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A historical look at the
NATIONAL COLLEGE for
HEATING, VENTILATING, REFRIGERATION and FAN ENGINEERING |
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The National College
on the South Bank London
celebrates its 60th anniversary on 18th June 2007. The
Heritage Group therefore thought it would be
the
right time to refresh the memories of its old Students by showing pictures of the College Laboratories, Plantrooms, Library and Lecture Rooms, as a trip down memory lane for all those who attended. Also
included are pictures of Ingall House, the
accommodation hostel in Dulwich Park Road provided by the College for Students living outside of London. Written records about
the setting up of the College
and a list of its Lecturers from the 1960's is also given. |
The Heritage Group thanks and acknowledges the
help of Tim Dwyer. Lecturer in the Dept for Engineering
Systems and Faculty of Engineering, Science and the Built
Environment at the LSBU, for providing the paperwork and
photographs from the Library Archives for this nostalgic
look back in time for all those students of yesteryear.
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NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR HEATING, VENTILATING, REFRIGERATION AND FAN ENGINEERING T H E F I R S T
M A J O R S T E P in the
provision of facilities for technological
education of the highest possible standard for those engaged in the
heating,
air conditioning, refrigeration and fan engineering industries was
taken in
January, 1948, when the Minister of Education established the National
College
for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering at the
Borough
Polytechnic, London. Hitherto there had been little or no provision for
advanced study and research in these
branches of technology. A young man entering
industry might, if he was fortunate
enough to live within reach of one of the few technical colleges
providing
suitable classes, be able to obtain some specialised instruction to the
standard of the examination of the Institution of Heating and
Ventilating
Engineers or of those of the City and Guilds of London Institute but
beyond
this point it was impossible to go. Even the Universities offered no
specialised opportunities for higher technological training in these
fields.
The
National College exists to remedy these conditions and so to ensure a
steady
flow of properly trained engineers, skilled in their profession, able
to
appreciate modern scientific advances having a bearing on their work
and
capable of exploiting them to the advantage of these industries. In
this way,
the college is designed to occupy a key place in advancing practice in
these
industries to the highest possible level and in maintaining them to the
forefront of engineering and scientific skill. The lack of provision
for
adequate technical training for most of those engaged in the industries
concerned was a cause of grave concern to those interested in their
progress
and, in 1942, the Heating and Ventilating industry had on its own
initiative
provided a specialist full-time course on a national basis as a part of
its
accepted educational scheme for technicians employed in the industry.
This
scheme was entirely financed by the industry and was so completely
successful
that the Refrigeration industry, a year later, took similar steps. In 1944,
the Report of the Departmental Committee on Higher Technological
Education,
which had been set up under the chairmanship of Lord Eustace Percy, was
published. One of its recommendations was that where, because of the
comparatively small or dispersed nature of an industry, it was
impossible to
provide adequate facilities for technical education of the highest
standard on
a regional basis, such facilities should be provided at one college on
a
national basis. In fact, the Report was an
emphatic official
confirmation of the action
which had already been taken
by the Heating and Ventilating and Refrigeration industries.
The
Ministry of Education quickly sought to implement this recommendation
and
issued a statement of policy with regard to national colleges. This
policy, in
brief, is that where it can be shown that, in the
interests of both the nation
and the industry, a national college is desirable and that the industry
concerned is prepared to give its full co-operation by sharing costs
and by
recruiting students and teachers, the Ministry will establish a college
and
accept responsibility for it. In view of
this statement the Heating and Ventilating and the Refrigeration industries
severally applied to the Ministry for the establishment of colleges to
meet
their individual needs. They were received sympathetically but the
Ministry
expressed the view that rather than set up a number of small colleges
bearing a
close relationship to each other it would be a more effective proposal
to
establish one college embracing heating and ventilating, refrigeration
and
other allied industries whose training schemes could be related and who
were
prepared to take part in the project. After some negotiation the fan
manufacturing industry decided to join the other two in a joint request
for a
college. A proposal was accepted by the Minister of Education and the
establishment by him of the College followed. E D U C A T
I O N The
College
has two principal aims; to provide for the
highest standard of technological training and for research. It gives a
complete specialist training for those who will ultimately fill the highest
technical and executive posts in the heating and ventilating,
refrigeration and
fan
In providing the appropriate technical education the College functions in three capacities. (1) National.
