Research Facility
We conduct Turbomachinery Research Consortium projects, as well as client projects, in the research facilities of the Turbomachinery Laboratory, a 35,000 square-foot building opened in 1993.
A wide array of state-of-the-art equipment allows us to answer any turbomachinery question.
Test Cells
12 test cells each consist of:
- 20' x 25' x 12' air conditioned space with control room
- 20' x 25' outside storage space for equipment
- Special metal perforated acoustical wall and ceiling
- Sealed concrete floor with isolated slabs
- 5 - 120V circuits - 1 - 30A and 4 - 20A2 - 208V 50A circuit - 1 single phase, 1 three-phase1 - 480V 400A buss bar
- 30 gallon/minute water supply
- 4" floor drain with oil separator
- 4" 125 psi, 90 cfm air supply
6 additional test cells are equipped with:
- 4" 300 psi 1350 cfm air supply with air dryer
- 4" 125 psi 1800 cfm air supply with air dryer
- 8" 125 psi 2100 cfm oil-free air supply with air dryer
- 3" 2375 psi air supply
Test Rigs
- Two torsional vibration squeeze film dampers
- Two torque whirl labyrinth seal rigs (2) for rotordynamic coefficients and leakage
- Liquid seal test rig for leakage and rotordynamic-coefficient measurements
- Electromagnetic bearing, electroviscous dampergear coupling rotordynamicspiezoelectric-pusher active control for rotordynamics
- Hybrid (hydrostatic/hydrodynamic) bearing rig for measurement of static and rotordynamic properties at speeds up to 28,000 rpm
- Turbine-blade cooling heat transfer rigsflat plate testers (2) for determining friction factors on highly roughened surfaces
- Flow visualization for optimum design of labyrinth seals
- Identification of rotordynamic coefficients for hydrodynamic bearings
Instrumentation and Measurement Systems
- TSI 3-D laser Doppler velocimeter
- Polytech two-spot laser velocimeter
- 4 channel crossed hotwire anemometer
- 14-channel tape recorder
- Spectrum analyzers
- Tracking filters
- Multi-pen plotters
- Dedicated microcomputers for data acquisition and reduction, and experiment control
Air Supply
- Sullair screw compressor (600 scfm at 125 psi)
- Ingersoll Rand screw compressor (1200 scfm at 125 psi)
- Atlas Copco two-stage screw compressor (850 scfm at 295 psi; 500 scfm at 295 psi; or 1350 scfm at 295 psi)
- The laboratory's 40' x 125' x 25' non-air conditioned high bay is equipped with: 20-ton overhead crane6 - 480V 400A buss bars6 - domestic water line
- 6 - shop air lines - 125psi 90 cfm
Other
- Fully equipped machine shop
- Welding shop
- Sheet metal fabrication shop
- Electronics repair facility
- Woodworking shop