us surprisingly you might expect to earn a steady could become a major source of Crossrail 2 is a growing horror story. well. It is going through something 5% per annum or so. Taking risks steady high income over many The one that interests me most of a rebirth, largely driven by and timing into account you might decades. The risks however were is rail, in the shape of HS2 and its environmental concerns. look for a minimum 10% per annum usually ours. peripherals. I was a fairly active My guess is that HS2 will offer from a fairly safe project when up Emotion is often a major factor in train spotter in my childhood, and a minimum of ten years (and very and running. This ignores any extra decision making and anything which the project is quite close to my probably much more) of steady borrowing you might need. keeps this aspect under control doorstep, in NW Hertfordshire. It civil, mechanical and electrical The problem with this is that can be helpful. Where company has a current price tag of around engineering work plus a lot of you will earn nothing in the early and individual survival becomes £60 billion; the suspicion is that this peripheral ‘software’ support. This years, while you are spending paramount, logic can easily fy out of is very much on the low side.1 excludes the new trains themselves heavily. This is balanced (notionally the window. The company I worked It is supposedly a high speed and their operating system. It is but unpredictably) by much higher for had become complacent and link between London and the West potential bread and butter for earnings later in the project. been threatened by a takeover – it Midlands for the economic beneft the big constructors and, not I strongly suspect that the ROI on certainly focused minds. It had an of the West Midlands with an surprisingly, they are lobbying hard. HS2 is low even on current timings impressive history and was still extension north to come. A cynic We tend to assume our MPs and costings. The frst costs can only infuential, but had no clear future. It might say that it will probably turn are dependent for their thinking rise and the building programme took risks and very luckily, they led and action on the wishes of the grow ever longer. Income? No it to a “generous” takeover by an oil 1 Current HS2 costs are now beyond £100 electorate. Ignore these and private investor will touch it with a billion and in the light of the COVID giant with delusions of grandeur. 19 Pandemic there is wide debate about deselection / seat-loss beckons. bargepole. HS2 is a case in point. I have some the role of the ofce and indeed the need Lobbyists are very blatant in US knowledge of the mindset of major to commute at all! politics but we are more subtle RSMA’s own John Simpson Photo: Jo Fichtner/ HS2 Ltd Jo Photo: HS2’s Tunnel Boring Machines Florence and Cecilia at the Herrenknect factory August 2020
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 31 LETTERS / OBITUARIES Letters One of the first DJs? REGINALD GILL the war and now worked for the Recent reminiscences about zebra Events in Hong Kong reminded our (Elec Eng 1946-49, 1949-51) War Offce – had arranged a job for crossings, in Imperial’s alumni regular Canadian correspondent, Reg Gill, a life-long member frst her but, until her clearance came magazine, prompted Peter Reinbach Nigel Fitzpatrick (Metallurgy 1962- of the Old Centralians, and then through, she took a temporary job (Elec Eng 1958-63) to write to us 65, 65-68), of his letter to his local CGCA, was born in Derbyshire on serving in the Masters’ dining room about a prank in the early 1960s. newspaper (The Whig Standard) in 29 August 1921, the son of a railway at Imperial, where she and Reg met. March 1990, reproduced here. engineer who had completed his They married in 1951, and their son A zebra crossing for Imperial Sad accommodation apprenticeship at ‘the Plant’ – as the Peter was born in 1955, followed by Railway works in Doncaster were Paul in 1959 and Michael in 1964. In a recent issue of the Imperial Recently, the South China known – under the GNR’s Chief After marrying, Reg took up alumni magazine there was a letter Morning Post carried a picture of Mechanical Engineer, Nigel (later teaching, initially at a college in St. from an alumnus questioning the the new fag proposed by Beijing Sir Nigel) Gresley. Reg, however, Helens in Lancashire but then at the existence of a zebra crossing in for Hong Kong in 1997, together was more interested in electrical College of Technology in the new Prince Consort Road. with a description of the fnal than mechanical engineering and, on town of Hatfeld, where over time Tat brought back memories! agreement between London and leaving school just before WW2, he he rose to be Principal Lecturer in And yes, there was a zebra Beijing on the form of Hong obtained a job in the local coal mine, Electrical Engineering, at what was to crossing; right outside my room Kong’s government after 1997. initially as a clerk but then as a coal become Britain’s frst ‘Polytechnic’. in Beit Hall! Te crossing only At around three in the face electrician. This was a reserved Due to problems with his eyesight lasted one day and one night. I afternoon of that day, we, the