Portable Engine Test Stand (PETS) Capabilities

The PETS has the following capabilities and features:

Flexible Capability.
The test stand will accommodate engines with thrust up to 16,000 pounds and will accommodate any type of engine mounting (Right, Left, Center, Under Wing, Over Wing, etc.). The PETS can measure the longitudinal component of thrust in both forward and reverse. The PETS also provides support services to the engine such as hydraulics and electrical power. Maximum Portability. The test facility is portable and can be made roadworthy for cross-county transport.

Minimum Foot Print.
The PETS has the smallest practical operational and storage foot print. This is accomplished by incorporating support systems onto the test rig trailer. The test facility has provisions for long-term storage with minimal maintenance and minimal degradation.

Superior Test Integrity.
Test integrity is assured by utilizing the Automated Test Manager (ATM), which is programmed to follow specified test profiles that are setup by the operator. The ATM assures that test parameters remain within specified limits. Data is provided for logging at 16-bit accuracy. High Productivity with Reduced Operating Cost. The mobility of the PETS allows the test stand to be re-oriented as wind conditions change. This eliminates test delays due to unfavorable winds associated with fixed test rigs. The use of the ATM optimizes the time at each test point by minimizing the time required to determine that a test condition has been reached and has stabilized. This process has been proven to reduce test durations, by weeks, thus improving test efficiency.

Excellent Operator Safety and Test Article Protection.
Every aspect of the PETS design considers operator safety and test article protection. The loss of external power will not result in loss of engine control. The system has one emergency shutdown button. The control booth has armor plating and bulletproof windows.

Weather Monitoring.
The control booth has an integrated weather station that provides wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and dew point.

Extensive Instrumentation.
An integrated instrumentation system, that samples data at a rate up to100,000 Hertz. The dynamic signal acquisition channels include 24 accelerometers (or microphones) and 56 strain gauge channels. The analog system includes 128 thermocouple and 104 pressure transducer channels. Data is provided in customer format and there is automatic data transfer to the customer’s web site within seconds of completing an event.