Most Distinguished Achievement Award

Award citation: Recognising outstanding academic and/or professional contributions to improving life through advances in mechanical process engineering.

Nominations are assessed on the extent to which the achievement and contribution will dovetail with the vision of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In this connection, the associated impacts towards resolving the prevailing issues that we are all facing today.

The Process Industries Division has awarded Tim Fox for the Most Distinguished Achievement Award 2021. Tim has made and continues to make an outstanding contribution to mechanical engineering at national and international levels in areas such as climate change, energy and environmental issues. His efforts have influenced policy makers at a high level and raised the profile of mechanical engineering thus capturing the attention and respect of the engineering community and wider public as a whole.

Some comments from judges include:

• Given the influential work and contributions that Tim has offered at national and international levels in the hot subjects such as climate change, energy and environmental in the context of the challenges not only to the mechanical engineering profession but also the entire engineering and technology sector too, he has indeed given his best with outstanding impact on policy makers at the very senior level. In doing so he has also raised the profile of Mechanical Engineering to a beaming platform capturing the attention and respect not only of the engineering community but the wider public as a whole.

This is not to mention the exemplary leadership that Tim has demonstrated in guiding and directing his team in the various board roles that he undertook in organisations of the engineering industry, learning society and the consultancy sector.

• Tim has lived out a career life of Most Outstanding Achievement, and indeed deserves the award as such!
• Tim thoroughly deserves the recognition associated with this award.

 

Career including professional roles & responsibilities

• Prior to becoming a Chartered Engineer in 2001, Tim’s professional career was spent in the rapidly emerging engineering design and process simulation software sector of the 1980s/90s with a focus on developing and delivering pioneering products to a broad range of end user customers in the process industries. The latter included clients in cryogenic industrial gases, upstream and downstream oil & gas, petrochemical and chemical processing, nuclear reactor processes, pharmaceuticals, wastewater treatment and food processing. During this period, technical and managerial accomplishments were numerous and included the publication of 19 peer reviewed papers, 8 conference papers, dozens of technical reports and trade press articles, as well as senior management appointments at “Head of” and “VP” level with global responsibilities.

   

  Achievements & accomplishments

  Subsequent to the award of CEng MIMechE, accomplishments as an engineering professional have included:

• 2001 – 2007, appointments to multiple Board level roles (ie Director, Group Commercial Director and Managing Director) with global responsibilities in large organisations
• 2007 – 2014, appointed as Head of Energy and Environment at the IMechE.
• 2010 - Awarded FIMechE.
• 2015 - Established independent consultancy as an internationally recognised expert in clean energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainability and the circular economy.
• 2015 – 2018 - Chair, IMechE Food and Drink Engineering Committee.
• 2018 - Established Process Industries Division’s India Technical Centre in Mumbai, India.
• 2018 – 2021 - Chair, IMechE Process Industries Division Board.
• 2021 – 2022 - Established IMechE Climate Change Adaptation Working Group and currently leading as the initial Chair.
• Benefit to society: Extensive written and visual media work delivered for the Institution in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation; the sustainable use of resources, including waste management and the circular economy; pollution mitigation; and resilience. In this regard, has been the lead-author on 14 IMechE thought leadership reports, 19 policy statements, numerous government related consultation responses, opinion pieces and blogs, lead IMechE author or co-author of 5 peer reviewed papers and 2 book chapters, and given dozens of public talks, conference presentations and press, media and film documentary interviews on behalf of the Institution on these topics. 
• Delivering this contribution has depended on building consensus amongst relevant Process Industries Division Board members and members of the Board’s TACs, along with members in topic relevant Divisions and Groups across the Institution (primarily Power Division and the EESG). As well as providing thought leadership on challenging societal issues that form the context for the professional work, such as global population growth and demographic and geopolitical change. The work often involved soliciting subject matter input from experts in allied disciplines (such as physical, social, and behavioural scientists, economists, architects, etc) and resolving strong differences of opinion amongst members while maintaining technical rigour and professional integrity to present various publics with an unbiased, independent engineering-based view on complex and challenging issues. Audiences have included national government policymakers both in the UK and overseas, international bodies such as the UN and World Bank, policy influencers, commentators and opinion formers, NGOs, academia, our own and other allied professions, press and broadcast media journalists and the broader general public.
• Most notable reports and policy statements have included “Rising Seas: The Engineering Challenge” (2019); “Heat Energy: The Nation’s Forgotten Crisis” (2015); “A Tank of Gold: Cleantech Leapfrog to a More Food Secure World” (2014); “Small Modular Reactors: A UK Opportunity” (2014); “Energy Storage: The Missing Link in The UK’s Energy Commitments” (2014); “Geothermal Energy: UK Potential” (2013); “BECCS for Electricity: Land-Use Tensions” (2013); “UK Plutonium: The Way Forward” (2013); “Global Food: Waste Not, Want Not” (2013); “UK Energy: Shale Gas” (2012); “Air Capture” (2011); “Population: One Planet, Too Many People?” (2011); “CCS: Natural Gas Power Plants” (2010); “Climate Change: Adapting to the Inevitable” (2009).
• The impact of the contribution upon the profession has been to increase our profile with national and international policymakers, NGOs, allied professions and the general public, in areas that matter to society such as food, water, energy, the built environment, climate change and broader environmental risk, sustainability and community resilience, and the integration of our thinking, findings and recommendations into government policy and the work of other bodies and academia. Evidence for example numerous invitations to sit on national and international committees, requests for our input into national and international initiatives such as the UK Climate Change Risk Assessments, and the widespread use of our reports in academic teaching.

