Research News

Current and recent research news and activities

April 2012

New academic appointments

The School is investing in a number of new academic staff, following excellent RAE2008 results, buoyant student recruitment and major new developments at home and overseas.

We were joined in November 2011 by Dr Jinju (Vicky) Chen who completed her PhD in Materials Engineering at Newcastle in 2006.  Dr Chen’s research interests cover nanomechanics, finite element analysis, thin film mechanics and mechanics of biomaterials. In February 2012 Dr Sunita Chauhan joined the School, having previously worked in Singapore for a number of years.  Her research interests include medical/surgical robotics, computer assisted/integrated surgery, sensors/transducers, bio-mechatronics, robotics and bio-mechanics. In July 2012 we will be welcoming Dr Ketan Pancholi to the School.  Dr Pancholi, who is currently a lecturer at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, specialises in materials and manufacturing research and he has a particular interest in microbubble management. In January 2013 Dr Dehong Huo, who is currently based at the University’s Singapore campus, will be transferring to Newcastle.  Dr Huo’s interests include precision mechanical design, structural finite element analysis, micro/nano manufacturing systems and processes and advanced manufacturing systems.

In addition to these appointments the School is about to advertise for a further lectureship.  Details will be available on the University’s job vacancies website and on www.jobs.ac.uk shortly.

April 2012

Appointment of new Visiting Professor of Practice

Graham Penning OBE Hon DSc FRSA, Group Technology Director for David Brown Gear Technology, has been appointed as a Visiting Professor of Practice with the School and will be collaborating with the Design Unit in taking forward gear technology research. Graham  is a recognised international leader in industrial gear technology and has worked for David Brown Gear Technology for 40 years, progressing from an engineering apprentice through to the past 20 years as a Director. He is Chairman of the British Gear Association (BGA) and Chair of the BGA training committee.  Recently, Graham has led the technology revival within David Brown for wind power transmissions and as part of this has actively supported collaboration with Design Unit for regional funding initiatives, including a successful award from The Northern Way to develop a new wind power bearing test facility.

David Brown Gear Technology is the largest gearbox supplier within the UK, recognised as operating at the high technology end of gearing with supply into wide-ranging sectors, including power generation, renewable energies, aerospace and defence. It is the sole supplier used for UK naval gearing. It is intended that enhanced links through Graham’s position as Visiting Professor of Practice will result in an expansion of research and other collaboration directly between Design Unit and David Brown Gear Technology, together with development of wider collaborative research projects with Industry through BGA.

March 2012

Lifelong checks for metal hip implant patients

The government's health regulator has advised new checks for patients who have undergone large head metal-on-metal hip replacements, following a major investigation by Newcastle University engineers.  The new advice follows a report triggered by the work of Newcastle University expert and MSE academic Dr Tom Joyce who first exposed the problems associated with the implanted devices.

All-metal hips have a high failure rate and rubbing between the ball and cup can cause metal to break off, seeping into tissue and causing complications. But despite the fact that the risks posed by these minute pieces of metal have been known and well documented for decades, patients have been kept in the dark. The new claims could mean that more people are affected by the dangers of metal hip replacements than suffered in the recent PIP breast implant scandal. It means 49,000 people will now need annual tests to check their blood ion levels.

The joint investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and BBC Newsnight showed how metal ions can seep into the tissues of patients with metal-on-metal hip implants, causing reactions that destroy muscle and bone, and leaving some patients with long term disability. Newcastle University’s bioengineering team led by Dr Joyce began investigating the problem of metal hips as far back as 2008 and raised concerns about the health risks to patients. Criticising the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr Joyce said it took the health regulator four years to recall from the market articular surface replacement (ASR) hips following mounting evidence about the dangers posed to patients.  ASRs were eventually recalled in 2010. Dr Joyce said: “The MHRA are meant to be on the side of patients but they have not been neutral and have had too cosy a relationship with the notifying bodies and manufacturers. The MHRA seem to have tried to shy away from the issue – why have they not felt in a position to do anything? Since the replacement hips were withdrawn in 2010 nothing has changed and the entire system has seriously failed patients. There needs to be a lot more transparency in the system.”

