Avionics, fatigue, vibration, materials and flight, engine, non-destructive…all of these areas require specialist products, software and training. And they are all intertwined into aviation and the manufacturing and maintenance of the aircraft operated in this industry where it is imperative to be ready for anything at any time. We will be exploring the latest technological advances in aerospace testing as well as the tried and true products already here.
Rolls-Royce has launched F130 engine testing at the company’s outdoor test facility at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, U.S. Rolls-Royce F130 engines were selected by the United States Air Force to replace the existing powerplants in the B-52 fleet, with over 600 new engine deliveries expected. This milestone test program is the first time F130 engines have been tested in the dual-pod engine configuration of the B-52 aircraft. Each B-52 aircraft has eight engines in four pods.
The engine testing will focus on crosswind aerodynamic flow as well as confirming the successful operation of the engine’s digital controls system. Early results from the testing have been very positive with additional test data to be analyzed over the next several months.
Rolls-Royce says it is collaborating very closely with the Air Force and Boeing, which is managing the overall engine integration and B-52 aircraft modernization program. The new engines will extend the life of the B-52 aircraft for 30 years. F130 engines are so durable they are expected to remain on wing for the remainder of the aircraft life.
“We are excited to begin this milestone testing program, the first step for what will be decades of successful engine operation for the United States Air Force B-52 fleet,” said Candice Bineyard, director, programs – defence. “Rolls-Royce continues to work very closely with the Air Force and Boeing to ensure the engine testing and integration process run smoothly. This will result in higher fuel efficiency, reduced air refueling requirements, and significantly lower maintenance costs for the B-52 fleet. We look forward to sharing test results with the Air Force and Boeing as the test plan progresses at the NASA Stennis Space Center.”
F130 engines will be manufactured, assembled and tested at Rolls-Royce facilities in Indianapolis, the company’s largest production facility in the U.S. Rolls-Royce has invested $1 Billion in recent years to completely modernize manufacturing and testing facilities in Indiana, as well as for advanced technology.
F130 engines were selected for the B-52 by the Air Force in September 2021 following a competitive selection process. The F130 is derived from the Rolls-Royce BR family of commercial engines, with over 30 million hours of operation and a high reliability rate. It’s a proven, dependable engine with a fuel-efficient design.
An emblematic project consists of using a hydrogen fuel cell power source to generate sufficient electrical power, in the range of 400 kilowatts, to feed all the non-propulsion systems of next-generation aircraft. Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse is developing this power generation system as part of the France Relance (France Relaunch) plan with the support of the French Civil Aviation Authority (Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile).
In order to test and assess this solution in a representative environment, Liebherr, supported by the Région Occitanie, recently installed a hydrogen test bench in its test center at its Toulouse site.
This new investment in test facilities will enable Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse to demonstrate the ability to generate electrical power, using fuel cells, to supply the major non-propulsive electrical systems of a new generation single-aisle aircraft, while ensuring the thermal management of the whole (fuel cells and electrical systems).
In addition to these substantial investments in hydrogen, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse is also developing new systems and equipment with lower emissions, particularly of CO2, and is working with the wider aeronautical industry and other academic institutions to step up development of the systems and equipment needed for the next generation of zero-emission aircraft.
High speed cameras are used to capture pictures of very rapid events that would be impossible to capture with normal cameras. As such, they are extensively used also for aerospace testing purposes. Industry experts assess the use of high speed cameras in the domain of aerospace testing, the specific requirements of the aerospace industry with regard to high speed cameras, the factors to consider when selecting a high speed camera and artificial intelligence as an area of integration.