occupation, and he spent the war (he had a family history of glaucoma) know, because we put it there one organizers of a conference to be underground, servicing the mine’s he took early retirement, a move he clear dark night! held in December 1990, entered electrical systems. It was in 1960 or 61, the Hong Kong University to visit After the war, the Coal Board night before Imperial had a very the department of electrical important visitor (probably engineering. On unloading from offered him a scholarship to go royal), something to do with a small bus that had stalled several to University. He was offered a the opening of a wind tunnel or times on the hills coming up from choice of Cambridge or London similar in the new RCS building. the city, our attention was frst (things were different just after the It was laid down, between 1 and drawn to sensors that monitor the war!) and he chose Imperial. He 2 am, by a group of six Elec Eng stresses in the hillside above the arrived at City & Guilds in 1946, undergrads who wanted to show university. Heavy rain can cause graduating in 1949. During his time their welcome. landslips in that area. at college he was Student Chairman So the plan was for a zebra Absorbed in our own of the Engineering Society (1947- crossing in Prince Consort Road conversation about landslips, 48), and he also helped found the to run from the main entrance of we walked towards a group entertainments committee. There the Union building to the main of students before we realized were few dance bands, and no entrance of RCS. Unfortunately, that they were at the edge of a money anyway, so he put together the entrances to the two buildings vast demonstration. Ten we two record decks and a 30W valve were not directly opposite noticed that there were small amplifer in order to play records regretted not long afterwards, when each other so there was a lot of groups of police dotted around for people to dance to. Perhaps he to his chagrin ‘Hatfeld Poly’ became discussion over whether the zebra the periphery. Te crowd parted was one of the frst DJs? Whilst at ‘The University of Hertfordshire’ – should be an unbroken straight easily though to allow us to reach college he was also involved in one and had he stayed on he would then diagonal or have a kink in the an elevator. of the annual Faraday Lectures of the have been re-graded as a professor. middle. Amongst other things, we were Institution of Electrical Engineers. In later life, Reg’s two passions I think it fnished up diagonal. there to test drive an electric Fortunately, that evening was dry, vehicle, and we did so amongst Reg stayed on at City & Guilds to were steam engines and jazz music. as water-based paint was not then police standing in a relaxed do some research for an MSc, but He got to drive a steam engine on available! fashion beside their motorcycles. his tutor most unfortunately lost the Nene Valley railway and, when Te working bee was four, plus We had witnessed one of a the only copy of his thesis, and he his son Peter – by chance – found one driver and one lookout, and it number of demonstrations that never completed it. However, as himself repairing a computer for was a moonless night. day against the London/Beijing a postgraduate he was allowed to Kenny Ball’s bass player, he was When completed, someone agreement. dine in the Masters’ dining room, delighted to meet his hero at a took a photo of the group which Tat evening, our group which must have made a pleasant concert in Stevenage. was a heart stopper at the time, was entertained by senior change from the Union refectory. Reg and Terry – they were married as the fash nearly gave the game members of the current Hong Meanwhile, Reg’s future wife Terry for nearly 70 years - lived together away. Te B & W photo is around Kong government. Te dinner had just arrived in London from at their home in Bedfordshire until somewhere and was lent to an IC conversation focussed upon our Ireland. Her brother – who had Reg died on 4 November, 2019, at area rep about twelve years ago for own purpose for being there. We fought in the British army during the advanced age of 98. the records. had witnessed a signifcant event Te powers that be were not in the evolution of a society, yet it amused and the zebra did not had not drawn us out of ourselves. last long. I am not sure if it was Te atmosphere seems to be one actually used as intended as of accommodation and sadness everyone kept a very low profle and not one of anger. over the next few days! Nigel Fitzpatrick Unfortunately, most of these Kingston, Ontario, Canada E1’s did not make it to graduation. So, I guess there are not too many around to recall that event! * Te conference mentioned, held in December 1990, was EVS 10, the Peter Reinbach tenth conference in the World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition Melbourne, Australia (EVS) series, organized by World Electric Vehicle Association (WEVA), for academic, government and industry professionals involved in electric drive technologies. Nigel was involved on behalf of Alcan. Reg and his family
32 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 OBITUARIES Hard work, charm and A long, happy and fulflled tremendous good humour life.
