No abstract

Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) is currently improving its test facilities as part of its Test Operations Modernization & Integration Project (TOMIP). The challenge is to apply control system improvements, achieve control room consolidation, and provide operator training for complex test facilities without negatively impacting ongoing test projects. The TOMIP approach has been to target specific subsystems among all the AEDC test cells, rather than focusing on all the subsystems of a specific set of test cells. This makes it possible to minimize downtime and maximize cost savings. For each targeted subsystem, requirements are identified and hardware and software solutions are designed. These solutions are then validated through the use of models and simulations in a development/training area using identical hardware and software. Upon completion of this validation, the hardware is installed in the field and connected to the existing hardware for a complete checkout of the system. This paper discusses the creation of this development area, its communication architecture, and the real-time model and simulation constructed for this project. Furthermore, the checkout procedure followed, and the application of the system to the coding and testing of new programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for the J1 and J2 turbine engine test facilities will be discussed.

No abstract

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.

Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) recently began modernizing its turbine engine test facilities as part of its Test Operations Modernization & Integration Project (TOMIP). This new approach is designed to reduce downtime of the facility with the help of a real-time facility model and simulation. The challenge is to apply control system improvements, achieve control room consolidation, and provide operator training for complex test facilities without negatively impacting ongoing test projects. The TOMIP approach has been to target specific subsystems among all the AEDC test cells, rather than focusing on all the subsystems of a specific set of test cells. This makes it possible to minimize downtime and maximize cost savings. For each targeted subsystem, requirements are identified and hardware and software solutions are designed. These solutions are then validated through the use of models and simulations in a development/training area using identical hardware and software. Upon completion of this validation, the hardware is installed in the field and connected to the existing hardware for a complete checkout of the system. This paper discusses the first application in the field of the TOMIP approach with the modernization of specific subsystems for a turbine engine test facility. The real-time model and simulation utilized, the interface systems, and the communication architecture of the overall system are described. The lessons learned through this successful approach, and the potential savings through reduced facility downtime are discussed as well.