Maritime innovative projects of youth from technical schools in Pomerania
By Young designers and constructors from technical schools met on Friday and presented technical projects related to the maritime industry. The Pomeranian Regional Chamber of Commerce invited technical schools to engage students in the “Together to the Profession” competition. This competition is part of the Pomeranian “Regional Support for Vocational Education” program.
In the competition, dominated by the maritime economy, selected teams were invited to the Technical School Complex in Sopot. Five groups of students were selected to present their ideas.
It turned out that the technical school students had not only prepared ideas. They developed and presented interesting and mature technical solutions. They employed design software and innovative design techniques. 3D printing equipment was used to create the projects. The results are encouraging, and in some cases, the proposals are advanced, unique, and innovative.
Students from the Vocational Training Center in Tczew began the project. Kacper Olszak, Igor Filbrandt, and Kacper Przybyszewski presented a model of the container terminal’s quay. The students emphasized its educational function, noting that their “model reflects the operation of a container terminal and can be used in education and the promotion of maritime affairs.”
The design schematically depicts a complete terminal with a quay for container ships, storage yards, and warehouses for completing containers. The storage yards were adjacent to a railway line, allowing for the creation of block trains. The complete set lacked quay cranes and cranes for loading containers onto railway platforms. However, the students promised that this was only the beginning and that the terminal design would be further developed and expanded.
The entire project was aesthetically pleasing using 3D printers. The project was recognized by the RIGP Competition Committee because, as the students themselves emphasized, participating in the design of logistics facilities “develops technical, design, and organizational skills through the comprehensive implementation of a model.” It should also be added that it develops conceptual and teamwork skills.
Students from the Vocational Education Center in Tczew with certificates from the “Together for the Profession” competition. Photo: Marek Grzybowski
Safe Sea Route
A team of students from the E. Kwiatkowski District Education Center in Lębork undertook this ambitious task. The “Safe Sea Route” project was presented by Martyna Kończyńska, Zuzanna Klein, Nikola Baranowska, and Zosia Czoska-Terman, with strong male support provided by Robert Downar-Zapolski.
Zuzanna explained that “The project involves the creation of a digital system for real-time vessel traffic monitoring. It integrates technologies such as AIS, radar, and GPS to increase navigation safety and reduce the number of accidents.”
The project’s authors emphasized that “The solution supports the development of smart ports and the effective management of maritime transport.” The project’s environmental impact was also important. The students emphasized the need to reduce harmful ship emissions and eliminate pollution of the marine environment from machinery noise and ship traffic.
The “Safe Sea Route” project by students from the E. Kwiatkowski District Educational Center in Lębork. Photo: Marek Grzybowski
The system developed by students from the E. Kwiatkowski District Educational Center in Lębork analyzes data and pinpoints the location of threats based on sound waves and information from other sources (GPS, AIS). Using modern technology, the ship’s captain or skipper can bypass obstacles or avoid collisions. The team, using a 3D printing system, supported the presentation with original visualizations.
For Clean Lakes and Rivers
“Mobile Vessel for Measuring Pollution in Water Bodies” is a project by students from Technical School No. 3 in Malbork. Kacper Bogusławski, Cezary Gołębiowski, and Cezary Dwulat designed and built an unmanned boat with equipment for measuring the aquatic environment. They explained that the idea arose because one of the students is a fisherman. Changes in water temperature, chemical contamination, or changing conditions immediately negatively impact fish.
The practical utility of this solution is beyond doubt. The students from Malbork emphasized that Poland has 7,100 lakes larger than 1 hectare and 140,000 artificial reservoirs. We have over 1,100 named rivers. Including streams, there are 150,000 of them, including 26,000 over 10 km long. To justify the project, its authors illustrated their presentation with photos of schools of dead fish on the Oder River.
