Engine testing, both on the ground and in the air, is a very demanding environment for test instrumentation. Equipment must withstand extremes of temperature and vibration in order for a test to be successful and for the data to be reliable.
In-ground tests particularly, the wiring and sheer volume of channels can make it difficult to integrate a test system that is located both on and off the test article. Thermocouples in particular present the largest number of measurement channels. This represents a challenge for wiring both to external Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) and for the thermocouple sensor itself. Synchronization across these various test systems is also not a trivial task.
It is difficult to have a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) DAS that fulfils both the robustness and channel density criteria - the Curtiss-Wright Acra KAM-500 fulfills both of these criteria using COTS equipment.
The KAM-500 provides a rugged data acquisition system for all aspects of engine testing from on-stand acquisition to engine flight testing. Furthermore, it offers high accuracy, high-density data acquisition with extended temperature operation - even in the most challenging environments. With various chassis sizes, finding the right housing for your acquisition system is easy with all chassis qualified to the same environmental levels.
The KAM-500 can also be integrated into large concentrator units which provide a highly accurate, very maintainable method of high-channel measurement. Each channel is sampled at the same time in the acquisition cycle and synchronization of each system is achieved using external grandmasters. The KAM-500 continues to provide data acquisition to ensure the successful completion of engine testing programs.
Download the case study to learn more.