Dr Jordan Parham

Biography/ Background

Jordan Parham brings a strong combination of research and industrial experience to his role as Manager for the Institute of Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER). In this capacity Jordan manages the institute's operations and finances, assists Institute members in developing proposals, establishes new partnerships with industry and government agencies and promotes the Institutes capabilities to established and potential stakeholders. Prior to taking up this role, Jordan was R&D Manager for the Centre for Energy Technology, part of IMER.

Prior to roles at the University of Adelaide, Jordan worked for local company, FCT, as Senior Project Manager and Combustion Engineer. He has extensive project management and technical experience on high profile, time critical, innovative and high value projects. This includes event flame projects such as relay torches and cauldrons for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympics, 2006 Asian Games, 2007 Pan-American Games, 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Jordan was co-inventor of the patented combustor tht was developed for the Sydney Olympics and subsequently used in other applications.

Jordan's work at FCT also included project management of and technical contributions to a wide range of projects for industrial clients, including industrial burner systems for the mineral processing industry, including Adelaide Brighton Cement, Blue Circle Southern Cement, BHP, IKN, LKAB Sweded and Akcansa; consulting projects for a wide range of industries including clients: Worley Parsons, OneSteel and Italcimenti. He also managed FCT's research programs including the development of the precessing jet (GyroTherm) burner technology in a wide range of applications.

Prior to working with FCT, Jordan undertook research relating to coal-fired power stations at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. This project aimed to improve coal mill classifer performance to enable low-NOx emission burners to be used effectively in coal-fired power stations. The project involved laboratory and full-scale experiments in close collaboration with industrial aprtner, Mitsui Babcock.

Jordan hods a PhD from the University of Adelaide on the control and optimisaion of mixing and combustion from a Precessing jet burner for mineral processing applications. It was also of fundamental significance to quantifying the optimal mixing characteristincs for jet flames. The mixing characteristics were investigated using sophisticated and novel laser techniques. The combustion characteristics were examined at the semi-industrial scale in a 2MW cement kiln simulator at the International Flame Research Foundation and in scall-scale open firing tests.

Qualifications

B.E. (Hons), PhD (Adelaide), DipPM

Awards & Achievements

Personal Awards:

• Selected to be "Technology Face" of the SA Great "Creativity, Now and in the Future" campaign (2006)
• Commendation for the South Australian Young Professional of the Year Award (2000)
• R.J. Jennings Memorial Prize for Mechanical Engineering Design (1996)
• Nominated for the final year Engineering Award of the Institute of Engineers, Australia (1996)

Team Awards:

• Part of the FCT team awarded a commendation by the Institute of Engineers Australia in the innovation category for the "Rings of Fire" effect, Athens 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony (2005).
• Part of the FCT team awarded a prize by the Institue of Engineers Australia for manufacturing of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games relay torches (2005)
• Part of the University of Adelaide/FCT team awarded a prize by the Institute of Engineers Australia for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games relay torch (2001)
  

Professional Associations

• Australian Institute of Energy
• International Flame Research Foundation
• Advantage SA "Speakers in Schools" program
  

Professional Interests

• Renewable energy
• Combustion technology
• Energy conservation
• Project management
  

Entry last updated: Thursday, 14 Jul 2011