Aerospace Testing
A typical flight test instrumentation high speed camera is capable of taking images at speeds of 200 frames per second or higher and these are collected using a global shutter, which means that the entire image is captured at the same moment in time, affirms Ben Kupferschmidt, senior product line manager for network and ground solutions at Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “The result is a clear image without motion blur, despite the very short exposure time. High speed camera imagery can then be played back at slow speeds to allow engineers to perform data analysis on complex events involving rapid motion,” he says. “In the aerospace industry, high speed cameras are useful for a number of flight test instrumentation (FTI) applications. High speed cameras can also help with confirming proper operation for any complex moving surfaces on the aircraft, for example aerial refuelling and de-icing systems. By using multiple high speed cameras, it is possible to capture multiple angles of the same event. The imagery data from these different angles can be combined to help generate a 3D model of the target event.”
High speed cameras are capable of capturing super-fast events by recording thousands, or even millions of frames per second, affirm Anders Kalldahl and James Engel of Phantom Ametek. “Most events are in the millisecond or microsecond range in duration; indeed, we sometimes refer to high speed cameras as ‘time microscopes’. A traditional microscope enlarges objects too small to be seen by the naked eye, while a high speed camera expands the time of an event that is too fast for the naked eye and the brain to process,” they say. “In the aerospace industry, high speed cameras are commonly used in high speed wind tunnels for aerodynamics and shockwave studies, component stress and performance testing using techniques such as digital image correlation (DIC), flow visualization through particle image velocimetry (PIV), in-flight stores release testing, and rocket motor testing.”
Rob Huculak and Daniel Castillo of the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University affirm that high speed cameras provide valuable information from a wide range of experimental tests in the aerospace industry. “They capture, at large frame rates, fast-paced events, allowing test engineers to have clear exploitable visuals. This provides insight at the microsecond scale on how deformations take place, how velocities change, or failures occur during dynamic events,” they affirm. “A major benefit comes from advanced photogrammetry software which enables the direct measurement of displacements of test objects in a high speed test; this software requires a calibration to be done for each camera, lens, and focus setting. It corrects for parallax, perspective, depth, and scale factor in order to output the correct displacement, for example that of an occupant kinematics in seat testing. One of the most advanced areas where high speed cameras are used is DIC where a pair of cameras is calibrated and the test images are analysed simultaneously to determine the 3D coordinates and displacements of the object of interest.”
Rob Huculak NIAR
These Sick Ranger cameras, similar to one used in the NIAR labs, offers fast 3D measurement at high speed at sensor resolutions of up to 1,536 pixels in 3D and 3,072 pixels in grayscale and color. The company also says the camera is flexible in configuration, working distance, and field of view. It also has a multiScan function for simultaneously measuring 3D shape, contrast, color and scatter. Sick image.
In the aerospace industry, high speed cameras are used for the research and development of engines (spray and combustion), materials (to improve strength, to develop new materials, to lighten weight), welding (optimizing the welding method), and visualizing high speed mechanical structures, affirms Alex Kiendl of MESSRING, a distributor for nac cameras for the European and Indian market. “Cameras are used not only for visualization but also for analysis by using various image processing technologies, such as two-color method/two-color ratio method for temperature analysis, DIC (for deformation measurement), PIV (for flow measurement), the Shlieren method (for visualizing air density change), and motion analysis,” he says.
Jerry Beeney, Teledyne FLIR
High speed cameras can also be coupled to thermal imaging. Thermal imaging cameras convert infrared radiation into a visual image that depicts temperature variations across an object or scene; this allows the cameras to make non-contact measurements of an object’s temperature for data acquisition, analysis and reporting, according to Jerry Beeney, director of global business development at Teledyne FLIR. “The process of using an infrared camera for data viewing, recording, analysis and reporting is often referred to as ‘thermography’,” he affirms. “High speed thermal cameras often refer to cameras which can achieve frame rates in excess of 100 frames per second, with some being able to reach maximum frame rates of greater than 50,000 frames per second. This allows the cameras to accurately measure temperatures of fast thermal transients and moving targets.”
Curtiss-Wright’s nHSC-31-S1 series camera is a stand-alone and/or networked high speed camera that is capable of operating at 500 frames per second. The camera includes an integrated CompactFlash recorder to allow easy removal of critical post-test data. It also provides integrated video preview and integrates into a system with other TTC network equipment including switches, recorders and the nMGR-2000-1 high speed camera manager. The camera is configured using special software and the images that are stored in the camera’s memory are transferred to a PC and converted to industry standard image formats. Curtiss-Wright images.
