Contact Dr Yiguang Li

Areas of expertise

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Gas Turbines & Propulsion
  • Power Systems & Turbines
  • Vehicle Health Management

Background

General Background:

Dr Yiguang Li is a Reader in Gas Turbine Performance and Diagnostics at the Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥. He joined Cranfield as a member of research staff in 1999. His research interests are gas turbine performance and simulation, gas path condition monitoring, gas turbine combined cycles, combined heat and power, CFD applications in gas turbines, etc. He has 8 years of experience in gas turbine industry as a gas turbine performance engineer and more than20 years of experience in academic research, postgraduate teaching and Continuously Professional Development. He has published more than 50 journal papers and 70 conference papers. He is a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a Fellow of Higher Education Academy (HEA). He is an ex-Associate Editor of ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power. He was the past chair of the Cycle Innovations Committee (2011-2013) and the past chair of the Industrial and Co-Generation Committee of ASME Turbo Expo conference.

Education:

Dr Li obtained his BSc degree at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1984, MSc degree at Northwesten Polytechnical University in 1989, and PhD degree at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ in 2001. He was a visiting scholar for one year (1995-1996) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Glasgow University, Scotland.

Employment:

Dr Li was a gas turbine performance assistant engineer for 2 years (1984-1986) and a gas turbine performance engineer for 6 years (1989-1995). He joined Cranfield university in 1999 as a Research Officer. After several promotions, he has been a Reader in Gas Turbine Technology since 2018.

Awards:

ASME/IGTI Outstanding Service Award 2024.

ASME Turbo Expo Industrial and Cogeneration Committee Best Paper Award 2020 on paper 'Gas Path Diagnostics for Once-Through Steam Generator', ASME GT2019-90324, ASME Turbo Expo 2020, London, UK, June 2020.

ASME Turbo Expo Cycle Innovation Committee Best Paper Award 2012 on paper 'Creep Life Prediction for Aero Gas Turbine Hot Section Component Using Artificial Neural Network Approach', ASME GT2012-68856, ASME Turbo Expo 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark, 11-15 June 2012.

ASME Turbo Expo Cycle Innovation Committee Best Paper Award 2010 on paper 'Non-Linear Multiple Gas Turbine Off-Design Performance Adaptation Using a Genetic Algorithm', ASME Paper GT2010-22285.

ASME Turbo Expo Cycle Innovation Committee Best Paper Award 2008 on paper 'A Genetic Algorithm Approach to Estimate Performance Status of Gas Turbines', ASME Paper GT2008-50175.

Research opportunities

Potential research opportunities are in the area of gas turbine performance, gas path diagnostics and prognostics, life consumption monitoring, low emission combustors, combined cycle gas turbines, combined heat and power, CFD applications to gas turbines, application of Artificial Intelligence to gas turbine condition monitoring.

Current activities

Dr Li is the Director of Gas turbine group design training programmes. He is the Principle Investigation of the following research projects sponsored by gas turbine industry:

* Gas path diagnostics of steam turbines

* Gas Turbine diagnostics, prognostics and lifing

* Low emissions combustor designs

* Operation optimization of combined cycle power plant

* Heat recovery for CCGT powerplant using heat pump

* Gas turbine health monitoring

* Gas turbine lifing

* Diagnostics system development for a helicopter engine

Dr Li's research activities cover the following areas:

* Gas turbine performance

* Gas path diagnostics and prognostics

* Gas Turbine Lifing.

* Combined cycle gas turbines

* Combined heat and power

Led by Dr Li, digital twin software named Pythia for gas turbine performance and condition monitoring has been developed and continuously being upgraded since 2001. The software has been applied to industrial applications, research projects and postgraduate education. It has the following capabilities:

* Applicable to a wide Range of Gas Turbines: Industrial / Aero / Marine

* Design Point & Off Design performance (Environmental impact & part load) simulations

* Transient performance simulations

* Design-point and off-design performance adaptation

* Multiple Fuels

* Air bleeding & cooling

* Variable Geometry: Compressor IGV / Turbine NGV / Nozzle Area

* Customer component maps

* Engine Deterioration and measurement sample generations

* Gas path diagnostics using GPA/GA/Adaptive GPA

* Gas path prognostics

* Gas turbine creep life and LCF life consumption analysis and tracking

Led by Dr Li, a new professional development short course on "Gas turbine performance and condition monitoring" is available. The details can be found at /courses/short/aerospace/gas-turbine-performance-and-condition-monitoring

Clients

Dr Li's research and academic activities are associated with gas turbine and power generation industry, such as Manx Electricity Authority (MEA), Isle of Man in the UK, and other gas turbine industry.

Expert Committees and Professional Societies

Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (since 2017)

Member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2004-2017)

Fellow of Higher Education Academy (HEA) (since 2007)

Associate Editor of ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power (2019-2021)

Member of Working Group 3 of ETIP SNET (since 2019)

Project Board Member of European Turbine Network (ETN) (2018-2020, 2024 - now)

Regional Expert (China) of ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ (since 2016)

Reviewer of UK EPSRC research proposal

External PhD examiners to Queen Mary University London & Manchester University in the UK, University of Ferrara in Italy

Paper reviewer for more than 20 international journals and more than 6 international conferences

International Conference Contributions

Chair of Industrial and Cogeneration Committee of ASME Turbo Expo conference (2017-2019)

Vice-Chair of Industrial and Cogeneration Committee of ASME Turbo Expo conference (2015-2017)

Chair of Cycle Innovations Committee of ASME Turbo Expo conference (2011-2013)

Vice-Chair of Cycle Innovations Committee of ASME Turbo Expo conference (2009-2011)

Session organizer and chair of Control, Diagnostics and Instrumentation Committee of ASME Turbo Expo conference

Session organizer and chair of Condition Monitoring conference (2007-2008)

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers