The University of Newcastle marked the birthday of Emeritus Professor Alan Roberts – the doyen of Australian bulk handling academics – with a specially invited conference late last week.
The event assembled a distinguished audience of academics, researchers and industry representatives from Australia, the USA, UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Israel, and Japan.
Besides the full day conference on the Friday, guests enjoyed a program of lunches, dinners and social engagements.
The conference was organised by TUNRA Bulk Solids, with Professor Mark Jones of the University of Newcastle opening the event and doing much to bring the 80th birthday celebration together.
Some key attendees from academia included Associate Professor Peter Wypych and Emeritus Professor Peter Arnold from the University of Wollongong, Professor Michael Rotter of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Ai-bing Yu from the University of NSW, Professor Gabriel Lodewijks of Delft University of Technology, Professor Avi Levy of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Professor Ian Moore of Queens University, Professor Jin Ooi of the University of Edinburgh and Emeritus Professor Kunio Shinohara of Hokkaido University.
From industry, conference speakers included Lawrence Nordell of Conveyor Dynamics of the USA, Gary James of Minerva Engineers, Con Michaels of Veyance Belting, Owen Scott of Kooragang Coal Terminals Expansion, John Thomason of SKM, John Planner of Introspec Consulting, and Dr David Mills, now an independent pneumatic conveying consultant and formerly of Glasgow Caledonian University.
In his 50-year career, Alan Roberts has published seminal technical papers and combined a glittering academic career with practical industry problem-solving.
He undertook an indentured apprenticeship at Cockatoo Docks, starting in 1947, while studying part time. Besides time in the fitting shop, he worked in the drawing office on the design of cement-making machinery.
After Cockatoo Docks, Alan joined the NSW University of Technology, where he worked in the area of agricultural engineering under Professor Al Willis of the UK.
As part of his conversion course for his Bachelor of Engineering degree, he undertook a project that involved studying the performance of screw conveyors for handling grain.
Alan graduated in 1955 with a 1st class honours degree, and in 1958 accepted an appointment as a lecturer at Wollongong University College. There, he enrolled for a master’s degree undertaking further research into screw conveyor performance.
With his research showing some interesting results, his enrolment was converted into a PhD, which he worked on in the evenings while his days were spent lecturing.
Around this time, as part of his PhD work, he submitted a paper entitled The Performance of Grain Augers to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK. The paper was refereed, accepted and published in the Institutions’ proceedings, winning a prestigious award as the best paper in its subject area in 1962. He followed this with a second paper, in 1964, on the vortex motion of grain augers.
It was around this time that Alan came across the papers of Andrew Jenike of the University of Utah, a pioneer in the field of bulk solids flow theory, who Alan described as “the grandfather of modern theories.”
“This link to Jenike’s work was a very important link in my career,” said Alan. “I, like many others round the world, did my own research and developed his (Jenike’s) work further to suit my own requirements. We refined his theory and looked for solutions that were easier to apply for bin design purposes.”
In another research milestone, in 1968 Alan’s research into chute flow was published by the Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Against a background of his research work, Alan advanced through the ranks at Wollongong, becoming a senior lecturer and latterly an associate professor.
However, with an ambition to step up to a professorial chair, he accepted a position at the University of Newcastle in 1974 as Professor of Industrial Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Shortly after, he became head of department and in 1974 was elected dean of the engineering faculty, a position he held for almost 20 years.
A year later, in 1975, Alan was prime mover in the formation of TUNRA Bulk Solids, the industry consultancy that has gone on to complete over 2,500 projects for around 1,000 companies in Australia and 40 countries internationally.
Moving fast forward, Alan retired in 1993 after 20 years as dean at Newcastle University. Besides his onerous administrative duties - a full time job in themselves - he’d packed in teaching, consulting to industry, building up TUNRA Bulk Solids, and his own research.
However, despite his retirement, Alan has maintained a brisk pace of work. His research interests continue, while he teaches short courses in Australia, Canada and the US.
Amid Alan’s plethora of industry awards, medals, commendations and tributes, there have been a couple of highlights. In 1989 he was awarded the A.G.M. Michel Medal by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, this being the country’s highest award in mechanical engineering. Later, in 1992, he was awarded an AM (Member Order of Australia - General Division) for services to mechanical engineering, particularly in bulk solids technology, research and education.