Two full-time courses are available. The tint
of these is the Diploma Course at present
comprising two terms but which may be extended to three terms. The
qualification for entry is the Ordinary National Certificate in
Mechanical
Engineering or an equivalent standard. The object
of the diploma course is to provide sound draughtsmen technicians for
the
industries concerned and the course, in addition to the specialist
subjects
covers appropriate ancillary subjects which are provided the
Borough
Polytechnic. Those awarded the Diploma are given appropriate exemption
from the
examination for Associate Membership of the respective professional
institutions. The second course is the Associateship course which is
post
graduate in standard and is open to diploma students, degree students or others
with required entry qualifications. The
essential content of this course is advanced studies in the specialist
subjects
and training in research. The number of students in such a course will
always
be comparatively small since the training is intended to provide the
industries
with the technical specialists and
(2) Regional. So that
technical students, who are unable to undertake the full-time diploma
course,
can prepare themselves for the examination for
Associate
Membership of the professional institutions, evening classes are
arranged to
cover the requirements of these examinations. Students are only
admitted to
these courses if over 21 years of
age. (3) Local. For
its immediate local area the College provides courses for operative
students leading to the Intermediate and Final Examinations of the City
and
Guilds of London Institute. The number of students coming forward has
been so
great that arrangements have been made for the first
two years of these courses to be provided in other centres to enable
the
College to carry out the work required for the 3rd, 4th and 5th years.
Since
its
establishment in 1948, the college
has catered for the following numbers of students:-
SESSION
PART-TIME DAY FULL-TIME
EVENING
1949 – 50
77
146
84
1950 – 51
93
97
84 As the
College is in the early days of its development its research activities
have
only recently commenced. Two
researches have been started dealing with noise transmission in
ventilating
ducts and the performance and design of ejectors.
Temperature distribution in heated floors. Dust conveying. Secondary
refrigerant calorimetry. Temperatures in cold room insulation. Use of engine indicators with refrigerant
compressors. Fluid
temperature measurement. A C
C O M M
O D A T I O N The
College
is housed in part of the premises of the Borough Polytechnic but it was
deficient in laboratory accommodation. It was fortunate that some
ground was
available adjacent to the Polytechnic so that the governors with the
approval
and assistance of the Ministry of Education were able to take advantage
of this
site to erect the new laboratory. A plan of the building is shown at
the end of
this booklet. About one-third of the space has been allocated for a
wind tunnel
and general fan engineering, another third for refrigeration
engineering and, the remainder for general use and research. It will be
seen that the
building also includes a library to contain text and reference books,
periodicals and pamphlets, and trade and instrument catalogues. This
fulfils an
essential need. A good collection of
appropriate and up-to-date
text books, has already been gathered together with the generous
assistance of
some of the firms in the industries. E Q U I P M E N T The governors wish to express with gratitude their appreciation and thanks to member firms of the Association of Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Employers, the Fan Manufacturers' Association and the British Refrigeration Association who have given valuable plant and equipment some of which is housed in the main building and some in the new laboratory. The equipment, the value of which amounts to several thousand pounds, has ensured that the College is with up-to-date facilities for its advanced studies.
In
designing the new laboratory the opportunity was taken to install an
experimental floor heating system in the new floor. This does not imply
that
floor heating, per se, is
experimental but that the installation in the
laboratory building has been designed to enable a large number of experiments
to be carried out. The plant consists of three electrode boilers
serving
various sections of the floor in which various pipe sizings and
spacings are
laid, to enable the effect of these variables on the floor surface
temperature
distribution to be studied. One section of the floor is insulated
beneath the
pipes so that a comparison of the heat requirements
B
U R S A R
I E S A N D S C H O L A R S H I P S The
Association of Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Employers
offers
bursaries covering the full fee for the Diploma Course in Heating and
Ventilating Engineering to apprentices employed by firms which are
members of
the Association and under the age of twenty two years. It also provides
maintenance grants to enable their students to attend courses free from
financial
embarrassment. Member firms ha\e agreed that wherever apprentices are
granted
bursaries they will continue to pay full wages to them during the time
that
they are attending their courses. This praiseworthy scheme was actually
initiated in 1944 and was,
R
E S I D E
N C E The terms of the Declaration of Trust of the College require the Board of Governors to establish, as soon as possible, a hostel for students who are attending the College from outside London. Pending the acquisition of suitable premises a register of approved lodgings - has been kept and students requiring living accommodation have been assisted in finding it by the Governors. Bearing in mind the very urgent need to provide a residence where it would be possible to build a proper student community, the Governors considered the question of the most suitable district in which a hostel could be provided. It was borne in mind that the Polytechnic playing fields are in Dulwich and that Dulwich itself is a very desirable residential area within reasonable distance of the College. It was therefore decided that every effort should be made to obtain a building suitable for conversion or a site on which a hostel could be built somewhere in this district. In the summer of 1949, therefore, the Chairman of the Governors and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, together with the Clerk inspected several properties in the area and at last were successful in finding one which they thought could, with considerable adaptation, be turned into a hostel. The property is now the College Hostel and is situated in Dulwich Wood Park.
