IImperialm p e r i a l EENGINEERNGINEER

CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE ENGINEERING – A REWARDING CAREER BOOST FROM GENEROUS BEQUEST SOLAR POWER POTENTIAL

IISSUESSUE SSIXIX SSPRINGPRING 22007007 FForor membersmembers ofof TThehe CCityity & GuildsGuilds CollegeCollege AssociationAssociation andand TThehe RRoyaloyal SchoolSchool ofof MinesMines AssociationAssociation ISSUE SIX SPRING 2007

In this issue... 25

ASSOCIATION NEWS & REVIEWS FACULTY NEWS 3 Presidents report 5 New Faculty principal 4 Centenary pull 5 Michael Wood fi lms at Imperial 4 News from RSMA Trust 6 Faculty developments 5 Legacy doubles OC Trust potential 7 Decade Reunion lunch STUDENT NEWS 7 Diary dates 6 Solar boat challenge 7 New CGCA AGM date 7 Girl in Denmark with OC Trust 8 Dinner dates 9 Update on CGCU and RSMCSC 22 Letters and views 23–27 Alumni news and views FEATURES 26–27 Obituaries 10 More than 100 years on – pictures 11 Nuclear in Australia 13 Engineering – a rewarding career 14–15 Power from the desert 16–17 Carbon dioxide underground 18 Report against Severn Barrage 19 Carbon dioxide – cause or effect? 20–21 Environmental metals

COVER PICTURE: Dish engine systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) from Stirling Energy Systems , at the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. See 8 10 4 article on CSP starting on page 14.

Imperial ENGINEER EDITORIAL BOARD CORRESPONDENCE and ENQUIRIES Bill McAuley (Managing Editor) Teresa Sergot Leah Glass Engineering Chapter Paul Holmes Room 1.30, Royal School of Mines Building Chris Lumb Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ Colleen Shilstone Richardson Tel: +44 (0) 20 7594 1184 Teresa Sergot Fax: +44 (0) 20 7594 1185 Email: [email protected] PRODUCTION EDITOR Chapter website: Lynn Penfold www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/ PRINTING about/alumni/ Alpine Press, Kings Langley

COPY DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE IS MONDAY AUGUST 12 2007 The editorial board of Imperial Engineer reserves the right to edit copy for style and length. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editorial board.

2 IMPERIAL ENGINEER Spring 2007 TIME has fl own by since my last musings and my year as President will soon end. On May 8, I shall hand over to Peter Garratt. It would be easy to use this opportunity to review my year, but I wrote previously about the dangers of becoming totally retrospective. I therefore wish to pick up on the theme of Lord Browne’s address at the splendid CGCA annual din- ner held on March 6. The event is reported in full elsewhere in this Imperial Engineer, but the message was very important. Lord Browne identifi ed a number of major problems that face society as we move into the 21st century. He pointed out that these problems can only be solved by engineers and scientists, because they are the only people who have the necessary skills to do so. The general population will not accept major reductions in their living standards, no matter John how passionately they are argued for. What is needed is technological development that will enable the necessary changes to be accomplished so that our society can continue to prosper and the world to develop. This will mean a huge responsibility will fall on engi- Banyard neers in the future and the way in which they work will undoubtedly be impacted as well. For CGCA it means that our future members will work in an environment very different to the one in which most of us spent our professional lives. I cannot forecast what those changes will be – it’s just too early to say and technology is developing at a frightening pace. What is important is that CGCA should remain fl exible and dynamic and be prepared to embrace engineering of the future, in whatever form it evolves. Imperial College must do so too if it is to retain its current position as the pre-eminent science and technical institution school in the UK. Therefore, the alumni association must be prepared to follow – it cannot lead. I’m sure that we have the foundations in place for the next 100 years: we must now build on them with care. Finally. I should like to thank the executive and the committee for making my year in offi ce so enjoyable and offer my very best wishes to Peter as he prepares to take over the reins. PRESIDENTS REPORT IF YOU are not aware already, 2007 is the centenary year of Imperial College. Althoughthere may be some older constituent parts of the College, it is, nevertheless, a momentous occasion to celebrate Imperial’s achievements and its standing as one of the fi nest university institutions in the world. It must be remembered that part of this success can be attributed to the contributions of the constitu- ent colleges and their alumni over the many decades, including the RSM and the Association. Whilst Imperial as an institution and a commercial venture continues to go from strength to strength, it must be remembered that for the students of the College, studying and living in London is becoming ever more challenging. This is where I see that the RSMA has a dual function in supporting the current students and their activities as well as providing a link for alumni to come together and catch up on old times. In addition to the sheer expense of living in London, funding from the main college to the Roger RSM CSC (the old RSMU) has shrunk dramatically over recent years. Although the students have found innovative ways of raising external sponsorship, it is not always enough to cover the costs of some of the activities and opportunities the students have; it would be a crying Clegg shame if the current and future students were to miss out on an integral part of student life which we enjoyed and benefi ted from purely because of lack of funding. Your membership fees and donations are vital in assisting students (home and overseas) in research through fi nancial hardship as well as supporting some of the social events that we took for granted when we were students. In an effort to highlight more of our activities the committee undertakes and supports, I am delighted to announce the launch of the RSMA website (www.rsmaonline.org.uk) which is now live. Whilst the website is still in its infancy, the RSMA would appreciate any feedback - after all it’s your website. Also, we have been in discussions with the RSM on improving ac- cess to merchandise for alumni members. Remember those cuffl inks that you bought 20 years ago and, despite the battering, you still wear; or the sweatshirt that won’t quite fi t around that waist anymore? Keep an eye on the website for updates in the next couple of months. Lastly, as my presidency comes to an end in the Summer, this will be the last report I make for IE. I would like to thank both the committee and Chapter manager – Teresa Sergot – for their support and their continued efforts in keeping the RSMA and its values alive. It is a credit to them and benefi ts many hundreds of people. I would also like to thank the students who re-introduced to me late-night drinking as well as reminding meof the reasons why I took on the role. It’s been a privi- lege to serve the RSMA and I look forward to many years of mutual interaction with this fi ne institution and its members.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER Spring 2007 3 NEWS

THE PEALING of the Queen’s IN BRIEF Tower bells marked the offi cial launch of Imperial’s Centenary Centenary pull EGM motion for year on January 30. The day was packed with new recruits events, including a themed THE RSMA’s AGM on June lunch based on a 1907 RSM 21 and fi nal year dinner will alumni annual dinner menu be preceeded by an EGM found in College archives (see at 6.15pm in the Sherfi eld page 10), a chance to see the Building. unions’ mascot cars and musi- The motion is to update cal performances by current the student membership sec- students. tion and introduce an option Centenary cakes were cer- to charge a nominal fee for emonially cut and distributed membership of the RSMA. on all the college campuses by staff in period costume. Over It’s a thought... 5,000 slices were eaten within a matter of hours! JUDGING from building the connection, the booklet Fundraising issued with Imperial Mat- January also saw the launch of ters, we’ve noticed that only the Centenary campaign which one of the alumni to make aims to raise £207 million from donations to Imperial’s funds philanthropic donations. July was not an engineer. Fond 2010 will be the culmination of memories of days at Imperial a 10-year fundraising campaign obviously bear fruit! that has so far raised £123 mil- lion. It will be used to provide New MSc scholarships for gifted students; contribute to building and re- A NEW MSc in sustainable Sir Richard Sykes pulls the fi rst pint of Centenary Ale furbishment, and support the energy futures has been in the college union bar. Created by Blindman’s Brewery in college’s mission to develop its announced by the Energy Somerset to appeal to a wide range of drinkers, it’s available academic activities. Futures Lab. Starting in Octo- in all licensed outlets at Imperial. Picture: Colin Whyman ber, it will cover topics from Launch day ended with a grand tour of Imperial College’s clean fossil fuel to sustainable Share your story on the Centenary website transport and energy storage history and the launch lecture and transmission. by the Rector, Sir Richard Sykes. You can find out all about of the 1945 King George VI visit In ‘From Albert to Z-bosons and Imperial’s past through an in- and a student being trapped up beyond’ he set the challenge teractive timeline or browse the Queen’s Tower! Other fea- Busy Giles! that, by 2050, Imperial’s people other people’s experiences tures of the site include a down- EX-RSMA president Giles would be ‘partners of choice for and memories of the College loadable Centenary screensaver, Baynham married Sandra governments, commerce and on the Centenary website. e-postcards and details of Cen- Lutz on January 5 in a very industry across the world’. Add to the site yourself by tenary events, news and mer- snowy Whistler. A large The lecture is online at sharing your memories and chandise. Visit www.imperial. contingent of Brits attended www3.imperial.ac.uk/aboutim- pictures of Imperial online. ac.uk/Centenary including RSM and Imperial perial/events/onlinelectures. There are already accounts Carol Marsh alumni. Giles, not being one to waste time, also became a father in just over a month. News from RSMA Trust Abigail was born on LAST summer, the RSMA Trust Jamie Wilkinson, who specialises period. The experience got February 9. once again provided bursaries in fl uid inclusions in ore miner- their fi nal year research projects for two RSM students to take als. Her project was ‘Footwall off to fl ying starts. part in the Undergraduate veins in the Red Dog District, The Trust has produced a Online reading Research Opportunities Pro- Alaska: fl uid conduits for giant standing order (with a Gift Aid Once again, high gramme (UROP). They were SEDEX ore deposits’. declaration) for annual dona- levels of contribu- MSc geology students Elizabeth Russell Garwood worked tions. For copies phone 020 tions mean that some Stock and Russell Garwood. with Dr Mark Sutton, who re- 7594 1184. articles have had UROP allows undergradu- cently joined the staff of the Peter Harding prize to be abbreviated. If ate students to get a taste for Earth Sciences and Engineering Since last summer the Trust specifi ed go to www. research by working for a few and is an expert in the investiga- has raised over £3,000 towards imperial.ac.uk/engi- weeks alongside postgraduate tion of fossils in 3D, using X-ray an annual prize in honour of neering/about/alumni/ and post-doctoral research- and CT scanning. Russell spent a much-missed alumnus. The imperial engineer to ers in one of the RSM’s many the summer trying to recon- target is £5,000. Look out for read them in full. research groups. struct the soft tissues of a fossil news of a summer event aimed Elizabeth worked with Dr arthropod from the mid-Jurassic at raising the balance.

4 IMPERIAL ENGINEER Spring 2007 NEWS & REVIEWS THE FACULTY of Engineer- Senior Legacy doubles ing‘s new principal will be Professor John Wood, who will succeed Professor Dame engineer is OC Trust potential Julia Higgins in the late sum- CGCA’s Old Centralians’ (OC) value of his London home. It mer. He is currently chief new Principal Trust has recently received a has doubled our funds and will executive of the Council for industrial appointments in the legacy just short of seven fi g- greatly enhance the work that the Central Laboratory of the UK and worldwide. He is a fel- ures, reports chairman of the we do in support of student Research Councils. low of the Royal Academy of Trust, Chris Lumb. hardship, extra-curricular ac- Professor Wood has a Engineering, chair of the Euro- ‘We are most grateful to tivities and projects. To read strong background in engi- pean Strategy Forum for Re- Professor Peter Lindsay, who an obituary on this remarkable neering, with a career com- search Infrastructures and, from died last June. He left us the man, see page 27. prising numerous public and 1997 until 2001, was chair of the Offi ce of Science and Tech- nology’s Foresight on Materials panel. He joined the CCLRC in 2001 on secondment from UROP research helps TV history the University of Nottingham, where he was Cripps profes- sor of Materials Engineering, CAMERAS were on campus head of department and dean in April to interview geology of Engineering. Megan Heaney about her re- His many honours and prizes searches into early Indian his- include the William Johnson In- tory for a BBC programme ternational Gold Medal in 2001 to be screened in the autumn. for his lifetime of achievement It will co-incide with the 60th in materials processing. He was anniversary of Indian independ- appointed CBE for services to ence. science. in the 2007 New Year The History of India, with TV Honours historian Michael Wood, will in- clude the early development of the Harrapan civilisation in the Putting a Indo-Gangetic Plains – one of three great early civilisations. spurt on A few years ago, Megan was granted an RSMA UROP for charity bursary. She used it to analyse satellite imagery and build a KURT BUDGE, RSMA’s next geographic infrastructure president, lined up in Greenwich Park for the third time for the system (GIS) of important ar- Sanjeev talks Michael Wood through the research on cheological sites. It showed London Marathon on April 22. early Indian settlements while Megan operates the ma- He ran for Notting Hill the distribution of Harap- chinery to show it on the screen. pan civilisation settlements Housing Trust. It provides in the Ganges plain around much older RSM geologist in Science and Engineering. The homes for the homeless and now dried-up rivers. Recent the late 1880s, reports Sanjeev researcherwas Colonel RF support for vulnerable people in research has shown that the Gupta, reader in sedimentolgy Oldham, who is also known for their own homes in 17 London subject was also studied by a in the Department of Earth discovering the earth’s core. boroughs and develops innova- tive projects which give home- less people a real prospect of independence and offer people Concern voiced over skills shortages the chance to contribute to the life of their neighbourhood. IN KEEPING with recent At university level the pic- the Queen’s Gate culinary You can still sponsor Kurt practice, featured speaker ture is generally positive but staff and we were well fed by going to www.justgiving.com/ John Morton gave his remarks we are facing a critical shortage and watered. kurt2007. Or send a CAF or before lunch at December’s of skilled workers. John identi- bank cheque (Gift-Aided pref- CGCA Christmas celebration. fi ed a combination of causes Use it or lose it! erably), payable to the ‘Not- John is chief executive of the – from losing tomorrow’s high- ting Hill Housing Trust’, to 16 PAST president David Engineering and Technology ly-skilled technicians to inap- Grimwood Road, Twickenham, Hattersley writes that if Board, an organisation created propriate university courses, TW1 1BX. there are not at least 12 to promote the contributions to a continuing weakness in Also running was head of people on his next Lon- made by scientists, engineers skills like secondary level maths Materials Mike Lee. He last ran don walks in July, Sep- and technologists to UK PLC. and science. These are sobering the race in 1982 with brother tember and December, His remarks on ‘Engineering thoughts as we look back on Bob. This time they supported ‘walks with a past presi- UK – Pride and Prejudice’ as- a decade of relatively satisfac- Kidney Research UK. You can dent’ will, come to an end. sessed the present state of tory economic growth. Happily still sponsor them by going to See pages seven and 23. education and training. our skills gap doesn’t include www.justgiving.com/LeeBros.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 5 NEWS & REVIEWS

