Marine Propulsion Technology option

Jul 20, 2023

This course has been designed for those seeking a career in the design, development, operation and maintenance of marine propulsion systems.

Suitable for graduates seeking a challenging and rewarding career in an established international industry. Graduates are provided with the skills that allow them to deliver immediate benefits in a very demanding and rewarding workplace and therefore are in great demand.

This course is also available on a part-time basis enabling you to combine studying with full-time employment.

Following the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) declaration in 2019, several key mandatory measures to reduce ship’s carbon intensity are being adopted. This has created a demand for skilled marine engineers who can help implement change in design and operational matters and provide economic solutions.

This option is structured to enable you to pursue your own specific interests and career aspirations. You may choose from a range of optional modules and select an appropriate research project. An intensive two-week industrial management course is offered which assists in achieving exemptions from some engineering council requirements. You will gain a comprehensive background in the design and operation of different types of propulsion systems for marine applications, whilst looking at the methods of propulsion with the main focus on air-breathing engines and the use of gas turbines for propulsion.

This course is unique against other masters level courses in this sector in that it focuses on marine propulsion and gives particular emphasis to ship propulsion systems, ship auxiliary systems, propulsion system integration, alternative fuels, and regulatory framework.

We have been at the forefront of postgraduate education in thermal power and gas turbine technology at Cranfield since 1946. We have a global reputation for our advanced postgraduate education, extensive research and applied continuing professional development.

We are well located for visiting part-time students from all over the world, and offer a range of library and support facilities to support your studies, while balancing work/life commitments. Our MSc programmes benefit from a broad cultural diversity of students, which significantly enhances the learning experience for both staff and students.

Our industry partners help support our students in a number of ways - through guest lectures, awarding student prizes, recruiting course graduates and ensuring course content remains relevant to leading employers.

The Industrial Advisory Panel meets annually to maintain course relevancy and ensure that graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge required by leading employers. Knowledge gained from our extensive research and consultancy activity is also constantly fed back into the MSc programme. The Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc Industrial Advisory Panel is comprises senior engineers from companies such as:

The taught programme for the Marine Propulsion Technology masters consists of seven compulsory modules and up to three optional modules. The modules are generally delivered from October to April for the October intake.

Taught modules 50%, individual research project 50%

You are required to submit a written thesis describing an individual research project carried out during the course. Many individual research projects have been carried out with industrial sponsorship, and have often resulted in publication in international journals and symposium papers. This thesis is examined orally in September in the presence of an external examiner.

Keeping our courses up-to-date and current requires constant innovation and change. The modules we offer reflect the needs of business and industry and the research interests of our staff and, as a result, may change or be withdrawn due to research developments, legislation changes or for a variety of other reasons. Changes may also be designed to improve the student learning experience or to respond to feedback from students, external examiners, accreditation bodies and industrial advisory panels.

To give you a taster, we have listed the compulsory and elective (where applicable) modules which are currently affiliated with this course. All modules are indicative only, and may be subject to change for your year of entry.

On successful competition of this module you should be able to:

1. Explain and evaluate the concepts underpinning the design of gas turbine combustors and reheat systems for both aero and stationary gas turbines, and explain the influence of the design choices on overall engine configuration and performance; 2. Assess the influence of: fuel types and preparation, combustion efficiency, ignition requirements, diffuser performance, operational criteria, pollutant emissions and legislation, cooling and material technology on combustor sizing, design and performance; 3. Apply heat transfer techniques to the calculation of combustor liner temperature and assess the effect of materials, advanced cooling methods and thermal barrier coatings on the life of a combustor liner; 4. Employ methodologies to calculate combustion temperatures for various fuel types, mixture strengths and pressures; 5. Distinguish between simple and more advanced computational methods for combustor performance prediction in terms of their modelling and capabilities.

