Testing Efficiency Improved by Addition of Remote Access Control Room

Remote Access Control Room being used in a recent test at the Abe Silverstein 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel.

Because researchers need prompt access to test data and information from testing in aeropropulsion facilities, offsite research engineers usually travel to be present in the facility control room during testing. These travel costs can become quite high for extended test entries. The NASA Lewis Research Center's Remote Access Control Room (RACR) uses off-the-shelf video conferencing software integrated with existing facility data systems to provide access to the test data by networking from virtually anywhere in the country. The system allows research engineers in remote locations to participate in tests and monitor data in real time just as if they were present in the control room.

The concept of remote access to test data is not a new one at Lewis, and access to data has been provided in many different ways. The objective of each solution was to get the data to researchers as quickly as possible to expedite testing. The RACR set out to provide the remote location with all the real-time tools available in the control room. Unlike other implementations, the RACR displays the data as it is being acquired (once per second updates). This includes tabular and graphical data from the steady-state and dynamic data systems. In addition, video data from schlieren, pressure-sensitive paint, or sheet laser systems are included, as well as a video conferencing system to facilitate communications between the two locations. By integrating all these tools on a single workstation, the engineer at the remote location can participate in the test in the same manner as the engineers at the facility.

RACR has already reduced the travel required to support a test. This is increasingly important when budgets are shrinking and the number of industry customers participating is increasing, such as in the High Speed Research (HSR) Program. An added benefit of such a system is that additional engineers, who would not have traveled to the test site, can participate at the remote location. This could increase the level of support and improve testing efficiency for tests that use the Remote Access Control Room. Lewis is planning to expand this capability and provide the service in several other aeropropulsion facilities.