Meredith Thring
Encyclopedia
Meredith Wooldridge Thring (17 December 1915 – 15 September 2006) was a British
inventor, engineer
, futurologist, professor
and author
.
, Australia
, but moved to England
when he was four years old. His school was Malvern College
. He obtained a double first class degree in Mathematics
and Physics
at Trinity College, Cambridge
in 1937. He then joined the British Coal Utilisation Research Association
, becoming Head of its Combustion Research Laboratory. In 1940, he married Margaret Hooley (died 1986), and they had two sons and one daughter.
In 1946 Thring became Head of the newly formed Physics Research group of the British Iron and Steel Research Association
. In 1950 he moved to the University of Sheffield
, becoming Professor and Head of the Department of Fuel Technology and Chemical Engineering
in 1953. In 1964 he took up the position of Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
at Queen Mary College
of the University of London
, where he remained until his retirement in 1981. He died in Exmouth
, Devon
.
in 1938, and the Hadfield Medal of the Iron and Steel Institute
. From 1962 to 1963 he was President of the Institute of Fuel
. In 1964 he was awarded a doctorate ScD
degree from University of Cambridge
. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Physics
, the Institute of Fuel
, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
, the Institution of Electrical Engineers
and the Institution of Chemical Engineers
. He was one of the first Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
.
and Queen Mary College
he was actively involved in robotics
, and after his retirement founded a charity called Power Aid to help developing countries. In 1969 he predicted a future in which factories would be largely automatic, controlled by a central computer, and supposed that this would reduce the human working week to 10 or 20 hours.
He studied combustion and other forms of energy generation, and was one of the founders of the International Flame Research Foundation
in 1955. This knowledge of energy was shown in his 1974 book Energy and Humanity which called essentially for a more rational and sustainable approach, with control of pollution. He was also known as a teacher, and for his belief that engineers had an ethical obligation to improve life for all, but notably the underprivileged and disabled.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
inventor, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, futurologist, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Education and career
Thring was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when he was four years old. His school was Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
. He obtained a double first class degree in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in 1937. He then joined the British Coal Utilisation Research Association
British Coal Utilisation Research Association
British Coal Utilisation Research Association was founded in 1938, with the first chairman being John G. Bennett. It is a non-profit association of industrial companies, registered as a charity. According to its website "The aim of BCURA is to promote research and other activities concerned with...
, becoming Head of its Combustion Research Laboratory. In 1940, he married Margaret Hooley (died 1986), and they had two sons and one daughter.
In 1946 Thring became Head of the newly formed Physics Research group of the British Iron and Steel Research Association
British Iron and Steel Research Association
The British Iron and Steel Research Association or BISRA, formed in 1944, was the research arm of the British steel industry. It was located on Hoyle Street, in Sheffield. BISRA's research has been responsible for much of the automation of modern steelmaking...
. In 1950 he moved to the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
, becoming Professor and Head of the Department of Fuel Technology and Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
in 1953. In 1964 he took up the position of Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at Queen Mary College
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, where he remained until his retirement in 1981. He died in Exmouth
Exmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Honours
Thring was awarded the Student Medal of the Institute of FuelEnergy Institute
The Energy Institute, commonly referred to as EI, is the main professional organization for the energy industry within the UK that promotes the safe, environmentally responsible and efficient supply and use of energy in all its forms and applications...
in 1938, and the Hadfield Medal of the Iron and Steel Institute
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining is a major UK engineering institution whose activities encompass the whole materials cycle, from exploration and extraction, through characterisation, processing, forming, finishing and application, to product recycling and land reuse...
. From 1962 to 1963 he was President of the Institute of Fuel
Energy Institute
The Energy Institute, commonly referred to as EI, is the main professional organization for the energy industry within the UK that promotes the safe, environmentally responsible and efficient supply and use of energy in all its forms and applications...
. In 1964 he was awarded a doctorate ScD
Scd
-In medicine:* Schnyder corneal dystrophy* Semen collection device* Sequential compression device an intermittent pneumatic compression system intended to reduce blood clot formation* Sickle-cell disease...
degree from University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
, the Institute of Fuel
Energy Institute
The Energy Institute, commonly referred to as EI, is the main professional organization for the energy industry within the UK that promotes the safe, environmentally responsible and efficient supply and use of energy in all its forms and applications...
, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
, the Institution of Electrical Engineers
Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is a British professional body for those working in engineering and technology in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers , dating back to 1871, and the...
and the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Institution of Chemical Engineers
The Institution of Chemical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members in over 120 countries worldwide, founded in 1922, and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.-Structure:...
. He was one of the first Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
.
Work
Thring was a visionary who changed from science to engineering "because he wanted to make the world a better place". In his 1977 book How to Invent, he wrote "One can envisage a society in which man lives in near-equilibrium with his environment, with the minimum use of raw materials by fuel economy, complete recycling of all metals, no throw-away goods, all consumer goods built to last many decades, and near zero pollution.". In the same book he describes domestic and gardening tools, Intermediate Technology for less developed countries and robots to take the place of people in dangerous situations. However, these were not just imagining. At the University of SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and Queen Mary College
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
he was actively involved in robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, and after his retirement founded a charity called Power Aid to help developing countries. In 1969 he predicted a future in which factories would be largely automatic, controlled by a central computer, and supposed that this would reduce the human working week to 10 or 20 hours.
