Read on to find out what placement students from 2006 and 2007 have had to say about working at RWE npower.
Yan Qing Cao:
'A great opportunity to experience the world of work first hand. My project is to find the most efficient plant for capturing carbon dioxide in power station flue gas. I researched and simulated various carbon capturing technologies in a simulation scheme called Promax. I simulated the whole chain from capturing the carbon dioxide up to liquefaction and storage. I looked at the effect of using different solvents for carbon capture as well as flue gas compositions and plant layouts on the overall energy requirement. I simulated combinations of the above variables to analyse the overall system put together and which system will have the highest potential savings. Data obtained from my work will be used as technical evidence which will enable the company to make the best decision on carbon capture.'
Jonathan Marriott (Manager): 'Yan’s work has made a significant contribution to the company’s knowledge of CO2 capture technology and has explored the capabilities of the modelling software.'
Sabbir Siddat:
'I’ve been shocked, pleasantly surprised, at how this year has turned out. They actually appreciated the work I’m doing and I’ve had the opportunity to work in high level projects. This year has been close to perfect. Using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics code Ansys CFX, my main role is to model gas dispersion and fluid flow for a variety of plant applications. The modelling work would typically be followed up with the writing of a formal report and possibly a presentation to the customer. Typically I work simultaneously on several different projects with deadlines ranging from a few days to several months. Having recently switched to this code I am also asked to explore different features of the problems and documents how to use them. This role involves working with different people for each project. That may be working with colleagues from my own team, someone from one of our plants, or with an external customer.'
Daniel Barron:
'Working at RWE npower has provided me with skills and abilities that I can take on with me to future jobs and an experience that I'll never forget. Despite a rather steep learning curve, I believe this experience has benefited me and will look excellent on my CV and application to university. I have been tasked with introducing a new piece of equipment into common use at the Fuel Characterisation Labs in Swindon. My responsibilities have included finding suppliers, ensuring continued operation and forming documentation to ensure the continued operation of this equipment. The equipment will be eventually used to combat our emissions by biomass and coal-burning power stations, by allowing us to better match coals to stations. This will result in more efficient combustion and thus fewer emissions. Another aspect of my work has been to assist other laboratory staff in general analysis work, maintaining instruments and dealing with materials to British Standard specifications - QA is major aspect of my work here.'