Assessments of engine systems, auxiliaries, families of engines, and/or engine and component designs for both aero and stationary gas turbines are addressed by means of a 'Systems Symposium', run by the MSc class. Topics covered by the systems symposium include: intake systems for aero engines and industrial gas turbines; anti-icing systems for aeroengines and industrial gas turbines; start systems for aeroengines and industrial gas turbines; start sequences for industrial gas turbines; compressor bleed and variable guide vanes; variable geometry nozzle guide vanes; gas path sealing of aero gas turbines; noise control of gas turbines; air filtration for industrial gas turbines; compressor and turbine cleaning systems; full authority and other electronic control systems; key gas turbine component design technologies, etc. Topics may also cover design technologies of gas turbine engines and their components, different families of engine products of major gas turbine manufacturers in different countries, comparison of competitive engines, etc. The objective is to undertake an evaluation of a specified aspect of gas turbine engineering, to make a presentation and to provide a technical review paper or design and assessment on a particular subject. Another aspect of the module is that the presentations are made in a conference format which requires the MSc students to work together to plan, organise and execute the events.

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:1. Compose a structured technical report in the form of a conference paper and a technical presentation.2. Conduct a systematic analysis of a range of sources to identify, analyse and assess the main technologies of a key aspect of gas turbine engineering.3. Report and defend the technical outcomes of the systematic analysis in the form of a conference paper and presentation.4. Work effectively with others in groups to deliver a Gas Turbine Systems Symposium on the basis of a scientific conference.5. Collaborate in different capacities to formulate a business/management plan to market and communicate the Engine Systems Symposium to the wider gas turbine community for encouraging the attendance of external agencies.

Thermofluids: Introduction to aerodynamics, thermofluids, and compressible flows.

Compressor Design and Performance

Overall performance: Fundamentals of axial flow compressors. Overall performance, achievable pressure ratio and efficiency. The effect of Reynolds number, Mach number, and incidence. Definition of isentropic and polytropic efficiency, effect of pressure ratio, performance at constant speed, surge and surge margin definitions, running line, choking effects.

The axial compressor stage: Stage loading and flow parameters, limitation in design on pitch line basis. Definition and choice of reaction at design, effect on stage efficiency. Loss sources in turbomachines and loss estimation methods. The ideal and real stage characteristic, stall and choke. The free vortex solution, limitations due to hub/tip ratio. Off-design performance Choice of overall annulus geometry, axial spacing, aspect ratio, limitations of rear hub/tip ratio. Compressor blading: selection of blade numbers, aspect ratio and basic blade profiling.

Compressor design example: Multi-stage compressor design example carried out for a HPC.

Turbine Design and Performance

Overall performance: the expansion process and characteristics, annulus layout and design choices, choice of stage loading and flow coefficient, engine overall performance requirements, overall annulus geometry and layout; rising line, constant mean diameter and falling line.

The axial turbine stage: Aerodynamic concepts and parameters, velocity triangles, reaction, stage loading, flow coefficients. The ideal and real characteristic. Design for maximum power: effect of choking and change of inlet temperature and pressure. Stage efficiency, overtip leakage, profile losses, correlations. Three-dimensional design aspects. Radial equilibrium and secondary flows.

Turbine blading: choice of base profile, blade numbers and aspect ratio. Zweiffel's and alternative lift coefficients.

Turbine Design Example: An aerodynamic design example is carried out for a HPT Heat Transfer Principles: Brief review of heat transfer principles and physical significance of non-dimensional groupings. Conditions around blades, boundary layers, external heat transfer coefficient distribution, effect of turbulence. Root cooled blades and NGVs, analytical and numerical methods of determining spanwise temperature distribution. Fibre strengthened and nickel base alloys.

Need for high turbine entry temperature: effect on engine performance.

Development of materials, manufacturing processes and cooling systems.

Convection Cooling: Convectively cooled aerofoils: analytical approach for metal and cooling air spanwise temperature distribution. Cooling passage geometry and heat transfer characteristics. Cooling efficiency, cooling effectiveness and mass flow function: application at project design stage for determining metal and cooling air temperatures. Methods for optimising cooling system design: secondary surfaces and multipass. Internal temperature distribution of cooled aerofoils: calculations, comparisons with experimental results.

Impingement, Film and Transpiration Cooling: Principles steady state and transient performance, characteristics, advantages, limitations, comparison with convection cooling. Cooling air feed and discharge systems. Integration of cooled turbine with aerodynamic performance and main engine design. Co-ordination of design responsibilities. Example of cooled turbine stage design.

Liquid Cooling: Liquid cooling: principles, advantages and limitations, practical examples.