Before any
definite steps could be taken it was necessary, of course, to obtain
Architect's opinion and the Governors instructed Messrs. Norman and
Dawbarn to
examine the property and if they thought fit to submit for
consideration their
proposals for alterations and adaptations.
This was
done in consultation with the Architects of the Ministry of Education
and it
was decided that the plan was a practicable one. Tenders for the work
and
estimates for the proper furnishing of the premises were obtained and
approved by the
Minister of Education, who most generously made available a sufficient
grant to
cover all the necessary capital expenditure. The tender of Messrs.
Marshall Andrew & Co., Ltd., 31 Queen
Anne's Gate, London, SW 1, was accepted and work
began in December 1949. It
was hoped that it would be completed by September 1950, but owing to a
number
of unforeseen difficulties, the work was not in fact finished until
December of
that year. The
house
itself provides accommodation for 43 students in small dormitories
accommodating two or more, but not more than seven students. There is a
large
lounge, a separate games room and a very comfortable quiet room where
students
will be able to carry on their studies in a pleasant atmosphere. The
dining
room is in the semi-basement and is adjacent to a well-appointed
kitchen so
that the minimum of work will be necessary on the part of the kitchen
staff.
The whole
The
Governors felt that the term hostel was not an attractive one and did
not
convey with success the comfort and homeliness which it is hoped will
become a
feature of No. 8 Dulwich Wood Park. It was therefore decided that
the house should be called "Ingall House" as a fitting gesture in
recognition of the very large
part that Dr. Douglas H. Ingall, the Director of the College, had taken
in the
negotiations to establish the College. In this way his name will be
long
associated with the College which owes so much to his enthusiasm and
hard work.
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TEACHING STAFFHead of the College . .
. DAVID R. SCOTT, MSc.,
PH.D., M.INST.R.,
A.M.I.H.V.E.,
A.INST.P., A.M.I.MIN.E.,
A.M.E.M.E. S Senior LecturersW. C. OSBORNE, BSc (ENG),
A.M.I.MECH.E., A.M.I.H.V.E. E. W. SHAW, M.I.H.V.E.,
M.R.S.H. R. W. WEBB, BSc. (ENG.). R.
AZAD, BSc., PH.D. F. J. HAGGER, A.M.I.MECH.E. M.INST.R. J. D. JONES, B.Sc.,
PH.D. B. G. LAWRENCE, A.M.INST.F.,
A.M.I.H.V.E. J. E. RANDELL, B.Sc.(MIN.),
PH D. A. F. C. SHBRRATT, BSc.,
PH.D. S. N.TAYLOR,
MSc. E. WOODCOCK, MSc. Assistant Lecturers ... J. W. COWAN, A.M.I.H.V.E.,
A.M.INST.W. L. J. FISCHER, DIPL.
ING., A.M.I.MECH.E.,
M.I.H.V.E. R. C. SEDGELEY. The
ancillary subjects which form part of each of the full-time
courses are taught
in the appropriate departments of the Borough Polytechnic, under the
direction of the following Heads of
Department: Department
of Electrical Engineer-
V. BREIRA-MENDOZA,
MSc, TECH.,
ing and Physics ... ...
...
M.I.E.E. Department
of Mathematics ...
E. A.
BAGGOTT, MSc., PH.D, A.R.C.S.,
D.I.C. Department
of Mechanical
J. F. DOUGLAS,
M.Sc. (ENG.), A.C.G.I. Engineering
D.I.C.,
A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.STRUCT.E. Division
of
Liberal Studies ...
J.
