A TECHNICAL REPORT

ON

TRAINING PROGRAMME FROM

(June 2016 November 2016)

AT

AC & VENTILATION SYSTEMS LTD

(17,Salami Street, Oworonshoki, Lagos.)

BY

OLUCHUKWU CHIEBUKA GOLDEN

(120404062)

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

BEING A REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE SIWES DIRECTOR

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SIW 400

INDUSTRY BASED SUPERVISOR : ENGR. TOSIN ILUYOMADE

INSTITUTION BASED SSUPERVISOR: DR. OLAKOYEJO
 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that OLUCHUKWU CHIEBUKA GOLDEN, a student of the department of

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, University of Lagos with matriculation number 120404062 had
his twenty four(24) weeks industrial training with AC & VENTILATION SYSTEMS LTD, situated
at 17,Salami Street, Oworonshoki, Lagos during the academic year 2015/2016 as a partial
fulfillment of the B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering) course.

------------------------------------------ ---------------------------
ENGR. TOSIN ILUYOMADE Date

----------------------------------- ------------------------
DR.OLAKOYEJO Date
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would sincerely like to express my profound gratitude to the management and staff of AC &
VENTILATIONS SYSTEMS LTD for the opportunity they gave to me for the 24 weeks I was with
them and their patience in leading me on the path to becoming a better, well-rounded
engineer.

I would also like to thank the CEO : Mr. Kemi Adesalu, My supervisors: Mr. Tosin Iluyomade &
Mrs. Wunmi Sanusi for the advice and support they collectively gave me while I learnt in my
place of assignment.

In same manner, my sincere appreciation goes to my great institution of learning University

of Lagos, Department of Mechanical Engineering for the foresight to grant students the
opportunity to gain exposure from the workplace.

My deepest thanks to my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oluchukwu and my siblings for their
understanding and support throughout my industrial training period.

My unflinching gratitude goes especially to the Almighty God for sparing my life, the strength
he has given me and His unmerited favor throughout this eventful period.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1. STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)
1.1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SIWES
1.1.2 OBJECTIVES OF SIWES
1.2 AC & VENTILATION SYSTEMS LTD.

CHAPTER TWO: AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS

2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 HVAC (HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR-CONDITIONING)
2.3 TYPES OF AIR- CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
2.4 REFRIGERATION CYCLE

CHAPTER THREE: ACTIVITIES DURING SIWES

3.1 MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
3.2 TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
3.3. DESIGN DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER FOUR: RELEVANCE TO MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CHAPTER FIVE: CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED AND PROFERRED SOLUTIONS

CHAPTER SIX: IMPORTANCE OF SIWES

6.1. GENERAL IMPORTANCE OF SIWES
6.2. WAYS OF IMPROVING THE PROGRAM
6.3. ADVICE FOR FUTURE PARTICIPANTS
6.4. ADVICE FOR SIWES MANAGERS

CONCLUSION

glossary
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES).

This report covers my industrial attachment with AC & VENTILATION SYSTEMS, a company
majorly involved in Air conditioning, Design, Fabrication & Maintenance solutions.
An industrial attachment is a structured, credit-bearing work experience in a professional work
setting during which the student applies and acquires knowledge and skills. It involves the
application of learned skills in an organization related to the students major.
With regards to this, an industrial attachment should challenge the student to examine the
values of the organization involved in the experience, and also to assess the students
education as it relates to the industrial attachment.

