Student Water Turbine Competition

Student Teams Compete for Cash Prizes in Water Turbine Competition

In February 2024, the COE/E held a Water Turbine Design and Manufacturing Competition in collaboration with Ain Shams University for 43 multidisciplinary student groups in the mechanical engineering program. The primary objective of the competition was to enable students to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical context, thereby deepening their understanding of concepts learned in the machine elements design, fluid mechanics and turbomachinery courses. This competition is among the center’s efforts to foster innovative teaching methods and enhance the relevance and quality of partnering universities’ energy degree programs. The students were tasked with designing and manufacturing a water turbine capable of converting kinetic energy from a water stream into electrical energy.

Students submitted a written report, a water turbine prototype to be tested on the competition day, and marketing brochures highlighting the turbine’s unique specifications.  The judging criteria focused on achieving the highest electric power output and turbine efficiency as well as criteria such as the weight of the prototype, neat and compact design, the quality of the manufacturing, and the fits between turbine parts. COE/E awarded cash prizes as well as bonus marks and weeks counting toward students’ mandatory on-the-job training.

Additional prizes recognized best innovation, best manufacturing, and best marketing brochure. The winning water turbine demonstrated an impressive 60% efficiency and scalability to larger sizes. The innovation in the team’s turbine design was in its rapid maintenance capabilities.  The Water Turbine Competition proved to be an innovative and beneficial educational tool in renewable energy engineering, inspiring students to engage more deeply with their coursework and use critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills.