As part of the block week from 13 to 17 May, students on the Sustainable Building Systems (SBS) Master’s course and the Sustainable Engineering Sciences (NIW) Bachelor’s course at Ansbach University of Applied Sciences’ Feuchtwangen campus had the opportunity to spend a whole day experiencing practical applications of building technology.

The 60 students in total were divided into two groups for more individualised support, which met in the research hall at the Feuchtwangen campus on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

There, they were able to use eight different air conditioning and ventilation technology systems specially prepared for the students to deepen the theoretical knowledge acquired in the lectures of the ‘Sustainable HVAC’ (SBS) and ‘Building Services Engineering’ (NIW) courses and convert it into practical skills. The groups were supervised by laboratory engineer Dipl.-Ing. Oliver Abel and tutor Khalid Mustafa.

The participants carried out various experiments and adjusted valves, switched pumps on and off, changed parameters on various devices such as heating and ventilation systems or heat pumps and observed the effects of these changes on the work process of the machines in real time using measured values such as pressure and temperature.

‘The various experiments allow us to analyse individual functions and better understand the systems as a whole,’ the students concluded.

Overall, the experiments were very well received by the participants. Each station took around 40 minutes, and with eight different devices, the days were packed full of new insights and experiences.

In addition to the practical exercises, the block week also gave the participants the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other and learn from the experiences of their fellow students.

By working directly with modern building technology, the students also gained an insight into the professional challenges that could await them after graduation. This not only helps them to improve their practical skills, but also to define their career goals more clearly and work towards them in a targeted manner.