Research boat project by students of Technical School No. 3 in Malbork. Photo: Marek Grzybowski
“The project involved building a remotely controlled research boat to monitor water quality in hard-to-reach places,” Kacper explained. “The vessel is equipped with sensors measuring pH, temperature, and flow, among other things, and the data is transmitted for analysis,” Cezary added. “The solution supports environmental protection and the development of modern water monitoring technologies,” another Cezary emphasized.
The students emphasized that the project is ongoing. Their AquaTech research boat will in the future be equipped with water turbidity level sensors, dissolved oxygen meters, and heavy metal detectors. The system can be expanded, as the presented IT system that processes the data runs as a smartphone app. It is user-friendly and easy to use. In the future, it will be integrated with GPS. Navigation and research along a pre-programmed route will also be possible.
Power from Wind and Sea Currents
“Flowing Energy” is a project by students from the Mechanical and Logistics School Complex in Słupsk. Adam Golik, Brajan Czesławski, and Adam Siembruch, under the supervision of Milena Ginko, M.Sc., presented an offshore wind turbine supported by an integrated power plant utilizing sea currents.
“The project presents an innovative approach to increasing the efficiency of offshore wind turbines by utilizing additional energy sources, including hydropower,” explains Brajan. The students developed a model combining LEGO technologies, 3D printing, and electronics. Adam Golik explained that the students were inspired to work on this type of solution by the growing offshore wind farm industry. The construction of offshore wind farms near Łeba provided a significant impetus for moving from the initial phase of interest to their own project.
It’s important to note that the students from the Słupsk School of Mechanical and Logistics went further than many wind farm designers. They drew inspiration from solutions such as EcoWave Power and similar solutions. Let us recall that the Polish company participated in the construction of the first power plant using sea waves, and model tests for the Danish customer were performed at the Ship Technology Center.
A wind turbine and marine current turbine project by students from the Mechanical and Logistics School Complex in Słupsk. Photo: Marek Grzybowski
The LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 package and 3D printing technology helped to create the structure. All fixed and moving components of the wind turbine and water turbine were manufactured using printers. Sensors allow for simulation of the turbine’s operation and its alignment at the appropriate angle to the projected wind direction. “The solution demonstrates the potential for increasing energy production and supports the development of the maritime economy,” emphasize the project’s authors.
Offshore Monitoring
“Offshore Monitoring” is a system developed by another team of students from the Mechanical and Logistics School Complex in Słupsk. Szymon Sałapata, Jędrzej Strzelczyk, and Michał Chomicz set out to design a system for planning offshore wind farm maintenance. Using the well-known Gantt schedule and an IT program, they developed an efficient tool to support the planning of maintenance and repairs for offshore wind farm installations.
“The project involves creating a simulation application to support offshore wind farm maintenance planning,” explains Jędrzej. “The tool uses algorithms and data analysis to optimize the operation of service vessels and minimize costs and downtime,” says Michał. “The solution is important for the energy transition and the development of the offshore sector,” explains Szymon, explaining the program’s development.
“Offshore Monitor” by students from the Mechanical and Logistics School Complex in Słupsk. Photo: Marek Grzybowski
The application combines simulation, algorithms, and visualization, making it user-friendly for those programming offshore wind farm equipment maintenance and eliminating conflicts between service teams and vessels.
“Together for the Profession” is a project aimed at students of vocational schools – technical schools and vocational schools of the first degree – implemented by the Pomeranian Regional Chamber of Commerce as part of its support for the development of vocational education. Its goal is to build cooperation between students, schools, and employers, and to foster development in key industries such as transport, logistics, and warehousing.
The presented projects demonstrated that students from Pomeranian technical schools are up-to-date with the development of new technologies and are interested in utilizing innovation. Importantly, they have the potential to create interesting projects and implement them using new technologies, including IT and 3D printing. This is the shortest conclusion from the evaluation of the projects carried out by the Competition Committee, headed by Damian Mucha, president of the board of the Pomeranian Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The “Together for the Profession” Competition Committee of the Pomeranian “Regional Support for Vocational Education” program, sector: Maritime Economy. Photo: Marek Grzybowski