DEVELOPMENTS AROUND THE ENGINEERING FACULTY Paper and string Under the miscroscope THE UK’s fi rst FEI Titan be identifi ed and their local create bond 300-80 S/TEM microscope, environment investigated. LAST autumn, fi rst and the groups of 10 students unveiled at Imperial last The project is led by Dr second years from Civil and had fi ve weeks to develop October, means scientists David McComb, Materials, Environmental Engineering scale models and submit a can look at materials on the for the London Centre for took part in the usual ‘buddy’ detailed plan on how the atomic scale. It also enables Nano-technology (LCN), an scheme and built some of project would be managed. spectroscopy to be carried interdisciplinary collabora- London’s most famous land- They also defended their out with unprecedented en- tion between Imperial and marks on the Queen’s Lawn! project decisions to a panel ergy resolution and atoms to University College London. And it was all done with of judges. paper, string and tape, plus an WITH ST PAUL’S: From left, additional £10 budget. Francesco Zhou, Jonathan Programme could After nitial visits to Watkins, Nicole Li, Gareth their assigned monuments, Hopkins and Manna change fuel production THE multi-million pound and Chemical Technology) Shell Imperial Grand Chal- describes the programme lenge, a joint research pro- as an opportunity to bring gramme between Imperial together new ideas from a and Royal Dutch Shell, was broad range of engineering launched in February. It will and science areas. ‘It has the research processes to en- potential to change dramati- hance extraction of diffi cult cally the way oil, gas and coal hydrocarbons, with minimal are produced’, he said. release of greenhouse gases. Science and engineering Programme director, expertise from the Energy Professor Geoffrey Mait- Futures Lab will drive the land (Chemical Engineering new programme. Challenge for Solarspirit Climate Change Institute IN JULY 2008, Imperial me- chanical engineering students hopes to break down barricades will be the only UK team in DR BOB Noland (Civil and tribute to a guide book for the Frisian Solar Challenge in Environmental Engineering) air traffi c controllers being the Netherlands – the only has been working on policies produced by the EC to deal solar-powered boat race in to mitigate the major climate with environmental issues. Europe. impact of ‘contrails’ – aircraft Speaking of Imperi- The entry, Solar Spirit, a vapour trails. They are sens- al’s new Climate Change one-man, fi bre-glass boat will itive to temperature, humid- Institute, Dr Noland praised be powered by fi ve 175W THE TEAM: Thomas Middl- ity and vary with altitude. the benefi ts of interfaculty solar panels. It will be driven editch, Oliver Carson, Chris Contrails can produce up working. He said, ‘The Insti- by an electric outboard Burrows and Peter Huthwaite. motor that will source its to 10 times the CO2 emitted tute hopes to break down by aircraft and spread into the barriers between the power from both solar and neers in the future and this cirrus clouds, trapping heat. different areas of research. battery. project encompasses the Operational strategies be- It’s all about interaction, an The team’s tutor, Dr most pressing. This group has ing worked on for air traffi c approach that adds value to Shaun Crofton(Mechanical risen to the challenge.’ controllers will be used to the work of all the research- Engineering) said: ‘There are See www.solarspirit. navigate aircraft around parts ers involved.’ many challenges for engi- co.uk for more information. of the atmosphere particu- larly prone to the effects of contrails. The work will con- Web for journey into space ENTREPRENEURIAL aero- has a focus on space and air- Companies or individuals The source of some nautical engineering PhD craft travelling at hypersonic can pay to display a stellar of these articles and student Michael Halls-Moore, speeds in the upper atmos- object on the website’s front some of the words is selling advertising space phere, says: ‘I put my skills to page which then links to the come from Reporter, on a new website to fund good use and built buyme- website of their choice. The newspaper of Imperial his dream to journey into tothestars.com’. He’s also bigger the object chosen, the College. space. planning to make the website the higher the advertising Michael, whose research 3D and more interactive. charge.

6 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 NEWS & REVIEWS Reunion event rises to a crescendo NOVEMBER’S Decade Luncheon was notable for the record turnout of over 100 and 58 representing the 1950s! This event often starts a little quietly Danish break as members fi nd their contemporaries and their PAMELA Nwaneri, (above, cen- way to the relatively modern venue. But after a tre with friends) of Electrical & few introductions and recognising familiar faces, Electronic Engineering, was just the bar opens and everything warms up, reaching one of the many Guilds’ stu- a crescendo towards the end with a Boomalaka dents who benefi ted, in the year with our current students. ended September 2006, from As always, the proceedings were enlivened by awards and bursaries made by short reminiscences from each of the decades. the Old Centralians’ Trust. Tom Lewis (50s) explained IC was preferable After her placement, to Cambridge as there were Pamela said: ‘Overall, I can now more nurses. Nigel Knowles appreciate learning on the job (60s) remembered the Colcutt and I am motivated to learn Tower controversy and John new things by self study. Read Betjeman’s involvement, LEFT: Fiona Grandison Pamela’s full story on the website Bruno Guillaume (80s) speaks for the 90s. – address page two. noted that whilst there is a ABOVE: Just a few of the The Jessel Rosen Travel lot ‘new’ about IC, the labs 1956 contingent. award sent Pamela to FL seemed very much as he had Smidth in Copenhagen to left them. He compared stu- the character of the event. work with programmable dent grants with permanent This year, as it is Imperial’s logic controllers. indebtedness. centenary, there will not be A total of £31,631 was Fiona Grandison (90s), past a Decade Luncheon. Rather paid by the OC Trust for president of CGCU, recalled we will help with the College awards like the Holbein Me- the slave auction and Bo fail- celebrations, especially over morial Award; to support 14 ing by only half a mile to reach the Re-Union Weekend (Sep- on the UROP scheme, and to Brighton on the Veteran Car tember 14–16). We plan to in- help others with lodging costs Run. She apologised for switch- current generation completed clude aspects consistent with or other needs. ing her career towards mer- the speeches. our Decade Reunion Luncheon The Trust is always ready chant banking but noted how Once again, many thanks traditions especially during the to receive applications from well her Guilds’ training had to all the speakers who buffet lunch on the Saturday. current students. For details stood her in good stead. The contribute so much to David Law see www.cgca.org.uk.

Saturday April 28 DIARY DATES * New members and their Walks with a Past President, guests are most welcome. If you Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill. The River Wandle Trail Queen’s Lawn Marquee,11am. are interested see cgca.org.uk to Venue: Baker Street metro- Venue: tbc, 11am.* register interest or email David Wednesday October 31 politan Line station on the Friday September 14 Hattersley at davidhattersley@ concourse, 10.30am * CGCA House of Commons aol.com Tel: 020 8504 8263. Engineering Faculty Depart- Reception, Dining Room CHANGE OF DATE mental Alumn Reunions A, House of Commons, 6 TUESDAY MAY 22 – 9.30pm For more AGM & President’s Sat/Sun September 15/16 information and Evening, Read Lecture Imperial College Alumni Saturday December 1 Theatre, Sherfi eld /170 Reunion Weekend Walks with a Past President, booking for any of ueen’s Gate, 5.30pm Camden Town & St Pan- these events, Saturday September 29 cras. Meet at Camden Town Thursday June 21 Walks with a Past President, contact RSMA EGM/AGM and Final Underground in booking hall, Bloomsbury. Meet outside Do- 10.30am* Teresa Sergot Year Dinner, Ante Room and minion Theatre in Tottenham Main Dining Hall, Sherfi eld Court Road, 10.30am * Wednesday December 12 t.sergot@imperial. Building, 6.30 /7pm CGCA Christmas Lunchtime ac.uk or phone Thursday October 25 Seminar, 170 Queen’s Gate, 12 Sunday July 22 Engineering Careers Fair for 12.30pm. Contact Teresa 020 7594 1184 Walks with a Past President, and Networking Reception. Sergot (as below)

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 7 NEWS & REVIEWS DINNER DATES A glittering affair by Colleen Richardson

DURING a glittering CGCA an- that a life spent in business can nual dinner at the Carpenters’ be a useful prelude to some real Hall, suitable to Centenary year, activity afterwards. A century the toast to Imperial College and ago, one’s horizon was set at the CGCA was proposed by birth by one’s background. The Lord Browne of Madingly. Lord changes since then have been Browne is president of the Royal immense – limiting disease, mass Academy of Engineering. In his communication and transferring ABOVE: Warwick Faville speech, he spoke of the college knowledge at low cost. (left) with Bo and (at the formation 100 years ago creat- These advances have been wheel) CGCU president ing one of the fi nest academic made possible by scientists and James Fok and guest Lord institutions in the world. engineers, but now we have Browne. Speaking of Sir Richard to live with the consequences Sykes, he said that it required of this progress. The impact LEFT: Colleen Richardson leadership to make a good in- of economic growth on the and Adrian Winchester stitution into a great one and environment includes the risk toast the dinner. Colleen he felt great pleasure to be able of fundamental climate change. and Adrian were editor and to pay tribute to him. These global challenges, as in Before president John producer respectively of ‘Richard Sykes is an inspira- the past, will again be met by Banyard responsed to Lord Imperial Engineer’s pred- tion to many in demonstrating scientists and engineers. Browne’s toast to the CGCA and Imperial’s centenary, the ecessor Imperial College Dean made two awards. One, Engineer the Holbein Memorial Award for ‘Sportsman of the Year’, went to work in running the Old Cen- Matthew Taylor and the second tralians’ Trust Fund. to Bo driver Simon Hamlin. Replying on behalf of the John then welcomed the guests, Sir Richard Sykes spoke many guests and thanked those about how the College had responsible for organising such lived up to the hopes of Edward a successful evening – especially VII in making many signifi cant Warwick Faville, Teresa Sergot, contributions to the world Chris Lumb, Professor Bob around it. He gave examples Schroter and Rogers Knight. from the World Wars and then The President mentioned mentioned Imperial’s 14 Nobel RSMA dine in style that the centenary celebrations Prize winners. He said that to- would culminate in July, when day our major research goals lie WITH a return to the elegance between the west and east. Imperial would fi nally break in areas of health, environment of a black tie ‘do’, the RSMA In particular, he stressed how away from London University. and energy and that many of the annual dinner fi lled the fi rst important it is to commit to- Before raising his glass to solutions lie at the intersec- floor of Exhibition Road’s tally to the region and try to his guests, the President also tion of diverse technologies and Polish Club. Once again a learn Russian. thanked Chris Lumb for his disciplines. large contingent of students Next year’s president Kurt was sponsored by alumni. Budge toasted the guests and They heard Merlin Marr- RSMCSC president Seb Turner Johnson, CEO of Palladex re- replied, bringing the formal WE NEED YOUR NEWS ply to RSMA president Roger proceedings to an end. Clegg’s toast to the Associa- Let us know your news and stories. tion by admitting that he sees Having failed in her pho- Or have you an idea for a feature? RSM as his alma mater. Merlin, tography of the RSMA din- Editorial assistance is available! the youngest CEO of a pub- ner, production editor Lynn Contact is Teresa Sergot lic company, spoke about the Penfold chose this picture importance of gold in the old (above) of RSMA folk at (address on page two). USSR and his experiences of its the CGCA dinner. From mining on such a vast scale. left, Richard Martin, treas- COPY DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE IS He also spoke of experi- urer Rup Banerjee, presi- MONDAY AUGUST 12 2007 ences with vodka-drinking ge- dent Roger Clegg, Elspeth ologists and the problems faced Farrar, Teresa Sergot, Coen Any pieces not in this issue nowadays over investing in the Louwarts and secretary will be published next time wake of past broken promises Paul Holmes

