Our Mission

We encounter thermal turbomachinery and their products everywhere in our daily lives. In our cars, they provide additional thrust to the engines; they power planes, helicopters, ships, and tanks; they also operate in electric power stations 24 hours a day, nearly 365 days a year, converting thermal energy from combustion processes into mechanical energy to drive electric generators.

Thermal turbomachinery includes compressors, gas and steam turbines, turbochargers, and aero engines. They have a wide range of applications and, as you can imagine, are produced in large volumes. With regard to environmental pollution, increasing energy consumption and decreasing resources, it is necessary to raise efficiency and minimize fuel consumption of thermal turbomachinery. Furthermore, operating costs are a crucial factor, making fuel consumption reduction even more important. For example, the profit margin of an airline is around 1–2% of its fuel costs.

To increase efficiency, a better understanding of the flow within turbomachinery is necessary — and that's where we come in. With our expertise in experimental measurements, particularly optical methods such as LDV, stereoscopic PIV, thermography, and numerical simulations, we provide the data and insights needed to improve those machines. In numerous EU-funded projects with industrial partners (MTU Aero Engines, Rolls-Royce Germany, DLR, Snecma, ONERA, Turbomeca, Avio Aero, GE Aerospace, and many more), we have demonstrated our competence and relevance in this field.

More information about our cooperation with GE Aerospace can be found on YouTube.

In recent years, our primary focus has been on flow in transonic turbines. However, since 2004, we have further expanded our research areas. To reduce environmental pollution, fuel consumption, and the weight of aero engines, new combustion concepts and the associated challenges — such as combustion instabilities and distortions — must be investigated. To this end, we have built a combustion test facility. In 2019, a new high-speed wind tunnel was added for component testing.

In addition to our work on investigating and optimizing turbomachinery components, we also focus on the thermodynamic cycle itself. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, we have developed the Graz Cycle, a patented zero-emission power plant cycle with the highest efficiencies. Furthermore, we are developing our own CFD code for flow simulation. This code incorporates the latest models for turbulence and transition, along with our proprietary improvements.

Last but not least, one of our core competencies is machine dynamics. We bring extensive experience in vibration measurements using laser vibrometry on tail rotor shafts, heat recovery boilers, and many other applications.