Development of New Gas Turbine Units: PhD Defense by Mikhail Laptev
On June 23, 2026, Mikhail Laptev, a Teaching Assistant at the Graduate School of Power Engineering, defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences (PhD) at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
The work, carried out under the scientific supervision of Viktor Barskov, Doctor of Technical Sciences and Associate Professor, is devoted to the development of efficient and environmentally friendly power plants capable of operating on non-traditional, low-calorific fuels.
Mikhail Laptev's dissertation, "Development of a Low-Flow Gas Turbine Unit Operating on Low-Calorific Fuels," has immense practical significance. In the context of growing global demand for electricity and a projected generation capacity shortfall of up to 228 GW by 2030, the research offers a tangible way to diversify the fuel base.
The core idea of the work is the use of external heat supply, which allows low-calorific fuels (crude oil, brown coal, biofuels, industrial waste) to be combusted in a separate circuit without contaminating the main turbine equipment. This approach enhances the fuel flexibility of turbine units, which is particularly relevant for energy supply facilities in isolated locations.
To validate the hypothesis, a unique experimental test rig was built based on the TG-16 gas turbine engine. The conducted tests confirmed the possibility of stable operation of the unit on low-calorific fuel and successfully validated the developed mathematical models.
The work was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 23-29-00968), which underscores its high scientific and practical significance for the state.
Following the successful defense and responses to the dissertation committee's questions, Mikhail Laptev noted in his final remarks that the success of this work is the result of many years of collective effort.
He sincerely thanked all his mentors. Mikhail also addressed the young colleagues in the audience: "The main advice I can give is: find your mentor. Find someone who believes in you and your ideas. Surround yourself with people who are passionate about science. And — work. Work more than you can imagine. Being in this position is worth every effort."
Mikhail Laptev's developments are already finding practical applications. The implementation of low-flow gas turbine units with external heat supply will make it possible to provide energy to remote drilling sites and pumping stations along oil pipeline routes, efficiently utilize associated gas and oil refining waste, reduce fuel transportation costs in the Far North regions, and improve the environmental safety of production by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We congratulate Mikhail on his successful defense and wish him continued success in his scientific and professional endeavors!