High speed thermal cameras are routinely used in the research, development and testing phases within all sectors of the aerospace industry to verify and improve the thermal performance of critical aviation electronics, points out Beeney. “When mated with the appropriate microscope lenses, high speed thermal cameras can detect small thermal anomalies in individual components of integrated circuits. They are also used in material testing to detect potential defects in critical components in airframes and propulsion systems,” he says. “These non-destructive testing (NDT) processes usually involve active thermography techniques where an excitation source creates a thermal difference which the thermal imaging camera can detect and evaluate for potential weaknesses or deficiencies.”
Specific Requirements
The range of applications within the aerospace industry is quite broad, and so are the specific requirements of the aviation industry about high speed cameras. “Taking NIAR AVET as an example, we possess several high speed cameras with a maximum frame rate of 2,000 frames per second and few more cameras capable of going as high as 480,000 frames per second,” say Huculak and Castillo. “Due to the nature of the aerospace industry, there is constant push towards maximizing the quality and amount of information gathered for any given test. Hence, manufacturers are continuously looking to improve the capabilities of their equipment catalog.”
According to Kupferschmidt, the aviation industry needs high speed cameras that are rugged and capable of surviving the extreme environments in which aerospace vehicles operate. These requirements include the need to function across large temperature ranges and high G-forces, and the cameras also need to be relatively small, low power, and capable of operating autonomously. “Ideally, the cameras should be triggered automatically when the target event happens. This ensures that the timing is correct, since a key limitation of high speed cameras is the fact that they have a limited amount of internal storage for images,” he says.
Ben Kupferschmidt Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions
Multiple cameras are typically mounted at different locations on board the aircraft, providing different fields of view of the target event, observes Kupferschmidt. “In order to combine the images from multiple cameras into a single model for data analysis, it is vital that the time on each camera is in sync. This enables the engineers to be confident that the images from different cameras are aligned in time,” he affirms. “Requirements for high speed camera applications are sent to high speed camera manufacturers using the normal request for proposal process. Most customers are looking for a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that has the flexibility to accommodate their unique needs.”
Kalldahl and Engel affirm that the specific requirements of the aviation industry include frame rates from 1000 frames per second to 75,000 frames per second at a minimum of 1-megapixel resolution, and in the case of DIC testing, 4-megapixel sensors are required for best results. Furthermore, many tests are performed with less-than-optimal lighting conditions so sensors with high sensitivity to the available light are needed. “This high sensitivity is especially important since low exposure times (fast shutter speeds) are usually required to eliminate motion blur,” they say. “These requirements are usually communicated through a meeting with the test engineers and an on-site visit to evaluate the test parameters and environmental conditions in order to match their specific requirements to a particular camera model. Years of experience with aerospace testing has led to sensor development that addresses the specific needs of aerospace test engineers.”
High speed thermal cameras are continuing to improve in both pixel resolution and maximum frame rates, according to Beeney. “The aviation industry in particular is interested in higher pixel resolutions at higher frame rates since it can help them to get more measurement pixels on the article being tested at high frame rates,” he affirms. “The increase in pixel density on the measurement target improves the accuracy of the non-contact temperature measurement while also providing a more detailed understanding of the thermal gradients on objects of interest. The aviation industry also requires high speed thermal cameras to utilize industry standard connections and protocols for data and camera control.”
Decision Making Factors
There are many factors that go into selecting a high speed camera. According to Kupferschmidt, the most critical initial decision is to determine the required frame rate and resolution for the images. He specifies that most aerospace flight test instrumentation applications need between 200 and 500 frames per second and that the customers typically want a camera resolution of 1280×1024. “Other key factors include the size, weight and power requirements for the specific test. In particular, high speed cameras often have to fit in tight spaces on board the test aircraft,” he says. “Another key factor to consider is the triggering method for the high speed camera. Ideally, aerospace customers seek flexibility in their cameras that support multiple options for triggering. The overall system architecture and system integration is vital to a successful high speed camera test; customers want a fully integrated system where all of the different pieces work together seamlessly.”
