YPPC winner 2017 announced

IGEM Young Persons Paper Competition 2017 winner announced

The winner of the IGEM Young Persons Paper Competition 2017 (YPPC) is Matthew Maclennan, a mechanical design engineer who developed a smart pressure sensor that can send live data to a user's phone, or direct to an office database.

Matthew was one of nine finalists who won regional section heats to gain their places in the event at IET Austin Court in Birmingham. The contestants gave presentations on a range of innovative projects they had led, or been involved with.

Ideas ranged from a new system to repair gas pipe leaks in Hong Kong's overcrowded utilities system, to minimising disruption to customer gas supply after failure of a major valve, to use of CT scanning technology to review pipeline integrity, to a smart switching system that reduces costs to consumers by basing supply on wholesale energy prices.

A team of judges from across the gas industry read detailed reports of the projects then listened to the presentations before making their choice. Matthew's prize is a trip to Washington DC to attend the World Gas Conference 2018. He also received an iPad Mini and will have his name engraved on the IGEM YPPC trophy, with a small replica trophy to keep.

Before joining Bradford-on-Avon based Steve Vick International, Matthew worked for GKN Aerospace. His presentation described the inception and development of a high accuracy digital pressure gauge that sends data via Bluetooth to the operator's phone, or other smart device, making essential information available quickly and easily.

First runner up was Nick Martin representing the Midlands Section, mechanical engineer at Premtech Ltd and his paper Project CLoCC: Customer Low Cost Connections. Second runner up was Trixie Pomares of North West Section, a consultant at DNV GL, with her paper Conceptual Design of a Mobile Gas Processing Facility. They both won a Kindle Fire.

The other finalists were: Far East Section - Raymond Mung, The Hong Kong & China Gas Co Ltd, Rita Chiu, The Hong Kong & China Gas Co Ltd; New Zealand Branch - Rob Kulkarni, First Gas Ltd; North East and Yorkshire Section - Jennifer Briddon, Tracerco; Scottish Section - Matthew Skeoch, SGN; Wales Section - Oliver Lancaster, Wales & West Utilities.

On behalf of the judges IGEM President Sheila Lauchlan said: "All of the presentations today have been fantastic. Personally I have been blown away by the quality of the papers and the presenters. At the IGEM's Annual General Meeting when I took over as President I said that I really believe the gas industry has a great future.  The presentations today and the quality demonstrated by our YPN members proves that. "IGEM's YPPC is held every year and is open to anyone aged 35 and under who works in or alongside the gas industry.

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