8 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 CGCU & RSMCSC NEWS

WHAT a year it’s been! The waiting to be challenged for RSM continues to strengthen RSM goes from again next February. and it has been an honour to An intensely close rugby steer the ship at this impor- match fi nished with a score of tant time in College history. strength to strength 5-3 to Camborne. Although With all but a few of our this is a disappointing loss major annual events now behind for us, it is very positive to us, it is an ideal time to refl ect on by RSMCSC president Seb Turner see that the competition is the successes of this year and to very much still alive and will look forward to next year. team photo in a garden shed Bottle Match was held in continue for a very long time Our major events, includ- in mid-Wales! (See next London and, unfortunately, to come. ing the Freshers Dinner, page) It seems a fi tting re- the Bottle was not retained Our loss in the rugby Christmas Ball, bar nights, ward that this year they have after a 10 year winning match was refl ected in all and most recently the Bottle also made the ULU cup fi nal. streak. The prestigious other sports except squash, Match, have all seen a surge Most recently, the 2007 trophy is now in Cornwall, but in all cases the competi- in attendance. Tickets have tion continues to become sold out, profi ts have been increasingly equally matched made, and attendees have had and I am confi dent that over some great times. the coming years we will Our clubs and societies regain some silverware! have also had a success- And so to next year. As ful year. The De La Bêche elections for next year’s com- society continues to go from mittee are upon us, I’m confi - strength to strength, promot- dent that the next generation ing an interest in geology of the RSM will continue the outside the academic arena hard work of this year’s com- with two weekend fi eld-trips, mittee. to Bude and Snowdonia, and I’ve come to realise that a very successful symposium. the continued success is not Our sports clubs have simply about fi nances, man- also continued to strengthen agement and advertising. It’s - Hockey club, for example, just as much about promoting discovered this year that they and enjoying the historical were at least 100 years old LINE out in Harlington: the low score of 5–3 indi- RSM spirit which has bound with the remarkable discov- cates how well-matched RSM and Camborne were this students for generations go- ery of a 1906-07 RSM hockey year. For full story, see www.rsmonline.co.uk/bottle ing back to 1851. CGCU events grow bigger and better

THE CITY and Guilds Col- Company of Carpenters has lege Union has enjoyed a by CGCU president James Fok again been a strong supporter successful year once again, of the sabbatical appeal. And in academic and welfare Lord Mayor’s Show celebrat- Finally, the Union has the Union is particularly representation and in social ing the College centenary kept up a strong relation- grateful for all the generous events. with good coverage on the ship with a number of donations, allowing another The Union has worked BBC, and Bo’s annual London external bodies including strong crowd of students to very closely with the Faculty to Brighton Veteran Car the CGCA. The Worshipful attend the annual dinner. and individual departments, Run. Bo arrived at Brighton solving many immediate in style in the usual late 3 issues and also setting out vi- – 4pm slot, after a number of sions for the next few years mechanical faults and failures. leading to the full implemen- After a well-deserved tation of the Faculty’s fresh Christmas break, students look into engineering teach- returned to yet another ac- ing, EnVision Project 2010. tion-packed but quieter term Our events have grown with the Raising And Giving bigger and better. Despite Week as the highlight. earlier set-backs, the CGCA- The Union managed supported Freshers’ Ball to secure nearly £1,000 for was well-attended by both Cancer Research by auctioning engineers and miners, all of individual offi cers, whilst also whom enjoyed a wonderful winning the presidential yard evening. of ale competition between A string of successful the three original constituent A strong contingent of students at the CGCA annual dinner with events followed, including the colleges. Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, Bob Schroter and Spanner and Bolt.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 9 FEATURES MORE THAN 100 YEARS ON!

ABOVE: The RSM Hockey Club 1906-7, a picture recently donated by Carole Inman. Pictured are EB Pollard, CC Cow, RR Mitchell, GB White, H de Varinay, E Wraight, PLM Battye (captain), LH Bartlett, HL Oakley, TB Greenfi eld and AW Blanford.

RIGHT: The menu for old students’ 34th dinner, held in the year Imperial came into being.

A CHAT with his wife’s aunt has shown Richard Woodhead (Elec 1969) that he has a longer association with Guilds than he thought. Aunt Ida’s father-in-law, Harold Scarlett, took an electrical engineering degree at the Central Technical College and graduated in 1906. He’s pictured (right) sec- ond from the left, fi ve rows back. He fi rst joined Pur- cell & Mobbs and then Ac- cles & Pollock. Fifth from the left, seated, is Professor WE Dalby who was the third CGCA president. A copy of these three memories of the past and lists of those pictured are available by going to www. imperial.ac.uk/engineering/ about/alumni/ We should like to hear from you if you have information about anyone pictured or know anything about Purcell & Mobbs.

10 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 FEATURES

Continuing Imperial Engineer’s look at the demand for resources, the problem it creates and some of the steps taken for a sustainable future. Contributions in the following 13 pages are by Imperial alumni and others and concentrate on non-hydrocarbon topics A nuclear industry for Australia? THE AUSTRALIAN Uranium Mining the industry. Apart from the Cherno- curred at Three Mile Island (TMI) in Processing and Nuclear Energy Review byl reactor accident, nuclear power the USA, in 1979, in a light water reac- (UMPNER) released its fi nal report just generation has an astonishingly good tor (LWR) which was equipped with before Christmas 2006. This document safety record. Even including Cherno- a proper containment structure. It did (see http://www.pmc.gov.au/umpner) byl, its record is good compared with not cause any radiation injuries or re- contains an excellent compendium of other power generation sult in a signifi cant radioactive release information about the nuclear industry, to the environment. which could appropriately be placed Not dangerous Engineers learn from experience in libraries and used as a text book all Routine operations of the nuclear ◆ that modern designs of LWR are over the world. Briefl y, its fi ndings (in industry do not expose workers or the far less prone to a risk of accidents my words) are as follows: public to dangerous levels of radiation. than the TMI design, and ◆ Australian mining and export of ura- Although there have been accidents ◆ that modern containment build- nium could be expanded substan- affecting workers, nuclear power is ings, which are massive steel-rein- tially, subject to acceptable non-pro- one of the safest industries in which forced concrete structures, would liferation safeguards. The case for to work. withstand the impact of the largest other nuclear fuel cycle activities aircraft. in Australia (such as enrichment, Minimal risk fuel fabrication and reprocessing) is Don Higson uncertain or unproven. Hence, modern nuclear plants in proper ◆ The safe disposal of high level radio- assesses the future containment structures present essen- active waste in Australia is readily for nuclear power in tially minimal risk to the public, either achievable technically. from accidents or from terrorist attack. ◆ Because of Australia’s abundant Australia Apart from being extremely safe, reserves of cheap high-grade coal, nuclear power plants have less envi- nuclear power is currently uncom- Public exposures due to radiation ronmental impact than other types of petitive economically for generating and radioactive materials released from power station. I would not want to live electricity here. However, if eco- nuclear plants in normal operation next door to any power station but, if I nomic penalties are to be applied to are very small compared with natural had to, give me nuclear every time. the environmental costs of burning background radiation. (Natural radia- fossil fuels, nuclear power would be tion itself varies widely around the Working on the the next most economic option for world – up to at least 100 times the development of base-load generation. average level – without any discernible nuclear submarine ◆ The nuclear industry generates adverse effects on health.) propulsion for Rolls- minimal emissions of greenhouse There have been two major reac- Royce & Associates followed a degree gases. tor accidents involving core-melting and PhD in chemical ◆ The nuclear power industry and during the 50-year history of nuclear engineering at Impe- the commercial nuclear fuel cycle power generation. The accident at rial (1951-57) for Don Higson. He do not handle or produce materials Chernobyl in 1986 was the worst that joined the Australian Atomic Energy suitable for making atomic bombs. could happen – a full core meltdown Commission in 1964 and specialised in reactor safety assessment. Don has ◆ Skills shortages, government policies, with no containment. About 50 people also worked as a consultant to the legal restrictions and the lack of an died due to radiation exposure from International Atomic Energy Agency appropriate regulatory framework Chernobyl and there are realistic on nuclear safety and safeguards. are currently restricting the growth projections that some thousands of He is a fellow of the Institution of of the nuclear industry in Australia. further casualties may eventually occur Engineers, Australia; a Fellow of the Australasian Radiation Protec- due to the massive release of radioac- Misconceptions tion Society (ARPS); former editor tive material. of the ARPS Newsletter (which he My own submission to UMPNER was Apart from Chernobyl, there has founded in 1995), and a member of aimed at dispelling misconceptions never been a death recorded due to the Publications Commission of the which are rampant in the community accidental exposure to radiation from a International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). about some of the above matters, commercial nuclear power reactor. (+61 2) 9360 4225 and particularly about the safety of The other core-melt accident oc- [email protected]

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 11 FEATURES

‘For rail travel, carbon seat following the dioxide emissions introduction of the and fuel use per pas- new Amtrak Acela senger- kilometre are trains. He found typically at least an also that in the order of magnitude PLANES USA, no allowance versus had been made for lower (than air travel) according to the Royal fuel used to carry Commission on Envi- cargo in passenger ronmental Pollution aircraft. 2002. The Commis- TRAINS The ‘radiative sion for Integrated forcing’ factor of c.3 Transport reached a similar conclusion, showed that between 1976 and is believed to be largely due to con- but its report does not detail the load 1994, aircraft fuel consumption per trail/cirrus formation by aircraft fl ying factors etc on which it is based. passenger-km halved. The improve- at heights of 9 – 13 km. This is less of Airlines, however, claim to have ment is continuing on budget a problem at the lower altitudes used achieved parity in fuel consumption towards the ACARE 2020 targets. by short-haul aircraft. Prof David Lee and it is reported that the Airbus A321 The Rolls Royce Trent 1000 will found that a 6000ft drop reduces con- consumes less energy than a Eurostar burn 12% less in 2008 than the 800 trail formation by 47% – albeit with trainset. Can this difference be ex- does now – and produce less NOx some 6% increase in fuel consumption plained? and noise. Boeing claimed that the (four to fi ve years’ technical progress The 10:1 ratio applies to the total weight reduction due to plastic fu- on engine design). ‘radiative forcing’, not the carbon diox- selage, plus engine improvements, A recent study by the CAA found ide production and fuel use alone, and will result in the 787 burning 75% that London-Amsterdam fl ights gener- it measures the total climate change less fuel per seat-km than the 707. ated no contrails. And a Lufthansa impact of aircraft fl ying at altitudes of 9 report states that 30% of surface trans- – 13 km. This is calculated by multiply- Tony Lucking asks: port emissions are found at aircraft ing a fuel use ratio of c3.5. This fi gure altitudes ie surface transport should contrasts with others generally in the ‘Are planes 10 times not be rated at 1, and is perhaps one of the ‘1.5’ activities. The Greener by range 1 - 1.5 for most human activities. more evil than trains?’ Design team suggests that the correct Much of the reported difference in factor is between 1.3 and 1.5 fuel consumption is due to the Greener by Design also stated that So there is persuasive evidence that following: high-speed trains achieved 80 pas- ➤ planes use no more fuel per pas- ➤ The Royal Commission accepted senger miles per gallon against 70 senger than high-speed trains; in 2002 that trains have to travel for short-haul aircraft. However, this ➤ the three-times multiplier is too greater costing distances than was 1997 data for aircraft achiev- high for short-haul fl ights; planes. So the effect on rail’s fuel ing only 70% load factors. Adjusting ➤ surface transport has a higher usage fromLondon to Glasgow is this to 80% indicates parity in fuel multiplier than one. proportional to costing distances of consumption. So it seems that, at worst, planes 401.5 miles from Euston against 345 ➤ The 1994 Royal Commission report are only slightly more evil than trains. from Heathrow and less from Luton. showed a French TGV burning 10% ➤ In its 1994 report, the load factor more fuel than a BR 225. The new Virgin Pendolinos have 439 seats for long distance trains ‘at typical ARRIVING at the RCS occupancy’ was given as 50%. Brit- versus 480 , increasing fuel burn in 1942 to take physics ish Rail 1993 data for Intercity trains per seat by 9%. They need 6800HP with radio (compulsory showed an average load of 33% for versus 4850 for the 225s and have in those days), Tony the 225 trains. When queried with air conditioning, 146 on-board Lucking then spent the Commission, it stated that it had computers, electrically-operated ‘four gap years’ on In- used a forecast of future occupancy! doors and tilting mechanisms. dia’s NW frontier. After returning to the Guilds (Electrical Engineering) he ➤ Since 1994, the advent of low-cost ➤ The A321 Airbus is more fuel- joined Standard Telephones. The next airlines has increased the industry economical than the Eurostar 10 years in management consultancy load factor from 65% to over 80%, trainsets. included work at several airlines and (the Commission’s 2002 report did designing the transport system for ➤ A report by the Oak Ridge National the Newport steel works. Among oth- not include this improvement). BA Laboratory for the US Department ers he wrote for Aeroplane, Flight has also achieved this fi gure for do- of Energy shows that by 2003 inter- and Aerospace, occasionally doing mestic fl ights. Furthermore, Easyjet’s city trains were using 18% less fuel so today. Member of, and later hon 737-300s have 149 seats against BA’s than planes. Plastic fuselages etc consultant to, the Air Transport Users Council, Tony is air transport commit- 122. Ryanair’s 737-800s have 189. will close this gap soon. And a US tee member of the Royal Aeronauti- ➤ The Royal Aeronautical Society paper by David S Lawyer notes a cal Society and the London Chamber 2002 report Greener by Design 25% deterioration in fuel usage per of Commerce.

