Mechanical Components Branch -- Test Facilities

See also:"Mechanical Components Branch Test Facilities and Capabilities"
NASA TM-2004-212722, January 2004  (File size 3.9 Mb)

Mechanical Drives Facilities

Spur Gear Fatigue Test Rigs

(gear cover removed)

• Provides accelerated fatigue life testing for standard spur gears
• Standard gears are 88.9 mm (3.5") pitch diameter, 6.3 mm (1/4") face width spur gears
• Test speed to 10,0000 rpm
• Typical Hertz contact stress 1.7 GPa (250 ksi)
• Investigates effect of materials, heat treat, shot peen, lubricants, etc.
• Supports gear health & usage monitoring experiments 
• Used for gear surface fatigue experiments since 1972

Spiral Bevel & Face Gear Test Rig

• Provides high-speed testing of spiral bevel or face gears to 560 kW (750 hp)
• Pinion speed to 20,000 rpm, output speed to 5000 rpm
• Recirculates power in a "4-square" arrangement
• Powered by 75 kW (100 hp) variable speed electric motor
• Torque can be changed during operation
• Tests thermal behavior, surface fatigue, strain, vibration, noise
• To study effects of gear tooth design, materials and lubrication on fatigue strength

400 kW (500 hp) Helicopter Transmission Test Stand

• Provides full-scale helicopter main-rotor transmission testing.
• Capacity: 400 kW (500 hp), single input 6,200-36,000 rpm, output 350 rpm
• Powered by 150 kW (200hp) variable speed electric motor.
• Employs closed-loop arrangement, differential torque loading mechanism.
• Features transmission mast lift and bending load capability.
• Simulates transmission mast lift and bending loads
• Research: Stress, Deflection, Efficiency, Noise, Vibration, Diagnostics, Gear configuration.

Gear Noise / Dynamics Rig

• Allows fundamental studies of the dynamic behavior of gear systems and gear noise.
• Single-mesh, parallel-axis gearbox for spur and helical gears.
• Powered by 150 kW (200hp) variable speed electric motor.
• Includes poly-V belt speed increaser drive.
• Speeds up to 10,000 rpm (input), 6000 rpm (output).
• Loaded by eddy-current dynamometer.
• Instrumented for noise, vibration, strain and transmission error measurements.

High Speed Helical Gear Test Facility

• For study of thermal behavior in high-speed helical gears
• Control of lube oil pressure, flow, and temperature
• Oil protected by 3 micron filters
• Rig operates at various torque levels and speed
• Power level to 4000 kW (5000 hp)
• Powered by 400 kW (500 hp) DC drive motor
• Closed-loop, system with test gearbox and mirror-image "slave" gearbox
• Each gearbox has input gear, three idlers, and bull gear

Oil Journal & Thrust Bearing Rig

• Speed to 25,000 rpm, radial loads to 13 kN (3000 lbs), axial loads to 1300 N (300 lbs)
• Tests bearings to 100 mm (4") dia and 50 mm (2") length
• Steady-state and dynamic loadings
• Arbitrary start-stop cycles
• Various oil supply conditions (normal, starvation, start-stop)
• Measurement capability:
  • Shaft speed
  • Radial load and axial load
  • Oil flow rate
  • Oil temperature and pressure at bearing inlet and exit
  • Temperature of the bearing sleeve
  • Relative position of the shaft to the bearing and dynamic shaft orbits

Turbine & Structural Seals Facilities

Turbine Seal Test Rig

• Tests include performance, hysteresis, endurance, rotor runout, seal offset
• Seal inlet air temperatures from ambient to 650^oC (1200^oF)
• Pressure differentials from 0 to 1720 kPa (250 psi)
• Surface speeds to 370 m/s (1200 fps)
• 215 mm (8.5 inch) diameter rotor or other near sizes
• Seals tested include labyrinth, brush, and finger types
• Measurement capability includes seal leakage rate, pressure differential, torque and seal power loss

Hot Compression & Hot Scrub Rig

Hot Compression Tests

• Measure seal load vs. compression, preload, & stiffness
• Temperatures to 1650^oC (3000^oF)
• Loads up to 15 kN (3300 lb)
• Stroke rates: 0.3 to 200 mm/s (0.001 to 8.0 in/s)
• Seal lengths to 100 mm (4 in); diameters to 50 mm (2 in)
• Variety of loading waveforms including cycling and stress relaxation

Hot Scrub Tests

• Measure wear rates and frictional loads
• Temperatures to 1650^oC (3000^oF)
• Loads up to 15 kN (3300 lb)
• 75 mm (3") stroke at rates from 0.3 to 200 mm/s (0.001 to 8.0 in/s)
• Seal lengths to 100 mm (4 in); diameters to 50 mm (2 in)
• Seal gaps to 16 mm (5/8")
• Variety of cyclic loading waveforms
• Flow testing for both pre- & post-scrub

