Engineering short courses

This one day short course held at the Gas Turbine Research Centre, involves live demonstrations and hands-on activities. This course provides an insight into the latest developments in gas turbine technology and the UK energy landscape.

Course content

• An introduction to the UK energy landscape, including: supply and demand; power generation technologies; available fuels and their usage.
• UK government energy policy and legislation.
• The role of gas turbines in the UK for power generation and transport (aviation).
• An introduction to basic gas turbine technology and basic thermodynamic cycles (Carnot, Rankine and Brayton).
• A discussion of temperature/entropy and pressure/volume diagrams.
• A discussion of gas turbine components.
• A discussion of compressors, injectors, combustors and turbines -  the design intent, current technology and problems of each.
• The future of gas turbine technology, including: advanced thermodynamic cycles; pressure gain combustion; catalytic combustion; the implication of low drag aircraft on engine design.

About the centre

The Gas Turbine Research Centre is aligned to Cardiff University's School of Engineering. The centre is one of only a handful worldwide. It houses specialist equipment that is used to develop and test new combustion systems, components and fuels at gas turbine relevant temperatures and pressures.

To learn more about the centre, visit the website: Gas Turbine Research Centre

A two hour overview of the latest research developments in Cardiff University’s Centre for High Frequency Engineering. Topics include emerging applications of microwave engineering, developments in mobile communication, the advance of 4G technology and constraints in optimising 5G standards.

Event content

• Blood glucose monitoring.
• Biological cell health.
• Detecting very nasty bacteria.
• Domestic heating.
• The 4G advance and 5G demands.
• Achieving amplification at radio frequencies.

Learn more about the Centre for High Frequency Engineering

A three hour talk which centres around a tour of the Additive Layer Manufacturing Laboratories in Cardiff. Participants are introduced to the specialist equipment used in the Labs and learn about the different technologies and their applications.

Event content

• Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS).
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).
• Stereolithography (SLA).
• Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM).
• Envision Tec.
• How the above technologies work.
• The steps from 3D Cad data, via build preparation, to finished component.
• The materials available and their applications.
• Process limitations (including common problems encountered with 3D printing) and how it effects the choice of technology.
• Latest developments within the field.

Additive Manufacturing falls within Cardiff University’s High-Value Manufacturing Research Group.

This one day short course, held at the Gas Turbine Research Centre, provides an insight into the operation principles of internal combustion engines. Through a mixture of technical talks, live demonstrations and group discussions, participants review the historical and current drivers and the resultant effect on internal combustion engine technology development.

Course content

• An introduction to internal combustion engine technology and its historical drivers.
• Internal combustion engine fuels and fuel delivery systems.
• Current industry technology trends.
• Internal combustion engine combustion fundamentals and emission monitoring.

About the centre

The Gas Turbine Research Centre is aligned to Cardiff University's School of Engineering. The Centre is one of only a handful worldwide. It houses specialist equipment that is used to develop and test new combustion systems, components and fuels at gas turbine relevant temperatures and pressures.

To learn more about the Centre, visit the website: Gas Turbine Research Centre

This one day short course held at the Gas Turbine Research Centre includes live demonstrations.  Participants are introduced to the basic principles of combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. The focus is on understanding the flammability, toxicity and asphyxiation risks associated with gases commonly held at sites of employment.

Course content

• An introduction to basic combustion principals.
• The risks associated with flammable gases and inert atmospheres.
• The root causes of explosions and the relevant legislative requirements and guidance available to mitigate the risk.
• Understanding purging practices.

Demonstrations

• Dust explosions.
• Liquid droplet and vapour explosions, pool fires and jet fires.
• Flammability limit demonstration rig with propane/air mixtures, showing effects of fuel mixture on resulting flame.
• Purging practices.
• Atmospheric burner methane air demonstrating range from diffusion to pre-mixed, showing how equivalence ratio affects flame-speed (flash back & blow-off) and flame temperature.
• Emissions measurements.

About the centre

The Gas Turbine Research Centre is aligned to Cardiff University's School of Engineering. The Centre is one of only a handful worldwide. It houses specialist equipment that is used to develop and test new combustion systems, components and fuels at gas turbine relevant temperatures and pressures.

To learn more about the Centre, visit the website: Gas Turbine Research Centre

A one day short course, held at the Gas Turbine Research Centre, which looks at alternative and renewable fuels for heat and electricity generation. Participants learn about the challenges these new fuels present for combustion systems, including issues such as fuel variability. The potential of shale gas is also explored.

Course content

• Proximate and ultimate analyses.
• Calorific value and relative density.
• Fuel variability and combustion effects.
• Utilising biomass, biodiesel, bioethanol and biogas.
• The future potential of shale gas, coal bed methane and hydrogen in combustion systems.

About the centre

The Gas Turbine Research Centre is aligned to Cardiff University School of Engineering. The Centre is one of only a handful worldwide. It houses specialist equipment that is used to develop and test new combustion systems, components and fuels at gas turbine relevant temperatures and pressures.

To learn more about the Centre, visit the website: Gas Turbine Research Centre