Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
    • F-L
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
    • M-S
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
    • T-Z
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    • March 2025
    • Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    • Showcase 2025
    • September 2024
    • June 2024
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Subscribe to magazine Subscribe to email newsletter Media Pack
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    1. March 2025
    2. Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    3. Showcase 2025
    4. September 2024
    5. June 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. Archive Issues
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    19th March 2025

    In this issue: March 2025

    Online Magazines By Ben Sampson
    Recent

    In this issue: March 2025

    19th March 2025
    contents and front cover of magazine

    In this issue: December / January 2025

    19th December 2024
    Showcase 2025

    In this issue – Showcase 2025

    6th November 2024
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
Defense Wind Tunnels

AEDC and USAFA joint partnership leads to successful swirl distortion testing

Anthony JamesBy Anthony James6th September 20173 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Swirl tester

An Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) test team and members of the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) initiated a project in 2011 at the Academy’s F109 turbofan test facility applying swirl distortion to the determination of engine response in terms of aeromechanics, operability and performance.

In June 2017, the AEDC test team returned to the F109 test facility and conducted a test using a fully functional and automatic swirl generator prototype to determine the response of the F109 engine to swirl with and without pressure distortion.

A set of pre-test predications were also computed that aided in test planning and provided guidance in the test process to determine the best expenditure of test resources.

Dr Milt Davis, technology transition manager with the AEDC test and analysis branch, explained that the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) S-16 Committee, also known as the Turbine Engine Inlet Flow Distortion Committee, has been providing for over 30 years methodologies and standards for the aircraft and engine community to use in testing and analyzing inlet distortion effects on gas turbine engines.

“They’ve been largely focusing on the performance and operability aspects of inlet-engine compatibility,” Davis said. “Many gas turbine installations can generate significant flow angularity or swirl as well as total pressure distortion at the Aerodynamic Interface Plane. These issues prompted the SAE S-16 Committee to embark on the development of a methodology for considering swirl as part of the inlet-engine compatibility assurance process.”

AEDC and the Air Force Academy partnered together to test engine response to swirl distortion to better serve the turbine engine community by helping to identify the role that swirl might play not only in stability margin loss but in high-cycle fatigue failures.

“These tests provide the SAE data to help substantiate swirl descriptors proposed for stability margin assessments and provide a data set for validating compression system and engine models under development,” Davis said.

At the inception of the F109 engine test project, the AEDC Technology Program was engaged in the development of a swirl distortion generator for use in direct-connect engine tests. The swirl generator development process culminated in the validation of a fully functional prototype. During validation tests, the prototype demonstrated the ability to rapidly establish pre-determined swirl patterns. The ability to remotely set a large number of swirl patterns enabled the comprehensive 2017 F109 engine test.

“In parallel, AEDC test teams also embarked on the application of a turbine engine numerical simulation capable of predicting the response to inlet distortion, known as the Parallel Compressor Simulation,” Davis added.

The AEDC F109 test team was awarded the General Gossick Team Award in July 2017.

September 6, 2017

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleDream Chaser undergoes captive carry test
Next Article Sandia conducts alternative pyroshock testing
Anthony James

Related Posts

Defense

T-7A Red Hawk completes successful Escape System Sled Test

8th May 20252 Mins Read
Defense

US military flies Talon-A reusable hypersonic test vehicle

6th May 20253 Mins Read
Defense

Aurora SPRINT X-plane completes wind tunnel tests

1st May 20252 Mins Read
Latest Posts

Drive System Design opens second UK high-speed eMachine test facility

23rd May 2025

dSPACE expands Scalexio platform for HIL testing

23rd May 2025

AIR cargo eVTOL completes night flight testing

22nd May 2025
Supplier Spotlights
Our Social Channels
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Subscribe To Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Media Pack
Related Topics
  • Aircraft Interiors
  • Business Jet Interiors
FREE WEEKLY NEWS EMAIL!

Get the 'best of the week' from this website direct to your inbox every Wednesday

© 2023 Mark Allen Group Ltd | All Rights Reserved
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.