Schloss Neuschwanstein in the snow

Keasbey Graduate Travel Fund report – Omar Valeinis (2023, DPhil Engineering Science)

In November 2024, I travelled with some research colleagues to visit Germany for a few days. During this time, we visited the aerospace laboratories at both the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart, and the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich. In each case, we met with some of our international colleagues and toured the laboratory spaces. Both laboratories are prominent contributors to the field of Hypersonics research, with world-renowned experimental facilities that enable ground-based research for key technologies, such as thermal protection systems and vehicle aerodynamics.

The University of Stuttgart has a long history in the experimental study of thermal protection systems, which protect the substructure of any vehicle travelling at high speeds through a planet’s atmosphere. Their plasma wind tunnel facilities can produce continuous flows as hot as the surface of the Sun, which is required when heating materials to the high temperatures that are typically observed during high-speed flight. This is the focus of my research at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute, where I often work with the UK’s plasma wind tunnel facility to investigate similar materials. Getting to see its contemporaries at Stuttgart was a great experience, and I was able to learn a lot from the team there regarding my own research.

In Munich, I was able to visit the reflected shock tunnel HELM, a high-speed impulse facility, which provides another means of testing at high-speed flight conditions in a laboratory setting. The tunnel occupies an entire building and weighs several tonnes, so it was very impressive to see in person. The development of a new hypersonic impulse facility in Oxford has been the major focus of my research so far, so the opportunity to see HELM and have discussions with the team running it was invaluable.

Aside from these lab visits, we had a chance to sightsee in both cities and took a trip to see Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. The castle looks stunning, especially when set against the snowy landscape. I also took the opportunity to eat some amazing regional food and drink some great beer.

I am immensely grateful to both University College and the Keasbey Travel Fund for the financial assistance that made this trip possible. The opportunity to meet with international colleagues and visit laboratories is always a good way to gain new insights, especially in a field such as experimental hypersonics, where each of the facilities we use has its own unique niches and characteristics. Finally, it was an invaluable opportunity to travel and see new places that I otherwise would not have – this was my first time in Germany, and I would love to visit again!

Published: 2 May 2025

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