About Brian Pitt Excellence Award

BPEA 2025 Online Competition 

The online competition of the Brian Pitt Excellence Award was held on 8 July 2025, where five master’s students presented their thesis results and competed for a grant to travel and attend the ETN International Gas Turbine Conference 2025. 

• Krzysztof Danielak (Cranfield University)
  • “Use of methanol as a potential alternative fuel in a power generation gas turbine” – link to presentation
• Franco Agustin Rizzi (Politecnico di Torino)
  • “CFD Analysis of a Lean Premixed Gas Turbine Combustor for H2 Applications” – link to presentation
• Thomas Hollweck (TU Munich)
  • “Adjoint-accelerated Bayesian Inference in a 3D Helmholtz Solver for Thermoacoustic Test Rigs” – link to presentation
• Jean Bériot (UMons)
  • “Uncovering the economic tipping point between H2-based Gas Turbines and CCS-enhanced Gas Turbines” – link to presentation
• Mohammad Aatif Qazi (University of Alberta)
  • “Dispersoid -strengthened High Entropy Alloy (HEA) Coatings for Hydrogen Embrittlement Resistance Developed Via Thermal Spraying” – link to presentation

Krzysztof Danielak from Cranfield University won the competition. A big thank you to all participants throughout the competition, and best of luck to everyone in their future career endeavours.

Make sure to stay updated for the opening of the 2026 edition.

Online Competition: Recorded Video

The Brian Pitt Excellence Award pays tribute to Brian Pitt, a former Rolls-Royce employee and co-founder of the Association of European Manufacturers of Industrial Gas Turbines (EuMIGT) in 1997. He also served as a supporting partner in the CE-IGT (Centres of Excellence for Industrial Gas Turbines) project between 2003-2005.

Throughout his professional journey, Brian Pitt was devoted to fortifying the European research landscape in gas turbines. His vision encompassed the establishment of a centre of excellence for gas turbine technology, aiming to boost efficiency, cut costs, and expedite innovation. Pitt was a proponent of dismantling traditional barriers among companies, start-ups, and universities by fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas. He championed open collaboration involving customers, suppliers, university researchers, and even competitors, seeking to facilitate access to high-quality ideas and drive innovation in gas turbine technology. His significant contributions played a crucial role in the formation of what we now identify as ETN Global, thanks to his close association with Christer Björkqvist, the Managing Director of ETN.

The Brian Pitt Excellence Award acknowledges individuals who exemplify Pitt’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the gas turbine field.

BPEA 2024 Online Competition

The online competition of the Brian Pitt Excellence Award was held on July 3rd where five master’s students presented their thesis results and competed for a grant to travel and attend the ETN October Workshop 2024.

• Simona Calenda, Politecnico di Milano
  • Analysis of part-load operation and plant size effects on combined cycle power plants with post-combustion CO2 capture
• Julieta Rocío Iribarne, Universidad de Sevilla
  • Design of supercritical CO2 storage for power plants
• Alberto Patti, University of Genoa
  • Feasibility study of reverse Brayton cycles for waste heat recovery in industrial applications
• Simone Girelli, Politecnico di Milano
  • Definition of optimal round trip efficiency maps for transcritical carbon dioxide based pumped thermal energy storage systems
• Erica Di Meglio, Politecnico di Torino
  • CFD simulation of low-emission premixed gas turbine injectors

Simona Calenda from Politecnico di Milano won the competition. A big thank you to all participants throughout the competition, and best of luck to everyone in their future career endeavors.

Make sure to stay updated for the opening of the 2025 edition.