Newcastle University

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) 1st Class in Chemical Engineering
PhD in Process Control
CEng

Memberships

MIChemE

Honours and Awards

ExxonMobil Teaching Fellowship (1990-1993)
IEE Kelvin Premium Award for the paper
Willis, M.J., Di Massimo, C., Montague, G.A., Tham, M.T. and Morris, A.J. (1990). 'On neural networks in chemical process control'. Proc. IEE Pt.D, 138, 3, pp 256-266.

Research Interests

Advanced process control
Modelling and Simulation

Current Work

Disturbance observers
Quantifying control systems performance
Control of Process Intensified Systems

Postgraduate Supervision

Dynamics and Modelling of a Biomass Gasifier
Performance Monitoring of Multivariable Control Systems

Available Projects:

Low-order Controller Design for High-order Systems

Esteem Indicators

Invited lectures, seminars and workshops
External examiner (PhD as well as undergraduate degree programmes)
Reviewer for journals and publishers

Consultancy

Process systems modelling.
Process control.

Undergraduate Teaching

Process Dynamics, Robust Control, Digital Control, Numerical Methods, Process Measurement, Research Methodology, Design Project

Postgraduate Teaching

Robust Control, Digital Control, Research Methodology

• Ghiasy D, Boodhoo KVK, Tham MT. Control of Intensified Equipment: A simulation study for pH Control in a Spinning Disc Reactor. Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification 2012, 55, 1-7.
• Ghiasy D, Boodhoo KVK, Tham MT. Thermographic analysis of thin liquid flims on a rotating disc: approach and challenges. Applied Thermal Engineering 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Ghiasy D, Boodhoo KVK, Tham MT. Control of Process Intensified Equipment: pH control in a SDR. In: EPIC2011. 2011, Manchester, UK.
• Ghiasy D, Boodhoo KVK, Tham MT. Thermographic analysis of thin liquid films on a rotating disc: Approach and Challenges. In: HEFAT2011. 2011, Mauritius.
• Tan KK, Chua KY, Zhao S, Yang S, Tham MT. Repetitive control approach towards automatic tuning of Smith predictor controllers. ISA Transactions 2009, 48(1), 16-23.
• Akay G, Calkan B, Calkan OF, Herrera FJ, Jordan CA, Mohamed AH, Tham M. Performance of an intensified downdraft gasifier at 50kWe and 1 Mwe scales. In: AIChE Spring National Meeting Conference Proceedings. 2008, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA: AIChE.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. Disturbance Observer Design for Continuous Systems with Delay. Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, (Special Issue on Process Systems Engineering) 2007, 2(6), 517-525.
• Tham MT, Jones RW, Al-Hinai I. Estimating output variance in closed loop systems. Chemical Product and Process Modeling 2007, 2(1), -.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. IMC based Tuning of Set-point Weighting. In: European Control Conference (ECC). 2007, Kos, Greece.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. PID Design Approaches for Higher-Order Plants. In: ECC. 2007, Kos, Greece.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. PID design using a Maximum Sensitivity Specification. ISA Transactions 2007.
• Jones R-W, Tham MT. Control strategies for process intensified systems. In: SICE-ICASE Joint International Conference. 2006, Busan, Korea: IEEE.
• Al-Hatmi N, Tham MT. Controllability and resiliency aspects of gravity three-phase horizontal separators. In: International Control Conference (ICC2006).2006,Glasgow:University of Strathclyde Publishing
• Jones RW, Tham MT. Disturbance observer design for process systems. In: 11th APCChE Congress. 2006, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Jones RW, Tham MT, McKeon KM. Disturbance suppression in mechatronic systems: disturbance observers and IMC. In: 8th International Conference on Motion and Vibration Control (MOVIC).2006,KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
• Al-Hatmi N, Tham MT. Dynamic modelling and simulation of a three-phase gravity separator. In: MATHMOD. 2006, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
• Tham MT, Jones RW, Al-Hinai I. Estimating output variance in closed loop systems. In: 11th APCChE Congress.2006,KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Jones RW, Tham MT. Maximum sensitivity based PID controller tuning. In: SICE-ICASE International Joint Conference.2006,Busan, Korea