Hip implants, like breast implants, did not have to pass any clinical trials before they were put into patients. The report tells how the implants’ metal ions can seep into the bloodstream, spreading to the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and kidneys, before leaving the body as urine. Concern has also been raised about damage to chromosomes, leading to genetic changes. Their investigation also shows how companies have changed the design of their metal hips over the last decade in a bid to prevent dislocation and increase movement, without conducting new trials to demonstrate their safety.

New guidance was issued yesterday by the MHRA over metal implants, and patients who have undergone large head metal-on-metal hip replacements should be monitored annually for life. The MHRA said there was a “small risk” the implants could cause complications in patients. It means some 49,000 people in the UK whose hip replacements have a head diameter of 36 millimetres or more will now need annual tests to check their blood ion levels.

Dr Susanne Ludgate, Clinical Director of the MHRA, said in a statement: "Clinical evidence shows that patients have a small risk of suffering complications from having metal-on-metal hip implants. As a precautionary measure, we have today issued updated patient management and monitoring advice to surgeons and doctors that they should annually monitor patients for the lifetime of their metal-on-metal total hip replacements that are sized 36 millimetres or more because this particular type of hip replacement has a small risk of causing complications in patients."

November 2011

Another award for Newcastle shoulder joint

Having already won a British Engineering Excellence Award in 2010, an artificial shoulder joint which is based on Newcastle University research has just received another high profile award.  At this year’s Medilink Healthcare Business awards held at Sheffield Hallam University and sponsored by Design Futures, the VAIOS shoulder won the Innovation Award. The VAIOS (Versatile Anatomic and Inverse Optimised Stable) shoulder was designed in partnership between Newcastle University, Joint Replacement Instrumentation (JRI) Limited and Professor Angus Wallace, a shoulder surgeon based at Nottingham University.  The partnership was under the auspices of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). The Newcastle team included Professor Garth Johnson, Dr Andreas Kontaxis and Dr Tom Joyce, all from the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering.  The KTP Associate who did much of the work on the VAIOS shoulder was Mr Ian Flatters, a graduate of the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering.

October 2011

UK centre for advanced X-ray technology

A Newcastle University based state-of-the-art X-ray facility that will help engineers to discover new sources of green power was officially opened on 7th October by EPSRC Chief Executive Professor Dave Delpy. XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) is a powerful probe that is used to provide information about the physical, chemical and electrical properties of any surface at an atomic level. EPSRC selected Newcastle University as the UK provider of the National XPS service, NEXUS, which is headed by MSE’s Professor Peter Cumpson. “The fact that we have won this contract is a reflection of the excellent, world-leading research taking place here at Newcastle University and we are extremely grateful to EPSRC for giving us this opportunity,” said Prof Cumpson. To read the full Press Office story see Newcastle University named UK centre for advanced x-ray technology. For more information, full specification and details of the XPS service see www.ncl.ac.uk/nexus/.

New tissue engineering centre for arthritis research

Professor Kenneth Dalgarno is one of the team carrying out research into treatment for early arthritis at a new £6 million tissue engineering centre, officially opened yesterday by local football hero Alan Shearer. The Newcastle-led Arthritis Research UK Tissue Engineering Centre aims to regenerate bone and cartilage by using patients’ own stem cells whichhas the potential to revolutionise the treatment of osteoarthritis, repairing damage to joints caused by the disease. You can read the full Press Office release and see a video about the centre at Researchers to work on new treatment for early osteoarthritis.