BURNETT,
M.A., LL.B., PH.D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The governors wish to thank
the following for their help
in making this
project possible and who, in doing so, have provided a building, unique
of its
kind, of which the industries concerned can be justly proud: The Ministry of Education for
generous financial
help both in connection with the cost of the building and with the cost
of
furnishing and equipping it. Those members of the
industries who have supported the
college since its
formation and who have contributed so generously to the Building Appeal
Fund. Messrs. Norman and Dawbarn,
the Architects responsible
for the design
and lay-out of the building and, in particular, Mr Kenneth Williams,
A.R.I.B.A., who was the architect in charge. Messrs. Inman and Partners,
the Quantity Surveyors who
worked in
association with the Architects. Messrs. J. Roger
Preston and Partners,
the Consulting Engineers responsible
for the design and installation of the mechanical services.
Particularly would
the governors like to express their great gratitude to Mr. Derek L Thornley, A M I H V E, a
former student of the
college and a partner in the firm, who had personal responsibility for
this
extremely difficult task. Messrs. Higgs and Hill,
Limited, and their various
sub-contractors who,
despite a very tight building programme and a number of unforeseen
difficulties, succeeded in completing the work in time for the building
to be
opened for the session 1960-61. THE FUNCTIONS OF THE COLLEGE: The functions of the College are set out in the Trust
Deed which
established the college. They can be summarised as follows : (i) to provide
full-time courses of advanced instruction up to, and including
post-graduate work in heating, ventilating, air conditioning,
refrigeration and fan engineering
(ii) to provide part-time day
and evening courses in
these technologies (iii) to train students in
research methods and to promote
research. The specialist subjects are
taught in the college
building by college
staff but the students receive instruction in ancillary subjects in the
Borough
Polytechnic where they use the many well equipped laboratories. They are able to use the
social and recreational
facilities of the
Polytechnic and are entitled to full membership of the Students' Union. Thus
they enjoy the
advantages of being members
of a much larger
student body.
COLLEGE PREMISESWhen the College was first
opened it was given the use of three
rooms in the Polytechnic Annex in Belvedere Place, a very old building
used as
a Girls' School until the outbreak of war in 1939. The largest of these rooms, the school hall,
was used as a
laboratory and a certain amount of plant designed to air condition one
of these
rooms was installed at the expense of the industry. Another room was
used as a drawing office and the third
as a general
lecture room. At the same time plans were approved for the erection of
a
laboratory building in the grounds of the Annex. This was completed in 1950. THE HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE This National College was
established by the Minister of
Education, on
the 1st January, 1948, and it was first opened to students in September
of that
year. Before this time there had
been little or no provision
for advanced
study and research in heating, ventilating, air conditioning or
refrigeration,
the branches of technology taught in the college. A young man entering industry
might, if he was fortunate enough to live
within reach of one of the few technical colleges providing suitable
courses,
be able to obtain some specialised instruction up to the standard of
the
examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute, but beyond
this point
it was impossible to go. Even the Universities offered no specialised
opportunities for higher technological training in these fields. This lack of provision for
adequate technical training
for the majority
of those engaged in these industries was a cause of grave concern to
those
interested in their progress and, in 1942, the Heating and Ventilating
industry set up a committee to enquire into
ways and means of improving the situation. As a result, this industry,
on i t s own initiative, provided in
1944 a
specialist full-time course on a national basis as a part of its educational scheme for
student apprentices. This
course was The new building was, of
necessity, small, for the site
was limited but
provision was made in it for
a fan laboratory,
a laboratory for refrigeration plant and a cold store, a-library and a
number
of small laboratories and work rooms. Although the accommodation was
cramped some
excellent work was done in these premises but it was obvious that, if the college was to perform
its functions effectively and properly for
the ever growing student body, more room was essential.
In 1954 the
governors prepared plans
for the alteration of the Annex building to provide additional
accommodation
but the Ministry of Education, after discussion of the plans, advised that it
would be better to think of the provision of
a new building on another site and promised to consider sympathetically an
application for a grant for this purpose,
provided the industries would give an undertaking to help with the cost
of the project. It was appreciated that it would
be difficult to
obtain a suitable site for a new building in the immediate vicinity of
the
Borough Polytechnic but it was
important, in the view of the governors, to maintain the close physical
relationship with the Polytechnic. This problem was solved, however,
with the
sympathetic help of the governors of the Polytechnic who agreed that
part of
the site set aside for the development of the Polytechnic should be
released
for the purpose of the College. It was
possible, therefore, to negotiate a lease of the site in Southwark
Bridge Road
very close to the Polytechnic Main Building. Messrs. Norman and Dawbarn
of
Portland Place, W.1, were appointed Architects for the project and were
instructed to prepare suitable plans of a building to provide about 40,000 square feet of accommodation.
