Karl Dearn, Reader In Mechanical Engineering

Links

Colleges, School and Institutes

Mechanical Engineering

Research interests

Mechanical design, friction, wear, lubrication, condition monitoring, particle analysis

Biography

Dr Dearn served his engineering apprenticeship with Yale Security Products and spent a further 6 years with Assa Abloy as a research and development engineer specialising in low energy high-security product development. He obtained his MEng (2005) and PhD (2009) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Birmingham. His PhD research concerned the tribology and performance of polymer gears. In 2008, he was appointed to a lectureship in Mechanical Engineering.

Appointments

Present

Reader in Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham (since October 2016).

Senior Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, August 2016 - October 2016
Lecturer, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, August 2008 - August 2016
Doctoral Researcher in Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, August 2005 – October 2008
Design, Research and Development Engineer, Assa Abloy (formerly Yale Security Products) Sept 2000 – Sept 2005
Technical Engineering Apprentice Assa Abloy (formerly Yale Security Products)
Sept 1996 – Aug 2000

Other

National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) Foreign Research Scholar, Hefei University of Technology (2015)
Visiting University Fellow, Cranfield University (2012 – 2015)

Qualifications

PGCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 2012
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, 2009
MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering 2009

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham
An Investigation into Tribological and Performance Related Aspects of Polymeric Gearing
Master of Engineering, University of Birmingham
Heat Transfer in Dry Running Polymer Gears

Professional Qualifications

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA
2012
Whitworth Senior Scholar, Wh SSch
2009
Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , AMIMechE
2008
Whitworth Scholar, Wh Sch
2005

Willingness to take PhD students

Yes

PhD projects

Karl Dearn's research combines mechanical design and tribology and focuses predominantly on making mechanical components and devices achieve higher levels of efficiency and performance. His work uses design methodologies founded in fundamental principles of mechanics. This is catalysed by the development of tribological methods and techniques and experience in materials science and mathematical tools to understand problems.

Dr Dearn welcomes new students who have excellent potential for PhD research to tackle new scientific and engineering challenges in his research areas.