George C Barnaby

Dr. George C Barnaby serves as a Senior Research Associate in Electric Propulsion within the School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bristol, specializing in experimental characterization of engineering systems through the Electrical Energy Management Group (EEMG). His work focuses on high-fidelity testing of aerospace electric propulsion components, tribological phenomena in mechanical systems, and precision measurement methodologies.

He holds an MEng and PhD (awarded October 2023) from the University of Bristol, where his doctoral research examined high-accuracy performance characterization of chain drives under Professor S. Burgess, Dr. J. M. Yon, and Dr. R. Wragge-Morley's supervision. This formed the foundation of the "Project Velocity" initiative (2014-2022) investigating mechanical drive systems.

Barnaby's research spans Electric Propulsion, Mechanical Testing, Tribology, Bearings, Chain Drives, and Measurement Uncertainty, with emphasis on electromagnetic power loss characterization, condition monitoring of rolling element bearings under application-specific loading, and dynamic analysis of mechanical-hydrodynamic interactions. His experimental approach integrates advanced metrology to mitigate measurement uncertainties in complex engineering environments.

His 2025 publications reveal a concentrated focus on aerospace electric propulsion challenges, particularly bearing fatigue in e-VTOL aircraft, piezoelectric actuator development for test stands, and AC loss quantification in novel printed conductors. These works demonstrate a consistent methodology of high-precision experimental characterization applied across mechanical, electrical, and tribological domains with direct relevance to sustainable aviation technologies.

No scientific awards or honors are documented in available records.

While no current students are listed under his supervision, Barnaby has contributed to significant research projects including AEPEC (2020-2025) as a Researcher developing aerospace electric propulsion systems, and previously as a doctoral student on Project Velocity investigating sprockets, dynamometers, and mechanical drives. These collaborative efforts involved industry partnerships and multidisciplinary teams within the EEMG framework.

He operates within the Electrical Energy Management Group's specialized laboratories featuring advanced test rigs for electric machine characterization, bearing test stands simulating rotary wing loads, and high-precision chain drive analysis systems. The facilities support research into electromagnetic-tribological interactions with applications in next-generation electric aircraft propulsion systems.