Emeritus Professor

Location

183 EWRE

Primary Website

Benjamin Wylie

Education

• Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1964
• M.S., University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 1955
• B.S., University of Denver, Denver, CO, 1953

Research Interests

From 1963 to 1999, Professor Streeter and I led a research and educational program that shaped much of the current practice on unsteady flow in pipeline systems. Various editions of their textbooks on fluid mechanics and fluid transients have been standard references for engineers and researchers throughout the world. 

Since retirement from normal teaching and research, my technical interests have centered on being a good-will messenger in the area of Fluid Transients in Engineering Systems. This has manifested itself in teaching seminars and short courses for industries and professional societies; in consulting with industries, public service entities, governmental agencies and institutes; in reviewing and evaluating proposals and potential publications; in making presentations at technical conferences and in interacting with technical personnel on topics of mutual interest.

In engineering practice there are many unfortunate failures in systems due to inadequate design and improper operation of essential components. Not all of these are physical catastrophes – many are operating inefficiencies, inadequate achievement of full design capacity, etc. It is my belief that awareness of potential issues is better achieved through education than through on-the-job unfortunate experiences.

Professional Service

• Instructor: My working-life research topic, dominant teaching area and passion-for-life carries on during retirement through offering short courses on one-dimensional hydraulic transients. Currently the Professional Society, ASCE, offers the course “Water Hammer in Transmission and Distribution Systems” twice yearly at various locations. Dr. Jim C.P. Liou is the Co-Instructor for these two-day continuing education seminars. 
• Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers

Awards

• Stephen Attwood Excellence in Engineering Award, U of M College of Engineering, 1996
• Chi Epsilon Excellence in Teaching Award, Great Lakes District, 1995-96
• Engineer-of-the-Year, ASCE-Ann Arbor Branch, 1990
• Visiting Erskine Scholar, Univ. of Canterbury, NZ, Winter, 1986
• Excellence in Research Award, U of M College of Engineering, Dec. 1985
• Invited visiting lecturer, Hohai Univ., Nanjing, China, May, 1982

publications

• Wylie, E. B. and Streeter, V. L. (1993), FLUID TRANSIENTS IN SYSTEMS, Prentice Hall, New York, 463 pp.
• Streeter, V. L., and Wylie, E. B. (1998), FLUID MECHANICS, 9th edition (with K.W. Bedford), McGraw-Hill Co., New York, 740 pp.(also: 8th ed., 1985, 7th ed. 1979, 6th ed. 1975).
• Wylie, E. B. (2000), “Steady State in Hydraulic Systems by Marching Methods,” 8th International Conference on Pressure Surges, BHR group, UK, The Hague, Netherlands, pp. 351-361.
• Wylie, E. B. (1999), “Simple Device to Demonstrate Vaporization”, ASME Fluids Eng. Conf., San Francisco, CA, 8 pp.
• Wylie, E. B. (1992), “Low Pressure Transients in Two-Component Two-Phase Systems,” 11th International Conference on Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, ASME, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, pp. 479-483.