F-35 Engine Test Stand

The Site 7 Test Stand at the General Electric Test Operation in Peebles, Ohio project provides a testing facility for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine. The Site 7 facility is a grass roots project, providing a one-of-a-kind test stand, control building, support building and acoustical barriers to meet all functional and environmental requirements. This Test Stand is unique in that it will be able to test the JSF engine in the CTOL and STOVL configurations

Belcan was selected to provide conceptual engineering for the test stand, including frequency analysis of the structure and engine support, site evaluation of various locations on the PTO site, and the acoustical and performance criteria for the test equipment. The conceptual phase defined a test stand consisting of two concrete pillars, 58 feet in diameter, 48 feet in height, which supports a massive steel cross beam for engine support and measurement. The Test Stand analysis considered the loads imposed on the structure by the engine, the measurement equipment and test requirements, the frequency of the test structure, the foundation, and the surrounding soils and site.

Belcan was awarded a contract for the engineering, analysis, and design of the Test Structure, the engine support cross beam and interface with the Multi-Axis Test Frame, and the Hot Gas Collector (HGC). The HGC is a large movable device which is used during CTOL and STOVL test to minimize and control ingestion of gases into the engine intake during testing. In addition, the HGC protects concrete surfaces from extremely high temperature and pressures. Belcan's responsibility in this period included fabrication and construction support and review of major components and subcontracts.

A critical component of the conceptual and design phase was the aerodynamic analysis of the Test Site. Flow field evaluations with and without the HGC were analyzed and presented for evaluation by the customer for performance decisions and test evaluation.