Siemens Energy, a global leader in energy technology with over 150 years of innovation, is committed to making energy more sustainable, reliable, and affordable. Operating in 90 countries, the company supports the transition to cleaner energy through advancements in both conventional and renewable power, grid technologies, and industrial electrification.
For over a decade, Siemens Energy and Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery have collaborated with the University of Nottingham to advance its heat transfer and cooling technologies. In this latest partnership, Siemens Energy aimed to further its sustainability goals by decarbonising its fleet of gas turbines. To support this, the company needed a methodology to accurately and rapidly analyse the heat transfer and flow performance of porous Additive Manufacturing (AM) structures within high-temperature gas turbine designs.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are a three-way collaboration between a UK-based business or charity, a research organisation, and a qualified graduate known as a KTP Associate who has the capability to lead a strategic business project.
Over the course of 12 months this KTP saw Siemens Energy partnered with mechanical power engineer, Dr Abdallah Ahmed supervised by Dr Xiaofeng Zheng Assistant Professor and in Building Services Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham.
The project began with a comprehensive review of existing literature to identify the best Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) structures for analysis. Further numerical investigations were conducted by Dr Ahmed and the team using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to deepen their understanding of the heat transfer and flow performance of these structures.
The project delivered significant advancements in understanding the thermal and hydraulic properties of TPMS structures, unlocking their potential for widespread engineering applications. The results provided key insights into how these parameters affect performance and helped establish mathematical relationships essential for quick evaluations using in-house software.
These findings lay a strong foundation for the development of more efficient heat exchangers and related technologies, driving innovation in energy systems and beyond.
his KTP has significantly enhanced Siemens’ technical expertise, greatly reducing the time needed to select and parameterise the optimal lattice structure for specific applications. Additionally, it has supported workforce growth at Siemens by creating new thermal engineering roles to address the increasing demand.
"This KTP has been a highly valuable experience. Working alongside Siemens Energy on such a cutting-edge project has provided me with invaluable industry experience and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the gas turbine sector. The project has allowed me to apply my academic knowledge to real-world engineering problems, develop crucial skills in computational fluid dynamics and data analysis, and contribute to Siemens Energy's efforts in developing more sustainable and efficient energy solutions. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the support I received from both Siemens Energy and the University of Nottingham."
Dr Abdallah Ahmed
KTP Associate, Siemens Energy
The collaboration between the University of Nottingham and Siemens Energy has also significantly enhanced the university’s research capabilities by addressing real-world technical challenges and fostering impactful, practical studies, while contributing to the university’s Sustainable Development Goals.
"This partnership has significantly bolstered the University of Nottingham’s reputation for impactful, real-world research, while creating a strong foundation for future studies, such as fabricating functional surfaces to enhance heat transfer. By ensuring our research remains relevant and mutually beneficial, this collaboration has strengthened our connection with Siemens Energy, positioning both organisations for ongoing innovation and success."
Dr Xiaofeng Zheng
Assistant Professor in Building Services Engineering, University of Nottingham
This partnership has encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration, promoted innovative approaches and built broader networks for future projects and paved the way for high-quality research outputs.