• Averaging at least one paper per year to International Conferences since 1969 in Boston, USA: ‘Entrainment Pattern of Screw Feeders’ published Jrn. Eng Ind. May 60, P.295 – 302.
  

  Most recent papers - all presented at the ICBMH July 2013. Newcastle, Australia.

• ‘Guidelines to Prevent Structural Blockages in Flow Channels’
• ‘De-aeration of Loose Powders in Storage’
• ‘A Technique to improve the Characteristics of a Reversing Feeder’

Books Authored:

• ‘User Guide to the Design, Selection and Application of Screw Feeders’
• ‘User Guide to Segregation’
• ‘Glossary of Terms in Powder and Bulk Technology’ 
• ‘More gems of Solids Handling’

Chapters in Books:

• ‘Characteristics of Bulk Solids’ By Don McGlinchey Published by Blackwell
• ‘Principles of Powder Technology’ By Martin Rhodes Published by Wiley

Technical articles:

A selection of technical publications written by Lyndon Bates in last 10 to 15 years

• Overcoming arching and ratholes
• Loads acting through hopper outlets
• Dealing with wet and sticky materials
• Fundamentals of the flow of bulk solids
• The handling of difficult materials
• Poured repose segregation
• Air demand of chutes
• Structural arching
• Particle jamming notes
• Developments in hopper flow systems
• The surface finish of stainless steel
• Hopper geometry selection
• Value of bulk density
• Explosive precautions
• Introduction to hopper design
• Ten steps to counter segregation
• The use of inserts in hoppers
• Vibration induced flow
• Avoiding and curing hopper problems
• Hopper selection chart
• Multi-attribute characterisation of bulk solids
• Getting started in powder technology
• Bulk density, (of powders)
• Humidity, (of powders)
• Structural flow blockages in gravity flow
• Rules and tools for retrofits, (bulk solid problems)
• Handling foodstuffs
• Improving flow from hoppers
• Ten common questions about storage hoppers
• Characterisation, industrial practice
• Developments on powder testing for flow
• Practical education in powder technology
• Selection of feeders
• Ten golden rules for solids handling contracts
• New elevating technology
• Effective hopper geometry for screw feeders
• Benefits of the static screw
• How to minimise particle attrition
• Basics of powder testing
• Review of segregation
• State of art screw design
• Know your enemy, (characterisation of bulk material)
• Hopper inserts and novel hopper geometry
• Securing flow through smaller outlet
• Countering segregation
• The design of reliable solids handling plant
• Understanding bulk solids flow
• Regimes of flow in storage hoppers
• Innovative techniques in the storage and handling of solids
• Testing of powders
• Problems in storage and feeding of solids
• Interfacing hoppers with screw feeders
• Segregation of pharmaceuticals
• Use limits of simple test
• The discharge rate and condition of bulk materials from storage
• Screw feeder types
• Background to flow stresses in bulk solids
• Exploiting hopper geometry for flow reliability
• Assessing the discharge rate from hoppers
• Problems in dealing with bulk solids
• De-aeration of cement
• De-aeration of powders in storage
• Wall pressures
• Forces promoting the flow of bulk solids
• Loads on feeders
• On de-aeration
• Value of the vertical shear cell
• Silo quaking
• Dust control Sigma two relaxation
• Dealing with fluidised products
• Breakthrough in reversing screw feeder design
• The personality of bulk solids
• Reducing caking problems
• Developments in mass flow blending
• Plug screw sealing
• Accelerating de-aeration
• Belt feeder hoppers
• Height saving with reversing feeder
• Pearls of wisdom
• A pauper’s powder testing kit
• Optimising mixing techniques
• Tuned reed flow stimulation
• Reasons for large outlets
• The safe storage and handling of people
• Sticking in corners
• Discharge aids
• The benefits of plane flow
• Mass flow advantages and drawbacks
• Active and passive flow states
• Ten steps to reliable solids handling
• Ten top tips for achieving Reliable Flow from Hoppers
• The Flow Commandments
• Ten top tips to countering Segregation in Bulk Solids Handling
• Ten top tips for avoiding Screw Feeder Discharge Problems
• Ten top tips for reliable Screw Conveyor Performance
• Ten top tips for reliable lean phase Pneumatic Conveying
• Ten top tips to minimise Particle Attrition during Handling
• Ten top tips to secure Safe and Reliable Powder Test Results
• Ten top tips to Secure Sound Solids Handling Contracts
• Ten top tips for the un-enlightened Purchaser of Solids Handling plant
• The Screw Commandments
• Ten top tips to prevent Dust Explosions
• Ten Tips for Reliable Pneumatic Conveying
• Top Ten Tips for Dense Phase Conveying
• Top Ten Tips to Minimize Particle Attrition
• Top Ten Tips to Prevent and Redress Segregation
• Guide to flow rates and hopper wall angles
• ‘Personality’ classification for bulk materials
• Date sheet for especially hazardous solid bodies (1)
• Date sheet for especially hazardous solid bodies (2)
• Sherlock Holmes and the case of the travelling salesman
• Packing efficiency
• Society for the prevention of cruelty to hoppers