ANDREW EDWARD PANTER all the civil engineering, aggregate JOHN MORELLY SOLBETT Humphreys & Glasgow, where he (Civil Eng 1962-65) and asphalt interests and Wimpey (Chem Eng 1937-41) established a Process Department. Andrew Panter, had two distinct doing all the housing. The immediate He was by then fully conversant with phases to his life. consequence for Andrew was that the emerging chemical engineering Following a successful 34 year he became a Tarmac employee procedures, and was responsible career as a civil engineer, senior overnight. This move was reversed for selecting new staff to form the manager and director in the within a year when he came back company’s Process Design team. construction industry, he devoted to the UK as MD of the expanded After 10 years with H&G, John the next twenty years to works Wimpey Homes business, a position left to start a British subsidiary of of charity and services to his local he held until his retirement in 2000. the French contracting company community. In his frst career, Following his retirement, Andrew Heurtey Ltd, and to develop its after initial training, he worked used his experience to voluntarily furnace design and construction for the George Wimpey group assist the affordable housing market business. It was as Managing of companies, rising to Managing and and also became very active Director of Heurtey Ltd that he frst Director of Wimpey Homes. An in charitable work as Chairman of came into contact with the iron and important part of his subsequent Windsor and Eton Rotary Club and steel industry. charitable work was devoted to the Round Table. He returned to Humphreys & the Prince Philip Trust Fund for He was regarded as a tower of Born in Bucharest on 28 October, Glasgow in 1973 as European Sales the Royal Borough of Windsor strength in his work for the Prince 1919, John spent his school days in Director, before taking on the role of and Maidenhead and to his role as Philip Trust, with his engaging style Romania before coming to England Director for development activities a Deputy Lieutenant of the Royal and capacity for getting things in 1937 to read chemical engineering and consultancy. He then remained County of Berkshire. In parallel done. He took leadership roles in at City & Guilds College, graduating at Humphreys and Glasgow until with these later activities, he used major fund-raising events, notably in 1941. He was a life-long member his retirement and, during this time, his knowledge of the construction the Classic Car Rallies on the Long of the Old Centralians, and of he travelled extensively for work, industry for the beneft of several Walk at Windsor and a series of CGCA. including two world trips. He was housing associations through Ascot Race Days. A good leader As one of the earliest chemical often accompanied by Audrey, who membership of their boards of but also a team player, getting results engineers to be trained on a formal sadly died in 2001. directors. He also served as Master through his hard work, charm and undergraduate course in Britain, he John was elected a Fellow of the of the Worshipful Company of tremendous good humour, his went on to be involved in a number IChemE in 1955, and took an active Paviors in the City of London in outstanding contributions will be of ways in the introduction of part in its operations. He supported 2009-10. sadly missed by the trustees. chemical engineering to industry. the Institution’s work through his Born in Ealing in 1944, he lived Andrew also made a huge After graduation, John worked for service on a number of standing with his parents, Hugh and Hillary, contribution as a Deputy Lieutenant, British Industrial Solvents Ltd, which committees, was a member of and brother, Howard, in South always being ready to take on tasks at that time was part of the Distillers Council from 1964-1967, Chairman Australia from 1951 to 1958. He in support of the Lord Lieutenant. Company. He was based at the of the Membership Committee from was educated in Scotch College, Andrew was able to take most company’s Carshalton works where 1976-1977 and – prior to taking on Adelaide, the John Lyon School events in his stride, including the they made a