Our researchers probe the fluid mechanics of fans, compressors and turbines using unique experimental rigs and GPU-accelerated computational tools capable of simulating multi-stage machines in hours rather than weeks.
The Lab convenes researchers, students, companies, and entrepreneurs around high-reward challenges—hydrogen aircraft, hybrid-electric propulsion, advanced power plants, and tidal energy conversion—to develop the components and processes powering a net-zero future.
By co-locating disciplines and stripping out hierarchy, we compress the cycle from idea to test to insight into days rather than months. This agility extends far beyond aviation. During COVID-19, the same teams pivoted from decarbonisation to medicine, developing a low-cost intensive-care ventilator: the first manufactured in Africa at roughly a tenth of the usual price.
The Laboratory carries the name and ambition of Sir Frank Whittle, who developed the first jet engine at Cambridge. Over fifty years, we’ve partnered with industry leaders including Rolls-Royce, Mitsubishi, Siemens Energy, and Dyson, and won more than a hundred international awards.
As AI reshapes how engineering hardware is developed across aerospace and energy, the Whittle Lab is positioned at the leading edge of this transformation.
