Researcher

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Composite Materials

Biography

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, Dr.

Academic - Educational Background

•    2013 - Current     Adjunct Professor, University of New South Wales
•    2002 - 2008         Ph.D, University of New South Wales
•    1992 - 1996         M.Sci/Eng (Research), University of New South Wales  
•    1987 - 1990         B.Met.Eng (Hons), University of New South Wales

Professional Recognition

•    2020 - Current      Fellow & Chartered Professional Engineer...view more

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, Dr.

Academic - Educational Background

•    2013 - Current     Adjunct Professor, University of New South Wales
•    2002 - 2008         Ph.D, University of New South Wales
•    1992 - 1996         M.Sci/Eng (Research), University of New South Wales  
•    1987 - 1990         B.Met.Eng (Hons), University of New South Wales

Professional Recognition

•    2020 - Current      Fellow & Chartered Professional Engineer in Aerospace Engineering 
•    2020 - Current      National Engineering Register (NER) – Aerospace
•    2018 - Current      International Professional Engineer (IntPE) & Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Engineering (APEC)
•    2017 - Current      Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) - Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland. Currently accredited with RPEQ in areas of; 1) Aerospace Engineering, 2) Civil Engineering, 3) Structural Engineering & 4) Mechanical Engineering.
•    2016 - Current      Panel member representing School of Material Science and Engineering, UNSW, for Engineers Australia Accreditation auditing
•    2015 - Current      National Engineering Register (NER)–Struct/Civil/Mech.-Engineers Australia
•    2014 - Current      Industry Advisory Board Member, School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW
•    2014 - Current      Panel interviewer on regular basis for engineers and scientists seeking Chartered Professional Engineering Status (CPEng) with Engineers Australia in the following disciplines:
1) Aerospace Engineering, 2) Structural Engineering, 3) Civil Engineering and 4) Mechanical Engineering.  
•    2014 - Current      National Engineers Professional Register (NPER)
•    2010 - Current      Fellow (FIEAust.) - Engineers Australia
•    2007 - Current      Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng.) - Engineers Australia
•    2005                     Member, Civil & Mechanical  college (MIEAust) - Engineers Australia
•    1995                     Graduate (GradIEAust) - Engineers Australia
 

Engineering & Science - Professional and Industrial Background

•    2003 - Current      Managing Director for aerospace, construction, structural steel, civil, research in science, project management - Perfect Engineering Pty Ltd
•    2001 - 2003          Engineering Manager (Dual - Engineering Client Advisor and Quality Control) for aerospace, offshore petroleum, nuclear industries, automotive, railway & building construction, research in materials science  - Yeomans Engineering
•    2000 - 2001          Engineering - Materials Scientist Consultant for aerospace, government, offshore petroleum, construction, automotive & pharmaceutical - Sandvik
•    1997 - 2000          Assistant Engineering Manager (Dual - Metallurgical Engineer and Quality Control in manufacturing automotive components BMW, SAAB, Mercedes, Audi) - Tenneco
•    1993 - 1997          Metallurgical Engineer (Research & Development Engineer/Supervisor) for developing automotive transmission components, supervising scientists in fields of Metallurgy/Materials Science & Chemistry in laboratories - BTR Engineering
•    1991 - 1992          Research & Development Scientist / R&D Engineer for Australian Defence and mining industries using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), melting steel in laboratory induction furnace for research - Australian National Industries Limited
 


My Research Activities

 

Professor George Melhem is currently undertaking active research with the latest and up to date laboratory resources at the University of New South Wales in the selection of rivets for use in supersonic aircraft. Materials for instance, that were used in the Concorde, and the rationale behind the structural design for the engine, aircraft skin and the rivets are the intent for this research. This research has been published in a book with Taylor & Francis - CRC Press (New York) - publication date 1st Nov 2024, and the research was primarily based upon the requirement of the aircraft to travel at a speed of Mach 2.0, with consideration for the varying aerodynamic factors affecting the engine, skin temperature, speculation of the rivet temperature and possible structural effects due to heating and prolonged flight times. The subject of the book involves investigating the effects of aerodynamic heating on aerospace components including rivets, taking into consideration the material properties and manufacturing techniques to withstand supersonic speeds.

Prior research on aerospace materials for QANTAS aerospace components for landing gear, wings, and tooling for engine, small composite sections for wing, design-construct-certify aircraft nose cowl equipment as replacement for Boeing design and construct.

Research on aerospace materials used on high-rise building rooftops and façades such as Westfields 27 storey building, and drawing comparisons between equivalent materials used in the aerospace industry including aluminium alloys 6061, 6060, 7075, 5056 etc.

Areas of research on Westfield 27 storey rooftop structure and facade louvres include: 
a)    Investigation and analysis of corrosion problems in situ on building rooftops and façades on a myriad of materials, including design, and implementation of long-term remedial solutions,
b)    Analysis of the risks to the public, design professionals, construction personnel, project management and building owners,
c)    Research and development and an assessment of a factorial matrix as a tool to aid designers in designing and selecting materials to minimise corrosion and ensure long-term structural integrity.

