With the interview series "Appointment with...", the TUM School of Engineering and Design introduces new professors: This time, we are talking to Prof. Dr. Sabine Ardey, Professorship for Test and Simulation for Gas Turbines. Sabine Ardey conducted her studies in aerospace engineering at the Technical University of Munich. She completed her doctorate at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. She then worked at MTU Aero Engines in the fields of aerodynamics and thermodynamics before taking on various management roles. After several years at BSH Hausgeräte, she was appointed to the Chair of Test and Simulation of Gas Turbines from 1 January 2024 and at the same time to the directorship of the DLR Institute for Test and Simulation of Gas Turbines in Augsburg.
She and her team are researching new gas turbine technologies, closely combining numerical and experimental methods to validate innovative solutions and enable climate-friendly mobility and power supply. For many applications - from energy supply to aeronautics - gas turbines remain indispensable energy conversion machines in the long term. In order to optimise power density, performance and efficiency, the latest findings on physical relationships, for example in materials, are incorporated into the design. Their research focuses on the areas of material service life assessment, secondary air systems and digitalisation.
ED: How did you get to be who you are?
Sabine Ardey: I grew up on airfields. My father was a flight instructor and as an engineer part of the Lufthansa team that helped define the first Airbus from customer perspective, so I had the chance to fly in the prototype of the A300 when I was six years old. Fascinated by aeronautics, I then studied aerospace at TUM and specialized in propulsion, so that after completing my doctorate at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and the birth of my daughter in 1999, I was able to start my first job at MTU Aero Engines - in part-time with home office. After numerous positions, I joined BSH Home Appliances to continue reconciling family and career with a husband successfully advancing his career.
My recent return to aeronautics is a lifelong dream come true. I am now able to conduct innovative research with young minds at a brand-new institute in Augsburg. Teaching runs in my family and has always been a passion of mine, as I believe in fostering knowledge with students for their and our future. That is why I am particularly excited that the TUM professorship is linked to my DLR institute management. I feel like a fish returned to water, ready to dive in and explore.
ED: What will be your first research project at TUM?
Sabine Ardey: One focus of my research will be on the secondary air system of gas turbines. It comprises the flow paths through the gas turbine besides the primary gas path and accounts for up to 25 percent of the overall mass throughput. To optimize an engine, it is essential to understand these by-flows thoroughly. Numerical simulations and tests complement each other when understanding and designing the secondary air system - and I see great potential for valuable insights. In my scientific work, I will be working closely with my colleague Prof Volker Gümmer, Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion, to be able to fully map the entire gas turbine system.
ED: What changes would you like to see in the future?
Sabine Ardey: As alumna and professor, I feel a strong connection to TUM. Seeing how big this university has grown and which outstanding research and teaching is being carried out is utterly admirable. I am proud to be part of this excellent science community.
Looking ahead, I´m convinced that we can only tackle future challenges based on a comprehensively educated young generation. Therefore, it is crucial that we provide the best possible training for them. At the professors' meeting of the Department of Aerospace and Geodesy, I sense that all my colleagues share this belief and are deeply committed to teaching. However, I can´t help but notice that the current resources for teaching may not fully support the massive growth in student numbers in the aerospace sector and the supervision aspiration of a modern university of excellence. Maybe it could be possible to reevaluate the resources needed.
More infos:
Profile of Sabine Ardey
Bachelors program Aerospace
Masters program Aerospace
Doctorate at ED