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| "Licensure is very important to me personally and to our firm. In most states in which we operate, you have to be licensed in order to offer engineering services to the public. It's no different
than being a lawyer. If you want to practice engineering as a consultant, you have to be licensed." |
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Joe Fowler, Ph.D., P.E.
President and Co-founder,
Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
Degree: Mechanical Engineering
Project
Development of deepwater fields requires large, complex systems for production and export of oil and gas. Oil and gas companies, who may spend $250,000 per day drilling in 10,000 feet of water on offshore rigs, cannot afford downtime from any part of these complex systems. Further, catastrophic consequences from environmental release can result from the lack of proper design, and without regular analysis and testing of each component part. This testing combines static and dynamic experiments in a laboratory setting, the use of state-of-the-art computer modeling tools, and engineering expertise from a multi-disciplinary team of professionals from mechanical, civil, electrical, metallurgical, marine, and chemical engineering.
Stress Engineering Services, in collaboration with a major oil company, developed the RAMS system (Rational Approach to Analysis of Marine Systems), a tool for the design of floating systems. This state-of-the-art
software tool can be used to create integrated models that ultimately reduce cycle time from concept to installation. By using this modeling tool, the impact of design changes or future modifications after
installation can be assessed quickly. RAMS offers several key features that reduce cost, save time, and ensure the safety of these offshore systems:
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Fully coupled analysis of rigid bodies, mooring lines, and risers
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Frequency domain or time domain using the same input data
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Extensive verification against analytical and other numerical results
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Finite elements to model mooring lines and risers
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Improved statistical linearization of velocity squared drag for frequency domain
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Seafloor model including variable elevation and slope
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Model of a tensioner
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Wave forces on floaters (both frequency and time domain) through interfaces with hydrodynamics programs WAMIT and WINTCOL
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Mean current, wind, and drift forces on the floater
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Low frequency wind and slow drift loads
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Generalized Morison model for hydrodynamic loads on risers and mooring lines
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Response statistics, extreme value estimates, and fatigue damage estimates
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In addition to Stress Engineering's work on RAMS, Dr. Fowler has been the principal investigator on seven research projects for the American Petroleum Institute. Four of these relate to fire safety of standard end connectors (flanges and clamps). These projects used a combination of theoretical analysis and full-scale physical testing to provide predictions of which connections will leak in a fire, and why. Two other projects relate to the combined pressure, tension, and bending capabilities of API flanges. Another
is determination of the seal performance of ring joint gaskets. He has been the principal investigator on 10 research projects for the American Gas Association and the Gas Research Institute in the area of offshore and land pipelines. These projects are in the collapse behavior of pipelines, the effects of dents on pipeline life, strength of tee and elbow fittings, repair procedures for damaged pipelines, and development of a Diverless Pipeline Repair Clamp. Currently, he is heading research into polyester moorings and pipeline limit states.
Perspective
"I encourage all our engineers to keep their technical skills current. I am the president of this company, and I could spend all my time doing the work that is required of a company president. However, I don’t think I could be a good leader of our engineering staff unless I’m a practicing engineer,keeping my skills current as well. Staying technically competent is what really gives engineers their job security."
"Licensure is very important to me personally and to our firm. In most states in which we operate, in order to offer engineering services to the public, by law, our engineers have to be licensed. This makes becoming licensed a necessary step. When I started my career at Stress Engineering Services, I completed certified stress reports for nuclear power plant equipment. These reports, by law, had to be stamped by a licensed professional engineer. It may not be a legal requirement in all industries to use licensed engineers, but that is the requirement today. It could change, and if you want to be a consulting engineer in any industry, the law says that you have to be licensed. I think engineers should consider licensure
because it will serve them well in their careers."
Career Path
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President, Stress Engineering Services, Inc., 1984–Present
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Senior Vice President, Stress Engineering Services, Inc., 1972–1984
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Senior Mechanical Engineer, Texaco, Inc., Bellaire, Texas, 1971–1972
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Project Engineer, Wilson Industries, Inc. Houston, Texas, 1969–1970
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Dr. Fowler was a co-founder in 1972 of Stress Engineering Services, Inc. (SES). Today, SES employs 100 engineers in offices in Houston, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Denver, and Atlanta.
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Registered Professional Engineer in Texas
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Education
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Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1971
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M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1969
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B.S., with Honors, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1968
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Professional Societies and Honors
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Hugh Scott Cameron Award for Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Graduate from Texas A&M University, 1968
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J. George H. Thompson Award for Meritorious Service in an Engineer Under 35, South Texas Section of ASME, 1974–1975
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Herbert Allen Award for Technical Achievement in an Engineer Under 35, South Texas Section of ASME, 1977
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Charter Member of the Academy of Distinguished Graduates, Texas A&M University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1992
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Alan J. Chapman Award, ASME, 1994
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ASME Dedicated Service Award, 1994
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Dean W. R. Woolrich Engineer of the Year Award, South Texas Section of ASME, 1996
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Chair, Mechanical Engineering Advisory Council, Texas A&M University, 1998 to 2001
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Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board, University of Houston, 1997–Present
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Distinguished Alumni; Dwight Look College of Engineering; Texas A&M University, 2000
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Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (1994–Present)
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Executive Committee, Mechanical Engineering Visitor (1984–Present) |
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President-Elect, 1999–2000 |
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President, 2000–2001 |
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Past President, 2001–2002 |
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American Society of Mechanical Engineers (Fellow)
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Chair, South Texas Section, (1981–1982) |
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Member, Board of Research and Technology Development (1985–1986) |
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Member, Board of Professional Development (1985–1988) |
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Executive Committee, Petroleum Division (1993–Present) |
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Chair, Petroleum Division (1997–1998) |
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Engineering Accreditation Commission (1989–1994) |
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Pi Tau Sigma
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Society for Experimental Mechanics |
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Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME Tau Beta Pi |
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N. Catherine Bazan-Arias, Ph.D. |
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Kathy Caldwell, P.E. |
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Patricia L. Eng, P.E. |
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Charles Casey, P.E.. |
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Joe Fowler, Ph.D., P.E. |
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Lori Hasselbring, Ph.D., P.E. |
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Brett Pielstick, P.E. |
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Robert Rupert, P.E. |
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Jonna M. Tarpoff, P.E. |
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Dwight L. Williams, Ph.D., P.E. |
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