The solutions that were used in the field investigation were based on metallurgical and structural strength evaluations: 
a)    Comparison of certain aircraft materials and their design lives when used as building materials and their design life expectancy,
b)    Effects of corrosion in terms of materials geometry and location,
c)    General properties of aluminium alloys and their heat treatment,
d)    Steel coatings, such as hot dip galvanising and its effects on corrosion, service life of the steel, effects of steel design on galvanising, and the effects of welding on galvanising.
e) Design and fabrication of brackets in aluminium alloys, steel and other materials to help make the louvre system more rigid, 
f) Analysis of the project using an existing factorial approach and compares the results with further assessments in the field,  
g) Design factorial method providing reasons and recommendations to ensure inclusion of variables not traditionally taken into account by many engineers and designers generally,
h) Proposed and design a practical design tool, which is a matrix that may be developed further to help designers predict the probability of achieving a required design life given a combination of materials and environment,
i) Present variables and factors that may be applied and how the results could progress to elicit additional factors that may be unforeseen on site,  
j) Assessment of variables that are beneficial in FEA modelling using inputs in the form of materials issues, such as welding of aluminium, the strength of the aluminium in terms of the heat affected zone (HAZ), and the limitations, advantages, and disadvantages of welding aluminium for structural building applications.

Current analysis of specialized aerospace rivets and publications on: 

  • Analysis of specialized aluminium alloy rivets,
  • Analysis of specialized titanium rivets, 
  • Aerospace fasteners and their applications in the construction industry.

Future and ongoing intended research on aerospace materials and publications on:  

  • 1.    Procurement of a titanium-based alloy similar to the one used in the Concorde, and subject it to testing in a wind tunnel,
  • 2.    Examination of the microstructure of the rivet using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) before and after wind tunnel testing, 
  • 3.    Examination of the microstructure of the rivet during the various stages of the wind tunnel testing for both the heating and cooling cycles using a Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM),
  • 4.    Examine further microstructural properties of rivets simulated on ANSYS FLUENT 19.1 or SolidWorks Flow Visualisation, and determine validity of surface temperatures reached. Test by supersonic wind tunnel testing in order to achieve the microstructural changes of the rivet due to aerodynamic heating. 
     

My Research Supervision


Areas of supervision

1992 – 1993 F/T    Lecturing in MATS 9550 Materials in Architecture 

Postgraduate elective offered to final year students in Building Science, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

1993 – 1994 P/T    Lecturing in Metallurgy/materials component & laboratory work School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW

2003 – 2007           Research, design and construction of aerospace componentry and tooling for QANTAS 

2005 – 2008           PhD Research on aerospace rivets; design & construct for a major structural corrosion failure at Westfield Tower 2, Bondi Junction. 

2013 – current        Guest lecturing in Project Management, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales  Supervision and  mentoring of postgraduate students in Aerospace Engineering, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science  - including students from University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Western Sydney University

2013                       Co supervise Ph.D and M.Phil students at UNSW and at Perfect Engineering. 

2003 – current        Perfect Engineering Training and mentoring engineers (employees), subcontractors and clients, in-office, on-site and in workshops

2005 – current        Research microstructural characteristics on aerospace rivets, including aircraft effects of supersonic conditions on rivets. Publications on aerospace rivets research including supervising IT students in laboratory preparation, and teaching them to be co-authors. 


My Engagement

As the Managing Director of Perfect Engineering, there have been numerous instances of engagement with the media and also engagement wth organisations such as Engineers Australia.

  • Aerospace Panel

Engineers Australia, 23 February 2016
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/images/pdp/Aerospace Panel.PNG
 

  • Some Feats of Innovative Engineering were Required for the Widening of Victoria Rd.

Daily Telegraph, January 19, 2016
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/victoria%20road%20article.pdf
 

  • Perfect Engineering - Achieving Perfection

The World Observer - December 2014, January 2015
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/The_World_Observer_JanDec_2015-2016.pdf
 

  • Elderly Warragamba Pipes Flushed with a New Lease of Life

Sunday Morning Herald, September 2, 2012
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/Warragamba_Article.pdf
 

  • The Perfect Mix of Expertise

Construction in Focus, July 2012 Edition
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/ConstructioninFocus_PerfectEngineering.pdf

 

  • Al-Karma TV (Live TV with up to 200 million viewers world-wide)

Invited 4 times as Guest speaker on Al-Karma TV Live show (More than one opinion) with Rev. Dr. John Nammour, discussing Science, Universe and debates about science vs creation (from a science perspective). http://alkarmatv.com/

 

  • Fellows' Luncheon

Engineers Australia, March 2011
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/fellows_luncheon_march_2011.pdf
 

  • Renewal of the PDP agreement with Perfect Engineering

Engineers Australia, March 2009
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/Engineering%20Sydney%20March%202009.pdf
 

  • Four new PDP agreements

Engineers Australia, September 2005
http://www.perfectengineering.com.au/pdf/PDP%202005.pdf


My Teaching

1992 – 1993 F/T Lecturing in MATS 9550 Materials in Architecture 

                           Postgraduate elective offered to final year students in Building Science, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

1993 – 1994 P/T Lecturing in Metallurgy/materials component & laboratory work School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW

2003 - current     Perfect Engineering Training and mentoring engineers (employees), subcontractors and clients, in-office, on-site and in workshops

2005 - current     Research microstructural characteristics on aerospace rivets, including aircraft effects of supersonic conditions on rivets

                            Publications on aerospace rivets research including supervising IT students in laboratory preparation, and teaching them to be co-authors. 

2013                    Co supervise Ph.D and M.Phil students at UNSW and at Perfect Engineering.

 

 

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Location

School of Materials Science and Engineering
University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052
Materials Science and Engineering Building (E8)

Contact

+61298164447

Publications

by Adjunct Professor George Nadim Melhem