The laboratory relies on the Shanghai Jiaotong University. It was ratified by the ministry of education as the key laboratory for power machinery and engineering of the Ministry of education on Aug. 17, 2000 . The laboratory has strong research abilities. Owning advanced testing equipment and test-beds, it ranks in the leading group of this field in China. It has assumed 4 items of the national 973 project, 5 items of the national 863 project and so on. It has gained 1 national second-class award of science development and several other awards. 

To coincide itself with the latest trends in the fields of power, energy and environment and the national development plan, the laboratory carries on a plan of 4 major research fields and 1 new development point. The 4 major research fields, namely, the advanced theory of the thermodynamics cycle and the system performance and simulation; themo-fluid dynamics and turbo machinery; combustion control and environment technique; electric techniques and controlments of automobile. The 1 new development point is the combined equipment of high-temperature fuel cell and gas turbine.