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EP-4495572-B1 - PORTABLE TEST STAND FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINES

EP4495572B1EP 4495572 B1EP4495572 B1EP 4495572B1EP-4495572-B1

Inventors

  • MONAHAN, DOUGLAS
  • KAFKA, Gabor

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210903

Claims (5)

  1. A portable attitude test stand (PATS) (50; 150; 250) for an aircraft engine (10; 10a), comprising: a support frame (60; 160; 260) mountable on a trailer (C) of a road vehicle; a test cell (TC) supported by the support frame (60; 160; 260) and sized to receive the aircraft engine (10; 10a), the test cell (TC) operable to rotate the aircraft engine (10; 10a) about a pitch axis (P) and a roll axis (R) of the aircraft engine (10; 10a); and an actuator (71; 171) operatively connected to the test cell (TC) and to the support frame (60; 160; 260), the actuator (71; 171) operable to lower and raise the test cell (TC) relative to the support frame (60; 160; 260) between a transport configuration in which the test cell (TC) has a transport height (H1) and a test configuration in which the test cell (TC) has a test height (H2), the test height (H2) being greater than the transport height (H1), characterised in that the PATS comprises: outriggers (121; 221) secured to the support frame (60; 160; 260) and lifting actuators (125) secured to distal ends of the outriggers (121; 221), the outriggers (121; 221) movable relative to the support frame (60; 160; 260) between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, a distance (D) between the lifting actuators (125) in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of the trailer (C) is greater in the extended configuration than in the retracted configuration, in the extended configuration the lifting actuators (125) operable to engage a ground (G) to lift the support frame (60; 160; 260) off the trailer (C).
  2. The PATS (50; 150; 250) of claim 1, wherein the test stand (50; 150; 250) includes a pitch frame (80; 180) and a roll cage (90) rotatably received within the pitch frame (80; 180), the roll cage (90) sized to receive the aircraft engine (10; 10a), the PATS (50; 150; 250) including a cable management system (100; 200) having: a first annular wall (201) secured to the roll cage (90) and extending around the roll axis (R), a second annular wall (202) secured to the pitch frame (80; 180) and extending around the first annular wall (201), and cables (C1, C2; C4) having first ends secured to the first annular wall (201) and second ends secured to the second annular wall (202), the cables (C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C7) located between the first and second annular walls (201, 202), lengths of the cables (C1, C2; C4) selected to allow rotation of the first annular wall (201) relative to the second annular wall (202) about the roll axis (R).
  3. The PATS (50; 150; 250) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the outriggers (121; 221) are pivotable relative to the support frame (60; 160; 260) between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration.
  4. The PATS (50; 150; 250) of any preceding claim, wherein the lifting actuators (125) includes two pairs of lifting actuators (125), distances (D) in the direction transverse to the direction of travel between the lifting actuators (125) of each pairs of lifting actuators (125) is at most a width (W1) of the trailer (C) when the outriggers (121; 221) are in the retracted configuration.
  5. The PATS (50; 150; 250) of any preceding claim, wherein the transport height (H1) extends from a or the ground (G) to a most elevated point on the test cell (TC), the transport height (H1) less than 14 feet (4.3 metres) when the test cell (TC) is mounted on the trailer (C).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The application relates generally to aircraft engines and, more particularly, to test stands for such engines. BACKGROUND OF THE ART Test stands are used in testing facilities for testing and verifying performance of newly designed or recently overhauled aircraft engines in various operating conditions. For instance, tests can be performed to measure thrust generated by the aircraft engine, to simulate impact with foreign objects or to evaluate the effect of aircraft flight attitudes on some of the engine fluid systems (e.g. lubricant, coolant, fuel). For instance, aircraft engines have lubrication systems for lubricating different components, such as bearings, gears, and so on. In use, an aircraft equipped with one or more engine(s) experiences movements along pitch, roll, and yaw axes. These movements alter an angle of the engine(s) with respect to a ground and may affect how the lubricant and/or other fluids flow within the engine(s). Attitude tests are thus conducted to evaluate whether the lubrication system operates as designed for the "Attitude Operational Envelope" in which a particular engine/aircraft combination is expected to operate. Typically, a test stand, whether it is used for attitude testing or else, is a massive installation permanently implanted at a given site of an engine testing facility resulting in a test stand that is immobile. Noise issues are a significant concern for on-going outdoor tests in the area surrounding the testing facility. Engines tested on such a permanent and immobile test stand may generate an important level of noise. Since noise is classified as a "contaminant" in many jurisdictions, generating such noise above a given level may be prohibited. These limitations may impede the attitude tests and, thus, impede the implantation of test stands in certain environments. A relevant prior art document is Chinese patent document CN 110 873 647 A; the document is concerned with a test stand disclosing the technical features in the preamble of claim 1. SUMMARY In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a portable attitude test stand (PATS) for an aircraft engine, comprising: a support frame mountable on a trailer of a road vehicle; a test cell supported by the support frame and sized to receive the aircraft engine, the test cell operable to rotate the aircraft engine about a pitch axis and a roll axis of the aircraft engine; and an actuator operatively connected to the test cell and to the support frame, the actuator operable to lower and raise the test cell relative to the support frame between a transport configuration in which the test cell has a transport height and a test configuration in which the test cell has a test height, the test height being greater than the transport height. In an embodiment of the foregoing embodiment, the support frame includes a base and vertical members protruding from the base, two carriages movably engaged to the vertical members of the support frame, the test cell supported by the support frame via the carriages, the carriages movable relative to the vertical members to vary the height of the test cell between the test height and the transport height. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the actuator includes two actuators each engaged to a respective one of the two carriages and to the support frame. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, two shaft members are secured to the test cell, the two shaft members rollingly engaged to the two carriages, a step motor secured to one of the two carriages and in driving engagement with a corresponding one of the shaft members for rotating the test cell about the pitch axis of the aircraft engine. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the actuator includes two actuators, each of the two actuators including a first motor secured to a respective one of the two carriages and a threaded member in driving engagement with the first motor, the threaded member threadingly engaged to a threaded rod secured to the base and extending vertically away from the base, rotation of the threaded members by the first motors inducing translation of the threaded members and the two carriages relative to the vertical members of the frame. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the actuator includes two actuators, each of the two actuators including a first motor secured to the frame and a threaded rod in driving engagement with the first motor and extending vertically away from the base, the threaded rod threadingly engaged to a threaded member secured to a respective one of the two carriages, rotation of the threaded rods by the first motors inducing translation of the threaded members and of the two carriages relative to the vertical members of the frame. In a further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the test cell includes a pitch frame and a roll cage rotatably received within the pitch fra