Busy Bee

Over the last 3 weeks since returning from Nepal I have hardly stopped. I completed 36 experiments over 2 weeks, looking at the extremes again, this time with angle included. To get to 30 degrees angle, I had to make a few alterations to the rig, as I wasn't able to get the jet into the cup from the original position. It also showed me a simple way of moving the position of the jet in the cup. Previously I had been moving the jet itself up and down, and had to ensure each side was at the correct angle and the cross beams were level, but I found I could move the wheel up and down, so I could keep the jet in the same position. This has saved me time and a lot of hassle. Sometimes I wish I saw these simple things before though...

From these tests, I've found that both 10 and 20 degree inclination angles of the jet produce a good efficiency, and that aiming towards the top of the cup is best for these. I also did some optimisation tests, culminating in doing 11 tests in my final day at uni - a very long and tiring day, but this meant that I have found the optimum position for the jet in the cup, and now should be able to get a good consistent efficiency from it. Hopefully now the main part of the testing is complete, there may be a few tests left to do, but the main part is done, fingers crossed!

Testing in the hydrolab

As well as testing, I've been working on the paper for the Renewable Energy Journal. Although it is based on conference paper from WREC, I have had to modify it, so it is more of a coherent story. Also, the journal allows us to give more details of the analysis and background to the research in the paper. I have had a lot of help from Julian in this - he said he was in paper writing mode - which has been fantastic, as he has had many papers published in Renewable Energy, as well as other journals, so can add his experience of this. It's now just about ready to go, I'm just waiting for the formal invite.

Outside uni, in the three weekends there have been, I've not been in Bristol at all. The first weekend I went home to Cornwall to see my parents, who I hadn't seen for a long time. I had a great time at home, even if was just for a short while. We went for a wander up on the moor and Mum cooked a roast. What more do you need from a trip home - apart from maybe your clothes washed for you!

This was then followed by 2 weddings. The first was Olly's wedding in Sevenoaks, who I went to Paris with at the beginning of June. I was one of the three best men, and had the responsibility of holding the ring - very very scary - and making a speech. The speech went OK, principally because I decided not to force too many jokes into it. Olly had asked me to do a little in French as well, he was marrying a French girl, but I decided that my French was not up to scratch and so gave a translation for all the French people (thanks Google!). So, I'm sorry Olly that I didn't speak any French, something I felt bad about when everyone else who gave speeches spoke both languages. Olly had all the men dressed in Ascot Morning Suits, which sadly involved a top hat. I looked very silly as you can see below. It was, however, a really good day, and I was very glad to share it with Olly and Aurelie.

Posing for photos at Olly's wedding

Me in the top hat (yes, I know I can't smile with my teeth very well hence the strained grin, sometimes I feel like Chandler in Friends!)

The second wedding was a friend of Hannah's from her undergraduate course. This was out to the north of Bristol, about an hours drive away. Hannah's friend, Rachel, was a wedding planner, and so her wedding was of course very well done. The little church they were married in was a beautiful little country church, and the reception was in the venue that Rachel worked. Again, it was a really fun day, but I have to say at the end of it I was very glad to sleep!

Rachel and her husband Chris

And now, I'm off to Nepal again. This time for a month. I'm hoping to get back to Ilam to see how Amchowk is now with electricity. I'm also planning on meeting up with a few NGOs to have a chat about some pico hydro projects they're interested in, and hope to visit a few current and potential sites whilst I'm there too. And, of course, visit my adopted family there, see Bibek hopefully and get to travel around a bit, and relax.

Photo from Amchowk last year

Relaxing Nepali times are ahead!

SAM