1.1.1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SIWES

The federal government of Nigeria under the then military president, General Yakubu Gowon
(Rtd.) initiated the programme by promulgate decree No. 47 of 8th Oct; 1971 and amended in
1990, highlighted the capacity building of human resources in industry, commerce and
government through training and retraining of workers in order to effectively provide the
much needed high quality goods and services in a dynamic economy as ours. This decree led to
the establishment of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1973/1974.
The growing concern among our industrialists that, graduates of our institutions of higher
learning, lack adequate practical background studies preparatory for employment in
industries, led to the formation of students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) by ITF
in 1993/1994. ITF has as one of its key functions; to work as cooperative entity with industry
and commerce where students in institutions of higher learning can undertake mid-career
work experience attachment in industries which are compatible with students area of study.
The student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES), is an integral and indispensable part
of certain degree programmes in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The major objective of the
fund i.e. (SIWES) is to promote and encourage the acquisition of practical skill in industrial and
commerce venture with a view to generating skilled indigenous manpower sufficient to meet
the need for national economy. This found was administered by its national headquarters in
Jos, Plateau State and with its zonal offices at State headquarters in Nigeria.
In this regard, the programme bridges the gap between theory and practical work and to
expose and prepare students of certain courses such as Agriculture, Engineering, Technology,
Environmental, Science and pure and applied science for the Industrial work situation which
they likely to meet after graduation. Duration of SIWES is four months in Polytechnics at the
end of NDI,
Four months in College of Education at the end of NCE II and six months in the Universities at
the end of 200 or 300 or 400 or 500 levels depending on the discipline.
1.1.2. OBJECTIVES OF SIWES

These are some of SIWES objectives:-

Provide an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial

skills and experience in their approved course of study.

Prepare students for the industrial works situation which they are likely to meet after
graduation.

Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and

machinery not available in their institutions.

Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in real work situation
thereby bridging the gap between theory and practices.

Enlist and strengthen employers involvement in the entire educational process and
prepare students for employment in Industry and Commerce.

Provision for industries and organizations the opportunities of assessing the pedigree of
students available for job opportunities in time to come.
1.2. AC &VENTILATION SYSTEMS LTD

The company, AC & VENTILATIONS SYSTEMS LTD, originally established in 2006 has been
Providing Air conditioning solutions and Maintenance for 10years. The company has been into
Major Projects in Nigeria and has a reputation for delivering Professional Services. The
company Possesses trained Engineers and technicians for effective delivery of services
rendered
AC & VENTILATIONS SYSTEMS LTD. has maintained a very high standard of service in Design,
Fabrication and Installation of various air conditioning units/system covering all the various
ranges from domestic to commercial applications depending on your requirement, details of
which are given below.

Room Air-conditioning systems

Window units.
Split units (normal splits, plasma and art cool series).
Floor standing units.

Commercial air-conditioning systems

Ceiling cassette types
Ceiling concealed ducted types
Ducted split type
Single packaged ducted type
Convertible unit type
Multi-v (VRF system)
1.2.1. SERVICES RENDERED

Air conditioning services:

o Cooling load estimate and equipment sizing.
o Installation, maintenance and repair.
o Fabrication and installation of ductworks.
o Chilled water piping.

Ventilation systems
o Toilet and kitchen extract
o Fresh air
o Kitchen hood and exhaust

Training Of Personnel

1.2.2. LANDMARKED PROJECTS

Chapel of Christ our light, Unilag

Access bank HQ Danmole, VI
IHS Idejo, VI.
Sandralia Hotel, Abuja.
Federal High court, Central Business District, Abuja
Energy Centre, MTN Golden Plaza, Ikoyi Lagos
Silverbird cinema, Warri
Ocean crest Haven, Oniru, Lagos.
Oando PLC Lagos (Apapa terminal, VI Office, Guest House Ikoyi)
Etisalat centre Lagos (Marina, Alaba International Market)
Alloe Vera court, Lagos.
Affordable motors, Ikeja ,Lagos.
Toyota Centre Lekki,Lagos.
 CHAPTER TWO

AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION

Air conditioning often referred to as A/C, Air-condition, or AC is the process of altering the
properties of air (primarily temperature and humidity) to more comfortable conditions,
typically with the aim of distributing the conditioned air to an occupied space such as a
building or a vehicle to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. In common use, an air
conditioner is a device that removes heat from the air inside a building or vehicle, thus
lowering the air temperature. The cooling is typically achieved through a refrigeration cycle,
but sometimes evaporation or free cooling is used. In the most general sense, air conditioning
can refer to any form of technology that modifies the condition of air (heating, cooling, (de-
humidification, cleaning, ventilation, or air movement). However, in construction, such a
complete system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is referred to as heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning HVAC

