New engine test bed at East Kilbride

Citation

(1998), "New engine test bed at East Kilbride", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770aab.022

New engine test bed at East Kilbride

New engine test bed at East Kilbride

Rolls-Royce has unveiled a new engine test facility at its East Rogerton test site, near East Kilbride in Scotland. Converted from an existing cell, the new bed is able to test both the Dart engine and the AE2100 ­ a new addition to Rolls-Royce's engine repair and overhaul capability at East Kilbride.

It is one of three cells due for conversion to take engines new to the product range of Rolls-Royce Aero Engine Services Limited at East Kilbride. Others, due in full commission early next year, will handle the AE3007, a turbofan for small regional jets, and the RTM322, a turboshaft that has been selected to power the next-generation helicopters of all three UK armed forces. The cost to convert all three beds is in the order of £2 million.

To cater for its latest engine, East Kilbride has established a repair unit in the main factory and converted "Cell 2" at East Rogerton. Four testers have visited Allison's facilities in Indianapolis for four weeks training on the new engine type, working alongside Allison test engineers.

Another ten East Kilbride employees from the production area are fully trained and ready to start repair operations after a visit to the USA, and more training will be undertaken by Allison employees in Scotland.

There were two main changes to Cell 2; firstly, the upgrading to latest-generation digital controls and computer data acquisition systems, housed in a new control room, which can now scan up to 1,000 separate parameters at any single moment and capture all aspects of a test on rapid-analysis computer-stored log.

Rolls-Royce testers prepare an Allison AE2100 engine for test at the company's newly-converted facility at East Rogerton in Scotland

The second was the replacement of the existing dynamometer (which absorbs the energy output of the engine, used to drive a propeller in service) with a sophisticated unit that can handle both the 3,000 shaft horsepower Dart ­ the sole engine previously tested in this cell ­ and the AE2100.

The new dynamometer has two adaptors, positioned diametrically opposite each other to cater for the significant difference in power output and direction of rotation between the two engines.