The Gas Turbine Systems Engineering and Operations (GTSOP) group, headed by Professor Suresh Sampath, sits within the Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering. The group is primarily involved in technologies and research delivery related to gas turbine operations/performance studies and delivering a range of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, commercial consultancy and postgraduate education.

The main focus areas of this group are:

  • Engine performance simulation studies involving gas turbines, diesel and steam applied to aviation/marine propulsion and power generation;
  • Engine diagnostics using integrated approaches, mechanical integrity study for life cycle management of propulsion systems;
  • Techno economic evaluation and life cycle management of combined cycled plants;
  • Marine propulsion system integration (MPSI) and optimisation;
  • Instrumentation, controls and data acquisition for diagnostics and remote operations of gas turbines;
  • SWAG合集 of fire suppression mechanisms and associated fire risks in aviation.

Facilities

The group has developed a range of world-class test facilities and tools:

  • Aircraft cargo fire rig for conducting FAA's minimum performance standards (MPS) tests for qualifying fire suppression agents. This is the only facility of its kind in the United Kingdom and only the second in Europe. Besides the MPS test, the rig can be configured for other types of large- and small-scale fire tests.
  • High speed compressor test rig for study of compressor aerodynamics, flow characterisation, stage wise flow analysis, stall and surge margin detection, vibration monitoring and analysis.
  • POSEIDON+ A computational and simulation tool for marine propulsion system optimisation and integration studies.
  • Gas path analysis tool for study for engine fault diagnostics, degradation and life assessment.

Courses

Contribution to postgraduate education and CPD programmes is an essential part of the group’s activities. Colleagues form the group contribute to the MSc Thermal Power and Propulsion's modules in Mechanical Integrity of Turbomachinery (MDoT), Marine Propulsion System Integration (MPSI), Gas Turbine Operations & Rotating Machinery (GTORM), FORTRAN 90/95.

The group has also delivered customised CPD programmes to the Royal New Zealand Airforce, Australian Defence Forces, US Navy, Indian Navy, BAE Systems, Babcock International, GE, Siemens, Turkish Aerospace and several others. Colleagues from the group also contribute to other education programmes.