Associate Professor Craig Wheeler

Dr Craig Wheeler has extensive experience in the field of bulk solids handling. This experience was initially gained through his background in heavy industry with BHP Billiton over a period of more than 10 years. Dr Wheeler became actively involved in bulk solids research, specifically in the field of belt conveying, through his involvement with the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies. He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in this field for his thesis entitled 'Analysis of the Main Resistances of Belt Conveyors'. His doctoral work presented new theoretical models for the prediction of power requirements of belt conveyors and included significant contributions in the numerical modelling of viscoelastic belting material and belt and bulk material interactions. He is also responsible for developing several novel experimental techniques for conveyor motion resistance measurement. His work represents a significant and novel departure from the traditional empirical techniques of conveyor design. Dr Wheeler's doctoral work is currently being integrated with state-of-the-art numerical optimisation techniques based on evolutionary methods of global optimisation. This work is funded by a 3 year ARC Discovery Grant which he is working on in collaboration with Em. Prof. Alan Roberts and Dr Christopher Wensrich. This work will build a strong foundation for future conveyor design and will lead to significant improvements in the efficiency and running costs of belt conveyor systems.

Dr Wheeler's industrial background gives him significant insight into the problems and issues faced by industry. This insight is heavily utilised in his research work, and in the large number of industrial consulting projects undertaken by Dr Wheeler through TUNRA Bulk Solids at the University of Newcastle. His work provides an excellent link between fundamental research and its application to industrial problems. These significant contributions have been made over a relatively short amount of time, owing to his previous career in heavy industry.

Research Expertise
My research interests initially stemmed from a background in heavy industry. During my employment with BHP I was involved in the design, maintenance and operation of bulk material handling plant and equipment. This interest then turned to research when I was invited to undertake doctoral studies in the field of belt conveying. My principal research interests involve minimising the power consumption of belt conveying systems. Belt conveyors are widely used to continuously transport bulk material, such as coal, iron ore, bauxite and grain, over distances ranging from several metres to tens of kilometres. The importance of belt conveying systems to the mining and minerals processing industries is immense. In a global sense, hundreds of billions of tonnes of bulk materials are transported by belt conveyors each year. The investment and ongoing costs associated with these systems are substantial and can represent a significant proportion of overall plant costs.

In 2004 I was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy for my thesis entitled Analysis of the Main Resistances of Belt Conveyors. This work presented new theoretical approaches to calculate the power requirements of belt conveyors by developing individual models for each component of the motion resistance. These models involved the development of a finite element model for the viscoelastic rolling problem of the idler roll and the conveyor belt and a finite difference model to simulate the interaction between the belt and the bulk solid being transported. While highly analytical and computationally intensive the work remained focused on finding a practical solution to an industrial problem. To experimentally confirm the models the work also involved developing several novel experimental techniques for conveyor motion resistance measurement. More recently my research interests have focused on the growing need to optimise the design of belt conveyor systems in terms of efficiency and life-cycle cost. Operational and maintenance costs associated with a belt conveying system are heavily dependent on the design and configuration of the system. My current research activities are focused on advancing the models developed in my doctoral work and applying state-of-the-art numerical optimisation techniques based on evolutionary methods of global optimisation. This work is currently funded by a 3 year ARC Discovery Grant which I am a CI. This work will build a strong foundation for future conveyor design and will lead to significant improvements in the efficiency and running costs of belt conveyor systems.

Teaching Expertise
I have a combination of both industrial and research experience which underpins my teaching philosophy and approach. This background gives me the ability to draw on practical experiences that not only motivate students to learn, but also assist them to develop attributes desired by employers. My key areas of undergraduate teaching are Mechanical Engineering Design and Engineering Computations. I have obtained a significant amount of applied knowledge in these areas through my industrial and research activities. I currently teach Mechanical Engineering Design to both Mechanical and Mechatronics students at Newcastle and Singapore Campuses. I was also actively involved in lecturing in the Masters of Engineering, Bulk Solids Handling which was offered by the Centre of Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies. This postgraduate degree is no longer offered, however I am still involved in the delivery of the individual courses which are offered as Professional Development Courses to industry. I am currently supervising one PhD and co-supervising two Research Masters scholars. Since my appointment I have supervised more than 30 Honours students. While most of the projects which the students have undertaken are in my research area, I also actively supervise students undertaking a wide range of industry based projects.

Administrative Expertise
Board Member, Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies (2005 to current) I am a Board Member of the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies. The Centre is a joint activity between the Universities of Newcastle and Wollongong. This position involves the general governance of the Centre and actively promoting the research and teaching activities of the centre both nationally and internationally. Discipline Representative, Marketing Committee Group (2006 to current) I am the Disciplines representative on the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environments Marketing Committee Group. Activities include participating in school visits, information sessions, careers markets, etc. These activities have involved giving presentations to prospective students and their parents, and assisting students to select the most appropriate engineering discipline given their interests and desires. Discipline, Postgraduate Student Director (2005 to current) This position involves answering questions regarding procedural matters that a student may have relating to their candidature and scholarship. I am also responsible for: - Reviewing and processing enrolment and scholarship applications - Upgrades from Masters to PhD programs - Co-coordinating the annual Discipline of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Postgraduate Student Conference - Judging the Faculties Postgraduate Student Research Prize