Craig Wheeler

Biography

Dr Craig Wheeler has extensive experience in the field of bulk solids handling. This experience was initially gained through his background in heavy industry with BHP Billiton over a period of more than 10 years. Dr Wheeler became actively involved in bulk solids research, specifically in the field of belt conveying, through his involvement with the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies. He was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in this field for his thesis entitled 'Analysis of the Main Resistances of Belt Conveyors'. His doctoral work presented new theoretical models for the prediction of power requirements of belt conveyors and included significant contributions in the numerical modelling of viscoelastic belting material and belt and bulk material interactions. He is also responsible for developing several novel experimental techniques for conveyor motion resistance measurement. His work represents a significant and novel departure from the traditional empirical techniques of conveyor design. Dr Wheeler's doctoral work is currently being integrated with state-of-the-art numerical optimisation techniques based on evolutionary methods of global optimisation. This work is funded by a 3 year ARC Discovery Grant which he is working on in collaboration with Em. Prof. Alan Roberts and Dr Christopher Wensrich. This work will build a strong foundation for future conveyor design and will lead to significant improvements in the efficiency and running costs of belt conveyor systems. Dr Wheeler's industrial background gives him significant insight into the problems and issues faced by industry. This insight is heavily utilised in his research work, and in the large number of industrial consulting projects undertaken by Dr Wheeler through TUNRA Bulk Solids at the University of Newcastle. His work provides an excellent link between fundamental research and its application to industrial problems. These significant contributions have been made over a relatively short amount of time, owing to his previous career in heavy industry.

Research Interest

Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering