Prof. Kevin Galvin

Biography

Professor Galvin joined the University of Newcastle in 1993. Previously he spent 10 years with BHP Research (1980-1987; 1990-1993), and 3 years at Imperial College on a Commonwealth Scholarship where he did his PhD under the supervision of Professor Brian Briscoe. His primary research interests are in the phenomena of bubbles, drops and particles in the context of process systems. He invented a new separator termed the Reflux Classifier, developing the technology through an R&D Agreement with Ludowici Australia. Following work in 2008 the technology was re-designed in 2009 to promote the effects of a laminar shear mechanism, leading to rapid acceptance and up-take by industry. The technology attracted a number of national awards and led to exports and installations in seven countries.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of London, 1990
• Diploma Imperial College (Chemical Engineering), Imperial College of Science Tech&Medicine-UK, 1990
• Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), University of Newcastle, 1987

Research

Research keywords

• Fluidization
• Gravity Separation
• Interfacial Phenomena
• Multiphase processes
• Nucleation
• Sedimentation

Research expertise

I have built an active research group covering the generic theme of "bubbles, drops, and particles in process systems". My interest has been in the areas of surface chemistry, and the suspension mechanics of bubbles, drops, and particles. The bulk of this research has been directly relevant to mineral processing and more generally particle technology. I have a strong international reputation for my research in the area of mineral processing.

I have worked extensively on interfacial problems concerned with surfactant adsorption onto bubbles in ion flotation and drops in emulsification. I have also worked on problems concerned with the nucleation of bubbles, drops, and solid particles, as well as problems concerned with their growth and coalescence. I have studied mass transfer, especially the molecular diffusion of molecules to growing bubbles, and the transport of gas molecules through interfaces containing adsorbed surfactants. Applied research in this area has led to the development of a new method for producing emulsion explosives.

My major research activity, however, has focused on the problem of separating particles on the basis of size and density in fluidized beds, and on the motion of particles near inclined surfaces. Fundamental studies, relevant to the emerging field of micro-fluidics were concerned with the role of surface roughness in these interactions, with a new understanding of how such phenomena might contribute to remarkably high levels of hydrodynamic diffusion. Other significant advances have been made in understanding dispersion in fluidized beds. The work on fluidized beds and inclined sedimentation has culminated in the development of the Reflux Classifier, a high throughput fluidized bed technology that has since been adopted by industry in a number of countries. Fundamental studies of this system have focused on the separation and transport of the particles through the inclined channels, with investigations of the particle lift force and other mechanisms of particle resuspension.

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER)
• PRC - Priority Research Centre for Advanced Particle Processing and Transport

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Fellow - Instituion of Engineers Australia

Editorial Board.

• Member of Editorial Board - Coal Preparation - A Multinational Journal
• member of Editorial Board - Minerals Engineering

Awards

Recognition.

Research Award.

Invitations

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Separation Processes
• Thermodynamics