Beyond the Horizon: The Future of Gas Turbines with Sierra Turbines
When it comes to getting an aircraft off the ground, it’s no longer a question of “if” it will fly. We’ve moved into the era of “how”- and the emphasis today is on efficiency. This encompasses energy consumption, endurance, speed, and overall performance. Today, we’re looking into the future of turbine engines and exploring what lies just beyond the horizon of existing technology. We’re looking towards what’s next.
Today, I’m talking to Roger Smith and David Laudermilch of Sierra Turbines. Roger started as a software engineer for Apple nearly 20 years ago, and today, he’s the CEO of this innovative California company. David is a Design Engineer with previous experience working with companies like Saab and Rolls Royce. Together, they’ve taken their experience working for industry leaders in software and transportation and turned towards the production of gas microturbines.
In this episode, you’ll hear how each of their rather unique career trajectories eventually led them to this Silicon Valley startup. We’ll talk about the early challenges of getting a microturbine company off the ground, the technologies that merge in order to create their products, and the interesting work they’re doing in collaboration with NASA.
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Listen to this episode of Startups: Beyond the Horizon to learn more about the future of turbine engines and how Siemens played an integral part in Sierra Turbines’ journey beyond the horizon.
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Get updates from the journey of Sierra Turbines: https://www.sierraturbines.com/
Guest- Roger Smith, CEO of Sierra Turbines
Roger is based in Silicon Valley CA where he spent nineteen years at Apple before forming Sierra Turbines. With over thirty years of software development experience, he is no stranger to “Thinking Different” about how products are developed and manufactured. He is also involved in the control software and digital twin strategy at Sierra Turbines.
Guest- David Laudermilch, Design Engineer at Sierra Turbines
For over twenty years, David has worked as a mechanical engineer in both the aerospace and automotive sector. From earlier, working as an engineer for General Motors and Saab Automobile, to later working at Rolls Royce Deutschland with the BR700 series of business jet engines. David brings his expertise to the newly formed Aerospace company Sierra Turbines.
Pioneers: Startups from Dreams to Reality
Ideas alone can’t change the world. It takes grit, and serious funding. In Pioneers, host Kevin Blevins sits down with startup founders to discuss the startup lifestyle- from concept to execution- and the big ideas that fuel these pioneers. From the future of farming to autonomous flight, there’s no frontier too far.