Among the factors that should be assessed when deciding the type of high speed camera to buy, there must be always a balance between required frame rate versus resolution, minimum shutter speed/available light versus sensor sensitivity and record time, according to Kalldahl and Engel. “Image quality parameters, such as noise and dynamic range, need to be considered because the images are often used for measurements and data analysis,” they affirm. “To a lesser extent, form factor and ruggedization sometimes play a role when space and/or weight is limited or if the camera is exposed to harsh conditions such as an exterior wing mount.”
The purchase decision starts with the application; having a well-defined and constrained application facilitates the equipment selection, observe Huculak and Castillo. “In general, the primary factors for deciding on the type of high speed camera to buy are different. One of this is the frame rate; that refers to the number of images that a camera captures over a period of time. The optimal frame rate setting for a test should be determined from the velocity and the overall magnitude of the displacement of the object of interest: it should be enough to capture the event in thorough detail,” they say. “Another factor is the resolution, i.e., the number of pixels that constitute the captured image. The higher the resolution the more details or features can be distinguished on the image. For high speed cameras, frame rate and resolution are inversely proportional. That is, a high frame rate setting will lead to a lower maximum resolution setting and vice versa. It is up to the test engineers to determine the optimal balance between the two.”
A key point is also the cost. In general, the cost of a high speed camera is primarily driven by the image sensor combination of frame rate, resolution and light sensitivity capabilities, affirm Huculak and Castillo. “A camera with a sensor capable of recording full HD images at high frame rates will result in a significant investment. Other factors to be evaluated are internal memory capability, external memory options, available trigger input and delay options, synchronization, overall equipment dimensions, weight, g-rating, etc.”
When it comes to selecting thermal imaging camera, the first point is about what temperatures one is expected to measure, observes Beeney. “The second key item is how fast one needs to capture the data. The third factor to consider is the size and distance to the target of interest. The fourth point refers to the kinds of temperature analysis and report generation that are needed. The fifth and last item has to do with what additional accessories are required to complete the final solution,” he says. “Concerning the latter item, project equipment requirements may extend beyond the need for an infrared camera and software. For example, one may need a protective enclosure to use the camera in a harsh or demanding environment. Safety requirements may force one to work miles away from the camera, necessitating a remote operation system.”
AI Integration
Today there are high speed streaming cameras available, observe Kalldahl and Engel. “Traditional cameras capture images in a finite amount on internal RAM, and then download and analyse them after the event has occurred, while streaming cameras send raw image data directly to a frame buffer in a PC. Like a traditional camera those images can be stored on a DVR for longer recording sessions, but more often users are sending those images through an FPGA, CPU, and GPU,” they say. “This allows them to do real-time high speed analysis, decision-making, and adjustments at thousands of frames per second. For example, adjustments to an airframe or other component mid-flight to compensate for an anomaly or simply to change the characteristic of the test.”
According to Kupferschmidt, artificial intelligence (AI) is applicable to high speed camera data analysis. “One application is path tracking within the imagery data. For high speed camera tests that involve fast moving projectiles, it is useful to be able to visualize the result in 3D and to track the path of the moving objects,” he says. “Comparing multiple tests that occurred at different times is a promising AI application. When viewing imagery from multiple tests, it can be hard for engineers to notice subtle differences. AI software, however, should be able to identify these subtle differences and potentially discover problems with the test aircraft’ systems.”
Indeed, the use of AI and high speed cameras is an area of open research and development at the time, and major photogrammetry software developers have started to successfully implement AI, according to Huculak and Castillo. “The results concern primarily image recognition and autonomous tracking of unique targets and features resulting in shorter image analysis time and effort for engineers and researchers,” they say.
