Public Lecture: Aerodynamic reminiscences of planes and trains
Roger Gawthorpe
Honorary Professor, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham
Wednesday 16th March 2005 at 5.00p.m. in room F32 of the Civil / Mechanical Engineering Building
Abstract
After early training in the aircraft industry at de Havillands and studies at Cranfield (then the College of Aeronautics), Roger Gawthorpe was recruited in 1970 into the newly forming Research and Development Division of British Rail to create the first national railway aerodynamics unit. Early applications of the teams expertise were to the new Advanced Passenger Train and to proposals for the Channel Tunnel, both of which required the development of new aerodynamics techniques. The following 26 years produced some novel experimental and theoretical approaches in open-air and tunnel aerodynamics up until the privatisation of British Rail - research having been undertaken not only for UK operations but also collaborative projects between natiional railways in Europe and commercial consultancy in over 50 studies abroad. Some aspects of this work will be described in the lecture. Post-British Rail, Roger became an independant consultant in Railway Aerodynamics and managed a number of European-funded research projects based in the Netherlands as well as advising clients in the UK and elsewhere. He is very happy to continue to be involved in assisting young researchers in this subject.
Tea and coffee will be served from 4.30 onwards, and light refreshments will be served after the lecture. For further details, please contact Lesley Anne Boyle on l.a.boyle@bham.ac.uk, or 0121 414 5137