Debes Bhattacharyya

Biography

Professor Bhattcharyya was Head of Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Auckland for six years (1999-2005). During this time he took the primary role in establishing the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials (CACM), of which he has been the Director since its beginning in 2004. The CACM has succeeded in establishing itself as an internationally recognised composites research (design, manufacturing and evaluation) centre, and has so far attracted substantial funding from New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, India, US and the EU.
 

Qualifications

PhD (1978) University of Calcutta, India
ME (1969) University of Calcutta, India
BE (1967) University of Calcutta, India
 

Research interests

His research interests include manufacturing and performance of plastics and fibre reinforced plastics. Modelling, application and control of a range of manufacturing processes. Prof. Bhattacharrya has considerable expertise in the deformation and flow of fluids, solids, and fibrous porous media, heat transfer and polymer chemistry, Liquid Composites Moulding (LCM), material behaviour, process simulation and development, and optimisation.

Performance (mechanical, flammability, aesthetic) of fibre reinforced plastics, with a particular focus on the influence of material and process variability. The use of natural fibres as a sustainable source of reinforcement, sandwich composite constructions, and novel self-healing polymers. Extension of manufacturing processes, which involve the infiltration and solidification of solid and liquid polymer matrices into fibre bundles and reinforcing structures.
 

Selected publications

S Rao, K Jayaraman and D Bhattacharyya: Short fibre reinforced cores and their sandwich panels: processing and evaluation. Composites: Part A, Applied Science and Manufacturing (in press).

S Banerjee and D Bhattacharyya: Optimal design of sandwich panels made of wood veneer hollow cores; Composites Science and Technology, Volume 71, Issue 4 (2011) 425-432.

S Narayana, D Bhattacharyya and K Jayaraman: Thermoforming of wood veneer composite sheets; Holzforschung, Vol. 61, No. 5 (2007) 558-562.

M Duhovic, P Mitschang and D Bhattacharyya: Modelling approach for the prediction of stitch influence during woven fabric draping; Composites: Part A, Applied Science and Manufacturing, (in press) doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2011.03.025
 

Administration

Director, Centre for Advanced Composite Materials

Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Personal chair)
 

Personal affiliations

• Distinguished Fellowship of Institution of Professional Engineers NZ (IPENZ), 2010
• Hind Rattan Award for academic and social achievements, given by the Govt. of India and Non-Resident Indian Welfare Society, New Delhi, 2010
• Glory of Bengal Award for academic achievements by a non-resident Bengali, given by Probashi Bengali Sammelan, Doha (Qatar), 2010
• Fellowship of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2000
• German Science Foundation (DFG) Fellowship and Guest Professorship, 1996
• “Testimonial of Excellence” awarded by the Institute for Composite Materials (Germany) 1996 for research and teaching activities in the composites area.
• Invited Fellowship of Institution of Professional Engineers NZ, 1996
• Du Pont supported Visiting Professorship at the University of Delaware, USA, 1991
• Research Scholarship, University of Western Australia, 1978-80
• Senior Research Fellowship (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, India) 1970-71
• UGC Postgraduate Scholarship 1967-69
• National Scholarship (Govt. of India) 1962-67