Editor of Books:

• ‘User Guide to IBC’s’
• ‘The control of dust in large scale bulk handling applications’
• ‘User Guide to Valve for Solids Handling’
• ‘User Guide to Weigh Feeders’
• ‘The Global Status of Bulk Materials Handling 2013’
• Joint Author with Professor George Klinzing of Pittsburgh University and
• Dr Shrikant Dhodapkar of Dow Chemicals. Houston, Texas for the Powder Technology newsletter of the A.I.Chem.E published as: ‘Pearls of Wisdom in Powder Technology’, comprising:

• ‘Characterising Bulk Materials’   
• ‘Ten Common Myths and Misconceptions about Solids Handling
• ‘Ten Simple Steps to Design Safer Solids Processing Plants’
• ‘Top Ten Questions for Selecting Powder Processing Technology
• ‘Top Ten Tips for Securing Reliable Flow from Hoppers’
• ‘Active and Passive Stresses – Relative to Flow in Hoppers’                               
• ‘Applying Planar Flow Fundamentals to Achieving Reliable Flow ‘ 
• ‘Top Ten Tips to Avoid Feeder Discharge Problems’                   
• ‘Challenges of Fine Powders:  Flooding, Flushing and De-aeration’ 
• ‘Guidelines to Prevent Particle Jamming or Structural Blockages’ 
• ‘Loads Acting through Hopper Outlets onto Feeders and Valves ‘
• ‘Are some Pneumatic Conveying Problems Wicked? ‘                 
• ‘Ten Tips for Reliable Design & Operation of Pneumatic Conveyors ‘ 
• ‘Top Ten Tips for Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveyor Systems’
• ‘Gas Solid Cyclones’                 
• ‘Top Ten Tips to Prevent and Resolve Segregation Issues’
• ‘Dry Screening - in a Nutshell’

 

Committees served:

• Industrial Liaison Committee, University of Salford
• Industrial liaison Committee, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Manchester Association of Engineers, (past President).
• Institute of Materials Handling
• SHAPA Technical Committee
• U.S. Rock and Soil Committee D 180, Jenike Shear Cell
• B.S.I. Committee on Hoppe Design.
• Working Party for the Mechanical of Particulate Solids of the European Federation of hemical Engineers. (Leader of Two Task Forces for ‘Segregation’ and ‘Wall Friction).
• IMechE Bulk Materials Handlin Committee, Ex. Chairman.
• Head of working party and Principle Author of ‘Guide to the Specification of Bulk Materials for Storage and Handling Applications’.
• The British Materials Handling Board – Chair of working party for ‘User Guide to Particle Attrition in Mechanical Handing Equipment’.

