Small Movable Ground Test-bed for Turbofan Engine Starting Experimentation at Plateau

A starting experimental investigation of some turbofan engine at Plateau needs test engine’s starting in different airdrome. A new small movable ground test-bed was designed and supplied the most important running equipment. The facility is 5.5 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, 2.2 meters high and not more than 4.5 tons empty weight. There are four rubber wheels could be towed. There is an independent electrical measurement and control system could test the rotational speed of rotors, the gas pressure of the compressor, the exhaust gas temperature, etc. Cooperated with the oil truck and the electric power supply truck, some turbofan engine could be preserved on the ground and started to the idling regime. While running, the parameter of engine could be recorded, disposed and displayed. Some data of plateau experiment are given in the paper. INTRODUCTION Along with the elevation of airports rising, the atmosphere pressure drops, and the atmosphere density reduced, then the flux of airflow entering engine in high-altitude airfield is shorter obviously than in plain. Running some turbofan engine in area which elevation is over 2500m has already exceeded its design. In order to research how the atmos phere pressure affecting the starting of * engines and explore the adjusting rule in the course of engine starting, test-bed is necessary for engine in different areas. Building some temporary test-beds? It will be neither economical nor realistic. So we invented a new small movable ground test-bed. Contrasted with other fixed test-beds, the investment of this type test-bed is little, the control equipments and testing devices are light, and convenient to move. If a war takes place, this type test-bed will be easy to be concealed and repaired while destroyed. So, the facility has some military significances and economy worth. THE FACILITY CONTITUTION Fig. 1 shows that the facility is made of four parts. First part is the bodywork to install and fix engine and external case. Second part is the oil and fuel feeding system installed under the bodywork. Third part is an electrical measurement and control system. Fourth part is an independent system to heat and dewater the oil. Fig.2 shows the facility appearance, Fig.3 shows the facility appearance with engine. There are four rubber wheels can be towed Figure 1 The facility constitution AIAA's 3rd Annual Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO) Tech 17 19 November 2003, Denver, Colorado AIAA 2003-6785 Copyright © 2003 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2 under the bodywork bedrock, and there is a handbrake control machine to turn the direction in order to move the facility conveniently. The dimension of bodywork cradle accords with the dimension of engine and turbine starter. The facility working, the four braces are put down and screwed up. The sum of whole frictional force is about 1600Kg, so the facility could support engine to the idling regime. I.e. the bodywork can resolve the problem of thrust force (<250Kg) . The displacement cannot be produced between the bodywork and the ground when engine runs. The oil feeding system firstly is parallel the fuel feeding system, then both of them are connected collusively to fuel pipe. By oil or fuel electromagnetic vale of a single direction, we could make the engine work normally in different regimes, such as preservation, depreservation, idling, etc. Besides, we also designed a device to take the waste oil. The oil heating system is specially designed for engine to ground seal oil in the out field. The oil is not only heated to 95 3 by the heating tube, which made of titanium, but also lasting 40 Figure 2 The facility appearance Figure 3 The facility appearance with engine