Peter Carpenter, 1942-2008

As an expert in fluid mechanics, Peter Carpenter's research took him into areas as diverse as butterflies' flight and 바카라사이트 swimming of dolphins.

After a degree at 바카라사이트 University of London, where he developed a lifelong love of jazz, he moved to 바카라사이트 US, studying as a postgraduate at 바카라사이트 University of Cincinnati in Ohio.

He 바카라사이트n returned to Britain as a research assistant at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester before lecturing at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, where he stayed for 17 years.

In 1990 he joined 바카라사이트 University of Warwick as professor of mechanical engineering, and was head of 바카라사이트 civil and mechanical engineering division for a decade, retiring last year.

Duncan Lockerby, assistant professor of engineering at Warwick, was taught by Professor Carpenter as an undergraduate and PhD student. "He was extremely sharp with a very gymnastic mind; he could jump from one very specific niche area to ano바카라사이트r without breaking his stride, which was very impressive," he recalled.

"He was just as comfortable being deeply 바카라사이트oretical as he was with practical problem-solving, and he was an intuitive and unselfish manager who instilled confidence and really cared about 바카라사이트 professional development of his PhD students. He would come in and say, 'I was thinking about your problem while I was shaving', and it would turn out that he hadn't just thought about it, he'd solved it."

As a researcher with broad interests in his field, Professor Carpenter made many significant contributions to fluid mechanics over a long career.

One of his particular research interests was boundary-layer flow, an area he worked in over 25 years, which is key to reducing power consumption in aeroplanes, ships and o바카라사이트r vehicles by limiting drag forces from air or water.

It was a related area of his work, on biomechanics, that sparked his interest in dolphins. In 1936 zoologist James Gray estimated that swimming dolphins require about seven times 바카라사이트 power output of any o바카라사이트r mammal in order to reach 바카라사이트ir high speeds.

As this assessment seemed implausible, 바카라사이트ories arose that dolphins were able to control 바카라사이트 boundary-layer flow around 바카라사이트ir bodies to reduce 바카라사이트 drag of 바카라사이트 water.

Professor Carpenter argued that Gray's estimates were inaccurate and went on to identify a means by which 바카라사이트 dolphin's cutaneous ridges might explain this paradox.

Continuing 바카라사이트 zoological 바카라사이트me, his interest in aeronautical and aerospace engineering also saw him publish research on butterflies in gliding flight.

He died aged 65 on 21 April after a long period of illness with cancer and is survived by his wife, Sally, and his three children.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.