Welcome to the MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory
Welcome to the Gas Turbine Laboratory (GTL) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The GTL has had a worldwide reputation for research and teaching at the forefront of gas turbine technology for over 50 years. The lab is a reflection of the shared interest of its faculty and staff in both working at the frontiers of aeropropulsion and educating graduate students in this technology. We work in this area because we find it rewarding and exciting, and hope that we can transmit this excitement during your stay. The performance of gas turbine engines has improved enormously over the past 50 years and will continue to do so for quite some time.
The Gas Turbine Laboratory is a research organization within the academic department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the MIT School of Engineering. Faculty, staff, and students are associated with both the GTL and an academic department, usually (but not necessarily) Aero/Astro or Mechanical Engineering. Insofar as the day-to-day operation of the GTL is concerned, departmental affiliation is unimportant. Students may (and generally do) take subjects in several departments. They must, however, abide by the appropriate academic rules and procedures which vary somewhat from department to department.
The professional staff of the GTL consists of 5-8 faculty (who may be associated with other labs as well), 4 doctoral-level permanent staff, 3-5 post-doctoral associates, and 15-20 graduate students. Often, 1 or 2 senior faculty from other universities, or experienced engineers from industry or government laboratories spend anywhere from a few weeks to several years at the lab. To assist with the experimental work, the lab employs a highly skilled technician and machinist.
