Alcoa electrical engineering specialist Vince Dooley has been awarded the prestigious UOP Technology Award by the US-based International Society of Automation.
According to Alcoa, Dooley has invented and implemented a range of on-line analytical instruments during his 29 years with the company.
His inventions include a Production On-Line Liquor Analyser and an On-Line Mud Level Instrument, known within the company as the ‘Dooley Gauge.’
These devices measure the important factors in the refining process, such as the dissolved alumina content and solids levels. They allow operators to continuously monitor circuit productivity to minimise process upsets.
In a statement released yesterday, the company said the instruments have been adopted in all of its alumina refineries around the world.
Alcoa’s Director of Research and Development Global Refining Dr Ian Harrison said Dooley’s inventions had made a significant contribution to raising company’s bottom line.
“Our refineries simply cannot operate at their current productivity levels without Vince’s on-line instruments,” he said.