12 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 FEATURES LEIGH CLIFFORD, 59, graduated as a mining engineer from Melbourne University and then gained his masters in engineering. He has worked throughout the world in a number of roles for Rio Tinto, was appointed chief executive in 2000 and is due to retire this May. In a conversation with Paul Holmes, hon sec of the RSMA, he sets out how Rio Tinto is tackling the chronic shortage of graduates entering the mining industry ‘Engineering is a rewarding career’ LEIGH: Seven years ago, before PAUL: How can the mining industry our specialist skills to teach courses the boom and competition from a make itself more attractive to young or provide seminars. I think we need plethora of small mining companies, students? to do more of that. Look, shareholders we were able to meet our require- LEIGH: I think that is narrowing are the ones who put the money into ments from existing universities. the issue too much. It depends on our company. These are ordinary men When demand started going up, we where you live. If you live in London and women who have invested their targeted universities around the you have a different view of the world. retirement savings and they want world that have a mining, metal- If you are in Western Australia you their return. At the end of the day, lurgy, geo-science focus and started see Rio Tinto in the news every day. the government is going to support to develop a relationship. Examples In London you see Barclays, HSBC, universities or individuals through are the Colorado School of Mines Morgan Stanley. We must explain engi- fees. You have to be careful about and universities in Western Australia. neering is a rewarding career that can general philanthropy. We are targeted We’ve complemented that relationship take you in all sorts of directions. We so I leave general philanthropy to our with undergraduate and post-gradu- have to talk about engineers rather shareholders. ate scholarships as well as some than specifi c disciplines. PAUL: At a previous AGM, one of Rio university-sponsored R&D. What we Tinto’s goals was ‘to ensure it attracts are seeing is interesting. When I was and develops capable leaders and, in in Queensland a while back, they particular, that we build a team to lead told me that the number of people the company in years to come’. On a entering the mining industry is back scale of one to10, how successful do on track. So you’re seeing a conscious you think you’ve been? effort to try and get more students LEIGH: We have very targeted to enter universities. Companies management development courses have got to maintain their graduate at all levels within the organisation. recruitment. This has helped us identify emerging PAUL: Why do you have an apparent talent and strengthen our gene pool. bias towards supporting university I don’t know about one to 10 but we courses in Australia/USA/Canada? are a lot better now than fi ve years LEIGH: Last year we recruited ago. That doesn’t mean we can’t be nearly 250 graduates in Australia better: we could be quite a bit better. with a large number from the USA However, if we are on seven, now we and Canada. We’ve need to employ were less than that previously. people who want to work where we PAUL: What do you think you can operate. You might say that we should do more of? target Imperial College. Imperial is LEIGH: I think we could engage a great university but it hasn’t got a PAUL: As an individual who has spent more with universities. I’m reliant mining faculty. his entire career in one company on the universities to ask me to talk. PAUL: Should colleges such as the RSM and has worked his way up to CEO, I think a lot more people are willing offer a specialist masters course in do these opportunities still exist for to do that. Just talk, not a prepared mining? today’s graduates? speech, just stand up and let the audi- LEIGH: You’ve got to take a step LEIGH: Someone who starts at Rio ence ask me questions about where back and think about engineers in Tinto has as good a chance as some- we are going. general. We recognise mining is not one from outside. If you do so, given PAUL: What does the future hold for just about pure mining metal issues: it’s the nature of our business, you have Leigh Clifford after retirement in May? about a range of engineering disciplines. to have pretty broad experience. You LEIGH: The afterlife! I’m going to We need to make sure we encourage can’t just weave your way to the top do some different things – some pro- people to think about mining. In some at head offi ce: its just not credible. bono, others for a potential dollar. places we’re encouraging what they call PAUL: Why doesn’t Rio Tinto help fund PAUL: What’s the one thing you weren’t conversion courses, so that a guy who universities for the future leaders in taught as a mining engineer graduate? has a civil degree can gain some sort of mining rather than giving billions to LEIGH: Look, it wasn’t one thing. post graduate qualifi cation that then shareholders? The ‘people leadership dimension’ enables him to get a statutory qualifi - LEIGH: My view is that the mining isn’t something you get taught at uni- cation. Some of the problem is getting industry has to be very targeted and versity. How you interact with peers the lecturers, so it might be that a more we need to work with the universi- and subordinates; how you work fl exible approach of seconding people to ties that are in the regions where we with people.. In my opinion, you can’t several universities should be encour- operate or have the skills we need. learn that in a lab or lecture theatre: aged. That might mean providing some of you have to experience it in life.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 13 FEATURES

NOW THAT public awareness and con- cern about global warming is becoming Concentrating solar p ow widespread, attention is turning to pos- sible solutions. Environmental groups say that to avoid the worst effects of danger- ous climate change, atmospheric carbon energy security and clima te dioxide levels should be kept below 450 ppm equivalent (20C) mark. This means are moves to problematic thorium fuel that developed countries have to reduce or a dangerous plutonium-fueled global by Neil Crumpton their emissions by around 90% by 2050. economy based on tried and as yet failed Furthermore, signifi cant reductions are reprocessing technology. decade by the German Aerospace Centre, needed before 2030 to reduce impacts and funded by the German government, clear- burdens in the subsequent decades. Better alternative ly indicate an enormous global potential Yet global primary energy demand Yet there are tested and proven renewable for CSP technologies, as do US Depart- is forecast by the International Energy technologies which could be scaled up to ment of Energy studies. Earth’s desert Authority (IEA) to increase by nearly 60% supply a signifi cant percentage of future solar resource is staggeringly enormous. * by 2030. The advisory board to the Ger- global energy needs over the next few dec- The energy equivalent of about half a man government forecasts a doubling of ades. The most resourceful technologies million tonnes of oil (3.9 m barrels) falls on current demand by 2050 and about four are wind power and concentrating solar each square mile of hot desert each year times by 2100 as the global population power (CSP). – the equivalent of a layer of oil 8 inches increases to around 9 billion. Worse, several Concentrating solar power com- deep. Worldwide, the 12.75m square major countries, including China, India and prises large fi elds of mirror arrays in hot miles of desert receive around 80 million Indonesia are currently ordering new coal- deserts which focus sunlight on to pipes Terawatt hours annually (80m TWh/y). In fi red power stations not fi tted with carbon to raise steam for electricity generation. comparison, global fi nal energy consumed capture and storage equipment. Specifi c The technology is essentially simple and (after conversion losses) in 2003 was emissions from gas-fi red 85,000 TWh/y, nearly 1,000 times power generation are also less. Indeed, the total presently likely to rise with increas- known fossil energy resources on ing liquefi ed natural gas earth are equivalent to just 47 days (LNG) use. of solar energy in deserts. CSP technologies can con- Low output vert roughly 15% of that incident Some countries particularly energy into useful electricity the US, UK, France and Russia and around 35% into heat for sea are promoting nuclear power water desalination. as a signifi cant solution even Mirror ‘fi elds’ covering an though nuclear power only area of 4 - 5 square km (1.6 - 1.9 generates 3.1% of global square miles) are needed to gen- energy consumption. erate 1 TWh/y of electricity. CSP In public debates in the schemes covering just 0.3% last year, nuclear supporters (175 x 175 miles) of earth’s hot have claimed that nuclear deserts could generate all cur- power is the only tried and rent global electricity consump- tested solution to climate tion (17,000 TWh/y). If needed, change. And the director of just a few percent of the world’s the World Nuclear hot deserts could generate all Association, at a conference forecast or foreseeable global last November, suggested a energy demand, including the 20-fold increase in global nu- energy required for sea water clear capacity, to tackle global desalination. warming, to around 9,000 Clearly, not all desert areas reactors. are suitable for CSP schemes as 150 MW parabolic trough mirrors at Kramer Junction, Yet even a marginal large areas are either sandy or California. increase above the current sloping and some areas may sup- 3.1% global nuclear contribution is likely benign. Around 350 MW of steam turbine port particularly valuable ecosystems. But to be compromised by the availability of based CSP schemes have been operating only a small percentage of the suitable suffi ciently high-grade uranium ores to quietly and almost forgotten in California’s areas is needed. Electricity generated by avoid excessive carbon emissions from Mojave desert for over 15 years. Their de- 1 square mile of CSP in a relatively barren the mining and milling of progressively velopment was undercut by political and desert area would require, in comparison, lower-grade ores. The expectation of new fi scal support for fossil fuel and nuclear over 100 square miles of biomass planta- high grade ore discoveries is a consider- generation. tion, possibly from cleared rainforest. able gamble at this critical time. So too Yet detailed studies over the last An additional major environmental

14 IMPERIAL ENGINEER Spring 2007 FEATURES r p ower for ma te protection

benefi t of steam driven CSP technology is sea water desalination using heat from the steam cycle (up to 40 litres per kWh) and electrically-powered reverse osmosis if necessary. Such fresh water production is espe- cially needed in developing countries with rapidly increasing populations and arid regions suffering increasing desertifi ca- tion due to climate change. So solar power from the world’s deserts could, in itself, protect earth’s biosphere and rainforest ecosystems, while supporting a signifi cant increase in the human population and their likely energy needs.

