Davis maintains on site a Hot Gas Wind Tunnel (HGWT) facility capable of conducting one-fifth scale inlet (cold) and one-quarter scale exhaust (hot) testing for the GE LM2500 gas turbine. Davis has used this facility extensively during the development of many IRSS, plume cooling, and intake/exhaust products. The HGWT consists of a 100 HP primary centrifugal fan with a 20 HP centrifugal fan available for secondary air. The primary air may be heated to temperatures up to 550°C by passing through a 10 million BTU/hr natural gas burner. Hot flow (exhaust) testing may then be conducted downstream of the burner, with cold flow (intake) testing conducted upstream.
For exhaust testing, DAVIS maintains a complete quarter-scale model of the LM2500 exhaust collector. The exhaust collector may be run with the cooling air eductor configuration, or with the cooling air driven by a secondary fan. For inlet testing, DAVIS maintains one-fifth scale instrumented models of the LM2500 and LM2500+ intake systems. These are accurately modelled from the GE/Customer Interface to beyond the inlet plane of the compressor stages. Both the exhaust collector and the inlet bellmouths are fully instrumented for temperature and static and transient pressures, with the inlet bellmouth instrumented to meet the requirements of the LM2500 Installation Manual (swirl probes, steady state pressure distortion, fluctuating pressure distortion and face average fluctuation). Entire exhaust or inlet systems may be fabricated in scale and tested in order to ensure compliance with GE back pressure or inlet requirements. The testing may be run continuously, without requirement to shut down between test points.
Previous test experience and clients include:
Inlet Testing
- Ingalls Shipbuilding (SAAR 5 Corvette)
- National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (Fast Sea Lift)
- Austal USA (LCS)
- General Electric (LM2500+ Intake Enclosure)
- General Electric (LHD Re-Engining)
Exhaust Testing
- Canadian Patrol Frigate - DRES Ball
- Canadian Tribal Destroyers - Eductor/Diffuser
- Japanese 04ASE Destroyer
- Ingalls Shipbuilding (SAAR 5 Corvette)
- General Electric (LHD Re-Engining)
- US Naval Surface Warfare Center - Carderock Division