Messrs. Inman and Partners of 7 New
Square, London, W.C.2,
Quantity
Surveyors, were appointed to act with the Architects. When
the
plans were
finally approved tenders were invited for the work and, as a result, a
contract
was entered into with Hliggs and Hill, Limited, Crown
Works, South
Lambeth
Road, London, S.W.8. Messrs. J.
Roger
Preston and Partners of 15 North
Audley Street, London, W.1,
were
appointed Consulting Engineers for
the mechanical services to the
building and
the contract for
this
work
was placed with Benham and Sons
Ltd.,
of 66
Wigmore
Street, London, W.I. THE NEW BUILDING The new, five storey building
has provided a College excellently
equipped with laboratories for heating, ventilating, air conditioning,
fan
engineering, refrigeration and heat transfer, as well as others
designed
especially for research projects. There is also a large workshop and an
anechoic chamber. Provision of non-specialist
rooms has been made on a generous scale and
students have the advantage of a large
reading and study room adjacent to a well equipped library. A feature of the building is
the modern Lecture Theatre which seats two
hundred people and has its own air conditioning equipment. A very
generous donation
from Haden and Sons Ltd., in memory of their late Chairman, Mr.
George
Nelson
Haden, O.B.E, M.I.Mech.E, a former governor of the
college, made the provision of
this room
possible.
The
governors have been pleased to name it "The
George
Nelson Haden Lecture Theatre“.
THE MECHANICAL SERVICES The services provided for the
building have been designed
to serve the
dual purpose of utility and instruction. A representative selection of
heating,
ventilating and air
conditioning
systems suitable for modern buildings has been installed and these can be observed and tested under
normal working
conditions by the students.
The Heating Plant Laboratory
contains a number of heat
generating appliances which supply hot water and heat throughout the
building including
low pressure hot water oil fired boilers, an oil fired steam
boiler, a gas-fired steam boiler, heat exchange equipment and
an
electrical thermal storage vessel to be used during off-peak tariff
periods.
The numerous circuits
necessary to serve the heating
systems are provided with
automatic controls and pumps of various types. Among the different
methods of
heating employed are low-temperature embedded floor panels, low
pressure hot
water heating using various types of heat emitting appliances and
suspended
ceiling heating. A
portion
of the building is also supplied with electric heating.
All the laboratories on the
lower levels are provided
with mechanical
ventilation employing ducts conveying air at conventional velocities,
the inlet
air being heated in winter, whilst the Refrigeration Laboratory is
equipped
with an exhaust system for the rapid removal of fumes.
The two upper floors of the
building, containing lecture
rooms, Library
and students' study rooms are air conditioned, and on one of these
floors the
air conditioning system incorporates a dual-duct distribution system,
the ducts
for which convey air at high velocity, whilst on the other the air
conditioning is by means of diverse types of
air handling units, to which a supply
of chilled water is available. Self-contained air conditioning units of
various
types are also demonstrated. A feature of practical interest is that
the
refrigeration and air conditioning machinery required in connection
with the
system for these floors is accommodated on the roof, together with a
water-cooling
tower and evaporative type condenser which serves the machinery at
these
levels, and for the Lecture Theatre.
All systems
are fully
instrumented to enable the student to gain a full appreciation of their
functioning. FINANCE The original tender price for
the building was
£261,750 but this
included a provisional sum for the mechanical services to which some
major
additions were made during the course of the construction of the
building. The
final accounts have not yet been agreed but it
is thought that
the cost, ultimately, will not be less
than £300,000 including professional
fees. When the Ministry of
Education approved the project it
was agreed that a
grant of £237,076 towards its cost would be made and that the
difference between
that and the final cost would have to be met from funds raised by an
appeal
launched by the governors. An appeal was made to
industry in March 1959, asking for
£50,000 either
in cash or in gifts of equipment to be used in the mechanical services.
To date
£48,751 has been received in cash together with equipment to the
total value of
£16,873 a really magnificent response. |
