Professor Vassilios Pachidis

Areas of expertise

• Aeronautical Systems
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Environmental Impacts
• Gas Turbines & Propulsion
• Power Systems & Turbines

Background

General Background

Vassilios Pachidis is an Aerospace Engineer and Professor (Level III) of Propulsion Integration Engineering in the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing at Cranfield University. He first joined Cranfield as a member of research staff in 2001. His main research interests include power plant modelling, performance and certification; novel cycles; turbomachinery experimental, analytical and computational aerodynamics; propulsion system integration and environmental performance; thermal management; electrification and sustainability. He has an international standing built upon a well-established research track record. He has more than 15 years of experience in research, project management and income generation, and more than 15 years of experience in postgraduate teaching, learning and Continuous Professional Development. He is Principal Investigator (PI) in Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Clean Sky I & II, EPSRC, IUK and ATI Research Grants with a personal annual research income in excess of £1M. 

Education

Prof Pachidis was educated at The University of Liverpool where he obtained a 1st Class Hons MEng degree Aerospace Engineering (graduated in 2000). Subsequently he joined Cranfield University and enrolled in the Aerospace Propulsion option of the Thermal Power MSc (graduated in 2001).  He then became member of staff at Cranfield whilst pursuing a part-time PhD in Gas Turbine Advanced Performance Simulation which he completed in 4 years. 

Teaching & Student Supervision

Has taught more than 700 postgraduates since 2002 and more than 150 Short Course delegates since 2006. Has supervised more than 165 MSc and 32 Doctoral Candidates to completion. Currently supervising 11 MSc and 14 Doctoral Candidates, 4 part-time.

Refereeing for High-impact Journals

Prof Pachidis acts as a referee for high-impact journals including; J. of Applied Mathematical Modelling, J. of Turbomachinery, J. of Engineering Failure Analyses, J. of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, J. of Aerospace Science and Technology, J. of Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics.

Publications & Patents

More than 69 peer-reviewed papers in 4* and 3* journals and more than 98 fully peer-reviewed conference papers and 19 other conference publications to date. 17 joint patents filed with Rolls-Royce plc. with another 6 pending filing. 

Awards & Honours

• 7 ASME/IGTI ‘Best Paper’ Awards in 2020, 2019, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2007 and 2006.
• 2 John P. Davis Awards ASME/IGTI Turbo Expo 2019 and 2020. Co-author with Dr David John Rajendran.
• Rolls-Royce Howse-Ruffles Award 2015. Co-authored winning paper with Dr Aleixo Gonzalez.
• The Cranfield School of Engineering ‘Arthur Lefebvre Prize’ in 2006 for Doctoral research.
• The IMechE ‘Whittle Reactionaries Medal’ in 2002, for research in novel airframe-propulsion system integration.
• Scholarship Award from ‘Cranfield University’ in 2000.
• The ‘Rolls-Royce plc. Prize’ in 1999, for academic achievements.
• Scholarship Award from ‘The University of Liverpool’ in 1996.

International Conference Contribution

• Session Organizer, Session Chair or Co-Chair and Reviewer for all annual ASME Turbo Expo conferences since 2002.
• Invited Keynote – Tandem Aerodays, Bucharest 2019, Panel Session “Disruptive Game Changers”.
• Panel Chair – Global Power & Propulsion Forum, Zurich, January 2017, “Performance of Gas Turbines with Inter-turbine Reheat, Theory and Applications”.
• Panel Chair & Invited Keynote – Global Power & Propulsion Forum, Zurich, January 2017, “Very Low Specific Thrust Turbofan Engine Performance & Integration with the Aircraft”.
• Panel Chair – ASME Turbo Expo 2017, Charlotte NC, June 2017, “Inter-turbine Reheat Performance, Theory and Applications”.
• Invited Keynote – Aerodays, October 2015, London, “Clean Sky Technology Evaluator – Environmental Performance Assessment of Rotorcraft”.
• Invited Keynote – ASME Turbo Expo, June 2015, Montreal, “Clean Sky JTI – GRC Environmental Performance Assessments”.
• Panel Chair – ASME Turbo Expo, June 2012, Copenhagen, Panel Session on “Power plant Modelling to Support Environmental, Operational and Economic Decisions”.
• Organized and carried out a daily workshop in ‘GT Performance Simulation’ hosted by the ASME-IGTI ‘Aero Engine Life Management Conference’ in London (2004).

Current activities

Head of Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering; 

Propulsion is around 70 staff strong (including visiting academics) and one of the largest research and education activities within SATM, with a turnover of around £7m. The activity spans air, land and sea applications of gas turbines for power and propulsion. It is characterised by a very close integration of taught and short-course education and research, with 50-80 MSc students attending the Thermal Power course each year, and more than 80 full-time and part-time PhD students.

Director of the ‘Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Aero Systems Design, Integration & Performance’ at Cranfield (Deputy Director 2008-2014); 

The UTC is of major strategic importance to Cranfield due to its prestigious status and the business it attracts from Rolls-Royce and elsewhere (industry + academia). The UTC typically enrols more than 30 staff, more than 20 PhD candidates and more than 30 MSc candidates, with an annual research budget in excess of £4M.

Director of the ‘Cranfield Air & Space Propulsion Institute’ since Jan 2021;

The Institute supports a pan-university activity to promote and accelerate innovation across different disciplines and sectors in order to create new, revolutionary technologies for use in air and space propulsion. Key objective is to provide industry and academia with a pre-competitive environment for collaboration in low TRL research.

Clients

Cranfield interacts very widely with national and international research councils and organisations, (such as the ATI, the EPSRC, IUK, NASA, ESA, UKSA, DLR, NLR, ONERA and CIRA), industry and governments. It also values and develops long term relationships for the mutual benefit of its sponsors and itself. Within aerospace, these include Rolls-Royce, AIRBUS, SIEMENS, BOEING, Pratt & Whitney, SAFRAN Group, DSTL, BAE Systems, GKN, the MoD and many others.

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Conference papers