Let’s Connect
Turbo Lab Announces new ATP Industry Summit
The FREE, two-day information-sharing event is 10-11 July 2019 and will include training and networking for practitioners in rotating…
CONTINUE READING
2018 Year in review
A new director, two new patents in progress, another record-setting Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia, award-winning students, roots in Southeast Asia…
Flip through highlights from 2018 and see what’s coming in 2019.
Turbo Lab Co-authors receive ASME Best Paper award
Dr. Luis San Andrés and two former students in the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M have received a 2018 Best Paper Award …. CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab offers CCOPS and Rotordynamics March short courses
The Turbo Lab will host two short courses from March 18-21 in Houston. The two courses offer beginning and intermediate-level professionals an opportunity to accelerate their understanding in an interactive …. CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab to present vibrations short course at May conference in Philadelphia
The Turbo Lab and MFPT along with the Hydraulic Institute and the Vibration Institute have formed a cooperative effort to expand the scope of presentations at the annual MFPT conference. Turbo Lab will present Vibration Problems… CONTINUE READING
Three Turbo Lab students earn Mechanical Engineering Impact Award
Sean Cooper, Xueliang Lu, and Nian Wang were honored beside a handful of their mechanical engineering student colleagues at the Fall 2018 Donor Recognition and Scholarship/Fellowship Banquet… CONTINUE READING
Ph.D. student earns Turbo Lab’s most prestigious scholarship
Ph.D. student earns Turbo Lab’s most prestigious scholarship. Clay Norrbin hasn’t always been interested in turbomachinery. It wasn’t until he responded to a job post and was hired by Dr. Dara Childs in… CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab Engineer develops new energy conversion device
Dr. Abhay Patil, research engineer, in the Turbo Lab, has received a temporary patent for an invention of a new energy conversion device. The invention, “High Energy Density Turbomachines,” has a… CONTINUE READING
Former Student Returns as Visiting Scholar from Seoul, Korea
Dr. Tae Ho Kim, Associate Professor of mechanical engineering at Kookmin University in Seoul, Korea will serve one year as a Visiting Scholar at Texas A&M University in the Turbomachinery Laboratory. The appointment is a recognition of Dr. Kim’s work in the fields of gas… CONTINUE READING
Registration Open for Machinery Vibration & Rotordynamics January Short Course
The Turbomachinery Laboratory Offers Extended Education Opportunities for both Young and Seasoned Engineers.
The Machinery Vibration and Rotordynamics (MVR), short course from January 7-11 in Houston… CONTINUE READING
Former Turbo Lab director Dr. Dara W. Childs still teaching, consulting
Can a historical landmark have feelings? Former director of the Turbomachinery Laboratory, Dr. Dara W. Childs, is beginning to think so. “I felt like Mount Rushmore,” he said, laughing, referring to his first post-retirement experience at the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS). “Some young person would walk up to me and say, ‘Dr. Childs I am so happy … CONTINUE READING
Vanderbilt Professor to Host Cellular Tubular Flames Seminar
A former research engineer and decorated Vanderbilt University professor will visit the Texas A&M campus next month to present a seminar on cellular tubular flames. The seminar is hosted by the Turbomachinery Laboratory, part of The Texas A&M System and a center of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab Welcomes Former Student to the Faculty
Dr. Lesley Wright joined the Turbo Lab team in August after teaching at Baylor for ten years. She was encouraged by the head of the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Andreas A. Polycarpou and distinguished professor, Dr. Je-Chin Han, to apply for the opening … CONTINUE READING
Distinguished Lecture to Feature International Authority on Combustion and Clean Energy
Tim Lieuwen, professor and executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech, will deliver a lecture titled “Dynamics of Premixed Flames in Unsteady Flow Fields,” on… CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab’s Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia continues to set event records
The 47th Turbomachinery and 34th International Pump User’s Symposia (TPS 2018) attracted 53 new companies to the George R. Brown Convention Center, for a total of 365 exhibiting companies, topping TPS 2016’s record by five companies. The exhibition featured… CONTINUE READING
A Turbomachinery Laboratory invention is getting a new twist
The pocket damper seal was created at the Turbo Lab as an alternative to the labyrinth seal. The Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC), an organization of turbomachinery manufacturers and end users supporting research projects at the Turbo Lab, funded… CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab Professor Receives Invite for Adjunct Professorship in China
A Turbomachinery Laboratory professor has been invited to be an adjunct professor of a top 10 global institution for mechanical engineering. …CONTINUE READING
Three Turbo Lab Researchers Receive ASME Best Paper Award
