NSTU NETI engineers have designed unique stands for testing the generators of aircraft and helicopters of world brands. The invention is of strategic importance for the Russian aviation industry: the stands will allow the detection of defects after repair work and reduce the number of errors.
Employees of the Research Laboratory "Electric Drive Testing" of NSTU NETI for a year within the framework of the Priority 2030 program worked on modeling and designing the first Russian stands for testing generators of the world-famous Airbus and Boing aircraft, Robinson and Agusta helicopters. These devices will allow for reliable post-repair inspection of the equipment.
The generator test bench is an installation that performs a check on the functioning of both the electric generators themselves and their automatic protection and control systems on board. The stand checks the function of the automatic frequency limitation and voltage amplitude generated by these generators. In addition, standard aviation control units are installed on the stand, simulating various operating modes, and their automatic verification is carried out.
Previously, the production of such stands had several bottlenecks for the Russian industry. First, the high frequency of rotation of generators: a number of them have a rotation speed of up to 25,000 rpm, which is three times higher than that of domestic helicopter generators. Second, the withdrawal from the market of imported computing systems of brands such as National Instruments, Siemens,and others.
We managed to solve these and other difficulties through our own efforts and means. Currently, the stand is capable of providing automatic data collection and processing during the test program. An electronic protocol is formed from these data, which is transmitted to the server storage.
"NSTU NETI has extensive experience in creating test stands for almost any unit of Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26 helicopters, and others. Two years ago, we developed, manufactured, and handed over to the customer test stands for some aviation generators: CGS-40, CGO-30, GT40PCH6 and GT40PCH8, as well as GT120PCH6," says Denis Kotin, head of the Research Laboratory "Electric Drive Testing" of NSTU NETI, Candidate of Technical Sciences, associate professor.
You can install the equipment and immediately check how well the devices are working. For the normal functioning of the life support system of helicopters and airplanes, the output parameters of the generators must be stable, and the blocks are responsible for stabilizing these parameters. With the help of stands, it is possible to show that after repai, these blocks function and give out the declared characteristics.
The products use new hardware and software for the implementation of automatic control laws in testing processes and new software developed by NSTU NETI engineers.
"Previously, all foreign generators were tested abroad, and now Russian aviation companies have the opportunity to save on a large scale. In addition, foreign companies, as you know, have been banned from repairing and servicing aircraft belonging to the Russian Federation," comments Dmitry Toporkov, head of the engineering center "Energy—efficient Electromechanics and Mechatronics" of NSTU NETI, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
"We are proud of our history and our experience. Most recently, we handed over to the customer the test stands for the tail transmission of MI-8 / Mi-17 helicopters. We have started some large projects for the design of unmanned aerial vehicles with payload capacities from 500 g to 100 kg. We are ready to develop test stands for the power systems of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles," says Yuri Pankrats, an engineer at the Research Laboratory "Testing of Electric Drives" of NSTU NETI, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
To date, NSTU NETI engineers are ready to accept orders from both Russian and foreign companies.