Duncan Dowson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Duncan Dowson CBE FRS FREng[1] (31 August 1928 - 6 January 2020)[2] was a British engineer and professor emeritus at the University of Leeds.

Biography[]

Dowson's father, Wilfrid Dowson, was an ornamental blacksmith, and as a child his son helped him in his work.[3] Dowson himself was educated at Lady Lumley's Grammar School and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Leeds, from which he held the degrees of BSc, PhD and DSc.[4]

Academic career[]

After completing his PhD in 1952, Dowson worked as a Research Engineer at Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company. He returned to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Leeds as a Lecturer in 1954,[5] ultimately becoming Professor of Engineering Fluid Mechanics and Tribology there.[6]

He was best known for his work on elastohydrodynamic lubrication.[7] In 1974, he received the International Award from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.[8] In 1979, he was awarded the Tribology Gold Medal by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers[9] and the Mayo D. Hersey Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.[10]

Dowson was Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Leeds from 1987 to 1992 and director of the Institute of Tribology there from 1967 to 1986.[11] He was also Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Leeds from 1983 to 1985. He retired in 1993 with the title Emeritus Professor.[12]

Dowson was President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1992.[13] The Duncan Dowson prize is named in his honour.[14]

In 2016, he presented the Higginson Lecture in Durham University.

Honours[]

Dowson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1987.[15] He was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1989.[16] He was elected a Fellow[17] for the Royal Academy of Engineering[18] (FREng) in 1982.

Dowson received the following honorary degrees:[19]

Works[]

  • Duncan Dowson, Gordon Robert Higginson, Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication J. F. Archand, 1966; 2 edn, 1977
  • History of Tribology Longman, 1979, ISBN 978-0-582-44766-0; Wiley, 1998, ISBN 978-1-86058-070-3
  • Biomechanics of Joints and Joint Replacements (1981)
  • Ball Bearing Lubrication (1981)
  • Advances in medical tribology, Mechanical Engineering Publications, 1998, ISBN 978-1-86058-069-7

References[]

  1. ^ "List of Fellows".
  2. ^ University of Leeds, obituary notice, published 9 January 2020
  3. ^ "Like father, like son - two generations of ingenuity". Gazette and Herald. 9 March 2001. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  4. ^ Taylor, Christopher M (15 April 2020). "In Memoriam: Professor Duncan Dowson (1928–2020)". Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology. 234 (6). Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  5. ^ Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Duncan Dowson
  6. ^ Royal Society, biography of Duncan Dowson
  7. ^ Hamrock, B. J.; Dowson, D. (1 April 1977). "Isothermal Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication of Point Contacts: Part III—Fully Flooded Results". Journal of Lubrication Technology. 99 (2): 264–275. doi:10.1115/1.3453074. ISSN 0022-2305.
  8. ^ "International Award | STLE". www.stle.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  9. ^ "IMechE Tribology Gold Medal Laureates | Institution of Mechanical Engineers". www.imeche.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Mayo D. Hersey Award". www.asme.org. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  11. ^ University of Leeds, staff profile
  12. ^ University of Leeds, List of Emeritus Professors Archived 26 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ http://heritage.imeche.org/Biographies/DuncanDowson
  14. ^ http://www.imeche.org/knowledge/industries/medicine-and-health/prizes/dowson-prize
  15. ^ Duncan Dowson, Royal Society Fellow page, last accessed 2015-10-28.
  16. ^ "University of Leeds, Details of honorary graduates". Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  17. ^ "List of Fellows".
  18. ^ "List of Fellows".
  19. ^ University of Leeds, staff profile, Professor Duncan Dowson

External links[]

Retrieved from ""