Falling prices The German studies estimated that the generation costs of CSP technology would fall, by the time about 5 GW of schemes are built, to around 5 euro cents/kWh by 2015 (3.3 p/kWh) and 4 cents (2.7p/kWh) by 2040. US Department of Energy studies payback time of CSP systems is estimated reliable suppliers of oil and gas to Europe also estimate costs falling to just under 5 US at about fi ve months and a lifetime of 25 for several decades. In the coming dec- cents/kWh after about 5 GW of scale-up. – 35 years is expected. ades, the common threats and impacts Currently, about 2 GW of capacity is under There are hot deserts in northern and of climate change, the pressures caused construction or proposed. Heat storage in southern Africa, the US and south America, by growing Saharan populations and an molten salts at CSP plants would add value Australia and the Middle East through Pa- awareness of CSP technology could cre- as it would enable 24-hour baseload opera- kistan to India and extending into China. ate a mutually benefi cial relationship. For tion and operation during cloudy times. Around 90% of the global population lives example, 1,000 TWh/year of electricity ex- A massive scale-up of CSP capacity is within 3,000 miles of a hot desert. So, ’low ports to Europe might result in a third of possible. The technology essentially com- loss’ high-voltage (HVDC) direct current the freshwater defi cit in the north Saharan prises steel, glass, concrete, a heat storage grid lines are proposed. countries being produced by ‘export’ CSP medium (salts) and conventional steam tur- Power loss of around 5% per 1,000 capacity. bines. The raw materials for the structures miles is estimated. This means that, for are abundant, non-toxic and recyclable. an estimated cost of around 1 eurocent Non-oil plastics The structures themselves are relatively over 3,000 miles, transporting cheap solar There is another possibility worth explor- simple and could be constructed by a power could still be cost competitive with ing. In a completely unrelated report to relatively unskilled workforce. The energy indigenous renewable sources. Globally, the German government, a German petro- there are currently about 55 HVDC links chemicals group recently proposed that in operation including the interconnector synthetic, rather than oil-based, plastics Neil Crumpton between the UK and France. could cost-effectively be made if a cheap has been a cam- The TRANS-CSP report details the source of energy were available. The proc- paigner at Friends phased construction of a European HVDC ess would initially produce methanol from of the Earth since 1994 after becom- ‘supergrid’ which extends via numerous largely existing industry kit by combining ing a member links under the Mediterranean to CSP carbon dioxide scrubbed from the atmos- in the 1970s. He schemes in the Sahara desert to form a phere with hydrogen generated by high- graduated in electrical engineering at ‘solar supergrid’ (www.TRECers.net). CSP temperature thermal dissociation of water Liverpool University in 1977, moving schemes with thermal storage could pro- in a thorium-powered nuclear reactor. straight into work on naval radar sys- vide much of necessary back-up to deliver However, methanol is a tradable com- tems at shipyards in the UK and Argen- power around Europe on demand. modity which could be exported from tina. He subsequently worked on oil and Any degree of dependence on energy gas survey ships based in Asia and Africa. countries with otherwise ‘stranded’ solar Neil works from home in Bethesda, sources outside Europe has been ques- CSP resources, such as Australia. It could north Wales and from the organisation’s tioned by the EU in recent years, even Cardiff and London offi ces. though countries like Algeria have been (continued on page 19)

IMPERIAL ENGINEER Spring 2007 15 FEATURES Mitigating global warming by storing carbon dioxide THE PRINCIPAL environmental chal- lenges facing the world this century are global warming and ocean acidifi cation underground storage in oil fi elds comes with the caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, CO2, into the atmos- phere. Increasing energy effi ciency and development of added benefi t of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). At typical reservoir tempera- nuclear power and renewable energy sources are ways to tures and pressures, CO is miscible - 2 reduce CO2 emissions. But there is another option: carbon with the light oils found in the North capture and storage (CCS) which involves the separation of Sea and so the injection of CO2 sweeps out oil, offsetting the costs of CO CO from large point sources, 2 2 capture and injection. such as fossil-fuel-burning Martin Blunt Carbon capture and storage is just power stations, followed by discusses a way to deal one – important – component of an its transport and injection in integrated plan to reduce CO2 emis- sions. The volumes of CO involved deep underground geological with this problematic 2 are huge. formations. greenhouse gas This allows a smooth transition Potential away from our present pattern of Every person in the UK is responsi- energy consumption, where 85% of The offshore location reduces possible ble for 10 tonnes of CO per year. If, the world’s energy needs are met 2 hazards due to accidental leaks of CO . globally, 1 GT carbon per year were by oil, gas and coal. Furthermore, it 2 The Department of Trade and stored underground – representing offers developing countries, such as Industry and British Geological Society around 15% of current CO emissions China and India that are fuelling their 2 have estimated that aquifers in the -– at a density of around 600 kgm- 3, economic growth with coal-burning North Sea have a storage potential of the volume of CO injected (around power plants, a technology that avoids 2 700 Gt CO , in contrast to 6 Gt in oil 20 million m3/day) would be similar to increases in CO emissions. 2 2 fi elds and 13 Gt in gas fi elds. However, current world oil production. CO2 is injected deep underground where it has liquid-like properties with a density close to water. Candidate Potential underground storage for CO sites for storage include abandoned 2 coal seams, depleted oil and gas fi elds and deep saline aquifers. While injec- tion into coal seams and hydrocarbon reservoirs have benefi ts associated with enhanced oil and gas production, aqui- fers have the greatest storage potential.

Long-term The International Energy Agency has estimated that up to 10,000 Gt of CO2 could be stored worldwide in aquifers, which is equivalent to many centuries of CO2 emissions at the current rate of around 25 Gt/year. One attractive, possible site for storage is the North Sea. This is a major oil- and gas-producing province containing relatively well-character- There is suffi cient capacity in deep aquifers to store a signifi cant fraction of ized geological formations with an global CO2 emissions for many years. The fi rst application of carbon cap- existing pipeline infrastructure close ture and storage in the UK is likely to be in mature oil fi elds in the North to fossil fuel-burning power stations. Sea, because of the associated economic benefi t of enhanced oil recovery.

16 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 FEATURES

When CO2 is injected into an aquifer or oil reservoir, it will tend to move upwards, since it is less dense than water. As it moves, water

displaces the CO2 (this process can be acceler- ated by injecting water)

and CO2 is trapped as tiny bubbles in inter- stices in the porous rock (top fi gure). This

trapped CO2 cannot es- cape and will be safely stored for thousands of years, over which time it will slowly dissolve or precipitate as carbon- ate. Understanding this process requires experi- ment and numerical modelling at the mil- While CCS is a new technology, the CCS the CO2 would be released to essential components – separating CO the atmosphere anyway – it is wise to limetre (bottom left) and kilometre 2 scales (bottom right). Top image by from other gases and injecting under- design a process where these risks are Ruben Juanes ground – are well-established in the oil as small as possible.

industry. There are some 70 CO2 injec- Over hundreds of millions of years,

tion projects worldwide, most of them the CO2 will slowly dissolve in water requires us to know the transport

in Texas where natural underground and may react with the rock, precipi- properties of CO2. Using small-scale

sources of CO2 have been used in EOR tating carbonate. Brine containing dis- experiments and modelling , as well

schemes for 30 years. solved CO2 is denser than native brine as advanced computer simulation, we

In the North Sea, the Sleipner and so it sinks slowly. Hence, once will be able to predict where the CO2

project is now in its 11th year. Gas dissolved or reacted, the CO2 will not is likely to travel. from a reservoir is produced and the reach the atmosphere. UK to lead? CO2 contained in it is separated from However, during the initial injec-

natural gas (methane) and reinjected tion phase, the liquid-like CO2 is less The UK has a golden opportunity to into a saline aquifer. dense and more mobile and will tend take a lead in CCS, working with the There are several other planned to travel rapidly to the top of the oil industry to demonstrate carbon projects under consideration by BP, formation and channel along zones of storage with EOR. Our research will Shell and Statoil in the North Sea, to high-permeability rock. It is during continue to study the prediction of

combine CCS with EOR as a relatively this stage that the CO2 may leak. CO2 movement underground and the inexpensive way to demonstrate the One way to design a process where design of effi cient injection strategies. process. this cannot happen is to inject water

as well as CO2: the water traps CO2 in Storage headache the micron-scale pore spaces of the Martin Blunt One of the major concerns in any rock and renders it immobile. was recently ap- pointed head of storage project is the potential leak- This process is the same as hap- the Department age of the CO into the atmosphere. pens when water is injected into 2 of Earth Science It is necessary to ensure that the hydrocarbon reservoirs to push out oil and Engineer-

CO2 remains underground for hun- – due to trapping, around half the oil ing. He has an MA and PhD dreds to thousands of years. In oil is left underground. Injecting CO2 into and gas reservoirs, buoyant hydro- an oil reservoir helps displace this oil, in physics from carbon has resided for millions of since it mixes with it – hence the ben- Cambridge University and worked for BP at their research centre in years, below impermeable geologi- efi t of EOR – but will itself be trapped Sunbury-on-Thames before becom- cal seals. by water. ing a faculty member in Petroleum However, the integrity of the At Imperial College, a cross-de- Engineering at Stanford University. cap rock of saline aquifers cannot partmental team of researchers, in He returned to the UK to become a be guaranteed with such certainly. collaboration with Shell under the Professor of Petroleum Engineering Furthermore, the high injection pres- Shell-Imperial College Grand Chal- at Imperial College in 1999. Martin sures may fracture the rock, allowing lenge Programme on Clean Fossil Fuels conducts research on multiphase fl ow in porous media with appli- CO to escape or it could leak through is studying CCS. One component of 2 cation to improved hydrocarbon abandoned wells. While this is unlikely the research is the design of injection recovery, carbon dioxide storage and and rarely hazardous – after all without to render the CO2 immobile. This contaminant transport.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 17 FEATURES

FOLLOWING an extensive study, the Grid. For example, power swings of up environmental group Friends of the to 6 – 8 GW per hour, albeit in a known Earth (FoE) is maintaining its op- direction, would exceed by a factor of position to a Severn barrage. Its new Report 10 likely hourly swings of the cumula- report, available by mid-May, examines tive output of a major windpower pro- the pros and cons of the barrage and gramme generating 20% of 2020 UK de- comes out in favour of studying the comes out mand. FoE does suggest, however, that potential for large electricity gen- such power integration problems could erating ‘tidal lagoons’ in the Severn be minimised, albeit at further cost, by estuary. (See www.foecymru.co.uk) against the construction of new inter-connec- FoE maintains that the barrage would tor links to continental Europe, and/or signifi cantly damage internationally im- possibly new storage technologies. portant and legally protected habitats. Severn Looking further into the future, FoE Over the last few years, calls for estimates, given reasonable UK-wide a re-appraisal of the Severn Barrage energy effi ciency improvements, that project have been made by the Severn barrage the barrage would generate about one Tidal Power Group (STPG). This percent of 2050 UK energy demand, comprises a small number of hydro hardly vital to UK energy security. Such engineers and construction company and Gloucestershire. Such techniques power could be generated indigenously, representatives. It claims that the would be the most appropriate, and using renewables or carbon capture prospect of carbon-free power and potentially ecologically enhancing, and storage technologies, or be im- fl ood defence against climate-related strategy to defend against sea level rise. ported from less ecologically sensitive storm surge and sea level rise is worth This is projected at 18 – 59cm by 2100 areas. The barrage would also preclude the cost, now estimated at £14 billion. in the latest Inter-governmental Panel indigenous power from the projected Indeed, the annual output of the bar- on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth As- large lagoons, which would not impede rage, which could be operational by sessment. A much smaller fl ood barrier, shipping, in the same prime area around 2017, could comprise of the Severn estuary. nearly 25% of the government’s At the present time, FoE sees ‘aspirational ‘2020 renewable no clear need for the barrage. electricity target. The barrage’s If global warming effects have annual output (17 TWh/year) been underestimated, and melting would be around 4.3 % of cur- Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets rent UK electricity demand. are likely to cause a sea level rise FoE opposes the barrage of several metres or more, then mainly because the 10 mile there would still be many years to structure would retain a body assess the predicament and plan of water 5 metres high which structures of the necessary height, would permanently submerge strength and location. over half of the inter-tidal mud Friends of the Earth con- and sand fl ats. These fl ats are im- cludes by saying that ‘A barrage portant feeding grounds for 10s across the Severn Estuary would of thousands of birds, including be a monumental and iconic rare and threatened bird species. structure; a landmark in British The scheme would also disrupt history. If it is ever to be built the passage of migratory fi sh and it must be built for the best of severely moderate the Severn Bore. Power generated from lagoons as pro- reasons and at the most appropriate posed for Swansea Bay. (From Tidal Such signifi cant environmental moment in time. To build the Severn Electric) concerns would probably not arise if barrage at this time would be an act a different impoundment technology, or the recently proposed 1GW ‘Shoots’ of poor global leadership. Destroying called tidal lagoons, were considered. barrage, located between the two road unique, internationally important and Lagoons are offshore rock-walled bridges, is considered more favourably. legally protected conservation areas un- structures which would impound an Such structures could offer both fl ood der the guise of energy security, climate area of sea and which fi ll and empty protection to Gloucestershire and car- protection and coastal defence would via electricity generating turbines. The ry the London–South Wales mainline set a damaging precedent. group warns that the barrage, or a railway which currently runs through ‘Much more could be done to ad- signifi cant capacity of lagoons for that the leaking 1886 Severn tunnel. dress energy security and protect the matter, could damage development and Another concern is that a huge 8.6 climate in the next few critical decades investment in other leading marine UK GW Severn barrage would generate by investing in less damaging and more renewable energy technologies. large pulses of electric power for a few powerful renewable energy generating The FoE says that new shoreline hours after each tide. Such pulses of technologies which would tackle future coastal defence techniques can address power, while predictable, would not storms and sea level rise directly.’ the increasing fl ood risk to Severnside be easily integrated onto the National See page 22 for another view.

