The 44th Turbomachinery and 31st International Pump Users Symposia (TPS 2015) was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, Sept. 14-17, 2015. The Turbomachinery Laboratory, part of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and The Texas A&M University System, organized the event, which saw 5,542 unique attendees representing 48 countries and a record-breaking 350 exhibiting companies. As with previous installments, TPS 2015 proved to be a high-quality event for everyone involved.
The exhibit hall comprised 71,100 net square feet of exhibit space, which hosted 350 leading companies from the turbomachinery and pump industries (up from 343 companies in 2014). Companies displayed full-size equipment, cutting-edge technology and emerging industry trends. Highly qualified technical personnel were on hand to address business needs of attendees, and exhibitors enjoyed the opportunity to support current customers as well as form positive business relationships with new clients. During the event, exhibit space selection took place for next year’s event; the TPS 2016 floor plan is currently 85 percent booked.
In addition to visiting the exhibit hall, Symposia attendees participated in a combination of 16 short courses, 20 lectures, 19 tutorials, 27 discussion groups and 18 case studies led by industry experts from around the world. Topics covered included compressors, steam and gas turbines, expanders, pumps and drivers, and auxiliary equipment such as couplings, bearings, gearboxes, dry gas seals and annular seals. Attendees engaged in industry related topics leading to a quality exchange of technical knowledge.
The Turbomachinery Symposium began in 1971 and the Pump Symposium began in 1984. In 2011, the symposia were combined and are now held jointly every fall in Houston. TPS has become a staple event for industry professionals and leading companies. Built on a history of success, this annual event promotes professional development, technology transfer, peer networking and information exchange among industry professionals.
For more information on TPS 2015, including the full technical program list, exhibiting company list, and more, please visit http://tps.tamu.edu/ or email info@turbo-lab.tamu.edu. Proceedings from previous symposia are available to freely download online at turbolab.tamu.edu/proc/. The technical content from TPS 2015 will be added to this collection in March 2016.
Next year’s event will be held Sept. 13-15, 2016, with short courses running in conjunction with the event on Sept. 12.