2025 ‘Huw Edwards Award’ Lecture

Dr. Abbott has approximately 50 years of experience in the fields of combustion and acoustics and for 30 years he has specialised in gas turbine combustion, including research, development and design roles for a major manufacturer (ALSTOM) and development, troubleshooting and operational support roles for a major utility gas turbine operator (E.ON, now Uniper). Dr. Abbott also has a broad understanding of turbine technology and the power generation cycle, through management of teams dealing with aerodynamics, thermal design and development of gas and steam turbines and novel power generation cycles and, through this work in industry, he has familiarity with a wide range of gas turbine types. Following undergraduate and postgraduate work on laser diagnostics for combustion at Sheffield University, his early career, with British Gas, focused on acoustic problems in gas fired boilers, heaters and furnaces. Following this he worked on noise, vibration and acoustic issues for the Health and Safety Executive and within the rail industry before returning to combustion and concentrating on the gas turbine industry. .

Dr. Abbott has extensive research experience, with numerous academic publications and conference presentations to his name, and is currently a visiting fellow at Cranfield University's Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering. He supports their Thermal Power and Propulsion MSc course and short courses and gives lectures on: combustion thermoacoustics; the challenges of variable fuel composition and also low carbon solutions for both aviation and land-based gas turbines. In addition to combustion acoustics, Dr. Abbott’s interests include natural gas fuel quality (including specifications and standards) and its impact on gas turbine operation, emissions and plant integrity. This work has naturally extended to firing alternative low carbon fuels including hydrogen and blends of hydrogen with natural gas.

Dr. Abbott has had a longstanding involvement with the IOP's Combustion Physics Group (CPG) and has consistently provided valuable mentoring and support to a number of younger colleagues who have presented at the CPG's Early Career Researchers events. Wider support has been enhanced by his down-to-earth practical approach to solving complex technical problems and a genuine willingness to both share his knowledge and support others in their professional development. In addition, he has personally contributed to IOP meetings, the most recent being a presentation at a major seminar and workshop on Hydrogen Combustion at Rolls-Royce, Derby.

Dr. Abbott holds a BSc Tech (Hons) in Chemical Engineering and Fuel Technology (University of Sheffield) and a PhD in Solid Propellant Admittance Measurement using Laser Anemometry (University of Sheffield). He is a Chartered Energy Engineer (CEng), member of the Energy Institute (MEI), member of the Institute of Acoustics (MIOA) and an Emeritus Member of the Energy & Turbomachinery Network (ETN Global).