According to Kiendl, AI could be implemented more often together with high speed video images in the future. “One potential market is the quality judgement at production line and one of our trail in this market is a real-time welding quality judgement,” he affirms.
According to Beeney, AI is one type of computer vision currently being with imaging systems, including high speed thermal imaging cameras, to automatically extract important data from images and videos. “These algorithms can save time and improve repeatability by quickly finding relevant information and is particularly useful in thermal imaging where imagery can be less intuitive, he concludes.
An emblematic project consists of using a hydrogen fuel cell power source to generate sufficient electrical power, in the range of 400 kW, to feed all the non-propulsion systems of next-generation aircraft. Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse is developing this power generation system as part of the France Relance (France Relaunch) plan with the support of the French Civil Aviation Authority (Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile).
In order to test and assess this solution in a representative environment, Liebherr, supported by the Région Occitanie, recently installed a hydrogen test bench in its test center at its Toulouse site.
This new investment in test facilities will enable Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse to demonstrate the ability to generate electrical power, using fuel cells, to supply the major non-propulsive electrical systems of a new generation single-aisle aircraft, while ensuring the thermal management of the whole (fuel cells and electrical systems).
In addition to these substantial investments in hydrogen, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse is also developing new systems and equipment with lower emissions, particularly of CO2, and is working with the wider aeronautical industry and other academic institutions to step up development of the systems and equipment needed for the next generation of zero-emission aircraft.
Rolls-Royce reports that it has conducted successful tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engine running on 100% hydrogen fuel. The tests, carried out by the Power Systems business unit, showed very good characteristics in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion. These tests mark another important step towards the commercial introduction of hydrogen solutions to meet the demand of customers for more sustainable energy.
“This engine will serve the market demand for hydrogen solutions in the energy transition and will be available to our customers as a reliable and clean power source for gensets and combined heat and power plants,” said Tobias Ostermaier, president – stationary power solutions, Rolls-Royce business unit power systems.
The first installation of mtu engines running on 100% hydrogen is already planned for the enerPort II lighthouse project in the German inland port of Duisburg, as part of the development of a climate-neutral energy supply for a new container terminal.
“We see hydrogen as one of the central elements of the energy transition,” said Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO – Rolls-Royce power systems. “It can be used for both storage of excess energy and as a fuel, not only for engines but fuel cells and cogeneration plants to generate climate-neutral electricity and heat.”
In times of low demand and high renewable energy generation from wind or solar, for example, the excess energy can be channeled through an electrolyzer to convert water to hydrogen, which can later be used as fuel in any number of applications.
Progress in Efficiency, Performance and Clean Combustion
For several months, the mtu gas engine has been undergoing bench testing and continuous improvement in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion using 100 percent hydrogen as fuel. With green hydrogen, these mtu engines can be operated in a CO2-neutral manner in the future. For gas engines already installed, Rolls-Royce offers a conversion solution. Andrea Prospero, an engineer at Rolls-Royce responsible for the development of the hydrogen engine, said: “We are very pleased with the rapid progress. The very low engine emissions are well below the strict EU limits, no exhaust gas after-treatment is required.”
Due to the different combustion behavior of hydrogen compared to natural gas, some engine components including fuel injection, turbocharging, piston design and control, were modified in the test engine. However, by using proven technologies within the Power Systems’ portfolio, such as mtu turbochargers, injection valves, and engine electronics and control, the development of the engine to use hydrogen was advanced quickly and efficiently.
First Deployment for CO2-Neutral Power Supply at Duisport
Duisport, one of the world’s largest inland ports, is working with several partners to build a hydrogen-based supply network for its new terminal, ready for operation in 2024. In the future, most of the electricity required by the port itself will be generated directly on site from hydrogen in a CO2-neutral manner. This will be achieved by two combined heat and power plants with mtu Series 4000 hydrogen engines (with a total installed capacity of 2MW) as well as three mtu fuel cell systems (with a total installed capacity 1.5MW).
