Turbocharger Research Institute launched on campus
Former President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Professor Isobel Pollock with Professor John Allport, Director of the University's Turbocharger Research Institute, at the official opening.
Fri, 28 Nov 2014 10:53:00 GMT
Professor Isobel Pollock, former president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, officially opens the new Institute
THE University of Huddersfield is now the focus for the development and practical application of an increasingly vital field of technology, following the launch of its Turbocharger Research Institute (TRI), officially opened by one of the nation’s highest-profile engineers.
Professor Isobel Pollock OBE – a former president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers – unveiled the plaque that commemorates the launch of the TRI, which is headed by Professor John Allport (pictured right).
When she spoke at the ceremony, Professor Pollock told guests that that the Institute had been established to support companies at the forefront of the technology by developing training and to conduct research relating to the use of turbochargers.
“The Institute brings together experienced professionals who have spent a significant amount of time working in the turbocharger and engine industries throughout the world. This gives it an unparalleled and unique insight into the field,” she said.
Professor Pollock described an earlier visit to the University of Huddersfield, as part of a specialist team which reviewed the work of its EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology. She was highly impressed by what she saw.
“And here in Huddersfield, you are doing it again!” said Professor Pollock. “The creation of the Turbocharger Research Institute – a cluster of real talent which has practical knowledge and experience, and which knows what it needs to do to support industrial partners – is an applied knowledge centre with industry needs in mind.”
Professor Pollock (pictured left) spoke about the importance of engineering and that the Institute was a centre that would help to improve the UK’s skills base. She recounted recent visits to major engineering projects around the country and declared that in Britain “we design great products and we manufacture great products”.
Professor Allport thanked Professor Pollock for conducting the opening ceremony and the University of Huddersfield for the opportunity to take on the challenge of launching the Institute. He also thanked his TRI team.
Industrial collaboration
Before the ceremony – at which she was introduced by University of Huddersfield Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Slee – Professor Pollock and the party of invited guests, including key industry figures, had inspected the Institute’s newly-refurbished technical facilities. After the opening ceremony there was a tour of some of the other ground-breaking research facilities at the University.
The newly-launched TRI already has a staff of seven researchers. Their backgrounds are evenly balanced between academia and industry, said Professor Allport, whose own extensive career in engineering has included key posts within the turbocharger industry.
The research team’s work will cover the full range of turbocharger applications, from small vehicle engines to large, low-speed marine engines.
A collaboration is already underway with BorgWarner Turbo Systems to conduct a multi-million pound research programme into the engineering of turbocharger systems for future applications. This collaboration has been awarded a major Regional Growth Fund grant to establish a new Turbocharger Engineering MSc course and support research activities.
Inaugural Professorial Lecture
On the evening of the Institute’s launch day, Professor Allport delivered his inaugural professorial lecture, entitled Turbocharging the future: challenges and opportunities, in which he discussed the fundamentals of turbocharging, and described the areas of research that the Institute will be focusing on.
The Director of the TRI has extensive academic and industrial experience and his activities also include membership of both the Academic Standards and the Academic Advisory Panels of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has also served on the Business and Industry Advisory Panel of Engineering UK.
In addition, Professor Allport is the named inventor on numerous patents, including several aspects of turbocharger design.
