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Oxford Thermofluids Institute | Engineering Science Department | University of Oxford

The Oxford Thermofluids Institute

The Oxford Thermofluids Institute (OTI) is part of the University of Oxford’s strategic investment in the UK’s science base.

At the internationally renowned facility, world leading aerospace solutions for jets and rockets are researched, tested and engineered. The research has four strategic flagship themes: Sustainable Aviation, Gas Turbines, Hypersonics and Energy/Environment.

The OTI houses the most sophisticated high-speed flow and turbine facilities in the UK. These facilities support development of systems at a high technology readiness level and have wide impact, through deployment in industry, via both research partnerships and commercialisation.

The Institute, part of the University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science, is located to the west of Oxford on Osney Island. The primary building is the Southwell Building, opened by the University of Oxford's Vice Chancellor in 2010 as part of the University of Oxford’s strategic investment in science and engineering. To accommodate the growing research teams and experimental test facilities, the building underwent a first stage extension which was completed in 2019 and was inaugurated by the installation of a Trent 1000 engine donated by Rolls-Royce plc. The group also has office space in the adjacent Osney One building.

The OTI research team includes international experts in hypersonics, computational fluid dynamics along with aerodynamic/heat transfer experiments and instrumentation.

Trent 1000 Engine

Trent 1000 Engine 18 OTI Installation, October 2019

Southwell Building

OTI Foyer - 3D tour