Three researchers in the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M have received a best paper award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)-Gas Turbine Heat Transfer Committee. Ph.D. students Chao-Cheng Shiau and Andrew F Chen along with professor Je-Chin Han, were recognized for …CONTINUE READING
2018-2019 TURBOMACHINERY RESEARCH CONSORTIUM PROJECTS SELECTED
TRC member company representatives have selected the projects to receive funding for the 2018-19 cycle. Work on the projects begins in September. VIEW SELECTED PROJECTS
Two triplet undergrads conducting graduate-level research in the Turbo Lab this summer
A pair of sisters are realizing a goal this summer at Texas A&M University. Kristi and Tarina Naudé, sophomores at LeTourneau University, are two of 15 students who landed a slot in the competitive Research Experience for Undergraduates site in Energy and Propulsion …CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab affiliates to lead short course in Mexico, July 16-20
A Turbo Lab professor, former director, and two former students are gearing up to lead a short course in Mexico. Dr. Luis San Andres, Mast-Childs Chair professor and Dr. Dara W. Childs, former Turbo Lab director are teaming up with former students Dr. Oscar de Santiago and Dr. …CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab faculty, staff, students gear up for international ASME conference
The Turbomachinery Laboratory will further its global impact this month during the Turbomachinery Technical Conference & Exposition (Turbo Expo) in Olso, Norway…CONTINUE READING
Longtime TPS short course instructor inching toward retirement
After 20 years of teaching the same short course at the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia, Mike Volk has decided it’s time to retire. In 1998, Volk was invited by former Turbo Lab director Dr. Dara Childs to develop a short course for the Pump Symposium. Twenty years later…CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab facilitates NSF summer undergraduate program
Five faculty members in the Turbomachinery Laboratory and eight others throughout the College of Engineering will spend their summer investing in the future of energy and propulsion research…CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab faculty, staff, students gear up for international ASME conference
The Turbomachinery Laboratory will further its global impact this month during the Turbomachinery Technical Conference & Exposition (Turbo Expo) in Olso, Norway…CONTINUE READING
Two Turbo Lab researchers win ASME Best Paper Award
Two researchers in the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M have received a Best Paper Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Structures and Dynamics Committee…CONTINUE READING
Registration open for Turbo Lab’s 47th Turbomachinery & 34th Pump Symposia
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University is pleased to announce registration is open for its 47th Turbomachinery and 34th International Pump Users Symposia (TPS 2018), the premiere conference for industry professionals…CONTINUE READING
Both sides of the podium: Seven former Turbo Lab students return to Aggieland for annual TRC meeting
The Turbomachinery Laboratory makes a vital impact on turbomachinery and related industries through research, education and workforce development. The Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC) covers both the research and education aspects…CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab wraps up 38th annual Turbomachinery Research Consortium meeting
Since 1981, the Turbomachinery Research Consortium at Texas A&M University has solved problems for major industry leaders through student-led research…CONTINUE READING
Turbomachinery Lab to host 38th annual Turbomachinery Research Consortium meeting
Representatives from 36 industrial firms will visit or call in to Aggieland next week during the Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC) annual meeting. They will select the next round of student-led research projects, the results of which will not only impact these companies…CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab grad leads seminar on combustion chemistry
The internal combustion engine is not dead.
Dr. Brandon Rotavera, a Turbo Lab graduate and assistant professor at the University of Georgia (UGA), explored this idea on Monday with a room full of Turbo Lab students during a seminar titled, “Combustion Chemistry of Advanced Biofuels.” While electric cars with technological improvements and stricter emissions standards have gained popularity in the last decade, there’s no sign they’ll replace…CONTINUE READING
Former Turbo Lab student to host seminar on combustion chemistry
SEMINAR SET FOR APRIL 23, 2018 | TEXAS A&M CAMPUS
It all started with a love for motorcyles and the knowledge that a career in racing wouldn’t be the most practical or safe long-term choice.Instead, Dr. Brandon Rotavera, former graduate student researcher in the Turbomachinery Laboratory, turned his passion into a full-time gig as an assistant…CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab wraps up Centrifugal Compressor Operations short course in Houston
When faced with a new challenge at work, Laura Donnelly turned to a familiar resource to sharpen her skills for the project.
Donnelly, a rotating equipment specialist at ConocoPhillips in Houston, is responsible for overseeing the design of a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility that transports natural gas to shore. She reviews documents and drawings to ensure the FPSO’s pumps and compressors will perform optimally, and analyzes 3D models to ensure equipment can be accessed for maintenance. …CONTINUE READING
Rotordynamics Short Course helps engineers surmount on-the-job challenges
Alberto A. Lopez has a new air of confidence after attending a three-day Rotordyanmics short course hosted by the Turbomachinery Laboratory.
Lopez, a 2016 Texas A&M mechanical engineering graduate and engineer for in Houston, said his team faced vibration issues with a recently-installed complex turbine compressor assembly. During breaks, Lopez conversed with his colleagues about the problem. He said knowledge gained…CONTINUE READING
Texas A&M Turbomachinery Laboratory closes out second symposium in Asia
The reach of the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University has long been global. That impact was demonstrated earlier this month when the Turbo Lab hosted its second biennial Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium (ATPS) in Singapore. The 2018 ATPS was held March 13-15, with short courses on March 12. Engineers and technicians, from novice to experienced, chose from a combination of seven short courses, 23 lectures, 16 tutorials, 12 discussion groups, 38 case studies and 11 technical briefs….CONTINUE READING
Texas A&M Experiment Station names new Turbomachinery Laboratory director
Petersen, the Nelson-Jackson Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, is a 10-year veteran of the Turbo Lab. His research encompasses gas dynamics, propulsion, combustion, shock waves, chemical kinetics, optical diagnostics and spectroscopy, laminar and turbulent flames, and rocket combustion. He has authored more than 400 journal and conference papers in these areas. He is vice…CONTINUE READING
Rotordynamics and CCOPS short courses ready for March
The Turbomachinery Laboratory’s commitment to education extends outside of the Texas A&M campus and laboratory.
The Turbo Lab, a center of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and the Texas A&M University System, will host two short courses — Rotordynamics and Centrifugal Compressor Operations for 21st Century Users (CCOPS) — from March 20-23 in Houston. … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab to host second Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium in Singapore
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University is embarking on its second biennial Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium (ATPS) in Singapore. ATPS is modeled after the longstanding Houston Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS), held annually since 1972. ATPS is an international assembly for turbomachinery and pump end-users and manufacturers. It features a renowned technical program that is hand-selected by an advisory committee of engineers, and an international exhibition. The inaugural 2016 event drew more than 900 attendees from 38 countries. … CONTINUE READING
Turbomachinery Laboratory names interim director
The Turbomachinery Laboratory, a center of the Texas A&M Engineering & Experiment Station (TEES) and part of The Texas A&M University System, has named John A. Pappas its interim director. Pappas is director of strategic initiatives for TEES, where he is responsible for business development and marketing, operations analysis and managerial and administrative support. … CONTINUE READING
Year in Review: Highlights and Milestones for the Turbo Lab in 2017
Thank you for your continued support of the Turbomachinery Laboratory. We invite you to flip through our 2017 Year in Review magazine and reminisce with us. Cheers to 2018! … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab’s TPS exhibitors, parnters raise more than $10,000 in relief funds
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University, host of TPS, partnered with New Way Air Bearings to raise $10,750 for #TPSHelpsHouston, a fundraising… CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab offers first short course of 2018: Machinery Vibration and Rotordynamics
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M helps educate engineers and share valuable insights and practices by offering several short courses throughout the year. The Turbo Lab’s first short course of 2018, Machinery Vibration and Rotordynamics, will be held January 22-26 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Intercontinental Airport hotel. Each short course is taught by one or more experts in their field and offers … CONTINUE READING
Childs, San Andrés, Calafell to play roles in Global Power & Propulsion Forum
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M continues to influence the industry. This time in Zurich. Dr. Dara W. Childs, Dr. Luis San Andrés and Dag O. Calafell, II will each play a role in the Global Power & Propulsion Forum that opens today in Switzerland. The three-day forum (Jan. 10-12) offers a robust technical program featuring panel discussions and peer-reviewed presentations. … CONTINUE READING
Remembering Turbo Lab director, TPS founding member Dr. Meherwan Boyce
