Dr. Robert A. Leishear explains how water hammers cause nearly all water main breaks in industrialized cities, but says they can be stopped.
Dr. Robert A. Leishear
Robert A. Leishear, PhD, PE is an ASME fellow, a National Association of Colleges and Employers senior corrosion technologist, a NACE senior internal (piping) corrosion technologist, a project management professional and a journeyman sheet metal mechanic. Dr. Leishear has written more than 120 engineering publications, which include books, magazine articles, conference papers, op-eds, newspaper articles and honors journal publications. His education includes a BS in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of South Carolina. He has studied combustion at Princeton University through the Combustion Institute and has attended many other courses in water-system operations, corrosion and nuclear-reactor designs. Dr. Leishear is currently enrolled in a Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. program at the University of South Carolina, where his studies focus on the relationship between water hammers, water main breaks, oil pipeline spills, gas pipeline explosions, offshore oil-rig explosions and nuclear-power plant explosions. Water hammers, or fluid transients, cause all of these industrial disasters.