Organised by the EIS, a leading authority on the lifecycle integrity of engineered systems, the prize is a high-profile competition specifically aimed at early-career engineers. Named after EIS founding President, Dr Peter Watson, who passed away in 2015, it is designed to encourage young engineers and researchers to showcase their work to industry professionals.
Viscosity is a measure of a fluid’s ‘thickness’ or its resistance to flowing and is vital across industries, shaping food texture, drug delivery, and engine lubrication. However, current measurements usually rely on offline sampling, which is inefficient and often inaccurate compared to real-time conditions. Gladys’s research focused on establishing a methodology for ultrasonic data acquisition and data processing as well as expanding the technique to wider ranges of temperature, pressure, and shear rate to improve the general understanding of the ultrasonic signals.
Ultrasonic viscometers use sound waves to monitor fluids in real-time. This helps optimise machine performance and simplify maintenance, which extends the life of the equipment and reduces its environmental footprint.
Gladys said: “It was an honour to receive the award, and it feels a great conclusion to my PhD work. I hope it will give the work more visibility, and encourage further research and implementation in industry. From a personal perspective, it was definitely a boost of confidence and a valuable addition to my CV. I would like to thank the other presenters for their work, and my colleagues at the University who gave me feedback on the presentation ahead of the day.”
Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce, Gladys’s supervisor and Professor of Lubrication Engineering, said: “Gladys is a worthy recipient of this award. As well as being an excellent researcher, she is a natural science communicator. She has a talent for explaining her work visually and making it easy for any audience to follow.”