Mechanical Engineers bring fire tornados and robots to the Imperial Festival

Hazelab group leader Guillermo Rein with fire whirl Sirocco

The 2017 Imperial Festival is right around the corner, and Mechanical Engineering researchers are preparing many exciting displays.

Here are just some of the things you can expect to see and experience on 6 and 7 May:

The Hazelab team are displaying a real fire tornado named Sirocco, albeit a contained one, as a small-scale demonstration of extreme fire behaviour. At their booth, you’ll find out more about how the Great Fire of London spread, and how a fire on-board may have contributed to the sinking of the Titanic.

Soraia Pimenta with visitors at a previous Imperial Festival

This year, the Festival opens an entirely new area called the Food Zone, and that’s where you’ll find researchers from our Soft Solids group, showcasing their food-focused work through activities and games. Do you think you can match food items with images of their microstructure? Can you guess which cheese is low fat in a blind taste test?

The booth of the Composites group, led by Dr Soraia Pimenta, will feature many kid-friendly activities, and let you make your own composites on the spot. You will be able to put composites to the test, and see for yourself that they are lighter and yet stronger than metals.

Drop by the booth of the Biomechanics group for the latest developments in biomaterials and medical devices. You’ll get to interact with 3D printing pens and bouncy bio-glass.

There will be other things for visitors to see, including robots and turbofan aero-engines, so make sure you don't miss the Festival!