As part of its sustainability program, Rolls-Royce says it is realigning the product portfolio of power systems towards more sustainable fuels and new technologies that can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In December, Raytheon Technologies announced the successful first engine run of the company’s regional hybrid-electric flight demonstrator, marking a key milestone towards flight testing, targeted to begin in 2024.
The propulsion system’s initial run took place at Pratt & Whitney’s innovation facility in Longueuil, Quebec and the compay says it “performed as expected.” The system fully integrates a 1 MW electric motor developed by Collins Aerospace with a highly efficient Pratt & Whitney fuel-burning engine, specially adapted for hybrid-electric operation. The company hopes this powerplant technology will enable more efficient engine performance during the different phases of flight, such as take-off, climb and cruise, reducing fuel burn and CO2 emissions by up to 30% compared to today’s most advanced regional turboprop aircraft.
“Hybrid-electric propulsion technology offers significant potential to optimize efficiency across a range of different aircraft applications, helping our industry meet its ambitious goal for achieving net zero CO2 emissions,” said Jean Thomassin, executive director new products and services, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “With our ground test program now well underway, planned flight testing will enable us to accelerate the demonstration of this next generation sustainable propulsion technology as we continue to expand our collaboration within Canada’s aerospace ecosystem and beyond.”
Flight Test Center of Excellence (Cert Center Canada – 3C), will modify and operate the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 aircraft, serving as the platform for future flight demonstrations.
“We are honored that Raytheon Technologies has chosen our Design Approval Organization to lead the flight test program for this historic demonstrator project,” said John Maris, 3C president and chief test pilot for the project. “3C has assembled a trusted Quebec team that includes Chrono Aviation, WAAS Aerospace, and Elisen & associés to integrate the hybrid-electric powertrain, battery system, and high voltage electrical harness into 3C’s Dash 8 research aircraft. I am confident that 3C’s extensive flight test experience and historical relationship with Transport Canada will complement Raytheon Technologies’ outstanding team to safely demonstrate this important technological advance.”
Since Raytheon Technologies launched the demonstrator project via its Pratt & Whitney Canada and Collins Aerospace businesses in July 2021, supported by the governments of Canada and Quebec, numerous organizations in Canada and around the world have joined the initiative.
H55 S.A., recently the subject of a minority investment by Raytheon Technologies’ venture capital arm, RTX Ventures, will supply battery systems. The development of battery component designs and associated electrical control systems will also be supported by the National Research Council of Canada and the Innovative Vehicle Institute. Ricardo PLC is also supporting the project with component design, system integration, and testing. De Havilland Canada is supporting integration of the propulsion system on the experimental aircraft.
Raytheon Technologies is developing hybrid-electric propulsion technologies across multiple demonstrator programs, including STEP-Tech and SWITCH, spanning a wide range of potential future aircraft applications. Alongside continually advancing the efficiency of aircraft propulsion systems, the company is also developing technologies to support greater use of cleaner, alternative fuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and hydrogen, each of which will benefit from the increased efficiencies enabled by hybrid-electric propulsion technology.
Hybrid electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle maker, Horizon Aircraft, announced that it has successfully completed initial hover testing of its “Cavorite X5” scale prototype.
Brandon Robinson, CEO of Horizon Aircraft said, “this aircraft has exceeded expectations during initial hover testing. It is extremely stable, is capable of full hover at only 65% power, and has hovered with 20% of its fans purposely disabled in order to test system redundancy. This is a large-scale aircraft, with a 22-foot wingspan, over 15 feet in length, and capable of speeds over 175 mph. It continues to yield valuable data that is constantly improving our full-scale design.”
Horizon’s patented eVTOL concept allows the aircraft to fly 98% of its mission in a very low-drag configuration like a traditional aircraft and is one of the only eVTOL aircraft currently able to do so. Flying most of the mission as a normal aircraft is safer, more efficient and will be easier to certify than radical new eVTOL designs. The full-scale aircraft will also be powered by a hybrid electric system that can recharge the battery array in-flight while providing additional system redundancy.