He studied combustion and other forms of energy generation, and was one of the founders of the International Flame Research Foundation
International Flame Research Foundation
The International Flame Research Foundation is a co-operative research organization, founded in 1955 in the Netherlands, but now having its administrative centre and some research facilities in Livorno, Italy. It has about 500 members, these being industrial companies or academic institutions...
in 1955. This knowledge of energy was shown in his 1974 book Energy and Humanity which called essentially for a more rational and sustainable approach, with control of pollution. He was also known as a teacher, and for his belief that engineers had an ethical obligation to improve life for all, but notably the underprivileged and disabled.
Books
- The domestic open fire: a survey of research prior to 1937 M.W. Thring (London : Combustion Appliance Makers' Assn.) 1938.
- The influence of port design on open-hearth furnace flames J.H. Chesters & M.W. Thring (London : Iron and Steel Institute) 1946.
- Air Pollution. Based on papers given at a conference held at the University of Sheffield, September, 1956. Edited by M. W. Thring (London: Butterworths Scientific Publications) 1957
- Pilot plants, models, and scale-up methods in chemical engineering R. E. Johnstone & M. W. Thring (New York : McGraw-Hill) 1957.
- The science of flames and furnaces M.W. Thring (London, Chapman & Hall) 1952.
- Nuclear propulsion edited by M.W. Thring (London : Butterworths) 1960.
- Pulsating combustion : the collected works of F.H. Reynst edited by M.W. Thring (Oxford : Pergamon) 1961.
- The science of flames and furnaces, 2nd edition M.W. Thring (London, Chapman & Hall) 1962.
- The principles of applied science M. W. Thring (Oxford, Pergamon) 1964.
- Engineering: An outline for the intending student M. W. Thring, 1972 ISBN 0710074034
- Man, machines and tomorrow M.W. Thring, 1973 ISBN 0710075553
- Energy and Humanity M. W. Thring & R. J. Crookes, 1974 ISBN 0901223603
- Machines, masters or slaves of man? M.W. Thring, 1974, ISBN 0901223530
- Strategy for Energy M. W. Thring, 1975 ISBN 0850705509
- How to invent M.W. Thring, 1977. ISBN 0333220269
- The engineer's conscience M.W. Thring & E. R. Laithwaite, 1980 ISBN 0852984332
- Robots and telechirs : manipulators with memory, remote manipulators, machine limbs for the handicapped M.W. Thring, 1983 ISBN 0853122741
- Quotations from G.I.Gurdjieff's Teaching: A Personal Companion M. W. Thring, 1998 ISBN 1898942137
British Patents
- GB Patent 535576 (1941) Gas producers
- GB Patent 549142 (1942) Refractory material
- GB Patent 553753 (1943) Electrostatic gas cleaner
- GB Patent 572380 (1945) Crucible and the like furnaces
- GB Patent 579324 (1946) Combustion of solid fuel
- GB Patent 579823 (1946) Carbonization of coal and combustion of the carbonized residue
- GB Patent 587821 (1947) Transportable heating unit
- GB Patent 587823 (1947) Controlling the air supply in furnaces and like heating appliances
- GB Patent 610950 (1948) Recording gas constituents
- GB Patent 760430 (1956) Control of combustion processes
- GB Patent 803528 (1958) Smoke-consuming domestic stoves
- GB Patent 818718 (1959) Rotary regenerative heat exchangers
- GB Patent 842024 (1960) Utilising the waste heat of furnace gases and in cleansing thereof
- GB Patent 870446 (1961) The generation of electricity
- GB Patent 877779 (1961) Devices to facilitate the lighting of domestic fires
- GB Patent 895534 (1962) Electric-arc steel furnaces
- GB Patent 896639 (1962) Open-hearth furnaces
- GB Patent 985625 (1965) Continuous casting of metals
- GB Patent 1023817 (1966) Sampling and analysis of steel
- GB Patent 1127443 (1968) Fire detection and fighting apparatus
- GB Patent 1111869 (1968) Continuous steel-making
- GB Patent 1131233 (1968) Automatic equipment for detecting fires
- GB Patent 2167542 (1986) Furnace for industrial waste
US Patents
- US Patent 2515545 (1950) Controlling the combustion rate and composition of the combustion gases in the burning of coal
- US Patent 2663272 (1953) Controlling the air supply in furnaces and like heating appliances
- US Patent 3171877 (1965) Apparatus for Continuous Steel Making
- US Patent 3201622 (1965) Generation of Electricity
- US Patent 3312230 (1967) Dish-Washing Machines
- US Patent 3522859 (1970) Walking Machine
- US Patent 3764667 (1973) Process for producing pigment-quality titanium dioxide