Academic News

In a previous post, we talked about how Aerodynamics decide the shape of the car body. Since that shape is essential, the other components are system are designed from there.

Shell has specific rules on the car weight, length, width and height. None of the parts can be on the outside of the car, at all.

1. h) None of the body dimensions above must be achieved by design singularities such as ‘stuck-on’ appendages or cut-outs

(Shell Eco-marathon 2016 Global Rules)

The frame, brakes, electrical, and steering must fit inside the car body (the pod), while allowing space for the driver. Their combined weight must add up to no more than the weight maximum of the rules. This includes a minimum driver weight of 140 kg. Since less weight mean less energy, all teams want their driver very close to that number. It’s another tough challenge, but knowing what percent of the weight the driver will take up allows us to consider the other components weights with respect to it.

The driver also has to be able to see! That’s not so easy to adjust for. Keeping the streamlined shape while adding in the cars various systems makes it a tight fit inside. The driver can’t sit up straight, they must be reclined, conforming to the width and height of the rules.

There’s no door to get in or out. Prototype teams design the pod to split in half along the horizontal. It’s the best method for fabricating and eliminating cracks along the side of the body (which can aversely affect aerodynamics.) 

Here’s a visual of how the driver and components are organized in prototype cars:

École Polytechnique, Montréal

Monday October 31st was no ordinary clinical day for the CP7 students. The Pediatric clinical students and instructors got into the spirit of Halloween and brought smiles to their young patients’ faces by wearing costumes that either replaced or supplemented their usual RRC Nursing uniforms! Thanks to all the participating students and instructors for their good “spirits”!!!

19 instructors of the Red River Faculty went back into the classroom in August…as Students! Most participants were new or almost new members of the RRC Staff from all over Southern Manitoba. On the agenda: best practices for teachers of Adult Learners. Most instructors will be enrolling in, or have already enrolled in the Certificate Program. Thanks to Theresa, Judy, Doug and our panels of experts (expert students and expert instructors) for helping all these new instructors to ease their way into the classroom.

Third year BN students from the Epidemiology and Illness Prevention course presented posters on various topics to their peers, faculty, and the larger college community. The poster presentations took place on October 26th in the library hallway. Students invited anyone passing by to take a minute and learn about these important health topics.

The posters are part of a class assignment in which students choose a prevention related topic. While there are some guidelines for the information, students showcased their creativity and ingenuity in the way they presented that information. Each group created unique posters, pamphlets, and visual aides to get their message across. One group titled their poster after an Ice Cube song (check yourself before you wreck yourself) to promote awareness about motor vehicle collisions. Another group created a ‘bra pong’ game (which I was terrible at!) to promote awareness about breast cancer.

Focused on various topics, the posters looked at awareness and prevention of injury such as motor vehicle collisions, sexually transmitted diseases through condom use such as syphilis, and diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, melanoma, and breast cancer. Students also handed out pamphlets created with a specific level of health literacy to ensure that the message was accessible to a wider audience.

The instructors of the course, Sonia, Ana, and Winona, encourage their students to talk to their peers and learn from each other. When students weren’t discussing their own posters with people passing by, they were over at another poster learning from their classmates. All the students did a fantastic job not only creating the posters but engaging their audience in order to spread a very important message about awareness and prevention.

The first rule about aerodynamics is it’s a sub-field of fluid dynamics.

And we talk about it; a lot.

In the prototype class aerodynamics are the rule. The entire body of the car is made with the aim to decrease air resistance. We want the air to go right over our driver’s head, down the tail of the car and behind it (where our opponents will be)

The outline of the car body is based on a classic ‘tear-drop’ shape; the most aerodynamic shape for anything slower than the speed of sound. We use that shape to tell the air where to go.

Telling the air where to go

The air should flow easily around the car. The upper streams should meet the lower streams at the tail to smoothly glide away.

Here’s the first draft of our Team’s car:

The shape is similar to a passenger airplane, or the perimeter shape of an airplane wing; and a bit like a shark without fins (sharks can keep their fins)

So Streamy!

That’s the short and fun explanation of why that body shape is chosen. Next post we’ll be sharing more about the Electric Prototype class and its design constraints. Check back soon and often!

What is the Shell-Eco-marathon?

