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NEWS | Feb. 21, 2023

NSWCPD’s Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program Fall Engagement Program Participants Provide Virtual Presentations

By Gary Ell

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) hosted a series of virtual presentations from the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) Fall Engagement Program (NFE) on Dec. 15, 2022.

The 50+ virtual participants observed four intriguing student presentations with research ranging from the evaluation of electrochemical catalysts for submarine applications, energy storage research, diagnostics for ship service diesel generator engines, high energy thermal management system design / thermal energy storage and SeaGlide program development.

The NFE program offered students who applied for the NREIP but did not intern over summer 2022 at a Department of the Navy laboratory, an opportunity to participate in the program during the fall, under the mentorship of NSWCPD engineers and scientists. The program enabled participation from academically talented college students, graduating seniors, and graduate students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers the chance to learn about naval research and technology.

The NFE program gives students an opportunity to do a short-term duration project similar to a class project in an area of research that aligns with NSWCPD’s mission. “Successful projects really depend on a combination of mentor and student engagement. The most successful projects have mentors laying out a base of fundamental knowledge where motivated students can effectively organize and work as a team to build upon that base and produce something special, said NSWCPD STEM Outreach Program Manager Tristan Wolfe.

“This year’s program included 23 students from 21 different universities from across the country from 11 different science and engineering majors. The projects that the students complete are often multi-disciplinary, pushing students to really learn and adopt concepts in systems engineering that they may not typically dive into in a school setting. Systems engineering is such a fundamentally important concept to the work we do at NSWCPD and it is something most engineers have to learn on-the-job. The opportunity for students to learn those concepts in practice early can be valuable to future career growth,” said Wolfe.

The NREIP Fall Engagement students worked on teams such as the:
• Increased Thermal Loads & Thermal Energy Storage Introduction Impacts on Machinery Control Systems Team
• Diagnostics for Ship Service Diesel Generator (SSDG)/Main Propulsion Diesel Engine (MPDE) Team
• Evaluation of Electrochemical Catalysts (Electro-catalysts) for Submarine Applications Team
• SeaGlide Program Development Team.

From a timeline perspective, though students only spent 40 hours engaged in research activities, they received mentorships from many NSWCPD departments and divisions. The presentations represented a detailed analysis of their respective subjects.

“Because the program participants are so geographically spread out and from so many different schools, the program has to manage to engage students across multiple time zones and manage some very different school schedules. Relying on asynchronous engagement, recordings, and digital tools becomes important in this program; this really mimics what it can be like to work in the world today,” said Wolfe, adding, “It is challenging, and I think we’re probably building skills beyond the technical science and engineering concepts. I think the program is inadvertently building up “digital soft skills” for both our mentors and our interns. Concepts like communication, problem solving, and collaboration in a digital environment become a central focal point of this program because of the structure. These are skills that we have to build up as a society if we’re going to be effective in a post-pandemic world.”

“Participating in the Fall NREIP Engagement program was a very satisfying learning experience that I am grateful to have had,” said Angel Martinez - a Senior at New York University majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “In one semester, I was able to learn in depth concepts about the functionality and mechanics of a diesel engine, and was able to gain great experience in Matlab and Simulink, which I have had very little experience with beforehand. Working with and getting to know my fellow teammates was also a great experience.”

Martinez previously interned at Raytheon Technologies at the Jurisdiction and Classification Assessment (JCA) Center of Excellence (COE) as a Mechanical Engineering Intern for two summers before participating in the NFE program. Here, his experience enabled him to gain technical knowledge and prepared him for the concepts he would be learning about and modeling in the NREIP program.

“I feel that those two summers of interning, along with my experience with the NREIP, have fully opened the opportunity for me to have an exciting career in the defense industry. I am hopeful to keep pursuing knowledge and growth in this exciting industry,” Martinez said.

Martinez participated on the Diagnostics for Ship Service Diesel Generator (SSDG)/Main Propulsion Diesel Engine (MPDE) Team, mentored by NSWCPD’s John Ripple. “In the fall engagement alone I learned about the mechanics and fundamentals of the different working systems in a diesel engine. I specifically focused on the piston and crankshaft subsystem, learning about how total engine work output varies with changing input parameters,” Martinez said.

“The NREIP Fall Engagement Program is an amazing opportunity for those looking to explore a career with the NSWCPD. I was able to learn more about the work done here, and how technical knowledge really develops with the help of your teammates and mentors. I am confident that the connections I made during my time here will prove to be fruitful for the future, as I really got to work with and develop friendships with the people on my team. I feel it’s a valuable experience for anyone chosen to participate,” Martinez said.

Brian Molina-Diaz is a senior Chemical Engineering student at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez. Molina-Diaz participated on the Evaluation of Electrochemical Catalysts (Electro-catalysts) for Submarine Applications Team. He said, “Being able to work with an interdisciplinary team was key for my professional and academic development. During the program, I learned about the Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysts (EPOC), a possible method for improving catalyst performance to remove airborne contaminants in submarines.

“My professional goal is to apply chemical engineering fundamentals (transport phenomena) in opportunities related to National Security. This program put me a step forward toward my goal; it also allowed me to work with Navy faculty and students around the country, said Molina-Diaz.”

Encouraging other students to consider the program, he said, “The NREIP Fall Engagement is a well-distributed program, which makes it suitable to be completed during the semester. I encourage students from underrepresented communities like me to apply for this opportunity and get exposed to the cutting-edge technology of the Department of Defense (DoD).”

NREIP is a competitive program with over 800 placements in 47 laboratories around the country in which many participants go on to careers within DoD. Interns are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests.

“As always, the quality of some of these projects was fantastic and I always walk away from these final presentations having learned a lot,” Wolfe said.

For more information about these projects or mentorships, contact tristan.m.wolfe2.civ@us.navy.mil

NSWCPD employs approximately 2,800 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The NSWCPD team does the research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for the non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and material for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD is also the lead organization providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.