Infrastructure Investment Proposal for the University of Oxford Osney Thermo-fluids Laboratory (OSNEY Upgrade)

The Osney Thermofluids Laboratory is a global centre of excellence for turbomachinery research which has made significant contributions to the technology of jet engines over the last 3 decades. The Laboratory is part of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre network and specialised in Heat Transfer and Aerodynamics (founded 1990). Major contributors to the Laboratory’s industrial research are Rolls-Royce (RR), GKN Aerospace, industrial gas turbine manufacturers (Siemens (UK), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), the MoD and QinetiQ. Programmes are funded through PV, EU Framework programmes, EPSRC, TSB/Innovate UK and MoD.
Heat transfer and aerodynamics research is also carried out in other areas such as hypersonics and internal combustions engines. The Lab hosts the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics which will educate 85 doctoral students recruited in the period 2014-19 at Oxford University, Cambridge and Loughborough.
This ATI grant will be used to achieve a step change in capability to measure and research the cooling performance and hot stage technologies essential for the operation of high pressure (HP) turbine stages of Large Civil Engines. The investment will enhance the existing Oxford Turbine Research Facility (OTRF) to measure metal temperature of turbine blades and vanes under accurately controlled conditions; improve the accuracy of the Engine Component Aerothermal Facility used to research HP nozzle guide vanes and dramatically improve our instrumentation laboratory and manufacture capability.