Experimental Evaluation of Small GTE Test Bed

Abstract

Staff at the University of Defence in Brno, Czech Republic, designed and constructed a test cell for small gas turbine engines as detailed in GT2012-69419. Once construction was completed, the test cell was instrumented and put through a series of tests to confirm the design suitability, calibrate data acquisition channels, establish correction parameters for measurement values, and examine real operating conditions. This paper details the methodology of those tests with a focus on used equipment, noise emissions, air and gas flow and the associated impact on engine thrust. Lastly, measurement results are presented and compared with the design predictions.