Small engine components test facility turbine testing cell

Abstract

NASA Lewis Research Center has designed and constructed a new state-of-the-art test facility. This facility, called the Small Engine Components Test Facility (SECTF), is used to test gas turbines and compressors at conditions similar to actual engine conditions. The SECTF is comprised of two separate facilities - a turbine test cell and a compressor test cell. The paper will describe the turbine test cell. The capabilities of the facility make it unique - no other facility of its kind is capable of combining its pressure, speed, and temperature ranges. Turbine inlet air ranges up to 9 atm (125 psig). The turbine exhaust pressure ranges from 0.15 atm (2 psia) to atmospheric pressure. Turbine inlet air temperatures range from ambient to 700 K (1260 deg R). The controllable speed of the turbine rotor ranges from 4000 to 60,000 rpm and the maximum power absorbed by the facility dynamometer is 1250 hp. The data acquisition system scans up to 2000 channels/sec. This paper will discuss in detail the capabilities of the facility, overall facility design, instrumentation used in the facility, and the data acquisition system. Actual research data is not discussed.