From Measurement Uncertainty to Measurement Communications, Credibility, and Cost Control in Propulsion Ground Test Facilities

1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Smith ◽  
S. Wehofer
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Uncertainty ◽  
Cost Control ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Engine Test ◽  
Measurement Evaluation ◽  
Engine Thrust ◽  
Improve Measurement ◽  
Ground Test

In the past several years significant advances have been made in altitude ground test facilities with respect to measurement accuracy and measurement cost control. To a large measure, the advances have been the result of the application of comprehensive measurement uncertainty evaluation programs. This paper discusses the specific measurement evaluation process used in the Engine Test Facility, Arnold Engineering Development Center. To explain this process, the reader is guided through the measurement process for engine thrust, an extremely critical parameter for propulsion performance testing. Although this paper focuses on the measurement of engine thrust, the overall objective is the general measurement evaluation process and its uses. The approach presented can be applied to any type measurement system. First, an overview of the measurement uncertainty methodology and its application in altitude engine test cells is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of how measurement uncertainty results can be utilized to improve measurement understanding and presents the means to identify factors that must be controlled to achieve a reliable and accurate measurement assessment.

Development status of the NAL Ramjet Engine Test Facility and sub-scale scramjet engine

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
HIROSHI MIYAJIMA ◽  
NOBUO CHINZEI ◽  
TOHRU MITANI ◽  
YOSHIO WAKAMATSU ◽  
MASATAKA MAITA
Keyword(s):  
Test Facility ◽  
Engine Test ◽  
Development Status ◽  
Ramjet Engine ◽  
Scramjet Engine

A Flight Simulation Vision for Aeropropulsion Altitude Ground Test Facilities

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milt Davis ◽  
Peter Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
System Performance ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Aircraft Engine ◽  
Flight Simulation ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Flight Testing ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Ground Test ◽  
Aircraft System

Testing of a gas turbine engine for aircraft propulsion applications may be conducted in the actual aircraft or in a ground-test environment. Ground test facilities simulate flight conditions by providing airflow at pressures and temperatures experienced during flight. Flight-testing of the full aircraft system provides the best means of obtaining the exact environment that the propulsion system must operate in but must deal with limitations in the amount and type of instrumentation that can be put on-board the aircraft. Due to this limitation, engine performance may not be fully characterized. On the other hand, ground-test simulation provides the ability to enhance the instrumentation set such that engine performance can be fully quantified. However, the current ground-test methodology only simulates the flight environment thus placing limitations on obtaining system performance in the real environment. Generally, a combination of ground and flight tests is necessary to quantify the propulsion system performance over the entire envelop of aircraft operation. To alleviate some of the dependence on flight-testing to obtain engine performance during maneuvers or transients that are not currently done during ground testing, a planned enhancement to ground-test facilities was investigated and reported in this paper that will allow certain categories of flight maneuvers to be conducted. Ground-test facility performance is simulated via a numerical model that duplicates the current facility capabilities and with proper modifications represents planned improvements that allow certain aircraft maneuvers. The vision presented in this paper includes using an aircraft simulator that uses pilot inputs to maneuver the aircraft engine. The aircraft simulator then drives the facility to provide the correct engine environmental conditions represented by the flight maneuver.

Comparison and Synthesis of Performance and Aerodynamic Modeling of a Pass-Off Turbofan Engine Test Cell

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Marx ◽  
Michael Kotulla ◽  
André Kando ◽  
Stephan Staudacher
Keyword(s):  
Research Effort ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Cell System ◽  
Performance Model ◽  
Test Cell ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Engine Test ◽  
Combined System ◽  
Installation Effects ◽  
Engine Testing

To ensure the quality standards in engine testing, a growing research effort is put into the modeling of full engine test cell systems. A detailed understanding of the performance of the combined system, engine and test cell, is necessary e.g. to assess test cell modifications or to identify the influence of test cell installation effects on engine performance. This study aims to give solutions on how such a combined engine and test cell system can be effectively modeled and validated in the light of maximized test cell observability with minimum instrumentation and computational requirements. An aero-thermodynamic performance model and a CFD model are created for the Fan-Engine Pass-Off Test Facility at MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, representing a W-shape configuration, indoor Fan-Engine test cell. Both models are adjusted and validated against each other and against test cell instrumentation. A fast-computing performance model is delivering global parameters, whereas a highly-detailed aerodynamic simulation is established for modeling component characteristics. A multi-disciplinary synthesis of both approaches can be used to optimize each of the specific models by calibration, optimized boundary conditions etc. This will result in optimized models, which, in combination, can be used to assess the respective design and operational requirements.

Development and Validation of an On-Wing Engine Thrust Measurement System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Bauer ◽  
Jens Friedrichs ◽  
Detlev Wulff ◽  
Christian Werner-Spatz
Keyword(s):  
Measurement System ◽  
Standard Procedure ◽  
Flight Test ◽  
Engine Thrust ◽  
Thrust Measurement ◽  
Ground Test ◽  
Engine Maintenance ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Engine Condition

