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Engine Test Cell Challenges 2012 and Beyond

Engine Test Cells have been around for the aviation industry since the dawn of the industry.  The Wright Brothers performed extensive testing on their small piston engine to verify performance with their belt driven propeller system.  As mechanics, they understood not only that a motor is only as good as the parts and the people who put those parts together, but that a motor must be tested as a working system prior to installation.  Why is that, you ask?  Because once you’re in the air, the time for verifying performance is over.   Over 100 years after that historic flight at Kitty Hawk, the song remains the same, so to speak.  Whether an engine is being built for the first time or thousandth, it has to be tested for performance verification prior to flight.

As such, Engine Test Cells are a necessary evil.  The Test Cells are typically not a profit center, even for an MRO.  That being said, heaven help you if you don’t test an engine and your aircraft falls from the sky due to engine-related failure. Engine Test Cells—you can’t live with them, and you certainly can’t live without them!

 

Engine Test Cells generally fall into two categories at the highest level:

• Research and Development Cells
• Production and Overhaul Cells

These two types of cells met very different needs.  R&D Cells can be complicated and costly, but they allow the OEMs to develop new engine designs in an effort to beat out the competition for that valuable pylon space known as the engine mount on an aircraft.  Production and Overhaul Cells typically house “get-it-done” activities, where through-put and operational readiness is key to OEM and MROs alike.  Every client wants a Test Cell that is both versatile and low-cost. Although a Test Cell  rarely becomes a profit center for an operator, the benefits provided by the test cell far outweigh the costs.

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Production and Overhaul Test Cells outnumber R&D facilities by a large margin

In the old days, your test cell had an engine mount, a few gauges, a few hoses and cables, a start system, a fuel system and a pad of paper, and you were ready to fire up.  However, since the inception of powered flight, engine power and complexity have increased at an exponential rate, especially with the advent of the jet engine in the years after WWII, and then again with the introduction of digital controls.

Enter the economy.  The last few years have wreaked havoc with the aviation industry.  Rising fuel costs have made it even more expensive to operate aircraft.  Specific fuel consumption is now of paramount importance.  Flight readiness of an aircraft—whether for private fleets, military, corporate or commercial air operators—is critical.  If an aircraft is on the ground, it is not performing its mission or making money, plain and simple.   The economics of maintenance have come under increased scrutiny for both the military and commercial sectors.  “Give me the safest, most reliable engines you can for the least amount of money,” has become the standard for MRO.

Enter the environment.  By their nature, Engine Test Cells are not cut out to be nice, earth-friendly neighbors in the community.  No one ever wakes up and says “Gee, I hope we get a turbine engine test cell built next to us, because that would sure help our property values increase.”  Test Cells are smelly, dirty, noisy neighbors full of fuel, oil, and grease—commonly referred to as hydrocarbons—and they literally emit tons of combustion by-products into the air with every engine test.

Enter the FAA and OSHA.   Worldwide guidelines for aircraft safety and the health and safety of maintenance employees have also increased significantly over the past few decades.  Fire systems are rarely simple, hand-held extinguishers anymore, for example, but are fully automated release systems that automatically notify the fire department.  Fire retardant agents have become more expensive as the standard oxygen-depleting fire systems, like Halon, have been deemed environmentally unfriendly.   Control rooms have to allow the personnel inside to carry on conversations to protect users from hearing loss.  These are all good things, but they come with a price tag.

Let’s go back to the economics for a minute. As a test cell, being a good neighbor costs money—lots of it.  Acoustic treatments and environmental containment also drive a tremendous amount of cost into test cells.  As we are all aware, any noisy activity, be it a rock concert or a NASCAR race, is always compared to the noise of a jet engine.  Everyone is geared from birth to think of jet engines as the noisiest thing on the planet.  Test Cells have migrated from outdoor operations to indoor, fully acoustic isolated structures.  A new test cell to test the 100K+ thrust engines that power large commercial jet liners can now cost upwards of $40-50 million dollars.  Building construction and acoustical measures account for over half the cost. Depending on location, another 10-15% of cost can be wrapped up in environmental containment and safety issues.

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MROs must be both Technically and Business Savvy

Test Cells still have the same mission as they did with the Wright Brothers: verifying engine performance prior to flight.  How that mission gets accomplished however is very different  today.

• The hand-loaded engine mount and cables/hoses have been replaced by automated coupling systems that join fuel and electrical connections.
• The engine adapter connections are intertwined with the Test Cell Control system through PLCs to maximize safety.
• The open area around the engine test system has been surrounded by complex acoustic enclosures, with extensive sound treatment for inlet and exhaust noise control.
• High volume/velocity air flows are critical to performance measurement.
• Computerized Data Acquisition and Control Systems must be constantly maintained and updated to handle the latest engines.
• Fuel System containment
• Safety and Training are now key elements of successful performance verification.