Visiting Lecturer to:

• University of Bradford 4
• University of Leeds 2
• University of Greenwich 2
• University of Birmingham 1
• Glasgow Caledonian University 1

Series of contributions to:

• Indian Publication – ‘Bulk Solids’ under title of ‘Solid Sense’
• ‘Solids and Bulk Handling’ – Regular article for The British Materials Handling Board

Web sites served:

PowderandBulk.com. Moderator and contributor to help forum.

Bulk-online.com Dedicated page of articles and Special ‘Ask Lyn’ column, with many contributions to forum.

Reviewer for Elseviere ‘Powder Technology

Currently reviewing ‘How does the internal angle of hoppers affect granular flow?’, By Saeed Albaraki.

Managerial, professional and technical accomplishments since becoming an established engineering professional.

• Apprentice engineer, B.D.A
• Junior Draughtsman, B.D.A Bradford Technical College
• Senior Draughtsman, B.D.A Higher Nat. Cert. & Endorsements
• Technical Design Engineer, Fairway Engineering AMIMechE
• Technical Manager, Fairway Engineering MIMechE
• Technical Director, Fairway Engineering
• Managing Director, Ajax Equipment

Since building up the works and installing a second generation management team, Lyndon has been able to devote more time to technical innovation and industrial education.

Lyndon has developed an assembly of devices and techniques under the heading of ‘Lynflow’, a registered trade name, including:

A series of innovative designs introduced by Lyndon under a title of ‘Lynflow Technology’ Including:

• Lynflow Bins - Moulded IBC bins of “Mixed Flow’ design that exploit dual plane-flow construction
• Lynflow Paddles - Paddles for continuous mixers employing tangential leading edge and ribbon trailing blade, to direct material away from the shaft and reduce the tendency to clog with sticky materials.
• Lynflow Inserts - Hopper inserts that avoids a ratholing tendency by changing the flow stress system from similarity to a thick wall cylinder subjected to internal pressure to a deep, curved beam subjected to uniform distributed load.
• Lynflow Tuned Reeds - Vibrating reeds that exploit the natural frequency of a cantilevered beam to transfer energy from the outside of a bin to the surface of a potential arch in a bulk storage bin.
• Lynflow De-aerator - Devices to accelerate de-aeration by providing shorter and easier paths for air to escape, whilst injecting air in controlled volume to avoid settlement to a cohesive condition and secure an optimum flow state.
• Lynflow Lump breaker - A machine with staggered blades that progressively crush agglomerates with a three-stage action that places fixing welds in shear, rather than tension.

Reviewer for Elseviere ‘Powder Technology

Currently reviewing ‘How does the internal angle of hoppers affect granular flow?’, By Saeed Albaraki.

Managerial, professional and technical accomplishments since becoming an established engineering professional.

• Apprentice engineer, B.D.A
• Junior Draughtsman, B.D.A Bradford Technical College
• Senior Draughtsman, B.D.A Higher Nat. Cert. & Endorsements
• Technical Design Engineer, Fairway Engineering AMIMechE
• Technical Manager, Fairway Engineering MIMechE
• Technical Director, Fairway Engineering
• Managing Director, Ajax Equipment

Since building up the works and installing a second generation management team, Lyndon has been able to devote more time to technical innovation and industrial education.

Lyndon has developed an assembly of devices and techniques under the heading of ‘Lynflow’, a registered trade name, including:

A series of innovative designs introduced by Lyndon under a title of ‘Lynflow Technology’ Including:

• Lynflow Bins - Moulded IBC bins of “Mixed Flow’ design that exploit dual plane-flow construction
• Lynflow Paddles - Paddles for continuous mixers employing tangential leading edge and ribbon trailing blade, to direct material away from the shaft and reduce the tendency to clog with sticky materials.
• Lynflow Inserts - Hopper inserts that avoids a ratholing tendency by changing the flow stress system from similarity to a thick wall cylinder subjected to internal pressure to a deep, curved beam subjected to uniform distributed load.
• Lynflow Tuned Reeds - Vibrating reeds that exploit the natural frequency of a cantilevered beam to transfer energy from the outside of a bin to the surface of a potential arch in a bulk storage bin.
• Lynflow De-aerator - Devices to accelerate de-aeration by providing shorter and easier paths for air to escape, whilst injecting air in controlled volume to avoid settlement to a cohesive condition and secure an optimum flow state.
• Lynflow Lump breaker - A machine with staggered blades that progressively crush agglomerates with a three-stage action that places fixing welds in shear, rather than tension.