Professor Roger Charles Reed, University of Birmingham

This application will catalyse the formation of a world-leading team in the field of the high temperature materials – specifically the nickel-based superalloys – needed for next generation aircraft propulsion. It will strengthen the links between the University of Birmingham (UoB) and Rolls-Royce plc, by re-locating Prof Roger Reed’s research group to the High Temperature Research Centre (HTRC) which is operated by UoB and based on the Manufacturing Park at Ansty, Warwickshire. It will meet the needs of the industrial partner, for whom a grand challenge is now the design and production of critical turbine components for (i) miniaturised turbine-driven electrical generating systems needed for the electrification of flight, and (ii) use with alternative fuels e.g. sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or hydrogen. Use-inspired research will address the substantial processing/materials challenges emerging from this situation using both modelling and experimental approaches. Required is the re-design involving scaling downwards in size of the critical components such as turbine blades and turbine discs, which presents significant knock-on challenges for production but also opportunities for new compositions of nickel-based superalloy with properties carefully tuned for these new applications. A pervading challenge is the casting of thin-walled components of <​1mm wall thickness, since the risk of casting-related defects such as bicrystals, freckles and strain bands is then pronounced. The academic partner, the University of Birmingham, will benefit from a strengthening of its strategic collaboration with Rolls-Royce plc via the impact emerging and the hiring of a world-class authority to build an internationally-leading team of researchers.