Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M

What Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M does

The Turbomachinery Laboratory (Turbo Lab) is a university research center at Texas A&M University, operating as a center of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and a member of The Texas A&M University System. Founded in 1982 with Dr. Dara W. Childs as its long-tenured director (1984-2018), the lab now operates under Director Dr. Eric Petersen and conducts fundamental and applied research in rotating machinery — including rotordynamics, bearing and seal analysis, heat transfer, combustion, gas dynamics, and computational design — for rotating equipment manufacturers and operators in oil & gas, petrochemical, power generation, aerospace, and propulsion industries.

The lab's commercial product surface centers on two proprietary, experimentally validated software tools: XLTRC2, a suite of rotordynamic analysis codes for lateral and torsional analysis of pumps, compressors, and turbines (gated to Turbomachinery Research Consortium members), and XL_ThrustBearing, a thermohydrodynamic tilting-pad thrust bearing design tool developed by Dr. Luis San Andrés and students (trademarked). It operates two industry consortia — the Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC) and the newer Energy and Propulsion Research Consortium (EPRC) — with 35+ major industrial members paying $30,000 (single) or $50,000 (dual) annual fees for software access, faculty expertise, and member-voted research. Workforce development activities include the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) in Houston, the Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (ATPS) in Singapore, extended 3-5 day short courses, weekly seminar series, fellowships and scholarships, and a student resume board. The lab occupies a 37,000 sq ft high-bay facility with 12 vibration-damped test cells and an extensive compressor farm capable of 150-2,500 psig.

Revenue flows from four streams: sponsored research from government (DoD Navy/Air Force/DTRA/SERDP, DOE, NSF, NASA) and industry sources including SBIR-STTR partnerships, consortium membership fees, symposia and short course registrations, and fellowships/scholarships. The organization is a hybrid academic-industry technology transfer entity — not a conventional startup — owned and governed through TEES with no private equity or venture capital ownership. Its 56-person staff (approximately 15 faculty plus program specialists, facilities, and digital media) supports both research output and the recurring revenue streams tied to the consortia and events.

Name

Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M

Legal name

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)

Website

https://turbolab.tamu.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M is a university research center conducting applied research in rotordynamics, heat transfer, combustion, and bearing/seal design, serving rotating equipment manufacturers in oil & gas, power, aerospace, and propulsion through proprietary software, two industry consortia, and global symposia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Turbomachinery Research and Engineering Services

NAICS

Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (336412), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Engines & Turbines (3510)

akta.pro primary industry

Propulsion Test, Integration & Certification Services (IMABADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engine Modules & Hot-Section Components (Compressors/Turbines/Combustors) (IMABADAJ), Powertrain Test, Dyno & Validation Services (Post-rebuild/Reman QA) (TLAKALAN)

Keywords

• Turbomachinery research
• Rotordynamic analysis
• Gas turbine engineering
• Rotating equipment testing
• Continuing engineering education

Headquarters

HQ city

College Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sponsored Research: Research sponsored by government and industry sources through traditional grants and contracts. Research projects are led by faculty researchers working with graduate students, post-docs, research associates, and undergraduate students. Also includes SBIR-STTR funded partnerships.
2. Turbomachinery Research Consortium Membership: Annual membership fees of $30,000 for one consortium (TRC or EPRC) or $50,000 for both consortia. Members include major turbomachinery, energy, and propulsion developers and users. TRC membership provides access to XLTRC2 software, XL_Thrustbearing software, annual research reports, and faculty expertise.
3. Symposia and Short Courses: Professional continuing education programs including Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) and Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (ATPS). Extended short courses ranging from 3-5 days led by industry experts with CEU credits awarded. Revenue generated supports graduate and undergraduate education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Turbomachinery Laboratory conducts fundamental and applied research in turbomachinery performance and reliability, supported by sponsored research contracts from government and industry. It sells proprietary rotordynamic and thrust bearing design software (XLTRC2 and XL_ThrustBearing) exclusively to consortium members, and delivers professional continuing education through the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS/ATPS), extended short courses, and a weekly seminar series.

Product overview

The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M is a research center offering a portfolio of specialized products and services. At its core are proprietary software tools: XLTRC2 for rotordynamic analysis and XL_ThrustBearing® for thrust bearing design. The Laboratory operates two research consortia (TRC and EPRC) providing exclusive access to research findings and software for member organizations. Workforce development services include professional symposia (TPS and ATPS), extended short courses, a seminar series, and student fellowship programs. The laboratory also supports industry through a resume board connecting graduates with employers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Turbomachinery Laboratory Research Consortia (TLRC): An exclusive organization of major turbomachinery, energy, and propulsion developers, researchers, and users united to solve business challenges through cutting-edge research.
• Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC)
• XLTRC2 Software
• XL_ThrustBearing

