What Can I Expect in an HVAC Industrial Placement?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around expectations for a student engineering placement in HVAC at Wozair, focusing on the type of work involved, the roles of different engineering positions, and experiences related to starting such a placement. The scope includes insights from industry professionals and advice for navigating the initial days of the placement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster seeks clarity on what tasks to expect during their placement, referencing a job description that includes engineering schedules, calculations, testing, and software development.
  • One participant, an HVAC engineer, suggests that the tasks listed are straightforward and that the company will likely provide training, emphasizing the importance of adapting to being a newcomer.
  • The same participant describes their role in systems design and how it relates to selecting equipment based on project requirements.
  • The original poster expresses confusion about the role of project engineers and seeks clarification on whether this title is common or specific to Wozair.
  • Another participant confirms that "project engineer" is a generic title and indicates that the role could encompass a wide range of responsibilities within the company.
  • The original poster inquires about what to expect on the first day, expressing nervousness about starting the placement.
  • A later reply humorously suggests that the first day may involve mundane tasks like making coffee and following others around, reflecting a common experience for interns.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the tasks involved in the placement will be manageable and that training will be provided. However, there is uncertainty regarding the specific responsibilities associated with the title of project engineer and the nature of the first day experience, with differing opinions on what to expect.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in understanding the exact nature of the tasks and roles due to the variability in engineering titles and responsibilities across different companies. The discussion reflects a range of experiences and expectations that may not be universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering placements in HVAC or related engineering fields, as well as those interested in understanding the dynamics of starting an engineering internship.

JaredJames
Messages
2,822
Reaction score
22
Right, not sure where this should go exactly but feel free to re-locate if necessary.

I'm starting a placement as a student engineer in July with a company which specializes in HVAC for industry. I am currently doing a degree in Aerospace Engineering (BEng Hons).

Basically, all I want to know is if anyone has any idea what I can expect. Any ideas on the type of work I will be doing? Whether from experience with HVAC or just a student placement in general.

Here is the description of the job I was given:
WOZAIR
Wozair design and manufacture Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Equipment for the Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Marine, Nuclear and Process Industries.
The UK headquarters for Wozair are based in Gillingham in Kent
There is a placement opportunity with Wozair for an undergraduate student to work within the projects engineering department assisting engineers with day to day tasks including:
Production of engineering schedules and documentation
Structural and pressure drop calculations
Functional and acceptance testing of manufactured equipment
Modifying and updating and developing excel based manufacturing/engineering software.
For further details of Wozair please look at their website: www.wozair.com

I was just wondering if anyone could elaborate and give me a better idea of exactly what I can expect. Anyone done a similar HVAC placement or any relevant placement they can give me advice from?

I'm not worried about the work (once I know what it is, it's bound to be relevant to my course), but I really don't want to be blind-sided on my first day/week on something simple because I'm not fully sure of what I'm supposed to be doing.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
I'm an HVAC engineer. I design the systems, as opposed to the equipment.

As an intern, I'm not sure what they'll actually have you do, but the task list you have there is relatively straightforward and much of it they should be able to teach you. Don't worry about being a complete newbie. You can't avoid that and you'll need to be able to deal with that gracefully.

The purpose of the job is likely basically sales engineering. Systems design engineers (me) call you and to help select a piece of equipment for their projects. They give you requirements (airflow, pressure, cooling and heating capacity) and you figure out the exact sizing (which fan, what speed it needs to run at, how much energy it uses, etc.) and put together design drawings and performance tables.
 
Many thanks for that response. Just one thing though, I was skimming through their website and noticed they have project engineers, sales engineers and a development engineer. I was told in the interview I would be working under the senior project engineers. I don't know what that means aside from the task list given. Is project engineer a common title or just something for this company?
 
Well, looking on the website, it appears they do the entire range of services from the design and manufacture of the equipment to the design and even installation of the systems themselves. Yes, "project engineer" is a generic title (it is mine), and in this case, could mean anything along the entire range of their engineering services. You may be doing a similar job to mine, you may be designing custom equipment. Dunno, exactly.
 
Hi, sorry to bring this up again, but what sort of thing can I expect on the first day? I'm just a bit nervous and wondering if anyone has had any experience with student placements and what the first few days are like.
 
jarednjames said:
Hi, sorry to bring this up again, but what sort of thing can I expect on the first day?
You'll probably make a lot of coffee and copies, and spend a lot of time staring at an empty computer screen when you aren't following someone around like a lost puppy.
 
Good good, what I wanted!:biggrin:
 

Similar threads

Physics How hard is it to get a job in the semiconducter industry?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Where can I find resources for becoming an HVAC engineer?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
5K
What are the key considerations for designing a chilled water system?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
10K
Need advice and hints for working with helium
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
Engineering What kind of engineers work in the semiconductor industry?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
8K
How can I get my prototype made?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Engineering Use voltage nodal analysis to solve for the current flowing in this AC circuit
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Recommendations for good Industrial Engineering books
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
UK Student Seeking Summer Placement Advice
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Job Skills Physics Careers: Expectations vs. Reality
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
4K