Meltdown!

1. Challenge Information Meltdown! Year 8

2. Scenario Robot Challenge Nuclear power A large amount of the energy produced in the UK is generated in nuclear power stations. The fuel rods in the reactor have to be changed from time to time. In the event of a disaster like the one in Japan the rods need to be moved to cooling ponds. Your task is to prevent a meltdown of the nuclear reactor by designing and making a robot to move the rods to a cooling pond…. Safely! In this exciting group work activity, teams will compete to build and test a robot to remotely move fuel rods in a nuclear power station. The brief is to design and build a robot that is controlled from within a Control Zone (safe area). The robot must move fuel rods/containers from the “Danger Zone” to the “Cooling Safety Zone”. The robot must stand on the floor within the Control Zone The robot must be controlled by hand…hands must stay within the Control Zone. Every team will present to the whole group! The presentation can take any form you want… PowerPoint, Keynote, video, posters, talk… etc. The presentation should last no more than 4 minutes. Everyone should take part… in some way It should include…. • Your team details, a logo and slogan. • Evidence of your design work • Photographs/pictures/drawings of the finished robot • Evidence of testing and how effectively the robot worked. • Your findings from the research activity. Presenting Your Work Testing and Judging • Your Robot • The aim of the testing process is to test your robot. We are going to test the robot by seeing how many fuel rods can be safely moved within a 3 minute period • Your robots will be tested according to three criteria: • Number of fuel rods moved. • Safety (Number of times hands stray out of the Control Zone). • Ease of use/effectiveness Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

3. Research Activity Where do I start? • Choose one of these areas to research and add into your presentation: • Something of your own choice… but it must be negotiated with a mentor/teacher. • Or…. • How is electricity generated in a (nuclear) power station? • Energy use in the UK. • Local energy… new nuclear power station- Hinckley C • Fukushima… a nuclear crisis. • A green alternative. • Key Points • What type of robot? • What materials do you have at my disposal? • How will you build the robot? • How will you organise your team? • When you have a design for your robot will you form your own production line in order to construct all the elements necessary for the robot? • Who in the team is going to assemble the final robot? Give yourselves an identity…. • Team name • Logo • Slogan or strapline. Your Team Got a Mobile Device? To successfully complete the challenge you will need to work as a team. You will need to organise …. • Apps • Use it for your presentation? • Use it for research? • Use it for designing? • Use it to record your progress? • Are there any useful apps? Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

4. Top Tips Useful websites • Check out the problem/brief… what does it require you to do? • Organise your team… share out the responsibilities. • Check the materials available to you. • Brainstorm some first design ideas • Make some tests to check materials strength etc • Keep evidence of all your work… you will need it for your presentation! http://www.technologystudent.com/ http://www.designandtech.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_Kingdom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_the_United_Kingdom http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24823641 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_energy http://www.altenergy.org/ Give yourselves an identity…. • Team name • Logo • Slogan or strapline. Numeracy? Where do I start? To successfully complete the challenge you will need to work as a team. You will need to organise …. Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

5. Apps GTS - Future Energy By twnkls augmented reality IEA Key World Energy Statistics By International Energy Agency Nuclear Sites Free By Frontier Code Nuclear Power Plants - Atomkraft By Michael Hoereth GridCarbon By University of Southampton Only download apps if you have permission! These are a few useful apps for your research and presentation. There are many others available. Use the search facility on the app store to find them. Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

6. Apps… BrainPOP A great source of information for your research is the BrainPOP app. Try doing a search for “Energy” to get you started. Sign in with username “Clevedon” and Password “Brainpop” for full access to the videos, quizzes etc. Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

7. Collecting & Presenting information How will you collect and present information? • We will test to see how successfully our robot works • We will work out how many fuel rods are moved to the safe area in a set time. • We will work out if there is any other important information needed for our presentation. • How will you collect the data of not just your group but all the groups? • How will you present the results? Raw data or a more visual method? Don’t forget to take photos of the testing!!!! Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

8. Materials A few of the materials available to your team are shown here. Check to see what you have been given. You can also use other materials…. Just ask!! ? Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

9. Making Tips • Plan out your design on paper first…. Use your workbook • Make sure your measurements are accurate! • Don’t just make the first thing you think of. • Take care when making your robot– it will make it stronger. The grids in your workbook help you plan and measure your designs… accuracy is important! Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

10. Making Tips Cutting 8mm wood strips Use it for 90 degree cuts Use it for 45 degree cuts Using a bench hook will help you cut accurately AND protect the table/bench!!! Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

11. Making Tips Joining 8mm wood strips Make sure joints are a good fit. Apply a small amount of glue to the joint. Use a staple gun to staple across the corner on both sides OR…. • Make sure joints are a good fit. • Apply a small amount of glue to the joint. • Glue card “corners” onto the frame to strengthen the joint. • Allow time for the glue to dry before handling Staple here (on both sides) Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk

12. Making Tips A good way to join two straws. A place the two straws next to each other B loop a 20mm piece of masking tape around the two pieces. C with another small piece of tape loop it around the straw as show. D This should provide a string join. *You may need to trim the width of the tape if it is too wide. Clevedon School – Valley Road – Clevedon – N. Somerset www.clevedonschool.org.uk