Ian Cameron
School of Engineering, The University of Queensland
Brisbane, Australia 4072


Modelling across the process life-cycle: a risk management perspective

—  Abstract

In this presentation I discuss the breadth and form of modelling that takes place across the process or product life-cycle. It can be argued that much or indeed all of the modelling is driven by the broader framework of risk management. The links between systems or corporate risk management and modelling will be discussed and the challenges in effective modelling practice highlighted. This framework provides a holistic view of modelling across the process life-cycle and heightens the awareness that process engineers should have of the centrality of their process modelling activities.

Despite many decades of activity and model development there still exists significant challenges in the modelling area that present many opportunities to the CAPE community. Some are currently being addressed, others are yet to be properly formalized and tackled. Many of the challenges are in the area of information management, multiscale modelling and the ability to provide audit trails, so necessary for excellent corporate risk management.

—  Biography

Ian Cameron is currently a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Queensland, where he is co-director of the Particle & Systems Design Centre. He initially worked for 9 years as a process development engineer and production superintendent with the CSR Group in Australia in diverse sectors such as sugar production, commercial insulation manufacture and industrial chemicals. He did a masters degree at the University of Washington working with Professor Bruce Finlayson on large scale numerical methods for flowsheet simulations and then completed a PhD (1981) at Imperial College under Prof Roger Sargent working on the solution of DAE systems. He spent 3 years consulting for UNIDO in Argentina in the area of process engineering before returning to Australia.

His research areas are in modelling methodologies, application of process systems approaches to particle processing and the application of risk management principles to commercial and industrial operations.

In 2003 he won the Prime Minister’s Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year.