Prof Pericles Pilidis - Head of the Thermal Power and Propulsion Engineering Centre
Professor Pilidis advocates that hydrogen as a civil aviation fuel is unavoidable. He has set this topic as a strategic ambition of the whole centre, including investments in facilities, EU projects, doctoral research and promoting Thermal Power MSc projects in hydrogen. Professor Pilidis had an involvement in the EU Cryoplane project and is supporting the ENABLEH2 H2020 project.
Professor Pilidis has recently featured in an article on the BBC where he discusses his view about hydrogen for aviation.
Dr Craig Lawson - Senior Lecturer in Airframe Systems
Dr Lawson is interested in aircraft fuel systems and electrical power systems for H2 aircraft; systems integration with other aircraft systems and structure for H2 aircraft; and aircraft performance and operational issues.
Prof Howard Smith - Professor of Aircraft Design
Professor Smith is interested in the conceptual design of H2 fuelled aircraft, the impact of H2 fuel on aircraft design and solutions to packaging issues, operational issues and performance.
Dr Thomas Budd is a Senior Lecturer in Airport Planning and Management
Dr Budd is leading work looking at the implementation of hydrogen across airports including the safe refuelling of aircraft with compressed gaseous, or liquid, hydrogen.
Dr James Whidborne - Reader in Control Engineering
Dr Whidborne is interested in new control and stability problems arising in H2 aircraft, in particular issues relating to feedback control for stabilisation and sensitivity reduction of hydrogen reaction and combustion, flow control and optimal operation and control of the engines and aircraft under NOX and contrail generation constraints.
Dr Guy Gratton – Associate Professor for Aviation and the Environment
Dr Gratton has been leading a leading a team looking at electrified aircraft propulsion systems for both battery and fuel-cell aeroplanes.
Dr Bahareh Zaghari – Lecturer in Propulsion Engineering
Dr Zaghari is investigating optimised hybrid propulsion systems utilising gas turbine and fuel-cell electric systems for maximum energy efficiency and minimal localised emissions.