GMRC announces keynote speaker

Scott W. Tinker (Photo: University of Texas)

The Gas Machinery Research Council has chosen Scott W. Tinker as the keynote speaker at the upcoming Gas Machinery Conference, which is scheduled for Oct. 2 – 5 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tinker’s keynote, “The Role of Natural Gas in the Global Emission Transition,” will dig in to where the focus is vs. should be, to reduce global atmospheric emissions. Industry professionals know natural gas and propane in developed, developing and emerging economies is key to providing reliable, affordable and lower emissions energy.

Tinker has worked to bring industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy, the GMC announced. He is director of the 250-person Bureau of Economic Geology, the State Geologist of Texas, and a professor holding the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin.

The Gas Machinery Conference provides technical training and presentations, provided by the industry’s leading subject matter experts. Educational sessions and presentations on recent GMRC research are valuable for design engineers, facility engineers, technicians and others, with an emphasis on the operation, maintenance and testing of gas compression machinery.

The conference also gives opportunities for face-to-face meetings, which are key to building strong relationships.

Some of the short courses at the conference will include the basic thermodynamics of reciprocating compressors, principles, design and control of centrifuglal compressors, vibration, dynamics and noise, introduction to pulsation and vibration in reciprocating compressors and a discussion of hydrogen blends on integral, low-speed natural gas engines.

The technical papers up for discussion will include estimating compressor station blowdown time, forces, and temperatures; test rig development to measure internal shaft temperatures at a journal bearing during high-speed operation; improved reciprocating compressor efficiency via improved pulsation control; and torsional vibration issues and hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines with reciprocating compressors.

With Director Harry Lynch, Tinker coproduced and is featured in the award-winning energy documentary films Switch and Switch On, which have been screened in over 50 countries and used on thousands of campuses worldwide. Tinker formed, and serves as chairman of, the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance, whose materials appear from schools to board rooms globally.

Tinker is the voice of EarthDate, which is featured weekly on over 425 public radio stations in all 50 United States. In his visits to some 60 countries, Scott has given nearly 1000 keynote and invited lectures. In 2022, Tinker presented a TEDx talk on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment, the University of Texas reported.

Tinker is an angel investor and has helped bring companies from startup to acquisition. His writing has appeared in publications ranging from Forbes to Scientific American. He has served as president of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).