Control Group

Cambridge University Department of Engineering

Timothy Hughes

Background - Research - Publications

Position: Junior Research Fellow, Fitzwilliam College and PhD student

Office Location: BN3-08

E-mail: thh22 [at] cam.ac.uk

Thesis Title:

Supervisor: Prof Malcolm C. Smith





Background

After reading Engineering at Jesus College, Cambridge, Tim worked for three years in a consulting and product development company, The Technology Partnership (TTP), before returning to Cambridge University Engineering Department to study for a PhD. He joined the Control Engineering group, funded by an EPSRC grant on Control for Energy and Sustainability. There, he has been investigating the analysis and synthesis of passive networks of both mechanical- and electrical-engineering elements. Tim was elected to the Henslow Research Fellowship, which is supported by the Cambridge Philosophical Society, in October 2013.

Research Interests

Tim has an interest in the fundamental mathematical principles which underlie the analysis and synthesis of networks of physical components. A particular focus has been on networks of passive mechanical components, motivated in part by the invention of a new mechanical component - the inerter - which has been successfully deployed in Formula 1. These passive mechanical networks also have broad relevance to vibration suppression applications, for example in vehicle suspension, earthquake resistance of buildings, and steering compensators for motorcycles. An active allotmenter, Tim also has a keen interest in environmental matters. This has led to a growing curiosity about the role of biology in regulation of the climate, and the potential for network and control analysis to contribute to the understanding of this topic

Publications