Bio

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University, 1986M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 1993Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, 1998

Professor Fittro is the Associate Director of the Rotating Machinery and Controls (ROMAC) Laboratory. He has 30 years of experience in university and industrial research and development focused on advanced high-speed, high-performance turbomachinery. Prior to his position at UVA, Dr. Fittro was with General Electric’s Global Research Center where he led advanced gas turbine performance and control technology development programs for both aircraft and power generation applications.

Member: ASME, IEEE, IMechE - CEng

Awards

  • The Society of P.R.I. (1836) Teaching & Student Service Award/Recognition 2016
  • GE Aviation Perry T. Egbert Technical Achievement Award, 2011
  • GE Global Research Technical Achievement Award, 2006

Research Interests

  • Turbomachinery
  • Rotordynamics
  • Fluid Film Bearings
  • Magnetic Bearings
  • Advanced Multivariable Control Design and Implementation

Selected Publications

  • Development of an Active Load Cell Force Measurement Test Rig, 16 th International Symposium on Magnetic Bearings, Beijing, China, 2018. Gancitano, P, Schwartz, B, Fittro, R, and Knospe, C,
  • , “Analytic Models for Nonlaminated Active Magnetic Thrust Bearings”, 16th International Symposium on Magnetic Bearings, Beijing, China, 2018. 3. Nichols, B, Fittro, R, Goyne, C, “Rotor Damped Natural Frequency and Stability under Reduced Bearing Oil Supp Whitlow, Z, Knospe, C, and Fittro, R
  • “Rotor Damped Natural Frequency and Stability under Reduced Bearing Oil Supply Flow Rates”, ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2018. Nichols, B, Fittro, R, Goyne, C
  • “Turbulence Input Parameter Correction Methodology for Water Lubricated Thrust Bearings”, Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2018. Deng, X., Gates, H., Weaver, B., Wood, H., and Fittro, R.
  • , “Subsynchronous Vibration Patterns under Reduced Oil Supply Flow Rates”, ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2017. Nichols, B, Fittro, R, and Goyne, C
  • , “Modeling Reichardt’s Formula for Eddy Viscosity in the Fluid Film of Tilting Pad Thrust Bearings”, ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2017. Deng, X, Weaver, B, Watson, C, Branagan, M, Wood, H, Fittro, R
  • “Transpermeance Amplifier Applied to Magnetic Bearings”, Actuators Journal, 2017. Ferreira, J, Maslen, E, and Fittro, R
  • “Understanding the Effect of Systematic Errors on the Accuracy of Experimental Measurements of Fluid Film Bearing Dynamic Coefficients”, Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2017, Charlotte, NC, June 2017. Schwartz, B, Fittro, R, and Knospe, C
  • “Investigation of the American Petroleum Institute’s Support Stiffness Ratio Threshold Specification”, Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2017, Charlotte, NC, June 2017. Griffin, D, Fittro, R, Rockwell, R, Goyne, C
  • “Experimental Measurements of Turbomachinery Rotordynamics, Component Performance, and Dynamic Control at ROMAC – A Review”, Journal of the Gas Turbine Society of Japan, 2017. Weaver, B, Tsukuda, T, Rizvi, S, Schwartz, B, Nichols, B, Griffin, D, Branagan, M, Fittro, R, Lin, Z, Wood, H
Google Scholar

Courses Taught

  • Introduction to Engineering Principles
  • Statics
  • Control Systems
  • Electrical Machines
  • Machine Design I
  • Machine Design II
  • Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering: Magnetic Bearings
  • Rotordynamics Industrial Short Course