Horizon Aircraft plans to move to transition flight testing in Q1 2023 at the world class ACE Climatic Wind Tunnel located near Toronto, Ontario.
Rolls-Royce today announced it has completed building and is preparing to test its UltraFan, technology demonstrator. In a major milestone for the program, the demonstrator engine was transported from the build workshop and into Testbed 80 in Derby, UK where it was mounted in preparation for testing.
The first test of the demonstrator is expected to take place early next year and will be operated using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
“Seeing the UltraFan demonstrator come together and getting ready for test in Testbed 80 is a great way to end the year,” said Chris Cholerton, president of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace. “We have all been waiting for this moment, which is such an important milestone for the program and for the team who have worked on it. The next stage will be to see UltraFan run for the first time on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel in 2023, proving the technology is ready to support more sustainable flight in the future.”
Combining a new engine design with a suite of technologies to support sustainable air travel, the UltraFan demonstrator has a fan diameter of 140 inches and offers a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine.
The company says their UltraFan “offers a variety of sustainability solutions that will support the journey to net zero aviation. In the nearer term, there are options to transfer technologies from the UltraFan development program to current Trent engines to deliver enhanced fuel efficiency and reductions in emissions. In the longer term, UltraFan’s scalable technology from ~25,000-110,000lb thrust delivers the potential to further improve fuel efficiency of both narrowbody and widebody aircraft by up to 10 per cent.”
Testbed 80, the world’s largest and smartest testbed, was designed and built especially to accommodate the size and technical complexity of the UltraFan demonstrator. It was opened in 2020 and has already completed many hours of experimental engine testing.
The UltraFan technology demonstrator program has been supported by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, the EU’s Clean Sky programs plus LuFo and the State of Brandenburg in Germany.
Dynetics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, has been awarded a contract to increase the capacity for America’s hypersonic flight testing. The program, known as Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB), was awarded by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense.
MACH-TB supports hypersonic programs by creating opportunities to test technologies with robust, agile and modular approaches. It will demonstrate ways to affordably prototype a test bed that leverages multiple, commercially-available launch vehicles for hypersonic payloads. The data collected will provide insight to the DoD on technology improvement and capability validation. This will enable more robust and successful developments of hypersonic weapon systems. Additionally, MACH-TB will provide a modular Experimental Glide Body (EGB) to create opportunities for technologies to be tested in relevant hypersonic environments to inform acquisition decisions for weapon systems.
“Hypersonics are a top priority for our nation, and we’re honored to be a part of this innovative and vital initiative,” said Steve Cook, Leidos’ Dynetics group president .
This hypersonics flight test bed will bring to fruition a centralized hypersonic testing capability that can be leveraged by Navy Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), Army Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Air Force hypersonics programs, DoD research programs, small businesses, industry and academia stakeholders. This program was initiated by the Navy’s CPS Program and will be managed by OSD’s Test Resources Management Center (TRMC) and executed by NSWC Crane.
Dynetics will work with the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) and a team of over 20 partners across industry, small businesses, national laboratories and academia to develop and execute the program. Planned partners include Peraton, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Stratolaunch, JRC Integrated Systems, NineTwelve Institute, Corvid, SpinLaunch, Varda, Kitty Hawk Technologies, Systima Division of Karman Space and Defense, Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, X-Bow Systems, RLNS and other hypersonic experts.
“We have always been fortunate to work in an industry where missions align on a single focus: protecting our nation,” Cook said. “Our team is comprised of some of the best in the industry and dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today.”
Work will be performed in Crane, Indiana, Huntsville, Alabama, and the National Capital Region.
Exact Metrology, a Division of In-Place Machining Company and a supplier of 3D laser and CT scanning equipment and services details the steps to a successful airfoil evaluation.
SCAN PROCESS
The scan can occur at the customer’s facility or at Exact Metrology’s. In many cases, it is most cost effective for the digitizing or scanning to take place at the Exact facility. However, in certain instances, when turnaround time is of great importance or downtime of the scanned component is critical, the scanner is mobile and available for onsite operation.
