Dr Robert Barthorpe

MEng, CEng, PhD

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Senior Lecturer

Photo of Rob Barthorpe
Profile picture of Photo of Rob Barthorpe
r.j.barthorpe@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7762

Full contact details

Dr Robert Barthorpe
Department of Mechanical Engineering
D213, Central Wing
Sir Frederick Mappin Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

Rob is a Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He completed his MEng in Mechanical Engineering with German at the University of Sheffield in 2005 and his PhD in 2010. His research interests span dynamics, structural health monitoring and, more recently, energy applications.

Research interests

The underlying theme of Rob's research is the development of tools for integrating experimental and numerical data to overcome challenging engineering problems. This encompasses techniques for model validation, uncertainty quantification, machine learning, and optimal decision making under uncertainty.

His research has historically focused on application to a range of problems within structural dynamics, and particularly Structural Health Monitoring. Within SHM, this has included developing methods for overcoming the lack-of-data problem that acts as key barrier to wider adoption of machine learning based approaches to damage identification.

In recent years, his focus has moved to applications with the energy field, and in particular the role that distributed thermal and electrical energy storage may play as part of the transition to a low-carbon energy grid. This work has included the development of hierarchical control methodologies incorporating model predictive control, and evaluation of how they may be employed for optimal decision making over differing time horizons such that the potential of novel storage technologies may be fully exploited.

Publications

Books

Journal articles

Chapters

Conference proceedings papers

Other

  • Barthorpe R (2020) Preface. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, v. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Barthorpe R (2019) Preface. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, 3, v. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Barthorpe R, Platz R, Lopez I, Moaveni B & Papadimitriou C (2017) Preface. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, 3 Part F2, v. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wagg DJ, Cross EJ, Barthorpe RJ & Faravelli L (2017) A report on the 6th European Conference on Structural Control. Structural Control and Health Monitoring, 24(1), e1970-e1970. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Simmermacher T, Cogan S, Horta LG & Barthorpe R (2012) Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series: Preface. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, 4. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Grants

Selected Grants:

  • BEIS Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, ADSorB (Advanced Distributed Storage for grid Benefits), 2022-24, £2.59M (PI)
  • Horizon 2020, DyVirt (Dynamic virtualisation: modelling performance of engineering structures), 2018-23, £556k (CoI)
  • EPSRC, Structural Dynamics Laboratory for Verification and Validation (LVV) Across Scales and Environments, 2016-22, £4.15M (CoI)
  • ERDF, Laboratory for Verification & Validation (LVV), 2017-19, £3.2M (CoI)
  • EPSRC/Wellcome Trust, Doctoral Prize Fellowship, 2010-11, £40k (PI)
Teaching activities

Dr Barthorpe currently teaches MEC321 Control Engineering for Mechanical Engineers