1.3. HVAC (HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR-CONDITIONING)

HVAC which means (HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR-CONDITIONING) is about indoor and
environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a sub-discipline of Mechanical Engineering,
based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.Refrigeration is
sometimes added to the fields abbreviation as HVACR.HVAC is important in the design of
industrial and office buildings, from medium to large, such as skyscrapers, high-rises, factories,
etc, where safe and healthy building conditions are regulated with respect to temperature and
humidity, using the fresh air from outdoors.
The HVAC industry is a worldwide enterprise, with roles including operation and maintenance,
system design and construction, equipment manufacturing and sales, as well as education and
research. In the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Lagos, Akoka,
Refrigeration and air-conditioning is taken as a course for 400level and 500level students.
During my internship, we were majorly involved with repair, servicing and installation of air-
conditioners for residential and commercial purposes.
The primary function of an AIR-CONDITIONING system is to maintain the conditioned space at
required temperature, moisture content with due attention towards the air motion, air quality
and noise. AIR-CONDITIONING includes both the cooling and heating of air. It also cleans the
air and controls the moisture level. A chemical refrigerant in the system absorbs the unwanted
heat and pumps it through a system of piping to the outside coil. The fan, located in the
outside unit, blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the
outdoor air. The refrigeration cycle in FIG 2.2.1 explains the principle of air-conditioning.

2.1. TYPES OF AIR-CONDITIONING SYSEMS

An HVAC designer will recommend different types of AIR-CONDITIONING systems for different
applications. The most commonly used are described in this report. The choice of which air
conditioner system to use depends upon a number of factors including how large the area to
be cooled is, the total heat generated inside the enclosed area, etc. An HVAC designer would
consider all the related parameters and suggest the system most suitable for your space.
Window Air Conditioner
Window air conditioner is the most commonly used air conditioner for single rooms. In this air
conditioner all the components, namely the compressor, condenser, expansion valve or coil,
evaporator and cooling coil are enclosed in a single box. This unit is fitted in a slot made in the
wall of the room, or more commonly a window sill.

Split Air Conditioner

The split air conditioner comprises of two parts: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The
outdoor unit, fitted outside the room, houses components like the compressor and
Condenser. The indoor unit comprises the evaporator or cooling coil, cooling fan and
Expansion valve. For this unit you dont have to make any slot in the wall of the room.. A split
air conditioner can be used to cool one or two rooms.
 FIG 2.1.1 .....Showing a typical wall mounted split AC

Packaged Air Conditioner

An HVAC designer will suggest this type of air conditioner if you want to cool more than two
rooms or a larger space at your home or office. There are two possible arrangements with the
package unit. In the first one, all the components, namely the compressor, condenser (which
can be air cooled or water cooled), expansion valve and evaporator are housed in a single box.
The cooled air is thrown by the high capacity blower, and it flows through the ducts laid
through various rooms. In the second arrangement, the compressor and condenser are
housed in one casing. The compressed gas passes through individual units, comprised of the
expansion valve and cooling coil, located in various rooms.

Central AIR-CONDITIONING System

Central AIR-CONDITIONING is used for cooling big buildings, houses, offices, entire hotels,
gyms, movie theaters, factories etc. If the whole building is to be air conditioned, HVAC
engineers find that putting individual units in each of the rooms is very expensive making this a
better option. A central AIR-CONDITIONING system is comprised of a huge compressor that
has the capacity to produce hundreds of tons of AIR-CONDITIONING. Cooling big halls, malls,
huge spaces, galleries etc is usually only feasible with central conditioning units.
2.2. REFRIGERATION CYCLE

Heat is a form of energy and by the law of energy conservation; energy can neither be created,
nor destroyed. Energy can be converted from one form to another. Like electrical energy to
mechanical energy and mechanical energy to heat and heat to again electrical energy. Our
field of Refrigeration and air-conditioning is based on the same phenomena. We extract heat
from the medium (refrigerant)

FIG 2.2.1 Diagram Of a Refrigeration cycle

and allow it to extract heat from a place, where we want it to produce cooling effect. We
move it from one place to another.
PRINCIPLES OF REFRIGERATION

Liquids absorb heat when changed from liquid to gas.

