The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M University hosted another record-breaking Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia despite a three-month delay due to Hurricane Harvey.
The 45th Turbomachinery and 33rd International Pump User’s Symposia (TPS 2017) was originally scheduled for September 12-14, with short courses on September 11. Due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey on Houston and surrounding areas, the Turbo Lab announced on August 29 that the event would be rescheduled for December 12-14, with short courses on December 11.
Undeterred by the reschedule, TPS 2017 attracted 89 new companies to the George R. Brown Convention Center, topping last year’s record by 10 companies. In total, the exhibition hosted 359 companies, just one shy of last year’s record-setting 360 companies. The exhibition spanned 216,000 gross square feet, featuring full-size equipment and emerging technology and industry trends from leading turbomachinery, pump, and related organizations. Eighty-eight percent of the exhibit floor for TPS 2018 is already reserved. TPS 2018 is set for September 18-20, with short courses held in conjunction with the symposia on September 17.
4,620 delegates representing 46 countries visited the exhibition or attended technical sessions. Engineers and technicians, from novice to experienced, chose from a combination of 15 short courses, 23 lectures, 16 tutorials, 23 discussion groups, and 21 case studies. The technical program is selected by the turbomachinery and pump advisory committees and led by experts in their disciplines. Topics included compressors, steam and gas turbines, expanders, pumps and drivers, and auxiliary equipment such as couplings, bearings, gearboxes, dry gas seals, and annular seals.
Technical content from TPS 2017 will be available June 2018. Proceedings from previous symposia are free for download at turbolab.tamu.edu/proceedings.
“We are grateful to all of our authors, leaders, delegates, exhibitors, and advisers who make TPS a staple event for the industry,” said Greg Gammon, director of operations for the Turbo Lab symposium office. “We saw great success, despite needing to reschedule the event with just two weeks’ notice. We know this would not have been possible without support from our industry partners, as well as our Houston vendors.”
Dr. Dara W. Childs retired December 13 from his post as director of the Turbo Lab and chair of the TPS advisory committees. He was honored with a banquet dinner during the symposia. The search for the Turbo Lab director is under way.
