Tianhou Wang tw463@cam.ac.uk
China
Engineering, Christ's College
PhD thesis: Experimental Design Space Exploration for High Speed Compressors
Research interests
1. Aircraft propulsion
2. Gas dynamics
3. Experimental methods
4. Soaring and zero-carbon flight
My proposed research focuses on experimentally re-exploring potential early-stage design guidelines for high speed axial compressors. Many early-stage design guidelines and correlations in use date back to the 1950s which, although they work, are out of date and do not incorporate modern concepts such as 3D profiling and improved aerofoil geometries. Over the last few years, breakthroughs have been made in the Whittle Laboratory in rapid testing methods which allow for experimentally mapping compressor stages 100 times faster. Based on these methods, it is now feasible to experimentally test a large number of stages quickly and affordably. Machine learning methods can be applied to this experimental data to determine underlying correlations which would otherwise be difficult to identify. These conclusions can be applied to aid the design of future machines in enabling a more accurate early-stage prediction so that the design cycle time can be reduced.
Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?
I believe zero-carbon flight can be realised and I am a qualified sailplane pilot myself, but this will not happen spontaneously. It is also important to explore ways to maximise efficiency and reduce emission for existing technology during the transition, which is the purpose of my proposed research. The Whittle Laboratory, being the world leader in turbomachinery research since its foundation, is an ideal institution for my project: I conducted my MEng research there which was highly successful, which reinforced my decision to continue in this profession.