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Staff Profile

Professor Brian Shaw

Director of Design Unit

Background

Director of Business and Engagement, School of Engineering

Director of Design Unit, Gear Technology Centre, School of Engineering

Research

Research interests are based around applying advanced characterisation methods appropriate to gear materials to provide an enhanced understanding of gear failure mechanisms that can support the development of strategies to enhance overall transmission performance.  This has, for example, included better understanding of residual stresses and microstructure using combined X-ray and magnetic methods along with characterisation of surface topography influences introduced by manufacturing processes.  Combining this level of understanding, along with detailed component testing under realistic running conditions (lubricant, temperature, speed, dynamic loading), has advanced the understanding of gear fatigue mechanisms and led to new approaches to enhance gear performance.  This work has impacted on current ISO standards and also UK Naval Standards providing direct impact as to the way gears are designed both in the UK for defence purposes and internationally through ISO.  This work continues through on-going industrial collaborative projects (IUK) and in cooperation with the British Gear Association as well as through academic links (e.g. Aachen, Bremen, Cardiff, Huddersfield, Imperial, Sheffield, Strathclyde, Tampere, Xi'an Jiaotong).

Teaching

Teaching of transmission material engineering aspects including gear manufacture, characterisation and alaysis techniques, surface engineering, performance testing and failure modes to undergraduate/masters courses as well as bespoke Industrial courses often run through the British Gear Association (BGA).

Module leader (with colleagues Mr Rob Davidson, Dr Rob Frazer and Dr Tim Lisle) for:

MEC8029: Design of Mechanical Power Transmissions

MEC8030: Mechanical Power Transmissions (short course)

MEC8042: Mechanical Power Transmissions


Supervision of post graduate research degrees (PhD, MPhil).

Publications