Cold Flow & Scrub Test Rig

• Combined flow and scrub tests at room temperature
• Tests for scrub/cycle damage; compression level; gap size
• Variety of seal configurations
• Seal lengths 200 mm (8 in) or longer
• Scrub rates up to 300 mm/s (12 in/s) for 300 mm stroke
• Frictional scrub loads up to 40 kN (10 kip)
• Multiple scrub directions
• Variety of rub surfaces
• Flow rates to 3000 std. liters/min air
• Pressures to 830 kPa (120 psi)

Acoustic Seal Test Stand

• Measures pressure, acceleration, temperature, and flow rate within oscillating acoustic resonators
• Force to 2200N (500 lbf) sine pk-pk, 1550N (350 lbf) random, 4400N (1000 lbf) shock
• Displacements to 2.5 cm (1.0 in) pk-pk
• Frequency Range DC - 4500 Hz
• Payloads to 28 kg (62 lbm)
• Pressures to 3.4 MPa (500 psi)
• Flow Rates to 1500 SLPM (53 SCFM)

Space Mechanisms Facilities

Link to Space Mechanisms Project pages

Space Mechanisms Accelerated Test Chamber

Mars Pathfinder abrasive wheel experiment inside

• Used to calibrate hardware for Mars Pathfinder Abrasive Wheel Experiment
• Size: 60 cm (24") outside dia x 60 cm long
• Mechanisms driven internally or via ferrofludic feedthrough
• Vacuum level to 10^-7 torr
• Low temperatures via liquid nitrogen cooling
• Mass spectroscopy of outgassing products

Vacuum Roller Traction Contact Rig

• Tests lubricated or dry traction conditions
• Evaluates roller traction and wear under spin, creep and sliding conditions
• Metallic, polymeric, ceramic or coated roller specimens
• Surface speeds to 0.9 m/s (180 ft/min), normal loads to 900 N (200 lb)
• Contact stress to 2800 MPa (400,000 psi) for steel specimens
• Torque to 23 N-m (200 in-lb)
• Axial thrust to 900 N (200 lb)
• Misalignment to +/- 1.7 deg
• Vacuum level to 10^-7 torr

Vacuum Bearing Rig

• Simulates spacecraft conditions
• Allows long duration tests of multiple bearings
• Continuous or oscillating (dither) motion
• Speeds to 4800 rpm
• Vacuum levels to 10^-8 torr
• Bearings can be heated or cooled (-40 to +50^oC)
  (Rig modification required.)
• Solid or grease lubricants
• RGA mass spectrometry to evaluate outgassing
• Computer monitored torque measurement
• Tests No. 1219 or 7008 size spacecraft bearings in preloaded pairs
  1219 bearing size is 12/16" bore, 19/16 OD and 0.250" width
  7008 bearings size is 40 mm bore, 68 mm OD and 15 mm width
  (Other sizes are possible if new fixtures are built.)

Pin on Disk Tribometer

• Hemispherical-tipped pin or ball sliding against rotating disk
• Measures friction coefficient, wear rate and coating life
• Liquid or solid lubricated or coated disk tested with various pin materials
• Loads to 9.8 N
• Speeds to 200 rpm, 0.53 m/s with a 50.8 mm diameter disk
• Controlled atmosphere (humid or dry air, dry nitrogen, dry argon)

Block-on-Ring Tribometer

• Employs either flat block or conforming block sliding against a rotating ring
• Solid lubricants: Coating is applied to metallic ring slid against metallic or ceramic block
• Composite solid lubricants: Block is made from composite slid against metallic or composite ring
• Liquid lubricants: Metallic or ceramic block slid against ring dipped into lubricant reservoir
• Loads to 2800 N (630 lb), Hertz stress 760 MPa (110,000 psi )
• Speeds to 1300 rpm, 2.4 m/s (468 ft/min)
• Liquid or dry environments
• Temperature to 233^oC (450^oF)
• 35 mm (1 3/8") diameter ring and 6.3 mm (1/4") wide block (flat or conforming)
• Controlled atmosphere

Go to Top | Mechanical Components Branch Page

Some of the documents in this page are provided in PDF format and require Adobe’s Acrobat Reader.
Download the Adobe plug-in from www.adobe.com.

The email address provided below uses a menu that requires JavaScript.  Your browser does not support JavaScript.  If you wish to contact the Curator & responsible official, you will have to paste the link into your email program and change "_AT_" to "@".

Curator & responsible official: Fred.B.Oswald_AT_nasa.gov.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
Last modified 25 Jul 2008