Prof. Alan Roberts' 80th Birthday
Conference marks Alan Roberts’ 80th birthday
by macdonaldc
Australian Bulk Handling Review
April 14, 2010
The University of Newcastle marked the birthday of Emeritus Professor Alan Roberts – the doyen of Australian bulk handling academics – with a specially invited conference late last week.
The event assembled a distinguished audience of academics, researchers and industry representatives from Australia, the USA, UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Israel, and Japan.
Besides the full day conference on the Friday, guests enjoyed a program of lunches, dinners and social engagements.
The conference was organised by TUNRA Bulk Solids, with Professor Mark Jones of the University of Newcastle opening the event and doing much to bring the 80th birthday celebration together.
Some key attendees from academia included Associate Professor Peter Wypych and Emeritus Professor Peter Arnold from the University of Wollongong, Professor Michael Rotter of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Ai-bing Yu from the University of NSW, Professor Gabriel Lodewijks of Delft University of Technology, Professor Avi Levy of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Professor Ian Moore of Queens University, Professor Jin Ooi of the University of Edinburgh and Emeritus Professor Kunio Shinohara of Hokkaido University.
From industry, conference speakers included Lawrence Nordell of Conveyor Dynamics of the USA, Gary James of Minerva Engineers, Con Michaels of Veyance Belting, Owen Scott of Kooragang Coal Terminals Expansion, John Thomason of SKM, John Planner of Introspec Consulting, and Dr David Mills, now an independent pneumatic conveying consultant and formerly of Glasgow Caledonian University.
In his 50-year career, Alan Roberts has published seminal technical papers and combined a glittering academic career with practical industry problem-solving.
He undertook an indentured apprenticeship at Cockatoo Docks, starting in 1947, while studying part time. Besides time in the fitting shop, he worked in the drawing office on the design of cement-making machinery.
After Cockatoo Docks, Alan joined the NSW University of Technology, where he worked in the area of agricultural engineering under Professor Al Willis of the UK.
As part of his conversion course for his Bachelor of Engineering degree, he undertook a project that involved studying the performance of screw conveyors for handling grain.
Alan graduated in 1955 with a 1st class honours degree, and in 1958 accepted an appointment as a lecturer at Wollongong University College. There, he enrolled for a master’s degree undertaking further research into screw conveyor performance.
With his research showing some interesting results, his enrolment was converted into a PhD, which he worked on in the evenings while his days were spent lecturing.
Around this time, as part of his PhD work, he submitted a paper entitled The Performance of Grain Augers to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK. The paper was refereed, accepted and published in the Institutions’ proceedings, winning a prestigious award as the best paper in its subject area in 1962. He followed this with a second paper, in 1964, on the vortex motion of grain augers.
It was around this time that Alan came across the papers of Andrew Jenike of the University of Utah, a pioneer in the field of bulk solids flow theory, who Alan described as “the grandfather of modern theories.”
“This link to Jenike’s work was a very important link in my career,” said Alan. “I, like many others round the world, did my own research and developed his (Jenike’s) work further to suit my own requirements. We refined his theory and looked for solutions that were easier to apply for bin design purposes.”
In another research milestone, in 1968 Alan’s research into chute flow was published by the Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Against a background of his research work, Alan advanced through the ranks at Wollongong, becoming a senior lecturer and latterly an associate professor.
However, with an ambition to step up to a professorial chair, he accepted a position at the University of Newcastle in 1974 as Professor of Industrial Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Shortly after, he became head of department and in 1974 was elected dean of the engineering faculty, a position he held for almost 20 years.
A year later, in 1975, Alan was prime mover in the formation of TUNRA Bulk Solids, the industry consultancy that has gone on to complete over 2,500 projects for around 1,000 companies in Australia and 40 countries internationally.
Moving fast forward, Alan retired in 1993 after 20 years as dean at Newcastle University. Besides his onerous administrative duties - a full time job in themselves - he’d packed in teaching, consulting to industry, building up TUNRA Bulk Solids, and his own research.
However, despite his retirement, Alan has maintained a brisk pace of work. His research interests continue, while he teaches short courses in Australia, Canada and the US.
Amid Alan’s plethora of industry awards, medals, commendations and tributes, there have been a couple of highlights. In 1989 he was awarded the A.G.M. Michel Medal by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, this being the country’s highest award in mechanical engineering. Later, in 1992, he was awarded an AM (Member Order of Australia - General Division) for services to mechanical engineering, particularly in bulk solids technology, research and education.
Photo: Alan and Betty Roberts ■