September 2011

Newcastle research wins prize at international conference

Engineering research on failed metal-on-metal hip joints continues to make an impact, the latest accolade being a prize at the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty (ISTA) annual conference, held in Bruges, Belgium, 20-23 September 2011.  A cash prize was awarded for the poster entitled “Analysis of failed ex vivo 36mm metal-on-metal Pinnacle hips” by T J Joyce, J Lord, A V N Nargol and D J Langton.  Dr Tom Joyce is a Reader in Biotribology in the School, Mr James Lord is a PhD student, Mr David Langton is an orthopaedic research fellow, and Mr Antoni Nargol is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the University Hospital of North Tees.This prize-winning work builds on earlier research into causes of failure in the DePuy ASR metal hip, work which has been showcased in the international media.  The metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip has actually been implanted in greater numbers than the ASR and, like the ASR, is the subject of much legal interest around the world.

August 2011

Citations for turbulent combustion papers

A research paper (Kolla et al., Combust. Sci. Technol., 181 (2009) 518-535) co-authored by Professor Nilanjan Chakraborty of the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering appeared as the third most cited article for the period 2009-2011 on the webpage of the Journal of Combustion Science and Technology (www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cited/GCST.pdf). This paper discusses the development of new algebraic closures for the scalar dissipation rate and turbulent flame speed in the context of Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes simulations, which are of pivotal importance in the analysis and modelling of premixed turbulent combustion. This particular paper attracted 17 citations within two years which indicates the importance of this work in the turbulent combustion community. A paper co-authored by Prof Chakraborty also featured in the list of the 10 most cited articles on the website of Combustion Science and Technology for the second successive year. Last year the paper on localised ignition of turbulent inhomogeneous mixtures (Chakraborty et al., Combust. Sci. Technol., 179(2007)293-317) appeared as the second most cited article for the period 2009-2011 on the journal website. This indicates the high quality of ongoing turbulent combustion research in our Multiphase Flow and Thermal Systems research group. It is expected that the above recognitions will play an important role in the upcoming REF submission.

June 2011

Visiting Professor invitation for Dr Kotsikos

NewRail project manager Dr George Kotsikos has been invited to become a Visiting Professor with the Universita Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico II in Naples.  This invitation recognises George as a leading expert in fracture and dynamic response of materials and structures. The invitation follows a very successful research collaboration between NewRail and the Italian university, and it is hoped that George’s appointment as Visiting Professor will further strengthen research and consultancy links.

Prize-winning NAFEMS World Congress paper

A paper submitted to the NAFEMS World Congress 2011 by MSE researcher Dr George Kotsikos has won the "Best Paper Award" for "Most Innovative use of simulation technology".  The paper, entitled "Assessing the Defect Tolerance of Rail Vehicle Energy Absorbers", was presented at the Congress which took place in Boston, USA, from 23rd to 26th May.

The paper investigates the defect tolerance of rail energy absorbers, normally welded to the front of rail vehicles to dissipate impact energy in the event of a collision. Following on from these findings the work models the performance of "bolted on" energy absorbers which would facilitate their maintenance and replacement and also opens up the prospect of retrofitting these safety devices to older rolling stock to enhance their crashworthiness.

May 2011

MSE research featured on UK and Australian television

Two investigative current affairs TV programmes on opposite sides of the globe have highlighted important research undertaken in the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering.  In Australia, ABC’s “Four Corners” programme was dedicated to issues with a specific type of artificial hip, the DePuy ASR.  In the UK, Channel 4’s “Dispatches” programme concerned itself with a range of medical devices, including the ASR. Dr Tom Joyce, Reader in Biotribology in the School, and Mr David Langton, orthopaedic research fellow, have been studying the ASR, in conjunction with Mr Antoni Nargol from the University Hospital of North Tees, for a number of years.  Their work has been published in leading orthopaedic and engineering journals. The “Four Corners” programme can be seen here: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20110516/hips/.  The “Dispatches” programme is available here: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od.

