Evolution Aerospace Test Stands allow simulation under true-to-life conditions.

There is an increasing expectation that the development of new aero engines requires test bench experience under all feasible flight conditions to maximize test efficiency on the bench while minimizing flight test hours.

The performance requirements of turboshaft engines are ramping up very quickly as the aircraft range, load, and speed capabilities are extended. The development programs for these engines require quicker solutions from a single source while achieving higher performance.  This requires more comprehensive bench testing covering a wider range of flight conditions. Froude is stepping up to meet this challenge by further extending the capabilities of its world-class range of high-speed test systems.

To support these test requirements, Froude has a well-established and “Next Gen" range of test systems that can replicate a wider range of operational conditions.

Froude currently supplies high-speed dynamometers for turboshaft engines from all the major engine manufacturers and supports the MRO network to ensure the continued performance of these engines. These test systems provide various combinations of the dynamometer, flywheels, and torque measurement equipment mounted on a custom-engineered fabricated test stand with the flexibility to mount multiple engine configurations on our interchangeable engine cradle systems.

Froude test stands can carry a range of engine cradles that will allow manufacturers or MROs, to test various turboshaft engines with similar performance curves on the same stand. Froude has designed and manufactured multi-configuration systems to test engines from 500 to 8000 shaft HP. The engine cradle can adapt to incorporate different engine mounts which align the engine center line with the dynamometer center line. The engine cradle can also be moved horizontally, in two planes, to accommodate different engine configurations. The axial movement serves to assist with the engine installation onto the test stand.

This test system flexibility offered with Froude test stands provides a one-stop solution unsurpassed in the industry and allows simulation under true-to-life conditions before more expensive practical tests are implemented. All major components of the system including the dynamometer, couplings, shafts, guards, flywheels, and engine interface are designed, engineered, manufactured and factory tested as a complete system by Froude, the OEM. “We also work closely with leading manufacturers of torque measurement equipment that integrate into the complete Froude engineered solution,” says Froude’s technical director, Mike Golda. “Commissioning of a complete system is a time and cost savings to the test cell owner and eliminates communication breakdown between multiple component vendors.”

Froude is continually expanding its test stand systems to provide state-of-the-art test capabilities such as adaptive drive systems and high-altitude modifications to major engine OEMs for next-generation engine testing. Experience the new Froude Evolution series of test stand systems for aero and reciprocating engine applications.