wide range of solvents the Presidency in 1978-79 – was a in Harrow and Imperial College, occasion when, on a rainy day, he and plasticisers in relatively small Joint Honorary Secretary. In 1968, graduating in 1965. found an umbrella in the grounds quantities under the control of the he was awarded the IChemE’s The frst six years of his career of Windsor Castle clearly left by Ministry of Aircraft Production. He Council Medal for his work as were with the civil engineering someone who had watched the started on plant operation as what Chairman of the sub-committee of consultancy, Binnie and Partners. parade of classic cars that afternoon. was then known as a shift chemist the Engineering Practice Committee This provided the experience As he examined it, a voice from a and later went on to become the which produced the ‘Model needed for him to qualify as a window in the castle shouted that it frst Works Chemical Engineer to be Conditions of Contract for Process Chartered Civil Engineer and he belonged to her and that she would employed at the site in that specifc Plant’. worked on major projects including come down and fetch it. Andrew function. It was during this period His involvement in contracting the Mangla Dam in Pakistan and the presented it to the Queen without that he met Audrey, and they were throughout his career led to Plover Cove scheme in Hong Kong. turning a hair. married in 1945. his becoming Chairman of the Having decided that his career Andrew became active within In the same year, they moved to Safety Committee of the British would be best served in the feld the Worshipful Company of Paviors, Cheshire, where John took up a Chemical Engineering Contractors of contracting, he joined Wimpey chairing key committees and position with the Chemical Plant Association. His wish to see in 1972 and flled a number of representing the Livery during his Development Department of Simon- Institution members gain an increasingly important engineering year as Master in 2009-10. In 2015, Carves. Here, he gained his frst increased awareness of the and management roles. Andrew was he was appointed MBE for services experience of plant design and the characteristics of the contracting appointed to the Executive Board of to charity and the community. many other aspects of contracting. industry was evidenced by his George Wimpey plc in 1984. Despite his busy schedule, He became an all-round sulphuric involvement in the production of Andrew moved to Pennsylvania Andrew still allowed time for his acid specialist, being one of the IChemE’s Green & Red Books of in 1993, where he served as CEO favourite hobby of sailing, which he frst people to develop a fowsheet Contract Conditions. and President of Wimpey Minerals, would undertake with a group of incorporating SO3 removal from the During a long retirement, John North America. friends each year. main process gas stream before the enjoyed playing the piano, listening The 1990s were an interesting Andrew died in June, 2020, aged fnal stages of catalytic conversion. to music and playing bridge which and challenging time for Wimpey as 76. He coined a name for the process, gave him a good social life. This the company was transformed from He is survived by his wife Tui, although during his days with the was evident at his 100th birthday a family-owned heavy construction née Cooke, whom he married in company he never saw the process party in October 2019, where he frm to a sharp, lean, proftable 1967 and by his daughter, Tiffany, commercialised – as it was a decade was in his element celebrating with public company specialising in house son-in-law Dominic and grandson, or so before the introduction all his family and many friends. He building. The fnal stage of this was Inigo. He will also be greatly missed of processes of this type, frst in remained reasonably well and the major asset swap negotiated in by his brother, Sir Howard Panter Germany, and then elsewhere. passed away suddenly on 3 April 1996 between Tarmac and Wimpey, and sister-in-law, Dame Rosemary In 1956, John moved back 2020, having lived a long, happy and which resulted in Tarmac taking on Squire. to London to take up a post at fulflled life.