On one hand, you could argue from a safety and operational readiness standpoint that test cells should be your most appreciated asset, but, on the other you could say that Test Cells are the single biggest sunk cost for an MRO; they are pure overhead and a pain in the neck to maintain.

So how does today’s Director of Maintenance balance their shop mission and engine test cell requirements, and incorporate all the latest gadgets to handle the ever increasing complexity of engines all on a slashed budget?  Terms like sunk costs, fixed assets, contribution, tooling charges, consumables, re-test, qualifications, etc., have turned the operation into a full-on business enterprise.

The challenges of Engine Test Cells for 2012 and beyond are balancing cost and schedule against capability, reliability and performance.  The days of “the sky’s the limit”are past.  Today’s MROs have to be both technically as well as business savvy.

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The purpose of this post area is to discuss the challenges posed by the Test Cells of today and tomorrow in both generalities and in specific details.  Please feel free to comment on our cover post or start your own thread regarding how you see the Challenges of Test Cells.

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2011 Rocket Launches

January 20, 2011 – Vandenberg Air Force Base – NROL 49
Atec’s 2011 launch schedule began with the maiden voyage of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket from California,  the largest booster ever flown from the West Coast. The RL-10 engine upper stage deployed a crucial and clandestine replacement satellite into a polar orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office’s sophisticated constellation. The Latin words “melior diabolus quem scies” are inscribed on the mission patch. This roughly translates to mean “the devil you know,” as in the phrase “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.” Launch the article.

 

March 5, 2011 – Cape Canaveral – USA 226 (X-37B)
The first Atlas 5 launch of 2011 inserted the Pentagon’s second experimental X-37B, America’s miniature military space shuttle, into Earth’s orbit to begin a secretive long-endurance mission. On November 29, 2011, a spokesperson for the Secretary of the Air Force announced the mission was extended beyond its original life expectancy, citing ongoing experimentation. See launch photos.

 

March 11, 2011 – Cape Canaveral – NROL 27
Fast on the heels of the Atlas launch, a medium-class Delta 4 lifted off from the cape with another NRO spacecraft headed for a geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the earth.  This satellite will serve to relay data from low-altitude spacecraft such as imaging spy satellites. Read more about the mission and see photos.

 

April 14, 2011 -  Vandenberg Air Force Base – NROL 34
Capping off six launches in seven months for the NRO, an Atlas 5 launched from the West Coast carrying a pair of formation-flying ocean surveillance spacecraft.
Details surrounding the purpose and final orbit of the satellite are classified, but the new spacecraft will definitely serve a role for the U.S. military. Read the full story and see photos.

 

May 7, 2011 – Cape Canaveral – SBIRS GEO-1
Atlas 5 continued to perform flawlessly in 2011, launching the long-awaited next generation in early-warning missile detection satellites. SBIRS GEO-1 is the first of four spacecraft slated to replace the Defense Support Program satellites and is primarily intended to provide enhanced strategic missile and theater ballistic missile warning capabilities. See additional photos.

 

July 16, 2011 – Cape Canaveral – GPS 2F2
Launching from Florida, a Delta 4 lofted the second of a 12-ship advanced constellation of GPS satellites. The first of the GPS IIF series was launched May 27, 2010. Each of the 12 are expected to have a 12-year life span. The GPS IIF series continues the tradition of combined civil and military global positioning system satellite coverage. This was the 50th successful launch of a GPS craft by the Delta family dating to 1989. Watch the launch.

 

August 5, 2011 – Cape Canaveral – Juno
Atlas 5 launched a NASA probe destined for Jupiter, 1.8 billion miles away from Earth. After launch, the rocket’s Centaur upper stage, powered by an RL-10 engine, carried out a first six-minute burn to boost the spacecraft into a temporary orbit. A second, nine-minute RL-10 firing 31 minutes later accelerated Juno to 25,000 mph, the interplanetary escape velocity. Three minutes later, the 4-ton spacecraft separated from the Centaur to fly on its own. Read NASA’s updates on the mission.

 

November 26, 2011 – Cape Canaveral – Curiosity
Ending Atec’s launch year, an Atlas 5 propelled a probe form Earth that carries the most advanced roving vehicle ever sent to the surface of another planet.  Destined for the Gale Crater on Mars, and carried by the Mars Science Laboratory, the car sized Curiosity will continue the work of previous Mars rovers in the search for life on our neighboring planet.  Interestingly, the RL-10- engined upper stage performed so flawlessly on this launch that Louis D’Amario of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena said, “This was among the most accurate interplanetary injections ever.” Read more about the precise launch, the postponement of the planned course adjustment , and NASA’s updates on the mission.

‎‎”Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain lurking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space.”

— Stephen Hawking, interview in the Winnipeg Free Press, 19 November 2011.

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Record Year for Energy Services

2011 was a record year for our Energy Services group.  For that, our thanks go out to our loyal clients.