EPSRC National Service for X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) at Newcastle University

EPSRC has announced the award of a contract to Newcastle University to provide the EPSRC National Service for X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). EPSRC received multiple bids to host the XPS facility from around the UK; Newcastle University was chosen as preferred bidder. EPSRC has deemed XPS to be a priority for the UK research community.  It is one of the principal methods of probing the composition and electronic structure of surfaces, with an increasing number of research applications in electronics, semiconductor physics, novel materials and biomaterials, surface chemistry and functionalisation, sensor surfaces, adhesion, abrasion and tribology. The new XPS service, also known as NEXUS (National EPSRC XPS User’s Service), is hosted by nanoLAB at Newcastle University, a designated research centre specialising in nanoscience and technology with members from across the university. In addition to support from EPSRC, vital funding for the service was obtained from the RDA One North East, and will help build links with regional industry where surface treatments are often very important to product performance. The full specification and details of the service are available on the nanoLAB website.  For details of how to access the facility, users should contact the facility directly by emailing nexus@ncl.ac.uk. The service is available to researchers eligible to receive EPSRC funding.

March 2011

Prof Sergeev invited to write Nature article

Professor Yuri Sergeev has received an invitation from the editor of Nature to write an article for "News and Views" of Nature Physics, highlighting progress made in direct measurements of energy dissipation in quantum turbulence. Prof Sergeev's article, accompanying a publication by Lancaster University’s Ultra Low Temperature Group, will place recent important developments by the Lancaster group in a wider context that would be of interest to the broader physics community. Lancaster University pioneered a unique experimental technique for probing quantum turbulence in 3He-B by thermal quasiparticle excitations. Theoretical studies in this area are currently being carried out in Newcastle by Prof Sergeev, Prof Carlo Barenghi and Dr Nugzar Suramlishvili in close collaboration with their colleagues at Lancaster and Helsinki.

February 2011

Dr Bretcanu to exhibit poster in SET for BRITAIN

Dr Oana Bretcanu is to present her research work at the 2011 SET for BRITAIN Engineering Competition next month.  Dr Bretcanu has been selected to display a poster at the House of Commons on 14th March in the afternoon Engineering session. SET for BRITAIN is an annual event which aims to encourage, support and promote Britain's early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers and technologists.

MSE research student wins Tyne & Wear Young Persons lecture competition

MSE postgraduate student James Lord took part in a Young Persons Lecture Competition, hosted by the Tyne & Wear Materials Society, as part of a nationwide competition sponsored by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. The competition is open to people aged under 28 working in academia or industry and requires a 15 minute presentation on a topic related to materials. James won the Tyne & Wear event with a talk titled "Tribological Analysis of Retrieved Metal-on-Metal Hip Prostheses". As well as a £100 prize, he will now go on to the regional final to compete against other winners from the North-East. For further information see: http://www.iom3.org/content/young-persons-lecture-competition.

Chair in Fluid Dynamics appointed

The School is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Nilanjan Chakraborty to the position of Chair in Fluid Dynamics.  Dr Chakraborty, who is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool, is expected to join our School in July where he will head the Multiphase Flow and Thermal Systems research group. Dr Chakraborty’s research interests include DNS of turbulent combustion, LES combustion modelling, melting/solidification related heat transfer problems in classical manufacturing and laser aided manufacturing applications.  In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious Hinshelwood Prize by the British Section of the Combustion Institute for his meritorious contribution to combustion science. We look forward to welcoming Dr Chakraborty in the summer.

November 2010

Media recognises impact of MSE research

The research carried out by Dr Tom Joyce and Mr Dave Langton which identified the failings of an internationally used hip prosthesis has been highlighted in local and national press.  The story was also featured in the BBC’s Look North programme on 9th November.

Dr Tom Joyce and Mr Dave Langton, an orthopaedic surgeon, have been working to better understand why total hip replacements fail.  Their research has mainly been focussed on a specific type of resurfacing hip prosthesis, the DePuy ASR, which was withdrawn in August after 93,000 had been implanted worldwide.  Their work into understanding and therefore improving these vital artificial joints, which allow most patients with crippling arthritic diseases to return to pain free independence, continues.

The story has featured in a number of local and national papers; for example, on 24th October the Mail on Sunday carried an article outlining the impact of this research (see  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323242/Johnson--Johnson-faces-350m-10-000-faulty-hip-operations.html).