Turboshaft Gas Turbine Test Cell

This is a full-scale test cell for performance testing, health-monitoring and bio-fuel studies on turboshaft engines. The test stand currently has a 250 HP Rolls-Royce C18 helicopter turboshaft engine mounted on it. It uses a dynamometer system that can control the loading on the engine.

Turbocharger Based Gas Turbine Test Setup
This setup is a small gas turbine based on an automotive turbocharger. Research on bio-fuel combustion are performed using this test rig. Design, development and research of such engine is undertaken jointly with TEI and METU-AEPL.

GE-J79 Compressor Blade Row
Maximum rotational speed is 3000 rpm and is driven by a simovert controlled 200 kW electric motor. The blade row is coupled in series with a radial fan which can discharge air up to 10 kg/s. On the GE-J79 compressor, only the first stage is left. 3D flow measurements and analysis, secondary flow and stall research is carried out. Jointly developed by T.U.A.F. 1st Overhaul and Maintenance Center and METU-AEPL.


Various Educational Test Setups
These small test units are mainly used as a part of the undergraduate curriculum in the Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Propulsion classes. Test setups include a small turbojet, a ramjet, a pulsejet, impulse/reaction turbines, a small propeller test unit, a nozzle performance test unit and a combustion test unit.



  • Small Turbojet Test Setup:Performance characteristics of a small turbojet engine with 100 N thrust capability can be measured.
  • Ramjet/Pulse Jet Propulsion Setup:Performance characteristics of various ramjets and pulse jets at low air flow speeds can be measured.
  • Impulse/Reaction Turbine Test Units:These are miniature turbines reaching 50,000 rpm and 30,000 rpm, respectively, at no-load configuration.
  • Propeller Rig:Maximum rotational speed is 2250 rpm and is driven by a speed controlled 18.4 kW DC electric motor. The rig can be used as a whirl stand for ducted and non-ducted propellers up to 130 cm in diameter.
  • Nozzle Performance Test Unit:This is a miniature unit used to test the optimum performance of nozzles. Velocities around 500 m/sec are studied.
  • Combustion and Flame Propagation Test Unit:Accurate combustion research of variousfuel/air ratio can be carried out. Combustion products are analyzed through an electronic gas analyzer. Determination of the flame speed, flame zones and stability characteristics can be studied. A flow calorimeter is used for teaching and research.
  • Small Piston-Prop Test Setup: This setup consists of a 5cc compression ignition internal combustion engine driving a 15 cm diameter two-bladed propeller. Students can measure the thrust using a miniature load cell as well as the fuel consumption and the rpm of the engine.

 


Flow Control Wind Tunnel
This is an open-loop blow-down wind tunnel that consists of a 0.6 m diameter double-intake radial blower driven by a frequency controlled 18.5 kW AC electric motor, a 2.6 m long rectangular to square transitional diffuser with a 7 deg diffusion angle, a 1.85 m long 1.1x1.1 m2 square cross-section settling chamber with multiple screens and a 0.06 m long honeycomb with 0.008 m diameter cells, a 0.915 m long contraction with an area ratio of 3.36 and a 1.4 m long 0.6x0.6 m2 square cross-section fully transparent test section made out of 0.01 m thick plexiglass walls.


Instrumentation

  • Miniature five-hole probes
  • Various Kulite high-frequency response pressure transducers
  • Various Sensotec low-frequency response pressure transducers
  • Testo 350-S Flue Gas Analyzer

 


Optical Systems

  •  DANTEC Interferometric Particle Imaging (IPI) system

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Data Acquisition Systems

  • VXI Data acquisition system