"BEST STUDENT PAPER PRESENTATION"
in the category: "Basic or Applied Liquid Atomization and Sprays
Research Applicable to Combustion Systems".
Harold C.
Simmons, a model leader of relentless energy and desire, was the first
chairperson of ILASS-Americas and a pioneer in spray nozzle design and
in the spray community.
Hal (as most knew him) was born in Bristol, England in July 1916. He began
working for Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1936 as an apprentice in the
research and development of engine components and accessories. In 1943,
he was introduced to jet engine technology. In 1944, Hal became Head of
Combustion Research (Gas Turbines) in 1944 where he was responsible for
the development and design of combustion chambers, fuel nozzles, and fuel
chambers for the Bristol Theseus, Proteus, Olympus and Orpheus engines.
In 1949 Hal joined the Dowty Group in Cheltenham, England. He was Chief
Development Engineer of the Engine Division that later became a separate
company, Dowty Fuel Systems. Hal set up 30 test facilities, including
a complete jet-engine test stand.
Hal came to the United States in 1959 and, until his retirement in 1986,
worked for Parker Hannifin, initially as a Staff Engineer in the Accessories
Division (renamed Gas Turbine Fuel Systems Division in 1977). Among his
accomplishments at Parker were developing fuel nozzles for a multitude
of gas turbine engines, valves and engine control systems for jet engines,
designing rocket engine controls and fuel nozzles for supersonic jet engines.
Hal became Director of Engineering in 1967 and remained in that capacity
until his retirement at age 70.
Hal worked closely with Professor Arthur Lefebvre who served as a consultant
to Parker for many years. Using Professor Lefebvre's concept for an airblast
atomizer, Hal managed to produce a design that eventually gave birth to
the very successful RB211 airblast atomizer, a standard of the literature,
culminating in a U.S. Patent. At the time of his retirement, Hal held
87 patents worldwide.
Hal's involvement in the formation of ILASS-Americas began at ICLASS '82
in Madison. Professor Paul Eisenclam from Imperial College-who had worked
with the Japanese to found ICLASS--strongly urged Hal and Professor Norman
Chigier of Carnegie-Mellon University to establish ILASS-Americas.
Following retirement in 1986, Hal championed the formation of ILASS-Americas
by obtaining funds from Parker Hannifin to establish the organization.
He served as the founding Chair for the first ILASS-Americas meeting in
Madison in 1987, and provided the initial home for the Secretariat. He
was also elected Vice-President of the ILASS International Coordinating
Council. Working with Professors Chigier, Lefebvre and Dr. Roger Tate
of Delavan, Hal worked tirelessly to ensure that ILASS-Americas established
a solid foundation upon which to build. His energy and creativity were
infectious as he continued to attend ILASS meetings as others took the
leadership for ILASS in subsequent years.
Hal continued to consult for Parker, even submitting a report 11 days
before he passed away in 1996. Throughout his career Hal loved to teach.
He was a mentor to all who knew him, forever challenging the intuition
of students, staff, and colleagues. The participation of students in ILASS-Americas
and in industry was a cornerstone of his professional ideals. The Hal
Simmons Award promotes these high ideals.
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The
W.R. Marshall award
is named in honor of W. Robert Marshall, who had a 40-year career on the
UW-Madison faculty, starting in 1947. He also served as Dean of the College
of Engineering from 1971 to 1981. Bob Marshall was world renowned for
his research in Atomization and Spray Drying and he served as Director
and President of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He was
thesis advisor to many well-known UW-Madison Alums in the field of sprays,
such as William Ranz and Roger Tate. Roger is an Ex Officio member of
the ILASS-Americas board of directors and was one of ILASS's founding
fathers.
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