Rolls-Royce University Technology Centres (UTCs)(https://lnkd.in/ezRMAgVh) are long-term academic partnerships that drive innovation in critical areas of aerospace research. As part of this global network, we at TU Darmstadt contribute to the Combustor & Turbines UTCs, focusing on next-generation aero-engine technologies.

This year marked a special occasion: instead of the usual national German UTC meeting, the presentations were part of the Rolls-Royce Fluid Mechanics Conference, held June 20–21 at the Rolls-Royce Learning and Development Centre in Derby, UK.

It was a fantastic opportunity to:

• Present our latest research
• Exchange ideas with Rolls-Royce experts and fellow UTCs
• Look into the innovation and infrastructure at Rolls-Royce

A special highlight for us:

Our paper “Comprehensive Modeling of the Cause-and-Effect Chain in Aero-Engine Combustor Simulations: From Primary Breakup to Soot Formation” was awarded Runner-up for Best Doctorate Paper 2025. (The paper was also selected for journal publication from the 2025 ASME Turbo Expo)

In this work, we explored the critical links between the modelling of fuel spray breakup, mixture formation, and soot prediction in aero-engine combustors — highlighting the strong sensitivity of each step in the cause-and-effect chain.

Philipp Koob presented the work (did also most of the work before) and received the prize.

This achievement reflects the excellent collaboration between:

• Technische Universität Darmstadt: Philipp Koob, Hendrik Nicolai, A. Lindenthal, Christian Hasse
• Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT): F. Hirth, N. Bürkle, R. Koch
• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.: T. Soworka, Thomas Behrendt, M. Schroll
• Rolls-Royce Germany: Ruud Eggels, Dr. Carsten Clemen

A big thank you to everyone involved for the great teamwork!