18 IMPERIAL ENGINEER Spring 2007 FEATURES

CO2 – cause or effect? The following is an email exchange regarding climate change between managing editor Bill McAuley and Lord Monckton of Brenchley. Lord Monkton was a scientifi c policy advisor to Margaret Thatcher. A full interview is planned with Lord Monckton for the autumn edition. FROM BILL MCAULEY round the world and produces a in ocean currents to change the equi- For some years now I’ve been looking characteristic annual sawtooth graph. librium very substantially. Your observa- for a published correlation between at- I’ve inspected records from several tions regarding variability in the polar

mospheric CO2 concentration increase stations and have remarked (no one regions demonstrates this, since there and the (presumed) proportional had noticed before) that the ampli- is a greater winter/summer variation in decrease in O concentration. I’ve been ocean temperatures at higher latitudes. 2 tude of the annual variation in CO2 unable to fi nd any such work, leading concentrations is greater the further me to suspect that this elementary one moves towards the North Pole. The FROM LORD MONCKTON verifi cation of the effects of global The palaeo-climatological temperature fact is that there is more CO2 in the combustion has not been performed! atmosphere than there used to be. The record, reconstructed by reference to

Are you aware of any references on the debate is about the extent to which the the CO2 ratio of 18O to 16Oppmv in subject? relatively small additional concen- air trapped in Antarctic and Green- trations have much of an effect on land ice at depth, indicates there is FROM LORD MONCKTON temperature. My calculations suggest a lag of 800-4000 years between a This point has passed me by alto- that the effect is about one-tenth that change in temperature and a change

gether. My knowledge of the relevant projected by the IPCC – and I reached in CO2 concentration. It is always chemistry is not very great. Given the that result using the IPCC’s own meth- the temperature that leads; not vice

very small proportion of CO2 in the ods and data. I’ve had the calculations versa. In today’s conditions, we are

atmosphere (less than four parts in peer-reviewed by one of the IPCC’s adding CO2 to the atmosphere in ap- 10,000 by volume), I’d be surprised if own reviewers, who thinks I’m right. I preciable quantities, and this may be there was much of a trade-off between hope this helps. responsible for some of the increase

more CO2 and less O2. The calculation in global temperature over the past would also be complicated by the fact FROM BILL MCAULEY century. The increase in temperature that chlorofl uorocarbons (emitted by Thanks for your prompt reply. The (however caused) then induces the

volcanoes) can disrupt the stratospher- oxygen issue is important because, if warmer oceans to outgas CO2, causing

ic O3 layer, splitting each molecule into the correlation is not 100%, it would what is known as the ‘CO2 feedback’. an O atom and an O molecule. Of It’s extremely diffi cult to quantify 2 suggest that some of the CO2 increase all the numbers in the debate about could be the RESULT of global warm- the magnitude of this feedback, but global warming, I think that one of ing, not the cause. Since there is 50 most authorities believe it to be small the least uncertain is the increase – of the order of 20ppmv out of the times more CO2 dissolved in the world’s

in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. oceans than in the atmosphere, it 100ppmv increase in CO2 concentra- This is measured at numerous points wouldn’t take much warming or change tion since pre-industrial times.

(continued from page 15) be used as an automotive fuel or in Concentrating solar power CHP power generation schemes. So, the US and India are all considering rocco and Egypt may soon order at larger CHP sites, which could be expensive space ‘exploration and ex- Russian reactors which could result CCS-equipped, there is the potential ploitation’ programmes. in further proliferation through for considerable carbon-negative Africa. Yet the larger of these coun- power generation. Moon fuel? tries could each generate all global The vision of a world powered Recent news articles indicate that one electricity from the CSP resources to a signifi cant extent by huge areas of the main drivers is the possible ex- within their borders. of simple and safe mirror schemes ploitation of Helium 3 extracted from Earth and its family of species in hot deserts will be surprising to moon rock for use as a fuel in fusion stand at a fork in their evolutionary most. But alternative scenarios are reactors on earth. This could result in tree. Will humans choose the path surprising and alarming. CSP tech- the weaponisation of space to secure of nuclear power, a limited and/or nology is largely tried and tested. the future supply route well before fu- dangerous technology, or pursue a Yet, recently £7 billion was recently sion power was even ever proven. far safer, simpler, benign and unlim- announced for further research into Meanwhile, Morocco, Algeria, ited solar technology? nuclear fusion which is at least 30 Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Turkey * See www.TRECers.net or years away from commercial reality, have all expressed interest in nuclear www.TREC–UK.net for more if it works at all. Now, Russia, China, fi ssion power in recent months. Mo- information.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 19 FEATURES ENVIRONMENTAL

METALS by Bill Bradford

THE TITLE of my article arises from sary qualifi cations (high value per unit or investment terms. Gold has compar- the catalytic behaviour of the platinum of mass, resistance to corrosion and/or atively few industrial applications. group metals (pgm). Platinum, pal- wear, scarcity and, for some of them, How do you fi nd an economic pgm ladium and rhodium are now highly an attractive appearance). deposit in nature? The answer is, with sought-after catalysts to control auto- One big difference however very considerable diffi culty. I’m going to motive emissions. Other pgm applica- between platinum and gold is that offer a simple model of the earth’s crust tions are also growing in signifi cance. platinum’s supply and demand are to illustrate. I’m deliberately ducking Please note that pgm is not synony- generally close to balance. Although some signifi cant complexities, but I mous with platinum, although plati- platinum can be recycled fairly eas- think it helps to explain both the rarity num leads the pack. I’m a ‘pgm bug’ ily, there is little metal in jewellery, and the high price of the pgm. and tableII shows why! inventory or investment hands, so a My fi rst involvement with the pgm signifi cant platinum shortage (real or Magma make-up arose from a very unusual project. The perceived) can have a very immediate The molten magma below the earth’s venture capital (mining fi nance) group and profound effect on price. By con- crust can be regarded as containing four I was working for had been approached trast, there is a large ‘overhang’ of gold main chemical constituents – silicon ox- by a small private corporation, based in the form of central bank gold stock, ide (SiO ), magnesium oxide (MgO), alu- on the West Coast USA who claimed to and privately owned jewellery, bar and 2 minium oxide (Al O ) and iron oxides be able to produce ‘isotopic’ precious coin, which can promptly put a dent 2 3 (FeO/Fe O ). These four oxides combine metals by an electroytic process. I was in any supply defi cit. 2 3 chemically in various ways when they asked to investigate. I will return to the solidify to form primary rocks. Virtu- outcome of this investigation later. ally all rocks crystallising from magma I fi rst wrote about the pgm in 1990 contain some SiO . Those that are high when I was working with the Earth Sci- 2 in SiO and Al O have relatively low ence Department of the Open Univer- 2 2 3 densities: those that are high in MgO sity. What’s surprising is how relatively and Fe O have relatively high densities. little the scene has changed. 2 3 Other oxides or elements are present First, some basic information about but in lower concentrations. them. (See Table I for pgm comparisons The effect of environmental Plate tectonics is now a well-accept- with silver and gold.) legislation has also made platinum a ed explanation for the characteristics ‘must have’. The other pgm have until and behaviour of the earth’s crust. The New valuables? recently had a subsidiary role. Palla- continental (generally above sea level) Gold and silver have long been used as dium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh) are now plates are very largely composed of stores of wealth and, fairly recently, this steadily gaining in importance, while primary (igneous) rocks where SiO2 and has applied also to platinum. The other ruthenium (Ru) and iridium (Ir) still Al2O3 predominate (called acidic rocks); pgm have not yet acquired this label, have minor industrial roles. Osmium oceanic (generally below sea-level) although they have many of the neces- (Os) is almost invisible in application plates are composed of primary rocks

TABLE 1: PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PGM, COMPARED WITH SILVER AND GOLD Metal Symbol Atomic Density Colour Melting Boiling point Brinell hardness number (g/ml at 20oC) point (oC) approx (oC) Ruthemium Ru 44 12.45 Dull grey/silvery white 2310 4900 200-300 Rhodium Rh 45 12.41 Greyish white 1960 4500 100-120 Palladium Pd 46 12.62 Greyish white 1552 3980 40-42 Osmium Os 76 22.61 Bluish grey 3050 5500 300-670 Iridium Ir 77 22.65 Silvery white 2443 5300 200-240 Platinum Pt 78 21.45 Greyish white, lustrous 1769 4590 40-42 Silver Ag 47 10.5 962 26 Gold Au 79 19.3 1064 20

20 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 FEATURES

TABLE II - PGM AND GOLD PRICES (US$ PER TROY OUNCE) their dreams somewhere in the US West. However, I suspected that some Date/ Platinum Palladium Rhodium Iridium Ruthenium Gold of the junior associates on the periph- % increase ery believed in the Barnum principle, ‘there’s a sucker born every minute! January 1993 360 110 1821 125 25 330 We were very nearly one of them. January 2007 1150 340 5736 400 692 625 A few additional words of warning % increase 319 309 315 320 2867 189 for the potential investor in pgm ex- ploration: an economically signifi cant deposit contains pgm values in the where MgO and Fe O predominate nobody attached any value to pgm. 2 3 single fi gure parts per million (ppm) (called basic rocks). Where plates collide When found, pgm were considered to range – very low. Accurate analysis, the oceanic (basic) plates slide under the be a contaminant of gold. It took a long although much easier than it used to continental (acidic) plates. It is, therefore, time before pgm began to be valued. be, still requires extreme care. Eco- relatively rare to fi nd basic rocks on or Their recent attractions have been nomic pgm concentrations in rock are near-surface in continental plates. largely research-stimulated in conjunc- comparable with gold. Pgm are always associated with tion with the control of automotive basic rocks. When you go looking for emissions. Early pgm production came Future prediction pgm on land you are, therefore, looking (and to a small extent still does) from Future forecasts are always danger- for basic rocks in places where you alluvials in Colombia and Russia. ous but here goes. The demand for A clear illustration of platinum will continue to grow faster pgm’s growing impor- than global economic rates. The same tance is in their price. (See will be true to a lesser extent for pal- table II, above) Prices are ladium and rhodium. The minor pgms normally quoted in US$ will probably follow past, medium- per troy ounce (a troy term trends. Although geologically ounce = 31.1g). I have and chemically very similar, each of given a price comparison the pgm needs to be considered as an between the monthly av- individual commodity. Each deposit of erages for January of 1993 pgm has a different profi le and needs and 2007. I have rounded careful investigation before serious the prices to the nearest investment is considered. whole dollar. The automotive industry is a rapid- The two dates chosen ly growing user of pgm-based catalysts are simply the most and it looks as though North America recent and most historic will follow the hybrid-powered car that have come easily to route, while Europe will follow the hand. I have also delib- diesel-power route. I won’t go into erately made no adjust- the detail of catalyst demands of each ments for infl ation or power type, but it suggests that Europe attempted to discount the will see pgm demand rising faster than prices in time terms. the US. China, India, Russia and Latin You can now see why I America? – who knows! am a pgm and not a gold bug! Johnson Matthey publishes Winding gear at a pgm mine. To return to the original project. Platinum Metals Review with regular (Pictures from Johnson Matthey) My assignment was to visit the site of updates on the pgm scene. Copies normally fi nd acidic rocks. Add to this the test operation, located close to the –www.platinum.matthey.com/publi- all the uncertainties of mineralisation, Oregon/Washington state border. What cations. Or ring 020 7269 8400 and the odds against fi nding an eco- followed were 10 days of highly-fo- nomic pgm deposit are very, very high. cused testwork, many hours of heated argument with a very angry US inves- Bill Bradford (MinTech 1957) has Alluvial rush tor and the ongoing worry that I might worked for a number of employ- If you are very lucky you may fi nd just end up in the Columbia river with ers, including GEC, Federal Nigerian pgm in the residues of worn down concrete boots. The process turned out Government, UNDP, Selection Trust, (weathered) rocks. These residues to be without any technical founda- Seltrust Engineering, Mitchell Cotts, and Matthew Hall. He was also a originally settled in riverbeds and are tion that I could fi nd and, perhaps as a called alluvials. The big, old gold rushes bonus, I survived. Flying Offi cer in the RAF, and a consult- all started in alluvial deposits. There Was it a scam? I felt at the time ant and tutor for the has never been a comparable platinum that the leading individuals concerned Open University. He rush, partly because pgm-bearing al- really believed in their ideas and that, is a governor of two luvials are rarer and smaller than gold whatever I did or said, they or their local schools and ac- ones, but also because for a long time successors would continue following tive in Rotary.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 21 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS

