The general framework of SoTiC consists of scientific paper sessions on topics related to thermoacoustics in gas turbine combustors, afterburners, boilers, and rocket engines, such as physical mechanisms, analysis approaches, and system optimization. There is a special emphasis on including both industrial and academic perspectives. Another feature of SoTiC is the presentation of papers by invited experts from industry, research centers and academia. These expert speakers deliver keynote presentations, sharing their insights on the current state and future directions of research activities on thermoacoustic instabilities. In addition to the scientific talks, an atmosphere is created that fosters technical discussion, networking, and acquainting with fellow researchers, as well as the planning of new research projects and collaborations.
SoTiC was launched in 2016 by Thomas Sattelmayer and Bruno Schuermans to provide a forum for the exchange of research on combustion instabilities. The first four-day scientific symposium took place at TUM’s Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) in Garching (SoTiC 2016). The symposium’s participation exceeded all anticipations. In total, 54 papers were submitted and were presented within 22 session. Moreover, the symposium reflected an impressive internationality where over 100 participants and authors travelled to Munich from all over the world. The second SoTiC, also organized by the Chair of Thermodynamics, did not take place until 2021 and coincided with the Covid pandemic, which is why it had to be held in a virtual format (SoTiC 2021). The very positive feedback from the numerous participants was the starting point for the two-year format. The third edition SoTiC 2023 under the lead of Nicolas Noiray and Mirko Bothien took place at ETH Zurich to great acclaim, followed by the fourth round SoTiC 2025, perfectly organized at the NTNU in Trondheim by an excellent team headed by James Dawson. With 75 papers this year SoTiC has now grown by about half compared to its beginnings and is enjoying increasing popularity in the community. The venue for 2027 will be Berlin, and preliminary discussions for 2029 are already underway.