Professor Arthur Lees

Professor Emeritus, Swansea University

Professor Lees has spent most of his career in the power industry. He uses mathematical and engineering modelling to resolve problems affecting power stations, including gear dynamics and the behaviour of spinning objects. In the early stage of his career, one of his most significant achievements was a novel analysis of gear errors. This resulted in the solution of a long-standing feed-pump fault at one power station, increasing availability for use from 13% to 85%. This modification stayed in use until the station closed 45 years later and the same ideas have been applied on other power stations.