Turbomachinery Aeroelasticity
VKI Lecture Series
Date: 13-17 April 2026
Location: online / on-site: Waterloosesteenweg, 72, 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium - near Brussels
About the lecture series
This lecture series provides a review of the latest understanding and state-of-the-art research in turbomachinery aeroelasticity. After an introduction to the field, recent research on forced response, flutter and non-synchronous vibration will be presented, including high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics and cutting-edge experimental techniques. In view of more integrated propulsion systems, two lectures will be dedicated to the effects of intake distortions. An introduction into computational methodologies for aeroelasticity in turbomachines, including the latest time-marching and frequency-domain methods, will also be given.
The course is aimed at participants from industry and academia, who wish to develop and deepen their understanding of complex aeroelastic phenomena in turbomachinery to aid design predictions and root cause analysis.
A 2.0 ECTS transfer for university students participating onsite is possible upon request. The evaluation is carried out via an oral examination about two weeks after the lecture series.
The lecture series is directed by Prof. Sina Stapelfeldt and Prof. Frank Eulitz.
Dr. Sina Stapelfeldt
Imperial College London, UK
Adjunct Professor at von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Belgium
Lecture Series Director and Lecturer
Prof. Frank Eulitz
von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Belgium
Lecture Series Director
Dr. Christoph Brandstetter
Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France
Lecturer
Prof. Roque Corral
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Lecturer
Dr. Christian Frey
DLR, Germany
Lecturer
Prof. Nicole Key
Purdue University, USA
Lecturer
Dr, Matt Montgomery
Kratos Defense, USA
Lecturer
Programme
Monday 13 April 2026: Introduction to aeroelasticity
09:00 - 09:30 Registration & Welcome
Prof. Frank Eulitz, VKI, Belgium
09:30 - 10:00 Introduction to Aeroelasticity in Turbomachinery
Dr Sina Stapelfeldt, Imperial College London, VKI, UK
10:45 - 11:15 Coffee break
11:15 - 12:30 Introduction to Computational Aeroelasticity
Dr Sina Stapelfeldt, Imperial College London, VKI, UK
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:15 Industry perspective: Aeroelasticity in Gas Turbines
Dr Matt Montgomery, Kratos Defense, USA
15:15 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 17:00 Industry perspective: Aeroelasticity in Aero-Engines
TBD
17:00 Reception
Tuesday 14 April 2026: Forced Response & Inlet Distortions
09:30 - 10:45 Forced response: Advances in experimental measurements and predictions in multi-stage compressors
Prof. Nicole Key, Purdue University, USA
10:45 - 11:15 Coffee break
11:15 - 12:30 Forced response: Aerodynamic and structural mistuning
Prof. Nicole Key, Purdue University, USA
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:15 Inlet distortions
Dr Matt Montgomery, Kratos Defense, USA
15:15 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 17:00 Non-synchronous forced response driven by unsteady aerodynamics and aeroacoustics
Dr. Christoph Brandstetter, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France
Wednesday 15 April 2026: Non-synchronous Vibrations & Experimental Methods
09:30 - 10:45 An introduction to non-synchronous vibration in fans and compressors
Dr Christoph Brandstetter, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France
10:45 - 11:15 Coffee break
11:15 - 12:30 Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic interactions leading to non-synchronous vibrations
Dr Christoph Brandstetter, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:15 Experimental methods for aeroelasticity in high-speed machines
Dr Christoph Brandstetter, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France
15:15 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 17:00 Tour of the VKI Laboratories
Prof. Frank Eulitz, VKI, Belgium
Thursday 16 April 2026: Flutter Phenomena & Analysis
09:30 - 10:15 Aerodynamic Trends in turbine flutter
Prof. Roque Corral, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
10:15 - 10:45 Coffee break
10:45 - 12:30 The effect of mode shape composition and reduced frequency on fan flutter
Dr Sina Stapelfeldt, Imperial College London, VKI, UK
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:15 The effect of the intake on fan flutter
Prof. Roque Corral, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
15:15 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 17:00 Seal Flutter
Prof. Roque Corral, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
Friday 17 April 2026: Computational Methods in Turbomachinery Aeroelasticity
09:30 - 10:45 Time-marching methods
Prof. Roque Corral, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
10:45 - 11:15 Coffee break
11:15 - 12:30 Frequency domain methods for flutter and forced response analysis
Dr Christian Frey, DLR, Germany
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:30 Advanced topics in frequency domain methods
Dr Christian Frey, DLR, Germany
15:30 - 16:00 Conclusion of lecture series
Fee and Registration
- Deadline for on-site registration: 30 March 2026
- Deadline for online registration: 06 February 2026
- Discount of 10% in case of online participation*
- Discount of 30% for citizens from NATO countries*
* applicable on the price listed below
Early Bird Registration until 13 February 2026
- Undergraduate students: €315
- PhD students: €864
- Staff from recognized universities / research center: €1368
- Staff from commercial organizations: €1728
Late Registration after 13 February 2026
- Undergraduate students: €350
- PhD students: €960
- Staff from recognized universities / research center: €1520
- Staff from commercial organizations: €1920