Design and Development of an Engine Nozzle Testing Facility

An engine test facility, capable of being operated with different nozzles and intakes, has been developed. The shape of these two components has evolved substantially, over the years, from seemingly simple circular geometries to very complex geometries designed to address different requirements. There are numerous test facilities that facilitate an extensive standalone component level testing of these components. However, such testing does not offer an insight into the effect these complex geometries will have on the performance of a gas turbine engine. This facility will serve as a demonstration for graduate and doctoral students, enhancing their understanding of engine performance.

The core of the test facility is a 400 N thrust class Titan engine from AMT, Netherlands. The engine is instrumented with pressure and temperature measurements at every inter-component location. A conventional intake duct and a four component engine thrust measurement stand (ETMS) are designed, for measurement of air flow rate and thrust respectively. Towards the rear of the engine, a straight duct is attached after the jet pipe, on which any new nozzle can be retrofitted to the engine. To address changes in operating conditions when using different nozzles and intakes, the engine is equipped with a specially designed bleed duct, which is attached after the jet pipe. The bleed duct is equipped with a mechanism for manually opening and closing, depending on the operating point of the engine.

The engine, successfully integrated with all the components, has been subjected to multiple tests at different power settings. The recorded data, provides an insight into the effect of these components on the engine performance