Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, or VKI, is a non-profit international educational and scientific organization in Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium, founded in 1956. It works in aeronautics and aerospace, environment and applied fluid dynamics, and turbomachinery and propulsion. Theodore von Karman proposed it in 1955 as a training and research institution in aerodynamics for young engineers and scientists of the NATO nations, and it was set up in a former Belgian civil aviation laboratory. Its aeronautics and aerospace department studies atmospheric entry flows and thermal protection systems in Mach 14, Mach 6 and plasma wind tunnels. About a hundred students come each year for doctoral and master programmes, and it runs up to twelve one-week lecture series a year on topics such as aerodynamics, propulsion and space exploration.