Gases give off heat when changed from gas to liquid.

For an AIR-CONDITIONING system to operate with economy, the refrigerant must be used
repeatedly. For this reason, all air conditioners use the same cycle of compression,
condensation, expansion, and evaporation in a closed circuit. The same refrigerant is used to
move the heat from one area, to cool this area, and to expel this heat in another area.

The refrigerant comes into the compressor as a low-pressure gas, it is compressed and
then moves out of the compressor as a high-pressure gas.

The gas then flows to the condenser. Here the gas condenses to a liquid, and gives off its
heat to the outside air.

The liquid then moves to the expansion valve under high pressure. This valve restricts
the flow of the fluid, and lowers its pressure as it leaves the expansion valve.

The low-pressure liquid then moves to the evaporator, where heat from the inside air is
absorbed and changes it from a liquid to a gas.

As a hot low-pressure gas, the refrigerant moves to the compressor where the entire
cycle is repeated.

Note that the four-part cycle is divided at the center into a high side and a low side. This refers to the
pressures of the refrigerant on each side of the system.
 MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIR-CONDITONING SYSTEM

Most central AIR-CONDITIONING units operate by means of a split system. That is, they consist
of a "hot" side, or the condensing unitincluding the condensing coil, the compressor and the
fanwhich is situated outside your home, and a "cold" side that is located inside your home.
The cold side consists of an expansion valve and a cold coil, and it is usually part of your
furnace or some type of air handler. The furnace blows air through an evaporator coil, which
cools the air. Then this cool air is routed throughout your home by means of a series of air
ducts. A window unit operates on the same principal, the only difference being that both the
hot side and the cold side are located within the same housing unit.

EVAPORATOR: The evaporator coil is a series of piping connected to a furnace or air

handler that blows indoor air across it, causing the coil to absorb heat from the air. The cooled
air is then delivered to the house through ducting. The refrigerant then flows back to the
compressor where the cycle starts over again. An evaporator is used in an AIR-CONDITIONING
system to allow a compressed cooling chemical (refrigerant) to evaporate from liquid to gas
while absorbing heat in the process.

When the liquid refrigerant reaches the evaporator its pressure has been reduced, dissipating
its heat content and making it much cooler than the fan air flowing around it. This causes the
refrigerant to absorb heat from the warm air and reach its low boiling point rapidly. The
refrigerant then vaporizes, absorbing the maximum amount of heat.
This heat is then carried by the refrigerant from the evaporator as a low-pressure gas through
a hose or line to the low side of the compressor, where the whole refrigeration cycle is
repeated.
The evaporator removes heat from the area that is to be cooled. The desired temperature of
cooling of the area will determine if refrigeration or AIR-CONDITIONING is desired. For
example, food preservation generally requires low refrigeration temperatures, ranging from
40F (4C) to below 0F (-18C).
A higher temperature is required for human comfort. A larger area is cooled, which requires
that large volumes of air be passed through the evaporator coil for heat exchange. A blower
becomes a necessary part of the evaporator in the AIR-CONDITIONING system. The blower
fans must not only draw heat-laden air into the evaporator, but must also force this air over
the evaporator fins and coils where it surrenders its heat to the refrigerant and then forces the
cooled air out of the evaporator into the space being cooled.
Fan speed is an essential part of the evaporation process. Heat exchange is an important
phenomenon here and it depends on a temperature differential of the air and the refrigerant.
The greater the amount of heat exchanged between the air and the refrigerant will allow for a
rapid speed transfer between the air and the cooler refrigerant.
COMPRESSOR: The compressor (which is controlled by the thermostat) is the "heart" of
the system. The compressor acts as the pump, causing the refrigerant to flow through the
system. Its job is to draw in a low-pressure, low-temperature, refrigerant in a gaseous state
and by compressing this gas, raise the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. This high-
pressure, high-temperature gas then flows to the condenser coil. Compressors are similar to
pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe.
As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas. Liquids are
relatively incompressible; while some can be compressed, the main action of a pump is to
pressurize and transport liquids.

