Bilbao laboratory offers European clients accelerated life testing designed to reveal structural fatigue and failures
Spain's Bilbao-based Aeronautical Technologies Centre (CTA) is stepping up its involvement in European-funded research projects as it opens a highly accelerated life test (HALT) laboratory to provide testing services to outside clients.
Accelerated life testing is designed to reveal fatigue and failures in structures and systems. The first work for the €8 million ($11.7 million) facility is to test nose landing-gear and loading-ramp door actuators for the Airbus Military A400M transport.
"HALT tests are a combination of different kinds of tests [simultaneously], including vibration in six degrees of freedom, temperature and pressure changes, and electrical discharges and impacts," says CTA.
Part of the Basque Technology Network, CTA was founded in 1997 by Spanish aerostructures company Aernnova, engine manufacturer Industria de Turbo Propulsores (ITP) and systems integratorSener.
The HALT laboratory will be available for European Union Framework research projects. CTA has increased its investment in such programmes from €415,000 for two Fifth Framework projects to €2.6 million for three projects under the Sixth Framework programme now drawing to a close.
Under the new Seventh Framework programme, CTA is involved in four projects focusing on new engine architectures, turbomachinery blades, health monitoring and structural defect control, for a total investment of €2.5 million.
The centre will participate in the Dream project looking at open-rotor and other novel engine systems and structures, as well as the Future, Fantom II and Aisha II projects, respectively, covering advanced blade designs, non-destructive structural health monitoring and techniques for controlling structural defects.
CTA is also investing €2.2 million in Spain's €20 million Openaer project to increase engine efficiency, which will include finding ways to "transform" the low-pressure turbine. A range of engine components will be developed to maximise efficiency and minimise acoustic emissions. "Different engine configurations will be tested at CTA," the centre says.
The Spanish government is providing half the funding for Openaer and for Atlantida, a four-year €30 million Spanish research project to develop air traffic management technologies for use with unmanned air vehicles. Five different types of UAV will be used, says CTA, which will work with Aernnova on the initiative.
Spanish small unmanned aircraft manufacturer Aerovisions will be the main provider of UAVs. Half the funding for the Atlantida project is coming from industry, including Boeing, Indra, systems engineering house Isdefe, and Spanish airline Iberia as well as Aernnova and CTA, which is providing €500,000.
Source: Flight International
