Structural Technology and Materials Group - how we are governed

Senior Lecturer in Solid Mechanics, KU Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kingston University

Payam is a Chartered Engineer and a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. He holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Edinburgh and have obtained qualifications in solid mechanics, applied mechanics, fire dynamics and fire safety engineering design. He holds memberships in multiple prestigious organizations, including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the Institute of Physics (IOP), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and EPSRC Peer Review College.

His research primarily focuses on solid mechanics and advanced computational methodologies, particularly the innovative application of biological paradigms in materials and system design to enhance structural resilience and reliability under extreme conditions. His ongoing research projects focus on: (i) complex relationships between internal structures of bio-inspired materials and their mechanical properties using novel computational approaches and (ii) the interaction between different load-carrying mechanisms which determines the overall behavior of structures under different loading and support conditions.

Lead Engineer, Structural Integrity Sector, EDF Energy 

Joy is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. She has over 30 years structural integrity experience in the academic, aerospace, nuclear, and petrochemical industries.

Joy’s first degree is in mechanic engineering from Zhejiang University, China and her PhD degree is in civil engineering from the University of Glasgow.

Her academic experience stems from her work at Imperial College London as a Post Doctorial Research Associate in 2000, being responsible for development of a new composite finite element model, new non-linear material models and an elevated temperature model for composite structure.

To meet her satisfaction of solving day to day engineering problems, Joy then moved to Honeywell Aerospace, Yeovil as a Senior Staff Engineer in 2002. During this time, she performed lots of static, dynamic analyses for various military aircrafts.

In 2006, she joined Messier-Dowty Limited (currently Safran Landing Systems) as an Assistant Principal Engineer, and became Principal Engineer and Lead Stress one year later. Leading the Stress Analysis Team of the A400M military transporter Nose Landing Gear (NLG) IPT, she managed to deliver the structural analyses and made key decisions on structural related issues to meet programme deliverables and ensure quality & efficiency. After the successful A400M’s first flight, her responsibility was moved to the preliminary structural stress assessment of the A350-1000 aircraft’s Main Landing Gear (MLG) for the company’s commercial bidding.

After being inspired by the new challenge of nuclear power technology, she moved to EDF Energy in 2010. She soon became a Suitably Qualified Experienced Personnel in many key structural analysis areas, such as classic strength and material, design codes, fatigue, low temperature fracture (R6), high temperature creep (R5), creep rupture and complex finite element analysis. As a Lead Engineer, she is responsible for team deliveries, balancing emerging work against planned activities, and managing the internal and external resources to meet the satisfaction of the stakeholders.

Besides the UK experiences, she also has many years’ experience in China, worked with a leading General Machinery Research Institute (GMRI) as a Senior Research Engineer, engaged in the design, research and testing of pressure vessel & pipe, and the development of design code and fracture assessment methods.

Assistant Chief Engineer, Rolls Royce

Simon Brittle, CEng, FIMechE, studied for his B.Eng. in Nuclear Engineering and for an MSc in Project Management, both at the University of Manchester.  He has spent three decades working at Rolls-Royce in the nuclear sector.  He has held roles as a site engineer, site manager, project manager, Chief Design Engineer (mechanical components) and is currently Assistant Chief Engineer for mechanical equipment in-service on operational nuclear plant.

In all these roles Simon has witnessed, sometimes at close hand, the challenges of satisfying demanding structural integrity requirements for high integrity components and systems.  Simon has worked with material scientists, analytical engineers, designers and manufacturing engineers on a wide range of projects to resolve a variety of structural integrity challenges.  Simon has been fortunate to work on some novel projects and has worked on international collaborations.  In doing so he has gained insights into how to reduce or avoid risk when tackling structural integrity challenges.  Simon serves as Vice Chair of the IMechE STMG.

Nuclear Services Manager, Capgemini Engineering, Capgemini UK

R-PAD Technology Ltd

Professor of Mechanics, UCL Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Paul's research is in the field of guided ultrasonic wave propagation and scattering in complex and anisotropic structures. He developed experimental methodology for the precise, non-contact laser measurement of ultrasonic wave propagation and scattering for model validation and verification of defect detection limits. This includes fatigue crack growth in multi-layered aircraft structures and barely visible impact damage in composite aircraft structures.

He chairs the conference on Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems held annually in the US as part of the symposium on Smart Structures/NDE. He chairs the IMechE AMSTAC committee and is a member of the IMechE Aerospace Division Board and ASME Nondestructive Evaluation, Diagnosis and Prognosis Division (NDPD) Executive Committee. He serves as associate editor for the ASME Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, Diagnostics and Prognostics of Engineering Systems.

