Maxamilian Farfaras with a LEAP 1B engine brought to the Expo by GE.

Old Members’ Trust Graduate Conference and Academic Travel Fund report – Maximilian Farfaras (2023, Future Propulsion and Power)

In June, I travelled to this year’s American Society of Mechanical Engineers Turbo Expo conference in Memphis, Tennessee.  The conference gathers academics and industry in fields relating to turbomachinery. The keynote and plenary sessions were focused on AI this year, with insightful discussions on applications and risks and how the power generation industry will support energy-intensive AI systems sustainably.

Image of a turbine blade in a jet engine, with cooling holes visible.

I had the opportunity to present our research paper on Turbine Tip Film Cooling with Fanned holes. In a jet engine, a turbine is used to extract energy from combustion and is used to drive the big fan that you see at the front. However, the turbine must be aerodynamically efficient while also being durable to extend time on wing. The exhaust gas from the combustor is very hot, typically a few hundred degrees above the melting point of the turbine blade. As such, effective cooling is required to prevent the blade from failing. The tip of the turbine blade tends to deteriorate first, so our study focused on this region. Cooling air is taken from the compressor near the front of the engine and passed through and over the blade to generate a protective, lower temperature layer of air on the surface through a series of holes.

Here, we examined an alternative cooling hole geometry, which was able to cool the blade tip much better than conventional holes using less cooling air – which further improves engine efficiency along with life. In addition, the geometry has a low-cost, proven route to manufacture at production scale. The study also supported Rolls-Royce in their own design exercises.

The week went by fast but was filled with interesting technical sessions which will certainly influence our research. Discussions with those in similar fields helped generate ideas both within the academic-oriented paper presentations and at the industry-oriented Expo, where several aerospace companies demonstrated capabilities and development direction. In the picture below I’m standing

We also got to explore Memphis, the highlights being the live rock and soul music on Beale Street and the Southern BBQ cuisine.

Published: 15 August 2025

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