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 33 OBITUARIES ‘Top Banana’ An outstanding Chap GILES EDWARD BAYNHAM more notable achievements included and ongoing support of the Royal JOHN MORTIMER (Mining Eng 1991-95) captaining the RSM RFU 2nds and School of Mines, through the Alumni (Mining Eng 1972 – 75) teaching rugby to four generations Association, the RSMA, that he of Dutch mining engineers from the joined in 1995. Delft school of mines. Giles was Giles was passionate about also a member of the Chaps Club preserving the RSM legacy for future and was a great supporter of all the generations. He was President of activities of the Club. the RSMA between 2003 and 2005 After graduating and rejecting an and in 2010 Giles was awarded the offer to join Rio Tinto in far northern RSMA’s highest honour, the Peter Queensland, Australia, Giles entered Harding Memorial Award. This the mining fnance world. His career was given to Giles in recognition spanned three phases: of his sustained commitment and • the banking/project fnance world outstanding contribution to the In his last student year, John was with NM Rothschild and IBJ/ RSM. It is particularly poignant to elected President of the RSMU. An Mizuho Bank, which took him all note that whilst a student Giles met exemplary President, he encouraged over the globe; and struck up an enduring friendship everyone to get involved in the • the fnancial advisory world with with Peter Harding. They could Union and its many activities. He Endeavour Financial, which also often be seen in the Union Bar was tireless, a natural leader, a true took him all over the planet; swapping stories, laughing and, of gent and an ideal role model for • the mining corporate world course, singing. young students. He behaved in a including Baja Mining (Cu/Co Giles cared about the people way that was an example to all. Mexico), CB Gold (Au, Colombia), who worked for him and depended Like his father, Gerald, John had Fengro (Phosphates, Brazil) and his on him. He was a consummate a long career in mining, specifcally Giles was born on 28 May, 1972. continued and unfinching support champion of the people around him aggregates. One of his more He was a father, husband, engineer, of Aton Resources exploring for and we should not forget his loyalty interesting claims to fame was being banker, director, chairperson, gold in Egypt. and sense of fair play. These traits sent to Port Stanley to run the entrepreneur, and fun-loving soul Giles was involved with and can resulted in direct interventions and quarrying operations to increase and, over multiple adventures, be credited with some signifcant actions which prevented harm and the size of the runway after the demonstrated the larger-than-life achievements over his career. Some avoided unfair treatment of others. Falklands war. individual that he was. of the most notable are: This last could raise his passion The RSM was never far from On the business and professional • the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil and yield sharp comment when he John’s mind and he was instrumental side of life, he was tireless and pipeline, worth 3.8 billion dollar; considered events to be unfair or in collaborating with the Mineral thoughtful. He took the time to • the acquisition of a share in a gold unjust. Resources Engineering Department think through the options and producer in Argentina that was the Giles had a serious distrust of to create a Mine and Quarry option consequences of the various courses cornerstone for the creation of authority, particularly politicians, for fnal year mining students. In of action that presented themselves Goldcorp which has subsequently civil servants and unions. He loved addition, John was heavily involved in his business life. grown to a 70 billion dollar programmes that lampooned such with the Royal School of Mines He had the ability to tease company; people, hence his love of Spitting Association and led this Alumni body out game plans and solutions to • the fnancing of the Kupol gold Image, Black Adder, Monty Python from 1991 to 1992 as President. issues that others did not see and mine in Siberia, half a billion dollars; and, of course, Private Eye. Post mining, John joined the CLA provide the clear guidance on how • Baja Mining, arranging a one billion Giles was one of those bright (then the Country Landowners’ to execute and implement them. dollar deal for their project in lights in our universe – a kind, old soul Association) as Director of the He was a man of wisdom, integrity Mexico; that lit up the life of all he touched. South West Region in 2002. He and vision in a world where these • his role as a founding partner There was always the good- was actively engaged in the running virtues are not always visible. of CB Gold with interests