Innovation UK > News > Innovation UK Vol5-1 > University of Greenwich

The University of Greenwich can trace its roots back to 1890. Today, it has over 28,000 students and has invested millions of pounds in both supporting its existing research groups and creating new ones.

Its research is mainly focused on solving real-world problems and advancing issues that have a direct bearing on business and industry, regional, national and international communities, and, ultimately, people?s lives.

Our award-winning Centre for Numerical Modelling & Process Analysis is a world leader in providing computational engineering solutions to complex problems in industry, the environment and human systems. From fire safety engineering to communications technologies, we have solved some of the world?s most challenging multidisciplinary engineering problems.

Four research groups make up the centre; all are leaders in their field:

The Fire Safety Engineering Group traces its origins to the fatal fire on board a Boeing 737 at Manchester airport in 1985. Unimpressed with the existing software tools for simulating fires, Professor Ed Galea, from the group, decided to develop his own. This resulted in the SMARTFIRE fire simulation and EXODUS evacuation simulation software. Now licensed to engineers, researchers and regulators, EXODUS is used worldwide. There is now a suite of EXODUS products: airEXODUS, a world-leading evacuation model for the aviation industry, has been employed on a range of projects, including the A380 superjumbo; buildingEXODUS was used by the US government to investigate the evacuation of the World Trade Centre following the 9/11 terrorist attacks; while maritimeEXODUS was designed for the analysis of evacuation from naval and large passenger ships.

The Computational Mechanics & Reliability Group uses modelling techniques to predict, diagnose and solve problems across a wide cross-section of industries. The group?s work on the tea clipper Cutty Sark is a prime example of its diverse portfolio. Using computational mechanics software, the university played a vital role in the ship?s conservation. Through virtual prototyping and stress analysis work, the group drew an accurate digital model of the ship and predicted its reaction to different forces, such as weight, temperature and humidity.

The Computational Science & Engineering Group uses unique algorithms and parallel-cluster computing systems to understand complex processes, such as the spread of airborne pollutants and the performance of novel alloys. In a major EU-backed project, the group was required to resolve a problem concerning gas turbine blades for power generation and aero-engines: to increase efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, the blades needed to run at temperatures that nickel super alloys could not tolerate. The group used its proprietary software to help design titanium-based alloys that could withstand much higher temperatures without suffering creep.

The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology is a world leader in research and consultancy in the field of storage, handling, and physical processing of powders and granular solid materials. It is one of only a few centres worldwide with the expertise and capability to assist industry in this speciality. Its 12-strong team of engineers is supported by a unique range of characterisation and pilot-size test facilities housed in a new, purpose-built laboratory.

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, which assessed the quality of research in universities, indicated that the Centre for Numerical Modelling & Process Analysis was one of the top research groups in the UK for mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering. With a wealth of experience and knowledge, the University of Greenwich has the credentials to meet all your research needs.

For more information, contact:
Greenwich Research & Enterprise
Tel: 020 8331 7867
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Website: www.gre.ac.uk/business-info