• Jones RW, Tham MT. Maximum sensitivity based PID controller tuning: A survey and comparison. In: SICE-ICASE International Joint Conference. 2006, Busan, Korea: IEEE.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. Reducing interactions in decentralised control schemes. In: SICE-ICASE International Joint Conference. 2006, Busan, Korea: IEEE.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. An undergraduate CACSD project: The control of mean arterial blood pressure during surgery. International Journal of Engineering Education 2005. , 21(6 part 1), 1043-1049.
• Jones RW, Tham MT. A comparison of simple robust PI design methods: Studies on a multivariable system. In: SICE 2004 Annual Conference.2004,Sapporo, Japan:IEEE
• Jones RW, Tham MT. Gain and phase margin controller tuning: FOPTD or IPDT model-based methods?. In: SICE Annual Conference 2004. 2004, Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Sapporo, Japan: IEEE.
• Busawon K, Jones RW, Tham MT. An observer for linear time-delay systems. In: Twenty-Second IASTED International Conference Modelling, Identification, and control. 2003, Innsbruck, Austria.
• Busawon K, Jones RW, Tham MT. An observer for linear time-delay systems. In: 22nd International Conference on Modelling Identification and Control. 2003, Innsbruck, Austria: IASTED.
• Shukor S, Tham MT. Performance envelopes of process intensified systems. In: International Symposium on Advanced Control of Chemical Processes (ADCHEM'2003). 2003, Hong Kong.
• Taip F, Tham MT. Revisiting PID control. In: International Conference on Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering (ICCBPE). 2003, Sabah, Malaysia.
• Tham MT, Jones RW. A process engineering virtual teaching environment. In: ICEE'2002. 2002, Manchester.
• Searson DP, Tham MT. An assessment of an online sensor validation and reconstruction method. In: IAESTD Conf. 2002, Innsbruck, Austria.
• Searson D, Tham M. An assessment of an online sensor validation and reconstruction method. In: 21st IASTED International Conference on Modelling, Identification and Control (MIC). 2002, Innsbruck, Austria: ACTA Press.
• Abd Shukor SA, Tham MT. Control of an intensified process. In: World Engineering Congress. 2002, Kuching, Malaysia.
• Norman P, Tham M, Haile S. Designing for a sustainable future - promoting outreach through the use of case studies. In: 24th Annual Conference on Engineering Design Education/9th National Conference on Product Design Education. 2002, Coventry University, Coventry, England.
• Norman P, Tham MT, Haile S. Designing for a Sustainable Future – Promoting Outreach through the use of Case Studies. In: 9th National Conference on Product Design Education (Sharing Experience in Engineering Design). 2002, Coventry, UK.
• Norman P, Tham MT, Haile SM. Designing for a Sustainable Future – Promoting Outreach through the use of Case Studies. In: Conference on Product Design Education: Sharing Experience in Engineering Design. 2002, Coventry University.
• Jones RW, Lowe A, Tham MT. Medical Informatics: Intelligent Patient Monitoring in the O.R. In: WSEAS International Conference on Electronics, Control & Signal Processing. 2002, Singapore.
• Tham MT, Montague GA, Glassey J, Willis MJ. Practical inferential estimation using artificial neural networks. Measurement and Control 2002, 35(1), 5-9.
• Jones RW, Mace B, Tham MT. The evolution of mechanical engineering curricula: mechatronics. In: ICEE'2002. 2002, Manchester.
• Luangpaiboon P, Metcalfe AV, Rowlands RJ, Tham MT, Willis MJ. Comparison of Methods for Optimising a Chemical Process. In: Conf. Statistics in Action 2000. 2000, Uni. Newcastle.
• Kambhampati C, Craddock RJ, Tham M, Warwick K. Inverse model control using recurrent networks. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation 2000, 51(3-4), 181-199.
• Tham MT, Brodie KA, Willis MJ. A robust tuning procedure for adaptive inferential control. International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing 1999, 13(2), 85-103.
• Hiden HG, Willis MJ, Tham MT, Montague GA. Non-linear principal components analysis using genetic programming. Computers and Chemical Engineering 1999, 23(3), 413-425.
• Brodie KA, Willis MJ, Tham MT. Adaptive inferential control. IEE Colloquium (Digest) 1996, (60), -.
• WARWICK K, KARAM KZ, THAM MT. SIMPLIFIED PARAMETER ADAPTIVE-CONTROL. OPTIMAL CONTROL APPLICATIONS & METHODS 1987, 8(1), 37-48.