in humoured, fun-loving side of him; of the Association until March 2019 Giles spent four years studying Colombia; a quick wit and quicker riposte. when his health deteriorated. Mining Engineering at the Royal • his role in taking on DuSolo, a He enjoyed his sports, whether it John was also the Chairman of School of Mines and some of his failing fertilizer producer in Brazil be rugby or rugby or rugby, or his the Swindon and Wiltshire Local and turning it true passion in BC: skiing. Many Enterprise Partnership from 2016 around into of his friends and contemporaries having joined the Board in 2015. He Fengro and have their own stories of Giles and was an ardent supporter of LEPs spinning out the his skiing trips. They are all the locally and nationally and champion assets; same: good food, good wine, lots of of all things rural. • and his early laughter and a bit of skiing! A keen gardener, John grew prize and continued Giles was a connoisseur of the winning vegetables of every size and support of Aton world around him. Music, art, cars, colour. Gold. wine, clothes, technology, watches, On 15 September, 2020 John All told, it is books, you name it, he knew the fnally succumbed to the invasive estimated that best, sought the best, was the best. oesophageal cancer that was he had a hand in Along the way he met people, diagnosed some 20 months at least 50 billion he loved people and he created life previously. Despite many associated US$ worth of with his children Abigail and Oliver. and painful setbacks he made the transactions. Giles died on 25 August, 2020 and most of his shortened life and Throughout was laid to rest in Vancouver on 8 remained stoical to the end, never his mining, September, after a small service that losing his wonderful sense of banking was live-streamed. His casket was humour. He is survived by his wife and fnance adorned with his Chaps Club tie. Carole. career, Giles Rest in peace Giles, our friend. He can now rest in peace and maintained a You were a Top Banana and you will will be remembered not least for longstanding be forever loved and forever missed. his embodiment of everything that relationship makes an outstanding Chap.
34 Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 OBITUARIES An exceptional man Warm, gentle and caring
Dr. GEORGE JEFFREY (JEFF) portraits and landscapes with his FRANK CHARLES LEIGHTON Pakistan, South Africa and Brazil HAWKSLEY treasured Leica and developing (Civil Eng 1946-49) among others. (Mech Eng 1969-72) his own flm (commandeering a He later served on the Jeff Hawksley was born in bedroom as a darkroom, much to British Columbia Utilities Sheffeld, on 26 July, 1935 and grew his children’s consternation). Commission. up in the Peak District. His father He retained his love of travel. He Frank met Phyllis was director of Hawksley Stainless, and Mavis made many visits to France Grantham in Vancouver and his mother, a teacher. and, with the Romsey Twinning and it was true love at frst During his childhood, the family group, they made friendships and sight. They were married made regular trips to the coast to connections across Europe. in 1953 and had two alleviate his chronic asthma, instilling On retirement, Jeff went back to children, John and Barbara. in him a love for the sea. sea, but this time sailing with a friend They spent most of Jeff attended Dore village school in a classic wooden-hulled sloop; their lives on Vancouver’s and was awarded a scholarship to ever the engineer, he restored the North Shore. Frank’s King Edward VII school in Sheffeld. engine. international engineering At 16, he began his career in He developed an interest in mills career often meant long engineering, becoming an indentured and waterwheels and was an active absences, so he especially apprentice to the Anglo-Saxon member of local history groups and appreciated returning Petroleum Company (Shell). the International Mills society. home to Phyllis and the Under the Merchant Navy Becoming an expert in the design serenity of his West Apprentice Engineers’ Training of waterwheels and water-lifting Vancouver garden where Scheme, he undertook the Diploma devices, Jeff served as a trustee he spent many happy Course at Bolton Technical College, of the International Molinological hours. with vocational training at Ruston Society Educational Trust, supporting Frank’s love of Hornsby in Lincoln. many aspects of mills and milling, gardening kept him going After qualifying, Jeff went on to particularly in Eastern Europe. Frank was born on 11 December, until the age of 95 when they moved circumnavigate the world many As a member of the Lower 1919 and grew up in Norwich, to a small townhouse in Ocean Park, times, progressing from ffth to Chief Test Valley Archaeological Society, England. At the outbreak of the in 2015. Engineer