CEng MIMechE MWeldI IWE
Principal Project Leader, TWI

Matthew joined TWI in 2012. He read Mechanical Engineering (MEng) at the University of Cambridge (Churchill College) and has prior work experience in Nuclear Engineering, the Armed Forces (Royal Navy) and the MOD. He is currently a Principal Project Leader in the area of Fracture Integrity Management, and a Chartered Engineer (IMechE).

Matthew’s main areas of expertise lie in fracture toughness testing, general mechanical testing (both standard and bespoke) and Engineering Critical Assessment. He also co-ordinates mechanical testing, lectures on a number of TWI training courses and mentors colleagues working towards Chartership.

Matthew was Chair of The Welding Institute’s Younger Members’ Committee from 2013 to 2020 and has a particular interest in education outreach. He now leads outreach activities on behalf of TWI.

Consultant, Frazer-Nash

Graeme Horne joined Frazer-Nash Consultancy as a senior engineer in 2015 from the University of Bristol, where he completed a PhD and MEng in mechanical engineering.

Graeme has a background in residual stress measurements and prediction, fracture mechanics and probabilistic modelling. He’s currently a consultant at Frazer-Nash in their asset integrity area and a chartered engineer, supporting clients monitor, understand and extend the lives of their plant.

He maintains an active interest in the research community, maintaining links with the University of Bristol having recently completing a project investigating weld residual stress in electron and laser beam welds, and is active in the Pressure Vessel & Piping Division of ASME.

ECA Engineer, Pipeline Group, Subsea 7

Safety and Reliability Engineer, Rolls Royce

Inspector for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)
Following a MEng in Mechanical Engineering at Edinburgh University, Alexander completed a PhD investigating the influence of residual stress on the fracture behaviour of ferritic steels with the University of Surrey. Alexander followed his academic studies by working for Frazer-Nash Consultancy and Amec-Foster Wheeler in the areas of graphite material properties and stress and fracture of steels. Alexanders work focussed on code assessments, material model development, residual stress modelling, crack body analysis, defect tolerance assessments and independent nuclear safety advice.

Since 2014, Alexander has been an Inspector for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) assessing safety submissions in both steel and graphite technical areas and conducting national and international interventions. Alexander has supported the regulation of Hinkley Point C and the operating fleet of advanced-gas cooled reactors. Alexander is currently the ONR observer on the R6 Development Panel.

Alexander has been a member of the STMG since 2016 and has participated in a number of seminars and panellist discussions.”

Finite Element Analyst, Transforming Stress Ltd, Cambridge.

Simon has developed modelling methods for the assessment of the quality and performance of welds and joints in structures for well over thirty years.

Simon developed simulation techniques for creep crack growth during research at Nottingham University. He joined The Welding Institute in 1989 and led their development of modelling methods for the assessment of the performance of joints using Finite Element and Computational Fluid Dynamics.

Simon contributed to the development of BSI documents BS 7608: 'Guide to fatigue design and assessment of steel products' and BS 7910; 'Guide to methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures'. His work has also been used by R6 and API570.

Simon was a co-author of ISO/TS 18166:2016 ('Numerical welding simulation — Execution and documentation'). 

Automotive and Mechanical Engineer, Welding Engineer, Civil and Structural Engineer, Oil and Gas Engineer, Marine Biologist.

Senior Consultant, Jacobs

Technical Officer, NAFEMS

CEng MIMECHE, FEA Engineer, Eminox Ltd

A Chartered Engineer with passion for computational simulation who believes in its power to help shape the world around us for the better.

 

Ivo comes from the Czech Republic, a country with strong historic connection to engineering and science, and worked internationally in Europe and America. By joining STMG, Ivo hopes to promote engineering.

Primarily focused on durability,  Ivo worked as a Finite Element Analysis Engineer developing exhaust after-treatment systems for automotive, rail and marine applications in Eminox. Before that he worked as a CAE Engineer in automotive company Hanon Systems developing radiators and charge air coolers for passenger cars. Aside from engineering he is passionate about public speaking, mindfulness and art.

CEng MIMechE, Staff mechanical engineer, DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction

Dr. Lin Wang, whose professional career began in 2008, has been passionate about analysis led design/testing in the process of new product development across various industries, by developing innovative numerical simulation methods of metal forming, dynamic impact, duty cycle fatigue, material wear, creep, and fracture.

 

In 2016, Lin joined DePuy Synthes, part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices companies, prior to which he has worked at Cummins Turbo Technologies, Metal Spinners Group and Durham University. Lin holds a PhD from Durham University and a MSc (distinction) from Manchester University, both in Mechanical Engineering. So far, he has published 15 peer-reviewed journal and conference articles as the first author with 200+ citations.

As a committee member of the IMechE's Structural Technology and Materials Group, Lin aims to further promote the role of computational modelling in the research and development, advance the application, verification, and validation of structural analysis, across different sectors of Mechanical Engineering.

Research Fellow II – Digitalisation of Composites, Brunel Composites Centre, Brunel University London