ant of HTVDD in which the casing Alumni share their views... might be withdrawn from the disposal zone after deployment of the pack- Deep nuclear waste disposal ages and when stresses could present a threat to the containers. In this case ■ FROM Reduced permeability at depth is the partial melting of the granite could TOM PUGSLEY (MINING 1964 ) due to increasing tectonic stress levels begin at as little as 100 days after PROF GIBB presents a plausible and the geothermal gradient – hence emplacement of the containers and argument (IE issue three) for high groundwater becomes increasingly extend for 10s of cm into the wall temperature very deep disposal of saline and corrosive. Glassing of the rock possibly providing the predict- nuclear wastes. However there are lower reaches of boreholes would able method of ‘destressing’ the wall implementation concerns to be have to be predictable and extensive to rock around the containers sought. overcome. They are: produce the desired seal and without In another variant of LTVDD,the use ■ High tectonic stress levels in strong thermally inducing peripheral spalling. of malleable Pb-based high-density rocks (igneous and metamorphic In view of the increasing interest, support matrices should also protect rocks) that will exist at 4 to 5 km and urgency, in reviving and expanding the containers from small to moderate depths. Failure (wall spalling and nuclear power generation worldwide, sized tectonic deformations. elongation dependant on the direc- perhaps a full-scale pilot project is war- Although the large diameter (0.5- tion of major principal in situ stress) ranted. There is a wealth of geotechni- 0.8m) holes required for all variants of of small drill holes in deep mines, 2 to cal knowledge in the deep hard rock very deep disposal (other than for Pu) 3 km, in depth has been experienced. mining industry that may contribute have not yet been drilled to depths in ex- Tectonic stresses concentrate in strong some value to this approach. cess of 4km, there is considerable experi- rocks such as granites and horizontal TPugsley@xstrata.ca ence of drilling smaller holes (0.2-0.4m) stress levels can be two to three times PROFESSOR FERGUS GIBB REPLIES to such depths in hard rocks. Examples (or more) vertical levels at a particu- Tom Pugsley is correct in suggesting 4 are the KTB scientifi c wells (0.37m at lar elevation and isotropy is probably - 5 km deep boreholes in hard rocks are 6km) and the Urach-3 geothermal well reached at some unknown depth. ‘not proven technology’, at least at the (~0.2m at 4.4km); the lowermost 2.5 km For 1m diameter holes this could be a large diameters required, and right to of the latter were in granite. Nevertheless, signifi cant design issue and that some draw attention to the potential tectonic it is true that a 0.8m hole to over 4km, predictable method of destressing such stresses at such depths, although site while possible, would stretch this tech- holes would be required. selection would aim to minimise these. nology to its current limits (SKB Report ■ I would suggest that the technology All versions of both LTVDD and R-00-35). I share with Tom the belief that for drilling such deep holes in the 4 to HTVDD would use fully-cased holes there is a wealth of geotechnical knowl- 5 km range is not proven technology and the heavy-duty steel casing should edge in the hard-rock mining industry, in the hard rock industry and is prob- provide a suitable measure of protec- especially in areas like vertical tunnel ably resident in the oil/hydrocarbon tion for the waste containers against boring and the sinking of large diameter industry and for carboniferous era wall spalling and deformation, at least shafts to depths of 2 or 3 km, that could formations which are much less com- until they are safely sealed into the make a major contribution. I welcome petent and generally easier to drill. borehole. There is, however, one vari- his suggestion of a pilot project.

The potential of tidal power from the Severn estuary FROM PETER ACKERS, by both contributors would not arise. tidal currents, the estuary would be- (CIVIL 1944) The proposed method of construction come more productive which should Neither Bill McAuley’s article nor would use caissons, all of which would improve the overall ecology. that by Ashley Catterall gave a proper have gated passages that would remain Other benefi ts include reducing account of the potential for tidal open during construction, those in the fl ood levels upstream which will con- power from the Severn. The project turbine caissons having to be closed tinue to increase as sea levels rise. was very fully examined by the off only when the bulb turbines were The upper estuary would become Severn Barrage Committee some 25 installed. The openings through the available for pleasure boating as years ago and the optimum scheme sluice caissons would remain open currents would reduce and it would as an ebb generating one going from never drain out. Subsequent studies Brean Down to Lavernock Point with until the scheme came into operation, have all confi rmed these fi ndings. an installed capacity of 8750 MW, when they would close during the ebb some seven times the maximum out- tide. Another question is whether the put of our largest nuclear station. The tidal range upstream would be existing system can accommodate Its annual contribution to the reduced, in effect not emptying so far, such heavy inputs of power twice a UK’s electricity demand would be so feeding grounds for birds would day . This was answered by running 17000GWh. The tides would never be available during the whole tidal the CEGB’s model of the whole be excluded from the estuary, either cycle. Also, because of the reduction country’s generating system which during construction or operation, in suspended sediment concentration confi rmed that it could, without ad- so the serious problems envisaged that would follow from the reduced ditional storage capaity. [email protected]

22 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS Past Hong Kong president ALUMNI promotion WYSS YIM (DSc 1997 and DIC goes back 1974) has recently been reti- NEWS & VIEWS tled professor of the depart- ment of earth sciences, at the to walk University of Hong Kong. He is the current president of the roots Five pages of who’s Subcommission on Continental WALKS with a Past President’ Shelves, International Union has had its sixth birthday and doing what and where for Quaternary Research. it’s timely to review the humble origin. ‘A Walk with the President’ I was asked if our guide could Dates (page seven) and very MECH ENG 1954 took place in May 2001 during show us more of the City on important notice (page fi ve). Reunion plans the fi nal days of my presidential another day. The modest fee includes the THE 1954 Intake Mech Eng year. Its purpose was to remind Malcolm Dick has stayed cost of a drink at the hostelry Reunion Lunch has been ar- Guildsmen of their College’s with us for what must by now Malcolm selects as a suitable fi n- ranged for Tuesday September long and meaningful association be more than 20 walks. He and ishing post and many of us elect 25 at 170 Queen’s Gate. The with the City of London and I are active members of our to stay on for lunch and a chat. cost will £40 a head, including the 16 livery companies which respective City companies, and Surplus funds naturally go drinks contributed to its foundation. our enthusiasm to see more of towards the running of the As- Organiser Richard Wood Walking with a City guide our capital city and its environs sociation and this sum would has circulated all those who seemed the proper way to pro- shows no signs of diminishing. be greatly enhanced by an in- attended the 2004 lunch but ceed and we planned a route Detail of the walks, and fl ux of new members. Fami- would be delighted to hear through the City to include application forms, may be lies and well-behaved dogs are from any others. It was a large eight halls that Saturday morn- downloaded from the Events always welcome as are your intake, he says. ing and the other eight on an Section of the Association web weekend guests! Contact Richard on evening the following week. We site www.cgca.org.uk. For further information 01332 559700 or email rich- went into one on each occa- Our next dates are July 22, please ring 020 8504 8263. I [email protected] sion for a tour and a glass of September 29 and December look forward to meeting you. wine. Whilst chatting in one, 1 (all Saturdays). See Diary David Hattersley BOOKS CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 1960 HUGH CHARE, who gradu- Home to the New Cavendish for another year ated from RSM in 1970, has published a book, Chaya Four THE NEW Cavendish Club, ganisation of the bar furniture union activities though at that One. Details can be viewed at near Marble Arch, hosted this to accomodate the group and, time plans were still fl uid. www.trafford.com/06-0715. year’s reunion group of the again, provided the photogra- Proposed date for 2008 [email protected] or 1957–60 C & G chemical en- pher. We discussed who may – same venue – is Tuesday +1 808 572 3020 gineers on February 14. be attending the college re- February 12. Eleven were present and are pictured, from the left and stand- FOLLOWING the last issue ing, Brian Stevens, David Martin, featuring water matters, a pub- Alan Cleugh, Barry Daniels, Mike lication of some interest is The Heath, David Wilbraham, Paul Water Revolution – Practical Gallagher and Don Latimer; and Solutions to Water Scarcity, seated Tony Davis and Malcolm published by International Cross. Missing from the photo Policy Press. ISBN number is due to dashing for a train is Alan 1-905041-13-6 and copies can Nethercott. be obtained for £12 by e-mail- The Club was, as always, ing [email protected] or tolerant of our complete reor- calling 020 7836 0750.

SPECIAL CENTENARY WEEKEND MAN STILL NOT DEFINED! A SPECIAL alumni reunion weekend is planned for IN SPITE of Jack Sandy’s gener- Maybe they felt that some- this September 15 and16. In particular, the depart- ous offer of donations to char- thing so unstable as man would ments of the Engineering Faculty are inviting their ity for the best entries, none of be impossible to define. Or alumni to return and see what’s going on. There will our women readers has come perhaps they were too busy be a reception, tours and talks on Friday September forward with a riposte to his combining a career with all the 14. More info from Teresa Sergot – see page two. non-PC piece in issue three of traditional women’s jobs they are Imperial Engineer. still expected to fulfi ll! LP

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 23 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS Richard still rolling into work! HAVING found out that I The photograph shows go into Rolls-Royce (where me (second from right) hard I used to work) every Mon- at work on a 5-cylinder day, I was asked contribute a opposed-piston multi-fuel en- piece for this issue. gine as used by the military. The Rolls-Royce Heritage Other engines in the Trust was founded in 1981 picture are an RR Phantom 3 and has now amassed a large and, less obvious, an engine collection of aero-engines. produced for the Princess ‘R’. Quite a few retired engi- If you are interested in neers meet during the week visiting the collection, I can to restore engines for display arrange visits, Contact me on purposes and, occasionally, to [email protected]. running order, Richard Wood (Mech 57)

MINING ENGINEERING 1964 Wine, golf and... LAST SEPTEMBER, 10 mining ground to cover, we reminisced engineers, who graduated in about RSM days and caught up 1964, and their wives, gathered on careers that had taken our for three very convivial days at year across the globe. the RSM 2006 Reunion in Nia- Miners and their wives gara-on-the Lake, Ontario. The had travelled from Australia, event was organised by Cliff UK, Thailand and Bulgaria to Davis, Tom Pugsley and their be present. It’s surprising how wives Jean and Teresa, who are many are still very active in the all resident in Canada. minerals industry or another The programme included closely-related fi eld. Crossing over troubled waters outings and pub meals in the Those 1964 miners present town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada were: Julian Bennett, NOW back in the UK, Anna identify the best place to with its 250 year history, thea- Keith Bennett, Brian Calver, Tompsett and Joe Mulligan build a river crossing to tre visits, a wet boat trip at Cliff Davis, Mike Dixon, Tom are busy in Cambridge give year-round access Niagara Falls, golf for the en- Pugsley, Lionel Sainsbury, Dave working on their MPhil in over remote land prone to thusiasts, spa treatments for Thomas, Mike Turner and engineering for sustainable fl ooding and start work by the ladies, a visit to a winery Lawrie Williams, development casting culverts. where we lunched in style, a The Reunion of 1961–64 But they are still Despite diffi culties with trip to the Welland Canal be- Miners, having become a regu- involved with Engineering fi nance and the rains, their tween Lakes Erie and Ontario lar event, the next will be in Without Frontiers (EWF) work included building a and of course a splendid dinner Cape Town in 2008. Count me which, with two local composting toilet block and on the last night. With much in! Lionel Sainsbury NGOs, took them to the helping design and set out a Dadiya hills in Nigeria for church and primary school. 2005-6, and have helped ABOVE: at the excava- set up their replacements tion of the approach slopes for the next two years. with a store they built. Using the CGCA Jessel For more details see Rosen Graduate Overseas their reports, address on Award, they have helped page two.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 1973 A LUCKY 13 Triodes met in We will hold our next reun- the George (at the top of Fleet ion at the George on Friday Jan- Street), in January. They always uary 4 2008. So maybe we’ll see meet there on the fi rst Fri- you there? Martyn Hart day after January 1 at 7pm to For more news of members celebrate 34 years away from see article on the website – ad- Electrical engineering. dress on page two. ENJOYING a boat trip at Niagra Falls!