with companies including Jeff researched and mapped all Second World War, he enlisted with On 27 October, 2019, Frank Shell, United Baltic Corporation and the known waterways and mills the RAF, Air Sea Rescue Marine passed away peacefully in his sleep Christian Salvesen. of Romsey in the 18th and 19th Craft Section. after a brief illness, attended by his Following his marriage to Mavis Centuries. Service took Frank to Malta family throughout his fnal days, less and the birth of his children, Robert His research into the history of where he remained under siege than seven weeks before his 100th and Susan, Jeff came ashore to spend boatbuilding in Romsey led to his for nearly two and a half years, birthday. more time with his family, initially involvement in the identifcation and enduring relentless daily bombings, Predeceased by his wife Phyllis working for the engineering frm preservation by English Heritage of fnally being relieved by the Pedestal – who passed away in 2017 – and Lister Blackstone. one of the few remaining collapsible Convoy a few weeks before sisters Mary and Freda, Frank is He went to night school to obtain lifeboats designed by the Rev. surrender was imminent. He survived by his younger brother an HND in Mechanical Engineering, Edward Berthon. participated in liberating Sicily and Arthur, son John (married to Teri), then started teaching at Stamford Jeff also took up his boyhood post D-Day France. daughter Barbara (and husband Technical College. hobby of woodwork, making a series Frank graduated from Imperial John), fve grandchildren (Heather, He attended Imperial College of accurate working mechanical College, in 1949, with a degree Jennifer, Mark, Ian and Sean), seven (City and Guilds College) as a models based on detailed research in Civil Engineering. He then nieces and nephews in Washington mature student, graduating in of original drawings. His models emigrated to the USA, but soon State and England, as well as 1972 with frst class honours in included overshot and undershot settled in Canada where he joined extended family in the UK, Australia Mechanical Engineering, and was waterwheels, beam engines, and the Vancouver-based frm of Swan and New Zealand. awarded a prize for his outstanding an educational model of a turbine Wooster Engineering, with whom Frank was a warm, gentle and project work and overall work at engine. He also made an exquisite he enjoyed a career of more than caring individual who inspired many Imperial College. precision model of the Berthon 30 years. friends and colleagues – a true To support the family during his lifeboat, which is now housed in Coastal and port engineering gentleman. time at University, Jeff worked at the King John’s House Museum in became his specialty and he He is deeply missed and will be Stamford brickworks and returned Romsey, while other models are on then went on to take those forever remembered by his family, to sea every summer. permanent display at the museum skills internationally, working on friends and neighbours. Subsequent to graduation, Jeff La Planète des Moulins in Luzech, the development of major port took up a post as Senior Lecturer in France. infrastructure projects all over the Provided by his son, John Leighton Marine Technology at Southampton Jeff was an exceptional man, world: Indonesia, Central America, College of Higher Education (now kind, generous, hardworking and a Solent University), moving to live perfectionist. in Romsey, Hampshire. He was Jeff died on 25 March 2020 and IN BRIEF also visiting Lecturer at Warsash is survived by his wife, Mavis, his College of Nautical Studies, and brother, Peter, children, Robert WILLIAM HENRY GORDON Institution of Electrical Engineers in at the University of Southampton, and Susan, fve grandchildren and a PARKER 1956, and Fellowship in 1983. where he studied for his Doctorate, great-grandchild. (Elec Eng 1943-48) William was latterly a property awarded in 1980. His research He was much loved and respected William Parker was born on 17 developer and, up to retirement, speciality was thermodynamics, and by family, friends and colleagues and June 1926. was Managing Director of WG his PhD thesis explored combustion, will be sorely missed. He studied Electrical Engineering Parker (Builders) Limited, of Keinton noise and performance prediction at City & Guilds College between Mandeville, Somerset. of high-speed turbo-charged diesel Provided by his daughter, 1943 and 1948 and was a long-term William died on 10 March 2018, engines. Sue Hawksley member of CGCA. aged 91 and was survived by his wife Jeff pursued many other passions After graduation, William Jemima. throughout his life. He was a practised as an Electrical Engineer, keen photographer, taking mainly achieving membership of the
Imperial ENGINEER Autumn 2020 35