CONDENSER: A condenser is simply a heat exchanger. The condenser coil is a series of

piping with a fan that draws outside air across the coil. As the refrigerant passes through the
condenser coil and the cooler outside air passes across the coil, the air absorbs heat from the
refrigerant which causes the refrigerant to condense from a gas to a liquid state. The high-
pressure, high-temperature liquid then reaches the expansion valve

EXPANSION VALVE: The expansion valve is the "brain" of the system. By sensing the
temperature of the evaporator, or cooling coil, it allows liquid to pass through a very small
orifice, which causes the refrigerant to expand to a low-pressure, low-temperature gas. This
"cold" refrigerant flows to the evaporator coil and the process is repeated all over again.
2.3. REFRIGERANTS

A refrigerant is a substance used in a heat cycle usually including, for enhanced efficiency, a
reversible phase transition from a liquid to a gas. Without refrigerants in an air-conditioning
system, there would be no cooling. Traditionally, fluorocarbons, especially
chlorofluorocarbons, were used as refrigerants, but they are being phased out because of their
ozone depletion effects. These refrigerants are commonly referred to as Freon. Other common
refrigerants used in various applications are ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and non-halogenated
hydrocarbons such as propane (Siegfried Haaf, Helmut Henrici "Refrigeration Technology" in
Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2002, Wiley-VCH). Many refrigerants have
important ozone depleting and global warming inducing compounds that are the focus of
worldwide regulatory scrutiny.

TYPES OF REFRIGERANTS

Halocarbons e.g. CFCs (R11, R12, R13, R14); HCFCs (R22, R123); HFCs (R134a, R404a,
R407c, R410a).

Azeotropic refrigerants e.g. R500, R502, R503.

Zeotropic refrigerants e.g. R404a, R407c, R410a, R413a.

Inorganic refrigerants e.g. C02, water, ammonia, air, sulphur dioxide.

Hydrocarbon refrigerants e.g. R170, R290, R600, R600a.

There are certain desirable properties that a good refrigerant should have; the ideal
refrigerant has favorable thermodynamic properties, is noncorrosive to mechanical
components, and is safe (including nontoxic, nonflammable, and environmentally benign). The
desired thermodynamic properties are a boiling point somewhat below the target
temperature, a high heat of vaporization, a moderate density in liquid form, a relatively high
density in gaseous form, and a high critical temperature. Since boiling point and gas density
are affected by pressure, refrigerants may be made more suitable for a particular application
by choice of operating pressures.
Some refrigerants are indeed harmful to the environment, most especially the ozone layer,
causing its depletion which could lead to global warming and green house effect. Laws such as
the Montreal protocol, against substances that deplete the ozone layer and the Kyoto
protocol, against greenhouse effect, have been put in place.
 CHAPTER THREE

ACTIVITIES DURING SIWES

3.1. MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT

Duct Fabrication : In this department I learnt and witnessed the fabrication of ducts
(round and square)of various sizes , reducers, shoes, knickers ,elbows of different
degrees with the use of the fabricating machine and various tools. for example sleeve
cutter, cutting machine, a marker, a measuring tape

3.2. TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

In this department, I learnt installation, maintenance, servicing, safety, use of various
tools and equipments

other things i learnt in this department include;

Management of materials

How to make proper use of the instruments and equipments.

How to insulate a refrigerant pipe

How to insulate a Duct using Fiber glass

How to service the evaporator and condenser.

How to remove and attach a compressor using proper welding tools

 How to install cassette units

How to quickly identify the terminals of a compressor.

