Gas Turbine Engine Testing Education at Western Michigan University

Abstract

The development of a gas turbine engine test cell facility is described in this paper . The test c ell houses a mini turbo jet engine and a mini turboprop engine . The two turbine engines have the same type of gas generator. The engine s have been assembled by students using components purchased from the engine manufacturer . The test cell setup provides t he aeronautical engineering undergraduate students with a variety of engine data during engine runs in both numerical a nd graphical formats by using a developed LabVIEW -based interface . The data acquired from the sensors allow the students to determine th e component operating conditions and the air properties at the different stages along the air path . Through the lab experiments, the students are able to understand and validate the fundamental principles of gas turbine engines. More importantly, the lab p rovides the students with hands -on experience to apply the knowledge learned in classroom lectures to the real -time operation of turbine engines. The test cell facility promotes students interests in aeropropulsion. HE undergraduate stude nts majoring in aeronautical engineering at Western Michigan University (WMU) conduct turbine engine testing in the lab portion of the Aeropropulsion Systems course. The Aeropulsion Systems course runs for one semester and is taught at the senior level. One objective of the course, as is described in the ABET syllabus, is to teach students the fundamentals at work for the turbine engine components and the propulsion system as a whole. The Aeropropulsion System course, whic h is an introductory propulsio n class at the undergraduate level in the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Department , has also a lecture portion . In the lecture part of the class, t he students learn the application of the various principles of thermodynamics and aerod ynamics to the operation of turbine engine s and their performance evaluations. T he turbine engine testing lab supplement s the theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom by providing stude nts with hands -on experie nce required for working with a turbine engine. The engine t est sessions are normally conducted in groups of five to six students. Through various test runs , the students are able to understand and validate the reasoning behind assumptions and approximations invoked in classroom studies. The students run both scaled and full -size turbine engines. The full -size engine runs are conducted at the engine test cells in the Aviation Colleg e of WMU . Typically, the students will run turbofan and turbo shaft engines, such as the Boeing T-50, during those cell runs . In addition, the students also run two scaled engines. One is a turbojet and the second is a turboprop engine . Both of these engines are based on a MW 54 gas generator . As a result of the use of the different types of turbine engines, from turbojet to turboprop, and different sizes, from full to scaled, the course provides the student with a comp rehensive knowledge of both the fundamental theory and the real -life operation of the propulsion systems in aeronautical engineering. Despite it s small size, t he MW 54 turbine engine s used in the test cell perform all the basic fu nctions of full -scale turbine engine s. The engines have been selected mainly because of their simple setup and low maintenance, while providing the flexibility of operations necessary fo r propulsion education at the undergraduate level . T he turbojet version of the MW 54 engine was introduc ed in 2002. With only minor maintenance, the tu rbojet engine has provided stable and reliable engine operation experience to the students. T he student responses received since then have been overwhelming in terms of both teaching and learning. To further enrich students’ exposure to different types of turbine engines, a free turbine driven turboprop has been built recently in our test cell with purchased components and manufacturer -assembled sub -systems, such as the gear box. This addition further enhance s the