Products and services

• XLTRC2 Software A suite of high-speed, experimentally verified and user-friendly codes for executing complete lateral and torsional rotordynamic analysis of rotating machinery including pumps, compressors, and turbines, bundled with 25+ examples of rotordynamic analysis. Available exclusively to TRC consortium members.
• XL_ThrustBearing Software A fast and accurate computational design tool for tilting pad thrust bearings with a thermohydrodynamic model coupling generalized Reynolds equation for film pressure with 3D thermal energy transport and heat conduction equations for pads. Developed by Dr. Luis San Andrés and doctoral student Rasool Koosha; available exclusively to TRC members.
• Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC) Membership An exclusive organization of 35+ major turbomachinery developers and users united to find answers to important questions about turbomachinery performance and reliability. Annual membership fee of $30,000 provides access to XLTRC2 software, faculty expertise, member-voted research projects, annual research reports, and meeting/networking opportunities.
• Energy and Propulsion Research Consortium (EPRC) A consortium within the Turbomachinery Laboratory Research Consortia (TLRC) providing member access to the Energy and Propulsion Research Laboratory through member-voted research projects. Available individually for $30,000/year or jointly with TRC for $50,000/year.
• Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) Professional continuing education program relied upon by rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide, with technical content hand-picked by advisory committees of recognized leaders in the turbomachinery and pump communities. Held annually in Houston, Texas.
• Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (ATPS) Regional symposium program held in Asia for rotating equipment engineers and technicians, featuring maintenance, reliability, troubleshooting, and emerging technologies.
• Extended Short Courses Extended short courses (3-5 days) led by industry experts and academics offered throughout the year in College Station and San Antonio, Texas, providing continuing education opportunities in an interactive environment with CEU credits awarded upon completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dr. Luis San Andrés has authored over 160 journal papers and 80 conference papers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Power and Propulsion Society (GPPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016GPPS, founded in 2016, creates high-level relationships between global influencers and power/propulsion industry talent through interactive events. The society provides a platform for academics, industry professionals, and executives to forge collaborations, focusing on transforming societal infrastructure through events in Europe, North America, and Asia.
• Hydraulic Institute (HI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1917Founded in 1917, the Hydraulic Institute is the largest association of pump manufacturers in North America. HI develops standards and technical resources including application guidebooks, online tools, and calculators. The institute manages efficiency programs stemming from advocacy work with the US Department of Energy, including the HI Energy Rating label and PSAP certification.
• Vibration InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vibration Institute disseminates practical information on evaluating machinery behavior and condition without commercial interest. The institute offers education, training, certification, and technical knowledge exchange opportunities through formal training, networking, meetings, and publications.
• Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC) MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner35+ major turbomachinery developers and users united with the Turbomachinery Laboratory through annual membership fees of $30,000-$50,000 to support member-selected research projects. Members access XLTRC2 software, XL_Thrustbearing software, faculty expertise, and exclusive annual research reports.
• Texas A&M UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Turbo Lab is a center of Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and member of The Texas A&M University System. Draws on world-renowned research expertise of Texas A&M's Dwight Look College of Engineering.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ANSYS: Multiphysics simulation platform (CFX, Fluent, Maxwell) widely used for turbomachinery CFD/FEA across the same industrial member base that Turbo Lab serves. Comparable as a general-purpose competitor whose tools overlap with Turbo Lab's XLTRC2 and XL_ThrustBearing offerings.
• Solar Turbines (Caterpillar): Major industrial gas turbine OEM serving oil & gas, power and process industries. Comparable as a turbomachinery end-user likely participating in TRC/EPRC and a target customer for short courses and symposia.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: OEM of industrial gas turbines, steam turbines and compressors with substantial internal research investment. Comparable as a global turbomachinery incumbent whose engineering workforce overlaps with Turbo Lab's symposia and consortium audience.
• MAN Energy Solutions: OEM of large turbochargers, gas turbines, and process gas compressors with in-house R&D in rotordynamics and bearing/seal technology. Comparable as a major turbomachinery player likely represented in Turbo Lab's industrial consortium.
• Siemens Energy: Major OEM of gas turbines, compressors and rotating equipment with internal R&D and rotordynamics expertise. Comparable as a large turbomachinery end-user/developer and potential consortium member competing for talent in the same domain.
• Pratt & Whitney: Major military and commercial aircraft engine OEM with deep turbomachinery, combustion, and rotordynamics capability. Director Dr. Eric Petersen previously worked at Pratt & Whitney, evidencing direct talent exchange and comparable research scope.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Manufacturer of turboshaft and turbofan engines for aerospace with internal gas dynamics, combustion, and turbomachinery research. Comparable as a propulsion end-user and likely customer for short courses and federal-sponsored collaboration.

Direct peers

• Elliott Group: Manufacturer of turbomachinery (compressors, expanders, steam turbines) with industry-focused rotordynamics and reliability engineering. Comparable as a mid-sized turbomachinery OEM whose engineering teams are likely consortium members and consumers of the same research output.
• Concepts NREC (Curtiss-Wright): Develops and licenses turbomachinery design software (AxCent, FINE/Turbo, TURBOMACH) widely used by pump, compressor and turbine designers. Comparable as a software-and-research provider focused specifically on turbomachinery analysis, similar in mission to XLTRC2/XL_ThrustBearing.
• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI): Nonprofit, contract-based R&D institute with mechanical and aerospace testing programs including rotating machinery and turbomachinery. Most directly comparable as a similarly structured research organization performing sponsored and consortium-funded turbomachinery work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TurboLabTEES
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1WSdVv7pkC-RCEQhkirl9g
• Facebookfacebook.com/TAMUTurboLab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turbomachinery-laboratory-at-texas-a&m

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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