Maintenance on aircraft engines is usually performed on an on-condition basis. Monitoring the engine condition during operation is an important prerequisite to provide efficient maintenance. Engine Condition Monitoring (ECM) has thus become a standard procedure during operation. One of the most important parameters, the engine thrust, is not directly measured, however, and can therefore not be monitored, which makes it difficult to distinguish whether deteriorating trends e.g. in fuel comsumption must be attributed to the engine (e.g. due to thermodynamic wear) or to the aircraft (e.g. due to increased drag). Being able to make this distinction would improve troubleshooting and maintenance planning and thus help to reduce the cost of ownership of an aircraft. As part of the research project APOSEM (Advanced Prediction of Severity effects on Engine Maintenance), Lufthansa Technik (LHT) and the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery of Technische Universität Braunschweig develop a method for direct measurement of engine thrust during the operation. In this paper, the design process of the On-Wing (OW) Measurement System is presented, including the validation in labratory tests, the mechanical and thermal calibration as well as the final ground test during an engine test run at LHT test cell and the work on the flight test certification.

scholarly journals Performance Testing of HTHP Electrostatic Precipitator at NYU PFBC Facility

1988 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Radhakrishnan ◽  
P. K. Gounder ◽  
S. Kavidass ◽  
V. Zakkay ◽  
R. Dellefield
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Electrostatic Precipitator ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Operating Experience ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Dust Collection ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Dust Collection Efficiency

NYU has an ongoing research program which is being funded by DOE to test three types of high-pressure, high-temperature filters. The main objectives of the testing program are: (1) to establish the performance capability of the filters under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions; and (2) to evaluate the dust collection efficiency. Shakedown tests for a duration of about 50 hours was completed during October 1986. Testing of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is in progress. The first test with ESP was performed during the middle of November 1986. The operating experience with respect to the test facility, and in particular with the particulate sampling systems, is reported in this paper. Additionally, some test results are also discussed.

A Low Cost Computer Controlled IC Engine Test Facility

1998 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 105-109
Author(s):  
Z. Ren ◽  
T. Campbell ◽  
J. B. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Engine Test ◽  
Ic Engine ◽  
Computer Controlled

Challenges Facing Performance Evaluations of IGCC Power Plants

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Zachary ◽  
Alex Khochafian
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Uncertainty ◽  
Heat Input ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Air Separation ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Plant Design ◽  
Separation Unit

Based on the present revival of coal as the fossil fuel of choice for power generation, there is a high probability that several IGCC projects will materialize in the near future. One of the challenges facing the Owners, EPC Contractors and OEM’s will be to define the performance commercial guarantees and the practical means to determine them. In addition following the current huge upturn in conventional supercritical coal fired power plants, a large number of facilities will conduct thermal performance tests. The proper conductance of the test, data collection and correction to reference conditions, have many technical implications and could affect drastically the commercial outcome of a project both for the Contractor and the Owner. For IGCC plants, in anticipation of this probability, ASME Performance Test Committee had developed a Performance Test Code for such type of plant — PTC 47, which was published in January 2007. In the first part, the paper will provide details about the specific challenges facing the implementation of the Code, in particular the proposed use of the input/output method (mass and energy balance). The presentation will cover other highlights of the code recommendations. The methodology is fully applicable to conventional power plants, since they use same type of fuel. The determination of the heat input based on actual continuous measurement of the mass flow and composition of the coal will be discussed in details. The practicality and the measurement uncertainty associated with fuel composition will also be analyzed. A comparison with the indirect method for determination of the heat input will also be presented. The article will evaluate how the code requirements are reflected in the definition of the power plant design, configuration and instrumentation. The implications of test tolerance as a commercial issue and measurement uncertainty as a technical issue will also be presented and evaluated Other unique aspects of the entire IGCC plant performance testing will be discussed: (1) stability criteria related to the gasification and integration processes, (2) corrections from test to guarantees conditions due to complex chemical, mechanical processes. Finally, the article will indicate the progress on the development of performance evaluation methodologies for other main IGCC components: gasifier, air separation unit, gas cleaning systems and Power Island.

Performance Testing of a Large-Format X-ray Reflection Grating Prototype for a Suborbital Rocket Payload

2020 ◽  
Vol 09 (04) ◽  
pp. 2050017
Author(s):  
Benjamin D. Donovan ◽  
Randall L. McEntaffer ◽  
Casey T. DeRoo ◽  
James H. Tutt ◽  
Fabien Grisé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Confidence Level ◽  
Posterior Probability ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Finite Limit ◽  
Max Planck ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Posterior Probability Distribution ◽  
Reflection Grating

The soft X-ray grating spectrometer on board the Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE) hopes to achieve the highest resolution soft X-ray spectrum of an astrophysical object when it is launched via suborbital rocket. Paramount to the success of the spectrometer are the performance of the [Formula: see text] reflection gratings populating its reflection grating assembly. To test current grating fabrication capabilities, a grating prototype for the payload was fabricated via electron-beam lithography at The Pennsylvania State University’s Materials Research Institute and was subsequently tested for performance at Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics’ PANTER X-ray Test Facility. Bayesian modeling of the resulting data via Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling indicated that the grating achieved the OGRE single-grating resolution requirement of [Formula: see text] at the 94% confidence level. The resulting [Formula: see text] posterior probability distribution suggests that this confidence level is likely a conservative estimate though, since only a finite [Formula: see text] parameter space was sampled and the model could not constrain the upper bound of [Formula: see text] to less than infinity. Raytrace simulations of the tested system found that the observed data can be reproduced with a grating performing at [Formula: see text]. It is therefore postulated that the behavior of the obtained [Formula: see text] posterior probability distribution can be explained by a finite measurement limit of the system and not a finite limit on [Formula: see text]. Implications of these results and improvements to the test setup are discussed.

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