This past year demand in the field rose, and Atec jumped to the challenge by expediting orders so our customers could better serve their clients. Our continued team work with our customers in resolving obsolescence issues kept the orders flowing. Our hard work paid off, leading Atec to design and manufacture multiple cables for a new product released worldwide by a leading Houston-based customer, as well as to manufacture various surface measuring instruments, tools and spare parts for other Houston customers.

In 2012, we look forward to helping our customers achieve their goals and increase opportunities. If you are looking for a dedicated supplier with years of proven experience, give Atec a try for your 2012 requirements.

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2011 Recap in the Community

In June 2011, Atec sponsored a clothing drive for Second Mile Mission Center,  a charity local to the Stafford/Sugar Land area. More than 40 Atec employees contributed over 300 items of clothing, many of them items for children, for donation to the area’s less fortunate to make the drive a success. The clothing drive, coordinated by Atec HR Manager Meghan Major, was a close to home, close to the heart effort that is sure to become an annual tradition.

Atec’s Chairman and CEO, Howard Lederer, is a native Houstonian with deep community roots. Mr. Lederer chairs two significant 501c3 local charities, HoustonWorks USA and Project Joy and Hope.

HoustonWorks is a large agency. Its 250 employees operate eight centers, assisting 500,000 residents in over 1,000,000 annual encounters focused on employment, training and support services. HoustonWorks USA has the unique distinction of being recognized twice nationally as best agency of its type by the National Alliance of Business and the US Department of Labor. On October 13, 2011, Mr. Lederer was presented with the Founder Award at the HoustonWorks Gala at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston.

Joy and Hope labors to help the families of children with life-limiting illnesses. The agency offers housing assistance; emergency loans; college scholarships for striving, surviving siblings; mother’s retreats; a holiday gift program; a parent-to-parent 24 hour support line, and hosts the Texas Pediatric Palliative Care Consortium.

Howard Lederer serves as director of the Christus Foundation For Healthcare, which provides childcare services for disadvantaged Houstonians. Mr. Lederer was also a long time board member of the University of St. Thomas, and currently serves on its Fine Arts Advisory Committee.

In Decemeber 2011, Atec’s employees came together for our annual USMC Toys for Tots campaign. Atec’s full participation helps provide local at-risk kids with Christmas gifts. Our participation is so good that, for many years running, Marines have come by Atec to speak about Toys for Tots and to pick up our donated toys. This year, Sgt. Sohos (USMC) was accompanied by Dep. Sheriff Molho at Atec’s event. Atec is proud to support our Marines and area children.

Stay tuned for future blog posts as Atec participates in our community in 2012.

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Welcome to Machining and Measures:

My name is Mark Cummings. I am the Machine Shop Manager here at Atec Inc. I have been employed in the machining industry since 1977. Many things have changed since the 70s, but here in our shop, ownership in a job well done has never gone out of style. To achieve the highest quality, a shop must have three things. You must not only have the right machine for the task and the means to verify the result, but you must also have the right people. All our machinists are very versatile with no less than 15 years of extensive experience in milling and turning.

Our Manual Machine Shop is equipped with turning capacity up to a 17 inch diameter and 80 inches between centers. All vertical and horizontal manual mills are fitted with digital readouts and power feed motors. Several shop personnel with tool and cutter grinding experience support the tool crib, which enables us to grind custom tooling in-house as required.

The CNC Shop offers state of the art 2 to 4-Axis turning with live tooling, and 3, 4 and 5-Axis milling capabilities. Utilizing the latest Cad/Cam programming tools for toolpath generation and verification, our programmers are able to work directly from customer solid model files. Using the tool and fixturing knowledge of our team, we are able to develop innovative solutions for difficult parts requiring precision machining. Along with recent equipment investments, we consistently hold geometric and positional tolerances as close as .0001 inch and rotary positioning to 2 arc seconds repeatability.

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Atec, Inc., featured in the Houston Chronicle, Feb. 18, 2011

We are proud to announce that Sandra Bretting of the Houston Chronicle Business Section wrote an article on Atec on Sunday, February 18, 2011. The article features an interview with CEO Howard Lederer, in which he shares Atec’s history and accomplishments spanning the nearly 60 years that Atec has been in business.

Click here to view the article.

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Atec helps sponsor Boy Scouts Record-Breaking Rocket Launch

Atec was a corporate sponsor for the world record-breaking rocket launch at the Boy Scout SHAC Jam on October 9th, 2010. The successful launch of 3,130 rockets built by the scouts beat the previous record of 965, set in 2007, by a scout troop from Austin, Texas. Boy Scouts from all over the Sam Houston Area Council gathered at the Texas World Speedway near Bryan-College Station, Texas, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

Atec builds precision rocket engine components that launched by NASA approximately once a month.

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 1st, 2010 at 8:22 am and is filed under Launch Lessons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.