3.3. DESIGN DEPARTMENT

In this department:
I learnt how to read drawings to identify/locate where various systems, units or
equipments should be placed in a building structure .
I learnt how to trace grid lines for better positioning of the systems to be installed.
I learnt various symbols used in air-conditioning design drawings.
I learnt scaling .
I also learnt few things on Load Calculation
LOAD CALCULATION

HVAC design influences a homes comfort, air quality, durability, and energy efficiency and
load calculations help to determine the size of the HVAC system needed in a building. If a
wrong sized HVAC system is chosen, the consequences could be severe such as: inability to
maintain proper moisture control, noisy operation, failure to keep people comfortable, and a
total breakdown of the system.
Calculating the heat load of a building depends on a numbers of variables, including the
climate zone, the appliances that would be in the building, the reflectivity of the glass windows
if present. HVAC designers learn to account for so many factors when designing a cooling
system. Though there is a more complex way of calculating the heat load, many HVAC
designers prefer to use a rule of thumb which makes calculation faster and easier. Many
designers use a simple square foot method for sizing the air-conditioners. The most common
rule of thumb is to use "1 ton for every 500 square feet of floor area". Such a method is useful
in preliminary estimation of the equipment size.
RULE OF THUMB: (the area of the space to be calculated) (10.76) 60
9000BTU

this is a quick means to get the size/capacity in HP of a unit or air-conditioning system to be

used for a given space in a building.

There are three main factors to be considered when calculating loads, and one needs to be
sure to address them all.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: these include the location, house size, relative

humidity, latitude, elevation and directional orientation of the house. It should be noted
that a house in the same climate or city, even of the same house plan, doesnt
necessarily have the same heating and cooling loads

THERMAL ENCLOSURE: this includes the windows, external and internal shading, and
air-tightness. In considering windows, their size, thermal conductivity, orientation and
solar heat gain coefficient. The better a homes enclosure, the more the windows are
going to affect the loads.

INTERNAL LOADS: in HVAC design, the number of people living in the home, their
electronics, lighting and appliances, ductwork and system location has to be accounted
for as they determine the heat load. The air-conditioners' efficiency, performance,
durability, and cost depend on matching its size to the above factors.
 SITE INSPECTION

BERGER PAINT SITE,IKEJA

UNILAG SITE,AKOKA
A RESIDENTIAL SITE,BANANA ISLAND
A RESIDENTIAL SITE,BANANA ISLAND

RELEVANCE TO MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Training Acquired
Safety and Professionalism in
Engineering Practice
Selection of Engineering
Materials for Piping,Insulation different materials for
and Duct Fabrication
Instrumentation
Industrial Engineering,
Production efficiency.
Drawing/CAD
CHAPTER FOUR
Areas Of Application Relevant Course
Description
Many Processes are MEG 101: Workshop Practice
hazardous. Safety measures SSG 208: Engineer in Society
must always be taken GEG 401: Technical
seriously. Communications
Helped with choosing the MME 309: Science Of
Materials
fabrication of various MEG 302: Design of machine
components. elements
Proper use of MEG 203 : Mechanical
instruments/tools and Measurements and
acquaintance with protection Instrumentation
and safety analysis with
respect to process variables
Optimization of both human MEG 413: Industrial
and material resource for best Engineering
output / quality work
Helped with the MEG 104: Engineering
interpretation of Drawings Drawing I
MEG 307: Advanced
Computer Aided Drawing
 CHAPTER FIVE

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED DURING THE PROGRAMME

Duration: The time Frame for the program was very short. I would have been opportune to
learn a lot from the Organization if not because of the time limit.
 CHAPTER SIX

IMPORTANCE OF SIWES

6.1 GENERAL IMPORTANCE OF SIWES

The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is an initiative developed by
organizations including the Federal Government, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the
Supervising Agency, National Universities Commission (NUC) and some others. This initiative
has many advantages, to mention a few:

To provide students with an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in real

work situation thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice;

To prepare students for the work situation they are likely to meet after graduation;

To allow the transition phase from school to the world of working environment easier
and facilitate students contact for later job placements;

To provide an avenue for students in the Nigerian universities to acquire industrial skills
and experience in their course of study;

To expose the students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and
machinery that may not be available in their universities.