The airfoils that are typically provided by customers will be received by Exact Metrology for full documentation with photos, measurements and any surface markings or serial numbers recorded prior to any high definition scanning.
Setup
The mobility of the Exact scanner allows a high degree of flexibility in performing onsite scans (Option A) at a customer facility or the more cost efficient in-house scan at the Exact facility (Option B).
Due to the reflective nature of the blades, a thin coating of Magnaflux spray is applied. The SKD-S2 spray is a second phase of the crack checking processes. Phase 1 is a die penetrant that will not be used typically. The spray meets the requirements for AMS 2664, ASTM E165 and is ASME approved. (Health – 1, Flammability – 4, Reactivity -0, No Specific Hazard). See MSDS 0166 for more information on the SKD-S2 product.
When scanning the blade, Exact uses a fixture device. Targets will also be used to constrain data during the alignment phase. Targets will be placed using magnets on either side of the air foil. The fixture itself will also act as an alignment constraint while holding the airfoil in place and allowing Exact technicians to capture maximum data on the part without moving or touching the part. A manual or automatic turntable may be used to allow enhanced scanning and registration access to the part.
Scanning
The part is positioned on the rotating table or on a stationary marble top and scanned from multiple perspectives. This procedure is repeated multiple times to provide complete coverage of the part. Known geometric objects, cubes and spheres are often placed in the scene for quality assurance and validation during the validation stage.
The scanner used on these projects is a Breuckmann Stereo 3D Scanning system. This device uses a unique halogen structured white light projection system with dual 6.6 mega-pixel cameras. The scanner is the highest resolution scanner available on the market and was specially built for Exact Metrology in Germany.
Registration
The registration process can be done with or without targets. Both registration methods have different techniques with similar results. Essentially, the targeting procedure uses an automated fitting of point clouds or scan worlds together, based upon three common positions on the part or scene. This process has been simplified with modern software technology. The software will then analyze every point with overlap and run a best fit algorithm over hundreds of iterations to find the tightest and best alignment. The result of this process will yield a fully registered and organized point cloud.
Validation
It is important to verify the automated method with targeting and adding known geometric shapes to the scan. All scans are documented with notes, computer logging and digital photos accompanying the recorded scan setup within the software. A CD copy of all digital data is recorded prior to returning the part or teardown.
MODELING PROCESS:
Once the data is gathered and the registration process is complete, the point cloud or data set can now be worked. The first step is to triangulate or mesh the points together. As part of this early process, points are “intelligently” removed from the network by algorithms in the software. Essentially, the points of redundancy and overlap are decimated and averaged. This mesh is further manipulated by reducing the triangles and points along flatter areas and retaining more triangles in areas of curvature and complexity. This poly mesh can now be exported as a complete *.STL file or similar format.
Surfacing
The process of fitting NURBs and geometry to the poly mesh or point cloud can be a time-consuming and arduous process. A surface is basically draped over the mesh and smoothed to be reflective of the actual part. Once this task is completed and a complete watertight object is created, the model is ready to be exported to nearly any format via various methods. The end file format is entirely up to the client and the limitations of existing conversion tools available today. A final 3D solid model can be provided as a “dumb solid” with no parametry or history tree as an imported object. The available formats include: Siemens NX, Pro/E Wildfire, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Inventor, SolidWorks, as well as generic formats such as IGES, STEP, ParaSolid(X_T) and others.
Parametric Modeling
The final deliverable is a parametric model. Unlike a solid model, the parametric model possesses relationships of all dimensions within the CAD. With these relationships, the CAD model can be manipulated and fine-tuned without disturbing the overall geometry of the part. For this workpiece, the specific parameters of each cross section within the model can be independently modified without disturbing neighboring cross sections. The end result is a Pro/Engineer CAD model with known geometry that is fully adjustable and possesses a design history.
