Professor Paul Bowen is a renowned world expert in Mechanical Metallurgy, in particular within the areas of fracture and fatigue. In 2002 Paul was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering – the highest honour in engineering in the UK.
Paul leads a large, vibrant research group which is recognized worldwide for its work on fracture and fatigue, ensuring the continued operation of safety-critical components, especially within gas-turbine aero-engines.
Paul’s work contributes to the effective maintenance, improvement and life extension of power stations so that we can continue to create efficient fuels for the future, such as in his detailed analysis of crack growth within these structures and working to limit their growth and subsequent damage. Recently Paul’s advice to HSE/ Nuclear Installation Inspectorate on the structural integrity of graphite was influential in encouraging the life extension of Oldbury (and Wylfa) Magnox Nuclear Power Stations.
As the Director of the University Technology Partnership (UTP) in Materials for Rolls-Royce, Paul has led and contributed toward technical advancement in this sector for many years. The UTP now hosts additional Centres of Excellence in Casting and Process Modelling at Birmingham, and Birmingham is at the heart of the ten year £50M Strategic Partnership between the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Centre (EPSRC), Rolls-Royce and several other universities.