J.J.H. (Bert) Brouwers was born in 1949 in Heer, Maastricht, The Netherlands. He obtained his MSc in Mechanical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology in 1972 (cum laude). A PhD was received at Twente University in 1976. Advisors: prof. dr.ir. L. van Wijngaarden and prof. dr. J. Los (University of Amsterdam).
In 1972 he started as Research Engineer at the Ultra Centrifuge Laboratory of UCN/Urenco in Amsterdam. In 1974 he became Head Isotopes Separations Research. In 1979 he joined Royal Dutch Shell. First he was Group Leader in Offshore Research at the Exploration and Production Laboratory in Rijswijk. In 1983 he moved to London to become Staff Member Economics.
From industry to academia
Brouwers switched from industry to academia in 1986 when he was appointed as full professor and head of the laboratory of Thermal Engineering at Twente University. In 1998 he came to Eindhoven University of Technology to become full professor and head of the Section of Process Technology of the Mechanical Engineering Department. He retired from university in 2014 to continue his research in topics of classical mechanics and to advance his ideas in new technology.
Contributions to science and technology
Brouwers is single author of 25+ peer reviewed articles published in scientific and engineering journals:
- Physics Review E
- Physica D Non-Linear Phenomena
- Theoretical and Mathematical Physics
- Flow Turbulence and Combustion
- Journal of Engineering Mathematics
- Reliability Engineering, Ocean Engineering
- Nuclear Technology
- Physics of Fluids
- MDPI : Fluids; Separations; Mathematics; Inventions.
Additional co-authored articles at orcid.org.
From science to practice
Brouwers is the inventor of patented methods and devices for separating particles and gases employing the principles of centrifugation, fluid flow and diffusion. Know-how and IP rights are vested in companies founded by him. In cooperation with licensing companies practical versions of the inventions are developed and implemented worldwide. In 1999 Brouwers was awarded the Dow Chemical Energy Price. He held advisorships to companies and institutions.
Brouwers supervised 200+ engineering degrees and advanced engineering degrees and 40+ PhD-degrees awarded at Twente University and Eindhoven University of Technology.