János Miklós Beér Named Recipient of ASME’s Worcester Reed Warner Medal

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2012 —János Miklós Beér, Ph.D., D.Sc., a resident of Winchester, Mass., and professor emeritus of chemical and fuel engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, was honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He was recognized for innovative contributions in developing cleaner and more efficient advanced combustion systems using coals and other fuels through rigorous examination at fundamental, pilot plant and scaling for deployment in the power and utility industry; and as an educator, researcher and consultant who has authored more than 300 technical papers. He received the ASME Worcester Reed Warner Medal.

The medal, established in 1930, is awarded for outstanding contributions to the permanent literature of engineering. It was presented to Dr. Beér during proceedings of the 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, which was held in Houston, Nov. 9 through 15.

Beér joined MIT in 1976 as professor of chemical and fuel engineering. He has been professor emeritus since 1993.

Prior to joining MIT, Beér was professor and head of the department of chemical engineering and fuel technology at the University of Sheffield, UK, from 1965 to 1976, and served as dean of engineering (1973-76). Earlier employment affiliations include the Heat Research Institute in Budapest, Hungary (1949-56); Babcock & Wilcox, Ltd., in Renfrew, UK (1956-57); the International Flame Research Foundation in Ijmuiden, Holland (1960-63); and The Pennsylvania State University, University Park (1963-65).

Renowned for his contributions as an educator, consultant and researcher in the field of combustion, energy and power production engineering, Beér’s impressive list of firsts include providing an analogy for modeling combustion systems using water model studies, developing scaling laws and criteria for use in combustors and furnaces, studying single droplet combustion and providing the burning rates of droplets; and determining means for reducing NOx emission from fluidized bed combustors, furnaces and combustion turbines.

Beér has authored more than 300 archival publications and has co-authored the textbook titled Combustion Aerodynamics (Applied Science Publishers, 1972), which provided the authoritative basis for the characterization of the flow patterns in flames and furnaces for more than two decades.

An ASME Fellow, Beér received the Fluid Engineering Division’s Lewis F. Moody Award in 1965; the Percy W. Nicholls Award from ASME’s Fuel and Combustion Technologies Division/the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers’ Coal Division in 1988; and the Society’s George Westinghouse Gold Medal in 2001. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Fuels, UK.

Beér received his first class degree in engineering from the Technical University of Budapest in 1950 and earned his doctorate at the University of Sheffield, UK, in 1960. The University of Sheffield awarded Beér its doctorate of science in 1968. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Miskolc, Hungary, and from the Budapest University of Technical and Economic Sciences.

About ASME ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.