The Website of the GasTurb Inventor
GasTurb is a program that calculates the performance of gas turbines used for aircraft propulsion and power generation. This website is a valuable resource for anyone using GasTurb or other performance software such as NPSS, PROOSIS, PyCycle and T-MATS. Here, you can find information about modeling contemporary engines, compressor and turbine maps, technically oriented tutorials, other teaching material, and my recent publications. And finally, you can read about the history of GasTurb.
In 2013 the ownership of GasTurb 12 and the accompanying software was transferred to the newly founded GasTurb GmbH in Aachen, Germany. I continued to support the further GasTurb development with my experience. Thanks to this fruitful cooperation, we were able to create an even more powerful release, named GasTurb 13. This software kept the established structure, technical standards, and engineering approach, while also introducing some enhancements to the easy-to-learn, user-friendly graphical interface.
In October 2019 GasTurb GmbH declared the end of collaboration.
Since retiring from MTU Aero Engines, I have been working as a freelancer in the field of gas turbine performance. My research interests include software with intuitive user interfaces, special graphical output formats, automatic identification of dubious inputs and results, robust algorithms, and exceptional simulation tasks. I share the results of my research on this website, and I present them at conferences, seminars, and workshops with my consulting clients.
GasTurb is now a trademark of GasTurb GmbH, Aachen, Germany
Upcoming Event
I will prensent paper GPPS-TC-2026-0083, entitled
Generating Physically Accurate Compressor Maps.
The accuracy of gas turbine performance predictions depends on the quality of the compressor maps used. These maps can originate from measurements, calculations, or from literature. The most accurate data comes from measurements taken on a compressor rig. This data must undergo preprocessing before it can be used in a performance program. In this process, the unavoidable scatter in the given data, the uneven distribution of the measured points, and the occasional scarcity of points for a given speed line are difficult to cope with.
Ideally, one would automatically and unambiguously generate the map from the measured data using specialized software. However, creating such software is not a trivial task. Simply drawing a smooth line through the given data will not produce an acceptable result. Therefore, a semi-automatic approach is often used, in which an experienced engineer manually corrects a draft created by the computer. The disadvantage of this approach is that the result depends on the person doing the job.
This paper describes the challenges of creating a compressor table generator that adheres to compressor physics. The software must account for the type of compressor (e.g., axial or radial; single-stage or multi-stage; with or without variable guide vanes), as each type has unique characteristics. The Mach number level must also be considered because it affects the shape of correlations between pressure ratio, speed, mass flow, efficiency, torque, specific work, and loss descriptors, for example. Many of these correlations have a shape that can be derived from compressor theory. This paper demonstrates the applicability of this knowledge to true data through several illustrative examples.
My Recent Publications
At the 2026 ASME Turbo Expo in Milan, Italy, I presented the tutorial "The Basics of Aircraft Engine Thrust Management." The event drew a significant crowd, with approximately 130 individuals in attendance. This and more tutorials are available for download free of charge from the Tutorials page.
I have presented the paper "Practice-Relevant Teaching of Gas Turbine Performance" at the GPPS conference 2025 in Shanghai. You can download both the paper and the presentation I have shown from the "My publications" page. This paper has been proposed for publication in the GPPS Journal.
ast updated 19 July 2026
Engine Models, Compressor and Turbine Maps
Two new turbofan engine models have recently been added to the Engine Models page: the CFM56 LEAP-1A and the PW1100G-JM. Both engines are used on the Airbus A320neo. Additionally, a model of the LM2500 was added as an example of a turboshaft. This machine's gas generator is another new engine model. It can be considered a turbojet.
There are now nine performance models of contemporary engines available. These include mixed-flow and separate-flow turbofans with bypass ratios ranging from 0.4 to 12; a two-spool turboshaft for power generation; and a gas generator model of this engine that could theoretically be used as a turbojet. Geometry models derived from thermodynamic cycle data are compared to engine cross sections found online. Additionally, Sankey diagrams illustrate energy flow within the engines, making the relative importance of the various components visible. Comparing Sankey diagrams of different engines can create a "wow effect."
Overall, there is ample material for teaching gas turbine performance in a practical way based on real data of contemporary engines.
Moreover, there are nine Compressor Maps and two Turbine Maps available for you to download in GasTurb and NPSS format.
These maps are extended down to 1% spool speed. They are suitable for engine start and windmilling simulation.
31 Years Ago
The history of GasTurb began in the early 1990s. I presented the first paper about it at the International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition, Houston, Texas, back in June 1995.
This is my today's version of the same figure:
Award
At Turbo Expo 2024 in London, the IGTI Aircraft Engine Committee surprised me with a "Thank you" for my contributions to the gas turbine performance community:
