ASME Honors Industry Leaders
ASME, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, honored three industry leaders during this year's gas turbine exposition—ASME Turbo Expo 2000: Land, Sea & Air—in Munich, Germany, which is one of 60 technical conferences and industry gatherings sponsored by the organization each year.
Martin C. Hemsworth
For his contributions to gas turbine technology spanning more than 50 years, Martin C. Hemsworth—now an industry consultant—received ASME International's R. Tom Sawyer Award. Established in 1972, the award recognizes an individual's important contributions to the gas turbine industry.
Throughout his career with General Electric (GE), which started in 1940, Hemsworth contributed to the design, testing and review of all GE engines, including the revolutionary TF39 high-bypass engine used in the C5A large military transport. This type of engine now powers a vast majority of commercial aircraft worldwide. Having retired from GE in 1987, Hemsworth continues to provide consulting services to the company on a part-time basis.
Between 1971 and 1987, Hemsworth contributed in the capacities of chief engineer at GE Aircraft Engines, manager of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA)/GE Energy Efficient Engine Program, and senior consultant of engine design.
Hemsworth, who holds 18 patents for engine design and testing, received two GE awards for engineering excellence—the Ralph J. Cordiner Award in 1963 and the Charles P. Steinmetz Award in 1977. Upon his retirement in 1987, GE elected Hemsworth to the company's Aircraft Engine Hall of Fame.
A Fellow of ASME, Hemsworth was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1980. Also a Fellow with the Society of Automotive Engineers, that organization honored Hemsworth with the Franklin W. Kolk Air Transportation Progress Award in 1984. He is also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Dr. Robert E. Kielb, Dr. Josef Panovsky
Dr. Robert E. Kielb, manager of aeromechanics technology at GE Aircraft Engines, received ASME's Gas Turbine Award in recognition of his contributions to the literature of combustion gas turbine thermally combined with nuclear or steam power plants.
Kielb received the award during a ceremony Sunday, May 7 for a paper he co-authored—A Design Method to Prevent Low Pressure Turbine Blade Flutter. Dr. Josef Panovsky, a principal engineer at Honeywell Engines & Systems in Phoenix, AZ, worked on the paper with Kielb and also received ASME's Gas Turbine Award.
Kielb has 29 years of experience in turbomachinery propulsion, eight with the U.S. Air Force, 10 with the National Aeronautical and Space Administration's Lewis Research Center, and 11 years with GE.
In his current position as manager of aeromechanics technology at GE Aircraft Engines, Kielb is responsible for developing advanced and aeromechanical design analysis technologies and supporting engine development programs and engines in field service.
An ASME Fellow, Kielb currently serves as vice chairman on the board of directors of the International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI), which co-sponsors the Turbo Expo 2000. He is past chair of the Structures and Dynamics Committee and served as associate editor of both the Journal of Turbomachinery and Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power. Kielb, who has authored or co-authored more than 30 technical papers and lectures across the globe, is also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Panovsky started his career with GE Aircraft Engines in 1985. While working in a turbine blade design and analysis group, he developed much of the company's lifing methodology. His primary area of focus included the development of analysis methods for friction dampers used to control blade vibration and the design of components for several advanced engines.
Later, as a member of the aeromechanics group, Panovsky helped develop and assess improved approaches for all aspects of aeromechanical analysis. Panovsky started pursuing his doctorate in aerospace engineering in 1993, with his dissertation work consisting of a combined experimental and analytical investigation into the flutter of low-pressure turbine blades. This work resulted in an improved design approach for turbine flutter.
In 1998, Panovsky joined AlliedSignal, now Honeywell Engines & Systems, as a principal engineer. He currently leads their development of improved aeroelastic analysis capabilities. A member of the International Gas Turbine Institute's Structural Dynamics Committee, Panovsky has presented papers at recent Turbo Expo conferences and has been published in ASME journals.
ASME International is a 125,000-member organization focused on technical, educational and research issues. Besides the many technical conferences and professional development course it holds each year, ASME sets internationally recognized industrial and manufacturing standards.
Edited by April C. Murelio
editor@poweronline.com