Awards & Scholarships

Brian G. Thomas received his B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from McGill University in 1979. He worked in the Metals Research Department of Algoma Steel1n Sault Ste. Marie for one year. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Bntish Columbia in 1985, developing heat transfer and stress finite element models which were applied to the problem of panel crack formation in steel ingots. In 1985 Dr. Thomas joined the University of Illinois Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering as an Assistant Professor. continuing to develop and apply mathematical models to understand and solve problems in metal casting processes.

Dr. Thomas' recent research efforts focus on the development of mathematical models of all aspects of the continuous steel slab casting process, including fluid flow and heat transfer in the turbulent flowing liquid, heat transfer and stress generation 1n the solidifying and plastically deforming shell, and thermal distortion of the mold. This work is currently funded by the National Science Foundation, through a Presidential young Investigator award, and by four steel companies, who plan to use the models and apply the results of this research. His other research interests include the directional solidification of single crystal superalloy turbine blades for aircraft engines and advancement of numerical modelling techniques.