An Insightful Edge from a New Employee
An Insightful Edge from a New Employee - AE Smith
A special collaboration between an engineering student and AE Smith has resulted in high academic praise, better designs and a new employment opportunity |
| “It’s such an important part of supporting our industry,” comments AE Smith’s Queensland Engineering Manager, Mark Jacobson on the decision to mentor engineering student (and now AE Smith Project Engineer) George Sundac to complete a thesis with the Queensland University of Technology. The collaboration identified a highly specific area worthy of thesis investigation that would have very practical outcomes for the industry - the Effects of Interaction between Duct Fittings on Overall Duct System Resistance. The motivation behind selecting this specialised and complicated area became simple once student and mentor had agreed the resulting research would be beneficial to the HVAC industry: “There was such little published data on the interaction effects between multiple duct fittings in close proximity.” “The aim of my thesis was to find through experimentation the significance of these interaction effects and the ways in which they affect a ductwork system,” comments George. While the thesis study was challenging in terms of time management and tackling such a particular issue, the results were a great reward. Not only did George’s thesis earn him a high distinction, the outcomes from the intense research will be of benefit to help reduce costs associated with duct systems and fans – an important facet of the HVAC industry. Plus, George has just accepted a full time role as a Project Engineer at AE Smiths’ Brisbane office. “Working with students and encouraging the future of our industry always has very exciting results and it’s integral to staying innovative,” adds AE Smith’s Mark Jacobson who sees future potential in continuing the research started by George. Meanwhile, George Sundac is looking forward to learning and contributing more to AE Smith in his role: “It’s a company with a range of exciting projects, a great team and an interesting program of social activities – so I’m really pleased to have accepted the position.” |
