Stephen Greenaway: PhD in Estimating Fluid Flow

Stephen Greenaway

PhD in estimating fluid flow using non-intrusive method in a closed pipe system

A former firefighter has swapped hosepipes for pipes of a different kind for his PhD research at the University of Luton. Stephen Greenaway from Markyate in Hertfordshire, is currently researching a method of measuring milk-flow through pipes to help dairy farmers achieve more accurate readings.

The research is being supported and part-financed by Beya Ltd, a local electronics firm, who manufacture equipment for dairy farming. The research involves the use of infra-red rays to read milk levels, which Beya believes will be an enormous benefit to farmers and the farming sector.

Before returning to education, Stephen spent 28 years in the Fire Service which he joined after finishing secondary school.

In 1997, the then 37-year-old left the Fire Service on medical grounds. He thought it was the end of his career, but his wife suggested going to university to learn about a new subject and open his career options.

“My wife thought I should try university and I thought it was a great idea,” said Stephen. “I had worked in a very physical career and knew I needed a change. Computing was something I was always interested in and by the late 90s, the sector had grown enormously. I decided to register on a computing course at the University of Luton.”

The father of two started off his studies on a foundation year, which is designed for people returning to education, and then went on to complete a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, achieving a first class honours degree.

“I had a great time on my course and I found it very rewarding,” he said. “It was so interesting to watch the IT sector advance at such a rapid rate during this period.”

After graduating, Stephen spent several months working in the Careers Service at the University, before moving to the Business School as a Systems Developer. During this period, he worked on a special EU-funded project to develop an intelligent training system for small businesses.

The programme was designed to aid businesses in developing and maintaining a web presence on the Internet. Stephen helped develop the front-end that was linked to multiple databases; the system ran on a web server hosted by University network.

His work attracted the attention of Professor Carsten Maple, Head of Computing and Information Systems, who encouraged him to do his PhD and offered to be his supervisor.

Now in the final year of his course, Stephen is enjoying teaching Internet Programming to undergraduate students. He plans to move into lecturing after completing his PhD.

He said: “I have come a long way since my career in the Fire Service and have shown that you can change your career successfully with the right help and support. I really wasn’t sure what the future held after spending so many years in the same job. Now I’m looking forward to a career as a lecturer.”

Interview took place in 2006.