Thermofluids Group: How we are governed

Rolls-Royce SMRs

Mehdi Biroun joined the Dyson Institute as a lecturer in thermofluids in August 2022. Before this role, he held academic positions at University College London (UCL), Northumbria University, and West Pomeranian University of Technology. He is a Chartered Engineer through IMechE and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). He has been recognised as a global talent by the Royal Academic of Engineering.

His research interests include dynamic modelling of renewable energy systems, Acoustofluidics and Droplet actuation, Complex granular flows, and numerical and experimental investigation of multiphase flow systems. Mehdi is always looking for academic collaborations on research.

Mehdi teaches core mechanical engineering modules on fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and CFD. During his career, Mehdi has always integrated real-world applications into engineering teaching.

Managing Director, Flow Science UK Ltd

Mark Keating is the Managing Director of Flow Science UK which is owned by Flow Science Inc, developers of the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software suite of FLOW-3D products for the last 40 years. This includes the HYDRO product for the water/wastewater industry.

Mark became an IMechE member in 1993 and has been involved in modelling and simulation first degree graduation in Mechanical Engineering in 1995 at Nottingham Trent University. He went on to study for his MPhil & PhD in industrial gas turbines investigating novel blade heat transfer and became chartered (CEng) in 2000. Since 2001 Mark has held technical, commercial, marketing and management roles revolving around major commercial simulation software vendors (most significantly, 16 years with Ansys).

Mark has been a STEM ambassador since 2019 and in 2022 completed his Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) course. Mark sits on the NAFEMS UK steering committee as well as a number of NAFEMS working groups (CFD, optimisation, metal additive manufacturing etc) and IMechE Thermo-Fluids Group Board and is an enthusiastic advocate of the adoption of simulation technologies. He is also the publicity officer for the IMechE Nottinghamshire/Derby Area Committee.

Previously, he held academic positions at the University of Huddersfield and the University of Hertfordshire and worked as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Energy Futures, Brunel University London. He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng), a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Dr. Pandey has been recognised as a BRICS Young Scientist and a Global Talent by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng).

His research focuses on low-carbon energy systems, hydrogen production, resource recovery, decarbonisation, energy transition, sustainability and the circular economy.

Colin Scrivener worked for Rolls-Royce from 1967, until retirement in June 2006, and then as a consultant to the company for 12 years. Initially in compressors, he contributed to the aerodynamic development of the high bypass ratio fan for the RB211-524 engine. His major contribution to Rolls-Royce has been in turbine technology. After joining the turbine group in 1978, progressing to Head of Turbine Engineering in 1992, with a team of 300 aero-thermal, mechanical and design staff responsible for turbines for the whole company.

This team produced turbine designs for the Trent and EJ200 aero engines, and the variable turbine for the WR21 marine engine. Colin also supported turbine engineering at Rolls-Royce sites in Germany and Montreal. Subsequently he was Head of Technology responsible for the generic aerodynamic, mechanical and design methods and then IT Director for Aerospace Engineering, with responsibility for the IT strategy for about 450 people and an IT budget of £3M.

He was instrumental in the move from main-frame Cray super computers to distributed servers. From 1997 Colin was responsible across the whole of Rolls-Royce for the professional leadership and career development of engineers in the aerothermal area (fluid dynamics and thermodynamics). He has played an active role in ASME, the IMechE and the European Turbomachinery Conference and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2006. Since 1996 he has been a member of the Editorial Board the IMechE Journal of Power and Energy, and was Editor from 2002 to 2006.

In retirement he spend some time mentoring PhD students at Cambridge and Oxford University.