Experimental Examination of the Aerothermal Performance of a Gas Turbine Engine Test Facility

The U.S. Navy standard jet engine test cell was experimentally examined to determine aerodynamic and thermodynamic characteristics. Pressures and temperatures were measured throughout the facility while testing different engines at different power settings from idle through afterburning. The data include gas prescures and temperatures measured at both the test cell intakes and exhaust from which velocities were calculated and, subsequently, mass flow rates calculated and compared.The highest test cell wall temperature recorded was about 300 degrees Centigrade reached during A/B testing of the TF30 engine. The vacuum drawn within the facility was within structural limits, reaching a minimum of only 2.5 cm of water. Airflow approaching the engine inlet was always steady and free of eddies or recirculation.Although the facility performed well, some intuitively puzzling flow characteristics were observed. For example, the total test cell airflow increases with engine power setting from idle up to military power (100% rpm) but remains constant as afterburning is initiated. Another characteristic to be pondered is the skewing of the jet as it mixes with the entrained ambient air.© 1989 ASME