Newswise — As the airline and travel industries recover from flight disruptions brought by the eruption of Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano on May 21, an event that sent a swath of ash into the skies over the British Isles and elsewhere in Europe, engineers at ASME Turbo Expo 2011 are convening a panel that will report on the adverse effects of ash on jet engine components.
Representatives of airline companies and engine manufacturers will join with research experts and regulatory groups in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 7, to assess the dangers of ash ingestion in jet turbines. The speakers also will discuss techniques to model and measure ash formation in the atmosphere and explore strategies to mitigate failure.
“Ingestion of ash ablates jet engine blades and vanes, and the ash can melt to a molten glassy state, causing blockages leading to compressor surge and possible flameout,” says Lee S. Langston, Ph.D., professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at the University of Connecticut, in a recent edition of ASME’s Mechanical Engineering magazine.
Langston will chair the panel session at Turbo Expo, which also will include a presentation from Michael Dunn, Ph.D., director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory at The Ohio State University. Dunn’s experimental analysis shows that ash can degrade fuel control systems and deposit carbon-like material in fuel nozzles, impeding engine performance and posing serious dangers.
One way to mitigate the effects of ash ingestion, according to Langston, is to apply a magnetic field at an engine inlet, which would divert the charged particles away from the engine core and into the bypass air.
The ash plume from the eruption of Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano resulted in more than 100,000 flight cancellations, costing the airline industry an estimated $1.7 billion in lost revenue. Some 10 million passengers were stranded.
ASME Turbo Expo 2011 – Gas Turbine Technical Congress and Exposition will be held June 6-10, at the Vancouver Exhibition and Conference Centre. In addition to the session on the impact of volcanic ash on jet engines, the program will cover engine design, materials, fans and blowers, cogeneration, combustion diagnostics, and micro-turbines, among other topics. Focusing on the theme “Clean and Efficient Turbo-machinery Technologies for Future Low Carbon Economies,” Turbo Expo will bring together engineers, research scientists, educators and other professionals from around the world.
The three-day exposition at Turbo Expo will showcase the products and services of engine manufacturers, software developers, research laboratories, and other firms in the worldwide power industry. Other events will include the keynote session, facility tours, and continuing education workshops.
For information on ASME Turbo Expo 2011, call the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI) at 404-847-0072 or visit http://www.asmeconferences.org/TE011/.
IGTI, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., supports the exchange of information focused on improving the design, manufacture, operation and maintenance, and environmental impact of gas turbines, turbo-machinery, and related equipment.
About ASMEASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.
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