Alstom, Rolls-Royce and Solar Turbines Execs are Keynoters at Turbo Expo

Three executives at leading gas turbine manufacturing companies — Charles Soothill of Alstom Power Systems, Richard J. Parker of Rolls-Royce Group, and Paul F. Browning of Solar Turbines Inc. — will address the topic "Clean Gas Turbine Technologies for Land, Sea and Air" during their keynote session at the ASME Turbo Expo next month in Berlin.

ASME Turbo Expo 2008, which will also include a wide range of technical sessions and an equipment exposition, will run from June 9–13 at the Estrel Berlin Hotel and Convention Center in Germany. The event is organized and managed by the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute in Atlanta.

The three keynote speakers will tackle several important industry issues during their presentation on June 9, including the impact of new regulations on power plants and the development of technologies that improve the environmental performance of gas turbine systems.

"The industry's ability to create technological solutions to environmental challenges is impressive," said Soothill, who also is serving as executive conference chair of Turbo Expo 2008. "The industry has taken important steps to broaden the range of fuels that can be combusted efficiently while providing lower emissions."

Soothill is vice president of technology at Alstom, which is based in the United Kingdom. An accomplished engineer and innovator, Soothill has contributed to clean coal combustion, fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and other technology programs over a 26-year career in the gas turbine business. He is a fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and vice chairman of the European Technology Platform on Zero Emissions Fossil Fuel Power Plants.

Parker is the director of research and technology at Rolls-Royce Group, also based in the UK. He has been involved with compressor systems, composite materials, and other engine technologies during a 30-year career at Rolls-Royce. Parker is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a visiting professor at Loughborough University.

Browning serves at San Diego-based Solar Turbines as vice president of turbomachinery products. In that position, he is responsible for the design, manufacture, and procurement of the company's gas turbine and centrifugal gas compressor products. Prior to joining Solar Turbines in 1978, Browning worked in the corporate research and power systems units of General Electric.

The ASME Turbo Expo 2008 technical program will cover engine design, materials, operations and maintenance, noise reduction in turbines, alternative fuels, combustion diagnostics, and microturbines, among many other topics. The annual technical conference brings together engineers, research scientists, educators, and other professionals involved in the design, operation, and maintenance of gas turbines.

For more information on the conference, visit www.asmeconferences.org/te08.

 

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