Turbine takes AIM
14 July 2011
AIM Group recently completed work on a £2.3m project, funded by the European Union Objective 1 Programme, to relocate two QinetiQ gas turbine combustion test rigs from Farnborough to their new home at Port Talbot where they will become the central facility in the New Cardiff University, EU-backed “Centre of Excellence for Combustion Technology.”
The test rigs, will be used to test and analyse how gas turbine engine fuels burn and behave, are world leading pieces of equipment and will be used by some of the major names in aviation and gas turbine technology such as Siemens and Rolls Royce. The AIM Group was responsible for the complete Turnkey Project, from dismantling this intricate piece of technology, which incorporates an 11Kv, 2.2Mw compressor, and sophisticated computer control systems, transporting it to the Port Talbot site and re-building. Reconfiguring them, to suit their new location, including all structural, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering design, installation and project management. This large project took almost a year in total.
The project is typical of the large-scale industrial relocation work that AIM carries out alongside sister companies in the group and is one of the highest profile projects the group has undertaken.
Paul Rooksby, Managing Director of AIM commented: “Our work in relocating this incredibly complex and valuable piece of equipment will play a direct role in the future of aviation and gas turbine technology, fuel testing not just on a UK level but worldwide. ”It’s certainly something to be proud of.”
