From education to employment

Power and propulsion gas turbine engineer

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: Gas Turbine Theory and Performance – Introduction to gas dynamics; gas turbine cycles (ideal and actual cycles), engine configurations, design point performance and off-design behaviour by hand calculations, interpreting performance maps, approaches to transient calculations. Back to Duty

K2: Gas Turbine Performance Simulation – computer-based modelling, design point and off-design performance steady-state simulation, transient performance simulation (constant mass flow and inter-component method). Back to Duty

K3: Gas Turbine Diagnostics – condition monitoring techniques, fault diagnosis using linear and non-linear Gas Path Analysis, performance analysis based diagnostic techniques using computer-based data-driven algorithms or models. Back to Duty

K4: Turbomachinery – Introduction to aerodynamics, thermofluids, and compressible flows, compressor design, turbine design and aerodynamic performance. Back to Duty

K5: Combustors – Gas turbine combustor design consideration and sizing methodologies, combustor efficiency, pollutants/emissions, heat transfer and cooling, and fuels. Back to Duty

K6: Blade Cooling – Heat transfer principles, cooling technologies (convection, impingement, film, transpiration and liquid cooling), their efficiency, advantages and limitations; materials and manufacturing processes. Back to Duty

K7: Fatigue and Fracture – theories of fatigue failure, stress based methods, complex cyclic behaviour, strain methods, methodologies for life and fatigue assessment, and criteria for material selection, corrosion and thermal degradation. Back to Duty

K8: Mechanical Design of Turbomachinery – Loads/forces/stresses in a gas turbine, failure criteria, blade vibration, blade off containment and turbomachine rotordynamics. Back to Duty

K9: Jet Engine Control – Requirements and implementation of control constraints (variable stators, bleed valves and variable area nozzles), safe and responsive engine handling, fuel systems and fuel pumps, hydro-mechanical fuel metering – Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), electronic engine controller, staged combustion, and airworthiness considerations. Back to Duty

K10: Propulsion Systems Performance and Integration – Aircraft performance and noise, jet engine performance, intakes and exhaust systems, system performance and integration. Back to Duty

K11: Computational Fluid Dynamics for Gas Turbines – Flow modelling strategies, physical Modelling, finite difference equations, and practical demonstration. Back to Duty

K12: Gas Turbine Operations – Power and energy, configurations and applications, measured and calculated parameters, performance using operational data, part-load operations, control constraints, availability and reliability, maintenance, degradation: recoverable and non-recoverable, performance enhancement/retention: air filtration systems, compressor washing, inlet cooling technologies. Flexibility: response rate and minimum environmental load. Back to Duty

K13: Combined Cycle Gas Turbine – Design point performance – Gas and Steam Turbine, Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) technology, off-design performance, transient performance, frequency control, performance economics, advanced cycles, and greenhouse issues. Back to Duty

K14: Engineering Management – Engineers and technologists in organisations, people management, the business environment, strategy and marketing, supply chain, tendering, contract and procurement, new product development, team working and negotiation skills. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Evaluate the performance of an engine system, using well-informed assumptions to determine its condition. Back to Duty

S2: Assess the outcomes from quantitative evaluations of gas turbine designs, to determine appropriate engine systems for particular applications. Back to Duty

S3: Employ computer-based gas turbine models to estimate engine performance at design and off-design conditions. Back to Duty

S4: Investigate the impact of different degradation and faults on gas turbine performance using computer-based models. Back to Duty

S5: Employ computer-based diagnostic analysis tools to detect gas turbine faults. Back to Duty

S6: Critically analyse the design and performance of turbomachinery components for modifications or new developments. Back to Duty

S7: Assess the influence of design choices on combustor efficiency, emissions, durability and stability to meet expected standards and compliance. Back to Duty

S8: Estimate the impact of operating conditions of a gas turbine combustor for maintenance replacements (life of combustor liner). Back to Duty

S9: Account for heat transfer effects and the cooling technology to produce a realistic assessment of turbine blade conditions. Back to Duty

S10: Assess life, fatigue and failure of cracked components. Back to Duty

S11: Evaluate the loads, stresses from rotation and vibration, as well as failure criteria of turbomachinery components. Back to Duty

S12: Assess the creep life of a gas turbine component subject to a complex operating profile. Back to Duty

S13: Employ desk-top methods to evaluate the stress distributions and vibration frequencies, to suggest ways of ameliorating any problems. Back to Duty

S14: Assess jet engine control systems design, the different mechanisms and components to allow for safe and efficient operation. Back to Duty

S15: Apply the awareness of the regulatory requirements relevant to engine controls and fuel systems in the analysis of control and operational needs Back to Duty

S16: Assess the overall aircraft performance. Back to Duty

S17: Use component performance accounting relationships to assess the installation performance in respect of the integration of the engine and airframe. Back to Duty

S18: Design effective turbomachinery grid generation strategies to ensure numerical models are successfully employed. Back to Duty

S19: Use Computational Fluid Dynamics tools to generate effective flow analyses, evaluations and reporting of flow simulations. Back to Duty

S20: Evaluate gas turbine performance using machine sensor data from actual operations. Back to Duty

S21: Identify and assess engine performance deterioration, as well as propose retrofit technologies to mitigate the impact. Back to Duty

S22: Quantify the benefits of retrofit technologies related to performance enhancement and engine flexibility options. Back to Duty

S23: Appraise the design and off-design performance of Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power plant. Back to Duty

S24: Apply the appropriate methods and data available to assess the economic viability of operations and power generation technologies. Back to Duty

S25: Evaluate the impact of the key functional areas (procurement, strategy, marketing and supply chain ) on the commercial performance, relevant to the manufacture of a product or provision of technical service. Back to Duty

S26: Strategic in the exploitation of teams efforts/strengths with reference to operations and commercialising technological innovation. Back to Duty

S27: Demonstrate negotiating skills, deal with uncertainty to allow technological innovation and change to flourish. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: System Thinking – recognise the contribution of individuals at different levels and experiences (specialist and generalist), and appreciating interrelations and integration. Back to Duty

B2: Team working – comfortable working collaboratively in teams. Back to Duty

B3: Curiosity and Innovation – Open to new ideas and the development of such ideas of individuals or others, and adopt practices that are informed by wider considerations (environment, ethical and legal compliance). Back to Duty

B4: Professional Commitment – Continue to embrace the development of domain knowledge and awareness of technological advances. Back to Duty

B5: Leadership – taking responsibility for their actions, show perseverance and be prepared to lead, mentor and supervise others. Back to Duty

B6: Responsiveness to change: flexible to changing working environment and demands; resilient under pressure Back to Duty


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