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Identify and analyse the design and performance characteristics of turbomachinery components;2. For given inlet conditions and requirements, determine the aerodynamic performance characteristics of a turbomachine and comment on the feasibility of the design; 3. Differentiate the key design choices for axial compressors and turbines; 4. Construct an assessment of the aspects which affect the design and performance of axial turbomachines;5. Apply formulations and critical evaluations of underpinning turbo-machinery theories; 6. Explain the requirement for ethical and professional conduct in the use of data and in the presentation of results and calculations;7. Explain the major differences between the various heat transfer and cooling architectures and apply the concepts and theories of heat transfer and different cooling technologies to the cooling of turbine blades to produce a realistic assessment of their cooling requirements.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

To familiarise you with various marine propulsion technologies, propulsion auxiliary and their integration

The module will be covered in the following four parts:

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

To familiarise students with the common problems associated with the mechanical design and the lifing of the major rotating components of the gas turbine engine.

The module will give you the opportunity to review and analyse environmental and operational requirements of future power and propulsion systems and emerging technologies in electrified propulsion. You will synthesise and compare electrified power and propulsion architectures applied to future transportation concepts to meet the above requirements and make use of the emerging technologies reviewed. Furthermore, the module will enable you to develop and use simulation and numerical models/methods/skills for the modelling and analysis of electrified power and propulsion systems used with various aircraft and marine platforms. This will be undertaken while carrying out a critical assessment of the impact of novel electric technologies on the performance of integrated vehicle and propulsion system design.

Challenges, opportunities & drivers for electrification

Need for change & the environment.

Electrified and distributed power and propulsion systems

Architectures, topologies, metrics, parameters/variables.

Platforms, missions, and requirements.

Energy management strategies.

Electrified gas turbine configuration and cycles

Novel turbofan engines.

Turboshaft and open rotor engines.

Advanced Thermodynamic Cycles.

Turbo-electric architectures for marine applications

Comparison of Turboelectric architecture Aero vs Marine.

Turboelectric config. selection, performance, and integration.

Evaluation of turboelectric marine architecture.

Aerodynamic Integration of Electrified and Distributed Propulsion Systems

Overview of electrified propulsor aerodynamics.

Case study Boundary Layer Ingestion.

Case study wing tip propellers.

Synergies with Hydrogen and Thermal Management System

Hydrogen as a coolant.

Thermal Management requirements for electrified aircraft.

Tutorials & Case Studies

Aircraft.

Rotorcraft.

Marine.

You will be taught by experienced academic staff at Cranfield with many years of industrial experience.Our teaching team are active researchers as well as tutors and have extensive experience of aerospace propulsion, in both industrial and research and development environments.Continuing close collaboration with major engine manufacturers in both the UK and overseas, through teaching and research, ensures that this course maintains the relevance and professionalism for which it is internationally renowned. Knowledge gained working with our clients is continually fed back into the teaching programme, to ensure that you benefit from the very latest knowledge and techniques affecting industry.The course also includes visiting lecturers from industry who will relate the theory to current best practice. The Course Director for the October intake for this programme is Dr Devaiah Nalianda. The March intake Course Director is Professor Pericles Pilidis.

The Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc is accredited by Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for further learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to show that they have satisfied the educational base for CEng registration. Please note accreditation applies to the MSc award and PgDip do not meet in full the further learning requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Applications need to be made online.

Once you have set up an account you will be able to create, save and amend your application form before submitting it.

Cranfield University has been ranked amongst the world’s top universities in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject.

In Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing, Cranfield has been ranked 27th in the world and attaining top scores in Employer and Academic Reputation.

To help students find appropriate funding, we have created a funding finder where you can search for suitable sources of funding by filtering the results to suit your needs. Visit the funding finder.

The Cranfield ScholarshipWe have a limited number of scholarships available for candidates from around the world. Scholarships are awarded to applicants who show both aptitude and ability for the subject they are applying.

British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM Cranfield University, in partnership with the British Council, is proud to join the Women in STEM Scholarship initiative by offering five fully funded scholarships for female students from Turkey. Apply online before the deadline of 31 March 2022.

Frank Whittle scholarships for Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc Cranfield is providing a limited number of scholarships for the Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc, named after the British inventor of the jet engine.

