Tom Povey

Tutorial Fellow in Engineering; Professor of Engineering Science

Teaching

Tom is particularly interested in Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, and gives University lectures on these topics, which he teaches in tutorials at Univ. Tom also enjoys teaching Dynamics, Mechanical Vibrations and some Mathematics courses. Tom also lectures on specialist options in later years of the course, for example Gas Dynamics, which deals with high speed flows, and the formation of shock waves in supersonic flight. Tom enjoys holding extra classes in college for Univ students that choose to take these optional courses.

Research

Following his DPhil, Tom was appointed as the Rolls Royce Industrial Fellow at St Catherine’s College before taking up his current post as Tutorial Fellow at University College in 2004. In 2008 he took up the Tacchi Fellowship in Engineering Science, and in 2014 became a Professor of Engineering Science. His research group pioneered accurate metal effectiveness measurement techniques, ultrahigh-accuracy engine capacity measurement techniques, and high frequency (10 KHz) cooling modulation methods by acoustic optimisation of cooling holes. Tom has published more than 70 papers in turbomachinery conferences and journals, with an emphasis on turbine performance, heat transfer, and combined aero/cooling problems. He has supervised about 50 final year projects and eight finished PhD theses.

Selected Publications