The High-Altitude Relight Test Facility (HARTF) is a new testbed that supports a variety of aerodynamics, spray, and combustion testing at simulated high altitude conditions:
Ignition and lean blow-out performance evaluation
Fuel spray diagnostics
Combustion analysis
Combustion efficiency at sub-idle conditions
The facility was designed to support industrial multi-cup gas turbine engine combustor sectors at high-altitude windmilling (engine relight) conditions.
Low pressure is achieved with an air jet ejector, and in tandem with a large bypass control valve, the altitude simulation in the test section can be modulated from sea level to 40,000 ft altitude. A cryogenic air chiller, supplied by liquid nitrogen, can chill air temperatures below -50°F. Our recent in-house tests have stretched the chilling limit to -80°F.
Facility Features
- Back Pressure: < 2.7 psia
- Air Chilling: < -50°F
- Altitude Testing: up to 40,000 ft
- Multi-channel DAQ
- Real-time monitoring and control
- Variable-power spark ignition system
- 3-way optical access to combustion zone
- Traverse control: 3D, fully-automated
- Diagnostics: PDPA, LDA, emission measurements, high-speed video
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