Overview

The Institute of Engineering Thermophysics (IET), Chinese Academy of Sciences, traces its origins to the Power Research Laboratory, established in 1956 by Academician WU Chung-Hua, the founder of the ternary flow theory, as a CAS-affiliated research institution. It is the birthplace of the global discipline of engineering thermophysics. For nearly 70 years, the institute has adhered to its mission as a main force of national strategic scientific and technological power, addressing major national strategic needs, striving to seize the high ground in energy and power technologies, and building itself into a world-class research institution. It provides innovative ideas, technologies, and talent for China's sustainable energy and power development.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the institute implemented the “Four Pioneering” and “Two Accelerations and One Effort” requirements, strategically planning four main research directions: lowcarbon combustion and utilization of high-carbon energy, distributed energy systems and energy storage, advanced power equipment, and high-altitude long-endurance UAV technology and applications. The institute also prospectively laid out five emerging frontiers and future technologies: hydrogen energy conversion and utilization, supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle heat-power conversion, high-adaptability thermal functional materials and devices, intelligent networked patrol flight systems, and space systems and microgravity combustion. The institute hosts two national key laboratories: “Light Turbine Power” and “High-Efficiency and Low-Carbon Coal Utilization”; two basic science centers: “Ordered Energy Conversion” and “Interface Transport Theory and Regulation Methods of Advanced Aircraft”; and leads the construction of two national major science and technology infrastructure projects: the “HighEfficiency and Low-Carbon Gas Turbine Test Facility” and the “Thermal Physics Test Facility for Key Components of Air-Breathing Engines.”

Aligned with the core task of seizing the high ground in science and technology, the institute leverages its systematic advantages, continuously optimizes its research layout, and strengthens applied basic research, key technology breakthroughs, and system integration in the energy and power fields, contributing to achieving high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology and building China into a global leader in science and technology. In 2024, the institute undertook over 300 major projects, including the “Two Engines” Special Project, national major science and technology infrastructure projects, national science and technology innovation initiatives, and strategic priority research programs. More than 150 new projects were funded, including national major special projects, key R&D programs, and pioneering projects. Annual funding exceeded 2 billion CNY, reaching new heights.

As of the end of 2024, the institute had 528 employees, including 484 professional technical staff, among whom there are three CAS academicians and 237 senior researchers. It holds doctoral and master's degree-granting authority in “Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics” and “Aerospace Science and Technology,” as well as master's degree-granting authority in “Environmental Science and Engineering” and “Energy and Power.” The institute enrolls over 200 doctoral students, 290 master's students, and 160 joint-training students with universities. It is the lead institution of the School of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and hosts a national postdoctoral research station, with over 30 postdoctoral researchers currently in residence.

The institute has a strong foundation in international cooperation, collaborating with renowned universities and research institutions in more than 10 countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It is a founding member of several international conferences, such as the International Symposium on Experimental and Computational Aerothermodynamics of Internal Flows (ISAIF), the International Symposium on Air Breathing Engines (ISABE), the Asian Congress on Gas Turbines (ACGT), the Asian Joint Conference on Propulsion and Power (AJCPP), the World Energy Storage Conference (WESC), and the Energy Storage International Conference and Expo(ESIE). It also serves as the secretariat of the International Energy Storage Technology and Industry Alliance.

The Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS, is the founding and hosting institution of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics and the sponsor of the academic journals Journal of Engineering Thermophysics (in Chinese) and Journal of Thermal Science (in English).

(The above data is as of December 31, 2024.)