Download Slide 1 - School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

REF 2014
MACE RESEARCH THEMES
• Based on current and past activity for REF
where there is significant activity
• 8 themes (5 Mech/Aero, 3 Civil – Climate
Change in both + Modelling and Simulation)
• Small activities included as specialisms within
themes
UOA12b Environment
Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering
The 39 members of staff (34.38 FTE) returned in
Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering
are drawn from the Schools of Mechanical, Aerospace
and Civil Engineering (32.38 FTE) and Materials (2 FTE).
Research in the Unit is organised around themes that
address multidisciplinary challenges of industrial and
societal importance: Nuclear Engineering, Innovative
Manufacturing, Aerospace Engineering, Climate Change,
and Bio-engineering.
These themes are underpinned by a cross-cutting theme in
Modelling & Simulation, and discipline-based research
groups in Fluids; Manufacturing; Solids, Dynamics &
Materials; and Project Management & Climate Change.
Significant achievements in the REF period include:
• Providing new insights into the effects of irradiation on
graphite, contributing directly to extending the life of the UK
Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) fleet, and underpinning a
Queen’s Anniversary Prize, 2011;
• Developing the world’s most powerful optical microscope,
with 50 nm white-light resolution;
• Developing laser cleaning technology, adopted for diffusion
bonding applications by Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems;
• Chairs, lecturers and fellows sponsored by Office for Nuclear
regulation, EDF, Rolls-Royce, and Technology Strategy Board.
• Elected fellowships and prizes: Ainsworth (FRS, Welding
Institute Brooker Medal), Lin Li (FREng, RAEng Frank Whittle
Medal), Launder (Nusselt-Reynolds Prize), Hayhurst (Institute
of Materials, Minerals and Mining Griffith Medal and Prize)
• £21.0m research income, 77 keynote addresses, 840 papers in
international journals, 44% of recent outputs amongst the
10% most cited in the field.
UoA 14 Environment
Civil and Construction Engineering
The 21.85 FTE returned to the UOA are drawn from the
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil
Engineering. Research in the unit is organised around
themes that address multidisciplinary challenges of
industrial and societal importance: Offshore Energy
& Coastal Engineering, Climate Change, Structural &
Fire Engineering.
These themes are underpinned by a cross-cutting
theme in Modelling & Simulation, and disciplinebased research groups in Fluids; Structures, Building
& Geotechnics; and Project Management & Climate
Change.
Significant achievements in the REF period include:
• Developing computational models of tidal stream generator
systems, supporting £65m industry investment;
• Providing the scientific evidence that underpins UK
Government policy to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by
2050;
• Providing new methods in fire engineering design, which
were applied in The Shard, The Pinnacle, and other iconic
buildings;
• Elected fellowships and prizes: Bailey (FREng); Bailey and
Wang (Institution of Structural Engineers, Henry Adams
Diploma Award, 2008 and 2011); Stansby (Lloyds Science of
Risk prize); Apsley and Stansby (ASCE Karl Emil Hilgard
Hydraulic Prize); Cunningham (Institution of Civil Engineers’
Brunel Medal);
• £8.9m research income, 60 keynote addresses, 379 papers
in international journals, 58% of recent outputs amongst
the 10% most cited in the field.
Impact: Mechanical, Aerospace and
Manufacturing Engineering
• The UoA’s research Themes of Nuclear Engineering, Innovative
Manufacturing, Aerospace Engineering, Climate Change, and Bioengineering are aligned directly with user groups in the nuclear,
manufacturing, aerospace and healthcare industries, and with
policy-makers and influencers. These are the main non-academic
beneficiaries of the research, though other opportunities have been
pursued when they have arisen. The main types of impact are:
• Economic, through insights, processes and guidance, that underpin
energy security and improved products in Nuclear Engineering,
Innovative Manufacturing, Aerospace Engineering;
• Public policy and the environment, though influencing public
debate and government policy on Climate Change;
• Healthcare, through improved investigations and devices in Bioengineering.
Impact: Civil and Construction
Engineering
• The UoA’s research Themes of Offshore Energy & Coastal
Engineering, Structural & Fire Engineering, and Climate Change are
aligned directly with user groups in the energy, steel and
construction industries, and with policy-makers and influencers.
These are the main non-academic beneficiaries of the research,
though other opportunities have been pursued when they have
arisen. The main types of impact are:
• Economic, through new insights, processes and standards, that
underpin business investment and professional practice in Offshore
Energy and Bioenergy, and Structural & Fire Engineering;
• Public policy and the environment, though influencing public
debate and government policy, and predictive modelling in Climate
Change and Coastal Engineering.
Approach to impact
Impact is use of research by industry or policy
makers generating products, improving
productivity, determining policy , not just
collaboration or sponsorship.
Mechanisms for engaging with users
• Strategic partnerships
• Targeted knowledge transfer
• Providing advice and influencing policy
• Developing standards and guidance
MACE CURRENT POSITION
RESEARCH THEME
Current Grant Value
Nuclear engineering
£14.3M
Offshore energy and coastal engineering
£2.46M
Aerospace
£2.18M
Manufacturing
£2.15M
Climate change (Tyndall Manchester)
£1.89M
Modelling and Simulation (overarching theme)
£1.40M
Bio engineering
£0.32M
Water (new, more grants to be transferred )
£0.18M
Project Management (new)
£0.15M
Structural and fire engineering
£0.006M
TOTAL
£24.8M
UK LANDSCAPE
73 CDTs awarded by EPSRC in November 2014
give some indication of strength in disciplines
CDTs awarded Nov 2013 in Mechanical Engineering
Composites
2 Bristol (2)
Robotics
2 Bristol ; Heriot Watt
Fluid dynamics
3 Cambridge ; Imperial; Leeds
Manufacturing
5 Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield (2)
Graphene
2 Cambridge ; Manchester (Physics)
Medical
2 Manchester (Medical School); Strathclyde
Power networks
2 Manchester (EEE) ; Imperial
Materials
2 Imperial; UCL
Urban science
1 Warwick
Electronics/photonics
1 UCL
Nuclear fission
1 Manchester (Chemistry)
CDTs awarded Nov 2013 in Civil Engineering
Infrastructure and built
environment
1
Cambridge
Water
1
Exeter
Sustainable civil
engineering
1
Imperial
Wind and marine energy 1
Strathclyde
Energy demand
1
UCL
Bio energy
1
Leeds
FUTURE
Impact will remain important – need to plan
High quality publications with citations always be
important – think about Nature and Science
Targets for each theme
• Platform or programme or ERC grant
• And / or CDT /DTC
Themes need critical mass and be internationally
leading .
Present themes correct?
Another example: Cambridge Engineering
Strategic themes
• Energy transport and urban infrastructure
• Uncertainty risk and resilience
• Bio engineering
• Inspiring research through industrial collaboration
Academic divisions
• Energy, fluid mechanics and turbomachinery
• Mechanics, materials and design
• Civil engineering
• Manufacturing and management
• Electrical engineering
• Information engineering