24 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 ALUMNI NEWS & VIEWS Dick is third among equals A fi tting tribute to a loyal friend DESPITE being the oldest, largest, loudest and grumpiest, the Old Skool Miners was the winning team among a merry band of old and current RSM footallers (and a few brave sup- porters) who met at Harling- ton in January. They gathered for a football tournament in memory of Nicolas Perrier (Geology 99, MSc 00) a fellow Professor Dick Selley (Geol RSM footballer who sadley dies A tribute line-up at Harlington during January. 64, above), senior research last summer. fellow in the Department Opposing teams were the In traditional RSM style, the very special man and is sadly of Earth Science and Engi- Whippersnappers (the present bus headed for the South Ken missed and fondly remembered neering, has been elevated team) and the Tweenies (the Union bar with a trip to Cavan- by all who knew him.’ to honorary membership recent old boys). aghs to complete the night. A bi-annual Nicolas Per- of the Petroleum Explora- Maturity outshone the fancy ‘It was a great day and a rier Celebration Dinner will tion Society of GB. Of the footwork of youth and play end- fi tting tribute to a loyal friend’, be held at the New Cavend- seven honorary members ed with Old Skool winning two writes Ros Hodgson. ‘Nick’s ish Club in June 2008. Contact of the PESGB elected in games and drawing two. Whip- sister Alix braved the cold Rosamund Hodgson through the last 40 years, three persnappers lost two and drew to watch the games and was the Alumni offi ce if you wish to have been from the Royal two, while the Tweenies won surprised and touched at how attend. Or Rosamund.Hodg- School of Mines. one, lost one and drew two. many took part. Nick was a [email protected].

HONG KONG Christmas cheers AN ENTHUSIASTIC group of (Civil 71, fi fth from right.) Pic- ‘Imperial Engineers’ operating in tured are 13 enjoying a pre- Hong Kong get together occa- Christmas lunch in Hong Kong’s sionally for lunch or an evening. tallest building, the magnifi cent ‘Peter Pun (Civil PG 60) host- IFC2, above the Airport Ex- ed a horse-racing evening last press Station, on the harbour summer’, writes David Sorton front in Central District.

Is Ian the highest miner? EMAILING from San Rafael mine, owned by MINSUR SA, Ian Dun (MinTech 71), inset with friend, would like to hear (and so would IE) from any alumnus working higher than his 4500m above sea level. The mine produces 14% of the world´s tin production and is three hours from Juliaca and fi ve hours from Cuzco in Peru. Phone +51-1-2158330 (ext 2530) or email [email protected]. See www.minsur.com.pe Winter warmer in Canada EIGHT RSM alumni from a Pictured are, from left, Chris total attendance of 35 mainly Farrow, Richard Garnett, mining people gathered on a John Orton, Louis Badone, warm, sunny day last Decem- John Law, Harry Burgess ber in Toronto, at the Jason and Howard Stockford. Mike George pub. A gathering Davies was having lunch! For takes place every month on details contact hburgess@ the last Friday of the month. micon-inter national.com

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 25 OBITUARIES

COLIN DIXON, who was born in 1933 and died in 2006, gave Remembered throughout the world his life to the RSM’s geology department, graduating ARSM, and academe when it was fi rst However, Colin will be best BSc in 1957 and being instantly published in 1979. It remains a remembered as a conscientious appointed assistant lecturer in classic and highly-regarded and teacher and student mentor. mining geology. is available on Amazon. For many years he was direc- He became lecturer in tor of undergraduate studies 1959 and senior lecturer in COLIN DIXON and senior tutor with overall 1974, retiring in 1999. He thus responsibility for the pastoral spent 45 years in the depart- Colin served on many care of students. ment apart from one sabbatical committees and councils at His rough, gruff manner year as a research Fellow at the Imperial and the AUT. He was was occasionally off-putting to École Nationale Superiore des a human seismograph, with his new students, but they soon Mines de Paris from 1968. ear constantly close to the realised that he was rather like During his early years Colin ground. He knew everybody a lobster – hard on the outside was involved in applying com- who mattered, in the College up the Institution of Geologists but soft on the inside. Through- puting to geology and using and outside. and when it merged with the out the world RSM alumni are geostatistics in the evaluation Colin was Sir John Knill’s Geological Society he served for grateful for his duty of care and of ore reserves. His Atlas of righthand man in doing much many years on its council and as remember him with affection. Economic Mineral Deposits was to advance the professionalism chairman of the fellowship and Dick Selley, from an article widely acclaimed in industry of geology. Together they set validation committee. for the Geological Society A man of many ‘wizard wheezes’ CHRIS DELL, who died re- compost from leaves fallen in cently10 days before his 86th the streets of Leeds. birthday, was well-known in the Chris Dell graduated in minerals industry for his out- mining from the RSM in 1941 standing contributions to the and spent the rest of the war science, practice and teaching of working on sights for low-level mineral processing. He was an bombing at the Royal Aircraft ingenious inventor producing at Establishment, Farnborough. Joe is passenger in Bo in least three major contributions From 1946 to 1952 he Engines 1948. Driver is Ivan Nixon – the Leeds fl otation column, worked at the Mufuleira con- who supplied this story. the Leeds laboratory flota- centrator in the copper belt of were his life Ivan’s wife is in the back. tion cell and a Northern Rho- FREDERICK JOSEPH ‘Joe’ counter-current desia, for a time Pidgeon (Mech Eng 1939 & decantation col- CHRISTOPHER as plant superin- 48) died on February 3 at JOE umn. He was al- DELL tendent. Several his wife’s home in Argen- PIDGEON ways coming up years followed at tina after a long illness that with new ‘wizard wheezes’. the Coal Research Establish- stretched back to early 2006 Joe’s other love was fl y- His philosophy for the de- ment as head of section. In when he was still in the UK. ing. It started in 1934 when sign of fl otation circuits was to 1959 he joined the Department Joe’s passion was very he joined the College gliding keep it as simple and practi- of Mining at Leeds University as early types of cars. Besides club, going on to learn fl ying cal as possible using graphical a lecturer becoming a senior at one stage owning an 1897 at London University’s air techniques including release lecturer in 1966. He was a fel- French Hurtu, which he squadron. This became the analysis, multi-component re- low of the Minerals Engineering drove in the annual Brighton RAF Volunteer Reserve and lease analysis and timed batch Society and the Institution of Run when not driving when war came he reported tests. He helped develop what Mining and Metallurgy. CGCU’s Boanerges, he had a to the Air Ministry. Joe fl ew is now mineral engineering at Among many activities, life-long interest in an early Sunderland fl ying boats Leeds University, introducing Chris was a keen gardener, Trojan tourer. He used it to among others and fi nished many of these methods into producing particularly fi ne del- and from College and, as a the war as a squadron leader. the course especially in the phiniums, a talented oil painter member of the College Mo- Joe pursued a career in fi nal year projects. Chris also and a fi ne singer. After retire- tor Club, drove it in pre-war engineering with the Ministry taught practical subjects such ment he became interested cross-country trials. Its advan- of Supply then, from 1957 as materials handling and solid/ in archaeology after fi nding a tage was its solid rear axle. till retirement, worked all liquid separation. Roman well under his kitchen Joe was still in the proc- over the world for various He had an early concern for in Aldborough. ess of a major rebuilding of branches of the UN. environmental matters. A good The affection and respect this same car in 2006 when To read his son John’s example of this was his inves- in which Chris was held was he fell seriously ill. He was transcript of Joe’s war expe- tigation of the lead content of shown by the large numbers secretary of the City and riences, visit www.imperial. his garden soil and home-grown who gathered in Ripon Cathe- Guilds Motor Club pre-war, ac.uk/engineering/about/ vegetables as a result of using dral to bid him farewell. when trials were popular. alumni/

26 IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 OBITUARIES

PROFESSOR PETER LINDSAY, who died last June aged 86 achieved, with great distinction, Bon viveur and kind teacher an ambition to remain tech- nically active well beyond his partment and, was awarded a DSc degree retirement. At the time of his eventually, GEC at London. He was a fellow death he was a research pro- Research Labora- of the Institution of Electrical fessor in Queen Mary, College tories, Wembley. Engineers and the Institute of London’s department of elec- He specialised in Physics and CGC. He wrote tronic engineering, continuing research on mi- books on quantum mechanics to win research grants from crowave electron and quantum electronics; was industry and the US Air Force tubes (valves) editor of the International Jour- Offi ce of Scientifi c Research. and produced nal of Electronics and served on His most recent work ben- seminal papers on the UK Electronics Research efi ted from the availability of electron velocity Council. advanced computer simulation distributions and Peter was devoted to mu- tools, producing new under- noise phenom- sic, good food and fi ne wines. standing of complex behaviour ena in magn- He was a member of the British in high power electron tubes. etron devices. A Epicure Society and a Chevalier He had just presented a paper key point came du Taste-Vin, organising visits at an international conference in 1954 with the to France’s most celebrated in Michigan on vacuum elec- award of a post- restaurants. tronics, the fi eld in which he doctoral fellow- Peter Lindsay was in- enjoyed a worldwide reputa- ship at Columbia variably good company. His tion for over 50 years. University in New York, after strongly-held views on so Born Boleslaw Luciow in which he returned to GEC. In many subjects occasionally Poland and a promising pianist, PETER LINDSAY 1960 he was appointed to lead caused discord, but his great he had completed a year at Raytheon’s new electron phys- intelligence and love of life al- university when Hitler invaded with champagne and oysters. ics laboratory in Massachusetts. ways shone through. His ex- Poland in September 1939. He In London, the Polish au- Returning to England Peter was treme kindness to generations escaped to France where he thorities arranged for his entry appointed lecturer in electrical of students was a feature of his joined the Polish Army but, to Imperial where, in quick suc- engineering at King’s College. academic career and his sense failing to reach the Dunkirk cession he gained a BSc, MSc He was promoted to reader in of humour was especially appre- beaches in time, he made his and PhD, the last for work on 1970 and to a personal chair in ciated by his close friends. way to La Rochelle on the west electron optics. physical electronics in 1974 and (From an obituary on Queen coast and sailed to England. Peter joined Universal served as dean of engineering. Mary College website writ- In 1990 and 2000 he re- Rototype in 1948, then the Peter Lindsay published ten by Xiaodong Chen turned to celebrate his escape EMI Electronics Patent De- over 100 technical papers and and Charles Turner.)

Mining engineer and successful A gentleman of the old school entrepreneur GORDON ‘Jock’ Wallace fol- the RSM for some advice on JOHANNES with considerable respect by lowed his father into the min- the choice of theodolites and DE VILLIERS the younger members of his ing industry and graduated in other essential equipment. cohort who elected him union mining engineering from the Jock had a very successful JAN Coetzee de Villiers was born vice president. By then he was RSM in 1958. He rowed for career with Selection Trust and into a Huguenot family in Pretoria a father and after graduation Imperial College becoming was project manager for a range and graduated in law from Cape in 1958 the family returned to captain of the IC boat club of major feasibility studies before Town University in 1952. the Rhokana mine. and was elected president of his appointment as consulting en- To finance his student Later Jan moved to Johan- the RSM student union. gineer for the diamond mining years, Jan looked for vaca- nesburg to take up positions as operations in Sierra Leone and tion work that paid well and a mining and then management GORDON Ghana, and then the mines in found it in Northern Rhode- consultant, but also to devel- Canada and Australia. sia’s Rhokana copper mine. He op entrepreneurial ambitions. After retirement to Suffolk decided that his future lay in WALLACE Amondi was an enthusiastic and Jock started a second career the mining industry. This led able partner and they tried their Jock and Caroline were as a teacher, completing a full- Jan to the RSM after winning hand at a variety of enterprises married at the end of his fi nal time course and taught at a an Anglo American bursary. He including chickens, hydroponics term at RSM, the wedding be- secondary school. Locally he was a mature student, already and a popular nursery school. married to Amondi, and held Most successful was an em- coming a major student event. also became treasurer of the ployment agency that kept Jan Jock’s fi rst job was on the parish church and, ultimately, working beyond normal retire- Rhokana mine in what is now chairman of the governors of LATE NEWS ment age, until the attractions Zambia. In 1966 he joined Se- the primary school. As we went to press we heard of a quiet life drew him to his lection Trust in London where Family, Labradors and com- of the deaths of RALPH fi nal home in Knysna. an early assignment was to petitive pistol shooting (he made PRITCHARD (Mech 48, Civl A man of great charm, Jan establish a survey grid on a his own ammunition) remained 50) and JOHN HUTCHINGS will be fondly remembered. remote mine in Iran; an ur- lifetime interests. Jock died in (Chem Eng 53). Brian Wallace gent excuse for a visit back to June 2006, aged 70. BW

IMPERIAL ENGINEER SPRING 2007 27