Some Aerodynamic Problems of Aircraft Engines: Fifty Years After -The 2007 IGTI Scholar Lecture-

Abstract

Problems of high technological interest, for example the development of gas turbine engines, span disciplinary, and often organizational, boundaries. Although collaboration is critical in advancing the technology, it has been less a factor in gas turbine research. In this paper it is proposed that step changes in gas turbine performance can emerge from collaborative research endeavors that involve the development of integrated teams with the needed range of skills. Such teams are an important aspect in product development, but they are less familiar and less subscribed to in the research community. The case histories of two projects are given to illustrate the point: the development of the concept of “smart jet engines” and the Silent Aircraft Initiative. In addition to providing a capability to attack multidisciplinary problems, the way in which collaboration can enhance the research process within a single discipline is also discussed.