Dr. Meherwan P. Boyce, a founding member the Turbomachinery Symposium and first director of the Turbomachinery Laboratory, then known as the Gas Turbine Laboratories, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017. He was 75 years old. He is survived by his wife, Zarine, son, Phiroz, and daughter, Anita. Boyce received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab’s Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia sees another record year despite reschedule
HOUSTON, Texas—The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University hosted another record-breaking Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia despite a three-month delay due to Hurricane Harvey. The 45th Turbomachinery and 33rd International Pump User’s Symposia (TPS 2017) was originally. … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab embarking on annual Turbomachinery & International Pump Users Symposia after weather delay
HOUSTON, Texas — The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University is embarking on its 46th Turbomachinery and 33rd International Pump Users Symposia (TPS 2017) after a three-month delay due to Hurricane Harvey. TPS is a unique conference for rotating equipment engineers and technicians, spanning oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, power, aerospace, and water industries. … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab develops computational analysis tool for tilting pad thrust bearings
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University has developed a fast and accurate computational design tool for tilting pad thrust bearings that surpasses the capabilities of competitors’ technology and adds value for current and future industry research partners. … CONTINUE READING
Industry giant to retire after 55 years teaching, researching turbomachinery, pumps
Not many people can say they owe their lifelong career success and worldwide professional reputation to instability. Such is the case for Dr. Dara W. Childs, director of the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University. Childs’ critical thinking and wit combined with a smattering of good luck … CONTINUE READING
Bechtel Engineering Fellow shares the ‘Origins of the Turbojet Revolution’
Understanding the past can help formulate solutions in the future. This was one of the messages Cyrus Meher-Homji conveyed as he presented “The Origins of the Turbojet Revolution” for the fourth-annual Turbomachinery Distinguished Lecture at Texas A&M University last week. … CONTINUE READING
Fourth-Annual Turbomachinery Distinguished Lecture set for Nov. 1
Cyrus Meher-Homji, technology manager at Bechtel Corporation, will deliver a lecture on “The Origins of the Turbojet Revolution,” on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 4:10 p.m. in Room 202 of the Engineering Physics Building (ENPH). A reception with light refreshments will follow the lecture. Admission is free and open to the public. The presentation will trace the antecedents, evolution, developments, and inventions relating … CONTINUE READING
Exchange program creates cross-cultural learning opportunities
About a dozen mechanical engineering students from Mexico recently got an inside look at what the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University has to offer. Students from the Universidad de Guanajuato visited as a part of the Mexico Leadership Exchange (MLE), a program supported by the Texas A&M University chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Universidad de Guanajuato students visit Texas A&M each fall semester, and Texas A&M students visit the Guanajuato … CONTINUE READING
TRC provides students with career-enhancing opportunities
Since 1981, the Turbomachinery Research Consortium at Texas A&M University has connected students with major industry leaders through cutting-edge research initiatives. The TRC is a group of more than 40 companies that contribute annual grants of $25,000 to fund projects that are investigated by 15 to 20 Texas A&M graduate students and faculty in the Turbomachinery Laboratory … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab professor who helped build program retires after 40 years
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M boasts one of the nation’s top degree programs and research facilities. But, when Dr. Gerald Morrison arrived in College Station to teach in 1977, the Turbo Lab was housed in an old World War II airplane hangar with a leaky roof and no heating at what is now A&M’s RELLIS campus. Morrison retired on July 31. During his more than 40 years with the school, he helped … CONTINUE READING
Impact of Turbo and Pump advisory committees
Turbomachinery and Pump Advisory Committees are dedicated industry experts who volunteer their time to oversee the success of the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia. Advisors are respected leaders in their companies and fields who select the technical program for TPS each year. LEARN MORE
Turbo Lab directors, researcher win ASME Best Paper Award
The work of two directors of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Turbomachinery Laboratory (Turbo Lab) and a research engineer has been recognized with a Best Paper Award by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Structures and Dynamics Committee. The paper was presented at the ASME 2016 Turbo-Expo Turbomachinery Technical Conference & Exposition in Seoul, South Korea (June 2016). … CONTINUE READING
Turbo Lab professor releases textbook on vibration theory
A professor of mechanical engineering in the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University recently unveiled a new textbook which serves as a useful guide for students and practicing engineers.
Dr. Alan Palazzolo has released … CONTINUE READING