It’s an annual design competition that pits contestants from schools around the world to fabricate the most energy efficient vehicles possible. Our team will represent your college in the North America’s Division, which takes place in Detroit in 2018

Who are we?

Our team is a group of Mechanical Engineering Technology students who love machines! So we’ve started a blog to share our experience of designing an electric car with you.

We’ll be posting regular updates on our progress, challenges and all of the new things we learn while working on this project.

Check back soon and often to see what we’ve been up to!

At an open meeting in January 2014, the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM) announced that it had to change its mandate in response to the incoming Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA). The CRNM would continue in its regulatory role in protecting the public via standards of care and defining nurses’ roles and responsibilities. It was, however, unable to maintain its mandate to represent the profession of nursing. It also would no longer be able to advocate on behalf of the health of people living in Manitoba, could not be the jurisdictional member on the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Board of Directors and, most importantly, it would no longer be able to act as the “professional voice” for nurses in the province. In other words, the voice of RNs in Manitoba was potentially going to become silent.

With the passing of the RHPA, CRNM would be prohibited from collecting fees for another body (i.e. CNA). The government of the day also identified that CRNM could not participate in lobbying activities similar to those of CNA. Thus CRNM jurisdictional CNA membership could not be maintained. It was felt that a potential conflict of interest could occur if the CRNM advocated for nurses while continuing to provide professional liability. The CRNM mandate to protect the public, thus providing this coverage, while at the same time investigating and enforcing disciplinary actions in situations where the CRNM mandate of maintaining public protection was challenged could result in a perceived conflict of interest.

The Manitoba RN Network (MRNN) was created with the purpose of exploring the need, mandate, and feasibility of establishing a new professional association in Manitoba. One of the steering committee co-chairs is our very own Tracey Fallak. The Network held a series of meetings with various stakeholders from the nursing profession, associated agencies, and government officials; completed an environmental scan; and sent out a survey over the course of approximately two years to help determine the feasibility of establishing the new Association of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM). A number of strategic goals were formulated along with a series of points as to how the voice of nurses in Manitoba would be maintained.

At the end of these numerous endeavours, the MRNN was incorporated and became the Association of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM). The members of the steering committee on the MRNN became the board and Karen Dunlop was hired as interim director to help guide nurses through the new processes involved in obtaining Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS) coverage and maintaining CNA membership.

Tracey is excited about the new association and about asking RNs what having the new association will mean for them. She believes firmly that the strong professional voice of registered nurses will advocate and promote the health of people living in Manitoba and the scope of practice of Registered Nurses. The professional voice of ARNM will strive to ensure that the voices of Manitoba RNs will be heard locally, nationally, and internationally.

Become involved by visiting the ARNM website.

Interested in training to become a graphic designer? Graphic Design is holding an information night for students, parents and high school staff who would like more information about admission to our program. No need to register
Thursday, December 1, 2016  |  5 – 8 pm
Exchange District Campus, 160 Princess St.
William Building, Sixth floor (access from atrium elevators)

Presentations will be run at 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm. After the presentation we invite you to:

• tour the facilities,
• meet with instructors, and current students,
• ask questions about the entrance portfolio and see samples of work.

For more information contact:
Diane Livingston, Program Coordinator
at dlivingston@rrc.ca

rrc.ca/graphicdesign

On September 30th, Nursing faculty took part in a lunch and learn titled Unlocking Potential. Presented by Paul Bissonnette (B. Kin, CEP, CSCS, FMSC, Pn1), the session focused on motivating others. Drawing on his experience as a trainer, Paul applied his knowledge to the classroom context, helping faculty to gain insight and understanding on how to deal with unmotivated individuals.

The presentation identified that behaviour is the biggest downfall to someone’s potential and therefore unlocking potential is about changing that behaviour. In order to change behaviour, we first need to understand behaviour triggers and the barriers to change. With this understanding, we can then apply strategies to promote change and exemplify our own coaching excellence to motivate others.

To learn more about Unlocking Potential, click here to watch the whole presentation.

To download a copy of the powerpoint, click here.

Join representatives from Red River College and the University of Winnipeg to learn all about our Bachelor of Education programs. We offer a variety of options!  If you already have a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor or Arts, an After Degree program may be right for you.  Just graduating High School?  We have five year integrated programs in Industrial Arts and Business and Technology.  We’d love to meet with you at Room 04 on the first floor of Lockhart Hall at 12:30 pm.