Cranfield University Athena Scholarship for Thermal Power and Propulsion MScWe are providing eight full-fee Athena scholarships (named after the Greek goddess of wisdom) for the Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc at Cranfield University. These will be offered to talented female engineers from under-represented backgrounds one or two from each continent (one each for N&C America, South America, Europe and Oceania plus two for Asia and Africa).

Fan Makers Bursary for MSc in Thermal Power and PropulsionThe bursary is open to UK and EU students with an offer of admission for the Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc. Applicants can be considered for both the October and March intakes. The bursary will be awarded to a student who, without financial support, would not be able to attend this postgraduate course.

ISTAT Foundation ScholarshipsThe ISTAT Foundation is actively engaged in helping young people develop careers in aviation by offering scholarships of up to $US10,000. One student will be nominated for a scholarship each year by Cranfield University.

GREAT China ScholarshipThe GREAT Cranfield University Scholarship China is jointly funded by Cranfield University and the British Council. Two scholarships of £11,000 each for Chinese students are available.

Master's Loan from Student Finance EnglandA Master's Loan is now available for UK and EU applicants to help you pay for your Master’s course. You can apply for a loan at GOV.UK.

Santander ScholarshipThe Santander Scholarship at Cranfield University is worth £4,000 towards tuition fees for full-time master's courses. The scholarship is open to female students from the UK.

Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing CountriesStudents from developing countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK can apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship which includes tuition fees, travel and monthly stipend for master’s study.

Future Finance Student LoansCranfield University has partnered with Future Finance as an alternative source of funding for our students with loans of up to £40,000 available.

Chevening ScholarshipsChevening Scholarships are awarded to outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year master’s at Cranfield university. The scholarship includes tuition fees, travel and monthly stipend for master’s study.

IGEM Postgraduate Masters ScholarshipThe Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) is offering postgraduate master's scholarships worth £6,500 to those studying an Engineering Council accredited degree.

Royal Aeronautical SocietyThe Royal Aeronautical Society offer Centennial Scholarships for those studying an accredited course.

Lendwise Postgraduate Student LoanThe Lendwise Postgraduate Student Loan provides tuition fee and maintenance loans of between £5,000 and £100,000 for eligible applicants studying at Cranfield University.

A first or second class UK honours degree (or equivalent) in engineering, mathematics, physics or an applied science.

Applicants who do not fulfil the standard entry requirements can apply for the Pre-master's course, successful completion of which will qualify them for entry to this course for a second year of study.

To study for a formal award at Cranfield you will need to demonstrate that you can communicate effectively in English in an academic environment. Full details of how you can meet this requirement can be found in our English language requirements section.

Approved English tests for Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc

Please note that:

IELTSIELTS Academic, IELTS Online, IELTS for UKVI Academic, IELTS Indicator* - 6.5 overall and 5.5 in all skill components.

TOEFLTOEFL iBT (we accept TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL iBT Paper Edition) - 92 total and minimum skill component scores of 18 reading, 17 listening, 20 speaking and 17 writing.

Cambridge Assessment EnglishAny Cambridge Assessment English test meeting the required scores will be accepted. The following are recommended as being within the scale score range: Cambridge C1 Advanced, Cambridge C2 Proficiency, Linguaskill General - Cambridge English Scale score of 180 overall and 160 in all skill components.

KaplanKITE (Kaplan International Tools for English) - 475 overall and 410 in all skill components. Cranfield applicants and offer holders are entitled to a £25 discount, reducing the price of KITE to £65. Register for a test using the this form to benefit from the discount.

LanguageCertLanguageCert Academic - 70 overall and 59 in all skill components.International ESOL B2 Communicator (both the Written and Spoken tests must be taken), International ESOL SELT B2 (this test includes all 4 skill components) - High Pass overall and 33 in all skill components.

PasswordPassword Skills Plus - 6.5 overall and 5.5 in all skill components.

Pearson PTEPTE Academic, PTE Academic Online, PTE Academic UKVI - 65 overall and 59 in all skill components.

Trinity College LondonIntegrated Skills in English - ISE III (C1) - Overall Pass outcome.

*Only available in China.

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

Applicants who do not already meet the English language entry requirement above can apply for one of our Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Please be aware that not all English tests are suitable for obtaining a Student visa for Pre-sessional study. You can check entry requirements on the Pre-sessional EAP course page.