Test Stand Development
250 HP diesel engine test cell
Engine test stand
Military vehicle test facility
350 HP diesel engine test cell
Engine test stand model
Hydraulic pump test stand
Helicopter gear box test stand
1200 HP electric dynamometer
11,000 HP hovercraft gear box four square test stand
1000 gpm hydraulic motor control test stand
10,000 HP dynamometer test stand
Actively involved in the design, fabrication and control of a wide variety of test stands for the past 50 years, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provides unique and novel turnkey solutions to unusual and complex system requirements. SwRI has built test stands for applications ranging in size from 50 to 10,000 HP to meet the needs of the following industries:
- Automotive
- Trucking
- Agriculture
- Military
- Aerospace
- Marine
- Petroleum
- Wind turbine
Military Test Stand Applications
For more than 30 years, SwRI has provided the U.S. government and government subcontractors with test stands for use by the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. Test stand applications have included development and production testing of unique and innovative military vehicles, assemblies and components such as:
- Military tracked vehicles
- Internal combustion engines
- Drivetrain components
- Submarine power plants
- Helicopter gearboxes
- Hydraulic pumps, motors and vanes
- High-pressure fuel systems
These test stands include turnkey systems containing any or all aspects of a test cell, test stand or test facility that are characterized by:
- Motive power
- Resistive loading
- Auxiliary systems
- High instrumentation count
- Test stand control
- Data acquisition software
Test Stand Capabilities
On its 1,200-acre campus in San Antonio, Texas, SwRI has fabricated and currently operates more than 250 dynos. Test services are based on a comprehensive test system that uses a multidisciplinary project team approach involving all aspects of the test stand or facility, including:
- Facility requirements
- Mechanical
- Electrical
- Air handling
- Emissions
- Environmental
- Temperature (hot and cold)
- Humidity
- Pressure
- Altitude
- Mounting systems/baseplates
- Dynamometers
- Electrical (AC/DC)
- Eddy current
- Air-actuated
- Hydraulic
- Auxiliary support/accessory systems
- Instrumentation
- Pressure/temperature
- Speed/flow
- Torque
- Displacement
- Data acquisition and control
- Data analysis and reporting
Test Stand Services
Applications have ranged from components to complex assemblies, such as engines and transmissions, to complete facilities. Services include:
- Specifications preparation
- Design/detailing
- Hardware fabrication
- Installation and commissioning
- Training
- Facility requirements
Test Stand Design Approach
Test stand design includes all aspects of the test cell, including a complete drawing packing and all documentation necessary to fabricate a test stand and/or test facility:
- 3D CAD models are generated
- Detailed designs include the following functions when
appropriate:
- Mechanical
- Pneumatic
- Hydraulic
- Electrical
- Electronic systems including instrumentation and data acquisition hardware systems are provided
- Drawing package consisting of 50 to 75
mechanical/electrical/ electronic drawings that include:
- Parts list
- Wiring diagrams
- Duct work drawings
- Additional drawings as appropriate
- Fixture designs include:
- Finite element analysis
- Structural strength evaluation
- Temperature and tolerance considerations and studies, etc.
- Data acquisition channel and system requirements are provided
- Stringent software specifications are developed that
include:
- Data recording
- Data analysis
- Data display
- Calibration
- Test stand control, etc.
Test Stand Specifications
In addition, we provide and/or prepare facility specifications and requests for quotes that define:
- Specialized test equipment
- Facility layout and motion studies
- Facility requirements
- Electricity/cooling/HVAC/steam
- Safety and ergonomics
Test Stand Work Flow
The chart below illustrates the sequence of events in the approach taken by SwRI teams in the development of test stands:
Test Stand Development
Click image for enlarged view
Test stand development work flow chart.
Related Terminology
test stand • test stand development • military test stand • test cell • diesel engine test cell • internal combustion • helicopter gearbox • hydraulic pump • high pressure fuel system • data acquisition software
