SwRI: Comprehensive Automotive Test Stand Services

	For the past 50 years, SwRI has designed, fabricated and controlled a wide variety of test stands, providing turnkey solutions to unusual and complex system requirements.

Actively involved in the design, fabrication and control of a wide variety of test stands for the past 50 years, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provides turnkey solutions to unusual and complex system requirements. SwRI has built test stands for applications ranging in size from 50 to 10,000 HP to meet the needs of the following industries:

Military Test Stand Applications

For more than 30 years, SwRI has provided the U.S. Government and Government subcontractors with test stands for use by the Army, Navy and Air Force. Test stand applications have included development and production testing of unique and innovative military vehicles, assemblies and components such as:

• Military tracked vehicles

• Internal combustion engines

• Submarine power plants

• Helicopter gearboxes

• Hydraulic pumps, motors and vanes

• High-pressure fuel systems

These test stands include turnkey systems containing any or all aspects of a test cell, test stand or test facility that are characterized by:

• Motive power

• Resistive loading

• Auxiliary systems

• High instrumentation count

• Test stand control

• Data acquisition software

Test Stand Capabilities

On its 1,200-acre campus in San Antonio, Texas, SwRI has fabricated and currently operates more than 250 dynos. Test services are based on a comprehensive test system that uses a multidisciplinary project team approach involving all aspects of the test stand or facility, including:

• Facility requirements

  • Mechanical

  • Electrical

  • Air handling

  • Emissions

• Environmental

  • Temperature (hot and cold)

  • Humidity

  • Pressure

  • Altitude

• Mounting systems/baseplates

• Dynamometers

  • Electrical (AC/DC)

  • Eddy current

  • Air-actuated

  • Hydraulic

• Auxiliary support/accessory systems

• Instrumentation

  • Pressure/temperature

  • Speed/flow

  • Torque

  • Displacement

• Data acquisition and control

• Data analysis and reporting

Test Stand Services

Applications have ranged from components to complex assemblies, such as engines and transmissions, to complete facilities. Services include:

• Specifications preparation

• Design/detailing

• Hardware fabrication

• Installation and commissioning

• Training

• Facility requirements

Test Stand Design Approach

Test stand design includes all aspects of the test cell, including a complete drawing packing and all documentation necessary to fabricate a test stand and/or test facility:

• 3D CAD models are generated.

• Detailed designs include the following functions when appropriate:

  • Mechanical

  • Pneumatic

  • Hydraulic

  • Electrical

• Electronic systems including instrumentation and data acquisition hardware systems are provided.

• Drawing package consisting of 50 to 75 mechanical/electrical/ electronic drawings that include:

  • Parts list

  • Wiring diagrams

  • Duct work drawings

  • Additional drawings as appropriate

• Fixture designs include:

  • Finite element analysis

  • Structural strength evaluation

  • Temperature and tolerance considerations and studies, etc.

• Data acquisition channel and system requirements are provided

• Stringent software specifications are developed that include:

  • Data recording

  • Data analysis

  • Data display

  • Calibration

  • Test stand control, etc.

Test Stand Specifications

In addition, SwRI provides and/or prepares facility specifications and requests for quotes that define:

• Specialized test equipment

• Facility layout and motion studies

• Facility requirements

• Electricity/cooling/HVAC/steam

• Safety and ergonomics

Test stand applications include:

• 40,000-ft², 8-lab vehicle facility

• 2,400 HP tank test cell

• 30,000 HP, 3-cell helicopter gearbox facility

• 4,000 HP helicopter tail rotor test cell

Test Stand Work Flow

The chart below illustrates the sequence of events in the approach taken by SwRI teams in the development of test stands:

Test Stand Development

Test stand development work flow chart.  Click image for larger view.

Wind Turbine Gearbox Test Stands

To inquire about wind turbine gearbox test stand development, please contact Mike Kluger at mkluger@swri.org or (210) 522-3095.

For more information about test stand services at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Mike Kluger at mkluger@swri.org or (210) 522-3095, or Felt Mounce at fmounce@swri.org or (210) 522-5411.