SIWES enables a much easier and interesting way of teaching. For example in a situation
whereby real life scenarios are used in teaching, students tends to understand better
because they might have actually seen or witnessed it.

6.2 WAYS OF IMPROVING THE PROGRAM

The SIWES program can be improved in the following ways.

COMMITMENT: Being committed in the terms of the general welfare of the students
goes a long to improve the SIWES program and thereby creating a mutual relationship
between students and the SIWES managers because students are germinating seeds, if
not properly nurtured in the right direction, may tend to lose focus, so therefore the
SIWES program should be fashioned in such a way that it will be committed to the
better development of students and also serve as a powerful tool in empowering
students for a brighter tomorrow.
 UNDERSTANDING: The SIWES program will be much better improved if the two parties
(SIWES AND STUDENTS) understand themselves better. The SIWES would be much
better if the SIWES managers understand what the students need and also develop a
better way to make students have a much better industrial experience.

MOTIVATION: A foundation which enables motivation in students should be created

before students undertake the SIWES program. Motivation plays an important role in
the improvement of the SIWES program, because if the SIWES program isnt fashioned
in a way that it will motivate students to be at their best when they undertake the
program, they might end up not benefiting from it

6.3 ADVICE FOR FUTURE PARTICIPANTS

There is a need to take charge of ones life; this SIWES program offers that opportunity at an
early stage. It makes the transition from school to the working environment easier. I urge the
future participants to seize this opportunity and maximize it. If you impress your employers
during your SIWES program, there is every possibility that you will be retained or be able to
seek employment there at a later date. Honesty and diligence are traits that are valued
everywhere; you should be an embodiment of these traits. Obedience is a virtue that is
necessary when working for someone; learn to be obedient.

6.4 ADVICE FOR SIWES MANAGERS

SIWES managers should organize more seminars to enlighten students of the importance of
the SIWES program. The students should be better coordinated and taken care of; the
remuneration due to students should be given to them during the SIWES program and not
after. The purpose of visiting students while on IT cannot be overemphasized; it discourages
truancy on the part of the students.
 RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

RECOMMENDATION
The operation of SIWES lies on the proper supervision. Thus, it becomes necessary that
something must be done at the operational level to enhance adequate functioning of the
program. Also ITF should be providing insurance cover to students on attachment and improve
on paying students and supervisors allowances for motivation.
However, the situation of things in terms unemployment of graduates, is at an alarming rate. If
student can be provided with certain technical training that can make them to be self-
employed rather than searching for white-collar job, the labor market may ameliorate.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) gave me the much-needed exposure
to reconcile theories taught in schools with hands-on practical experience thereby animating
school work. It taught me independence and skills that I could not have acquired while in
school. I was enlightened about the diversified field of mechanical engineering and leaving me
with a range of options to pursue as a career.

The largess of mechanical services site supervision which for so long has been obscure to me
as an undergraduate has been unveiled having gotten the privilege of visiting so many sites
and supervising the technicians on site.
Furthermore, I also learnt good work ethics, site safety rules and importance of team work and
dedication at work place.
 GLOSSARY

Space is either a volume or a site without a partition or a partitioned room or group of rooms.

Room is an enclosed or partitioned space that is usually treated as single load.

Zone is a space or group of spaces within a building with heating and/or cooling requirements sufficiently similar so
that comfort conditions can be maintained throughout by a single controlling device.

British thermal unit (Btu) - is the approximate heat required to raise 1 lb. of water 1 deg Fahrenheit, from 590F to 600F.
Air conditioners are rated by the number of British Thermal Units (Btu) of heat they can remove per hour. Another
common rating term for AIR-CONDITIONING size is the "ton," which is 12,000 Btu per hour and Watts. Some countries
utilize one unit, more than the others and therefore it is good if you can remember the relationship between BTU/hr,
Ton, and Watts.
1 ton is equivalent to 12,000 BTU/hr. and
12,000 BTU/hr is equivalent to 3,516 Watts - or 3.516 kW (kilo-Watts).