What the facility does
Develops and validates aerospace and energy sector technologies, helping clients meet environmental, safety, cost-reduction, performance and fuel flexibility requirements
Areas of expertise
The National Research Council Canada (NRC)’s world-renowned facilities provide cost-effective platforms to de-risk new technologies, advance technology readiness levels and perform certification tests. Our advanced facilities are equipped for custom tests to meet specific and challenging product requirements. We foresee the needs and challenges of industry to identify future outcomes that will drive our research and technology focus, and to determine our facility investments.
Our gas turbine facilities are registered to the ISO 9001:2015 quality standard, covering all critical business and technical processes. In addition, all instrument calibrations are traceable to appropriate national and international standards.
Research services
- Advanced optical-based measurements
- Alternative fuels for aviation and energy-production
- Combustor and fuel nozzle development and evaluation
- Diagnostics, prognostics and health monitoring (DPHM)
- Engine and turbomachinery aerodynamics
- Engine performance assessment and certification
- Icing formation, detection and mitigation
- Mechanical components and tribology (lubricants, bearings and gearboxes)
Sectors of application
- Aerospace and satellites
- Clean technology
- Defence and security industries
- Energy
- Environmental technologies and related services
- Forestry and forest-based industries
- Transportation
- Utilities
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Combustion and spray test facilities | High-pressure combustion test cells | Research, testing and validation of low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems and fuel spray nozzles and injectors |
| Combustion and spray test facilities | High-pressure spray facilities | Research, testing and validation of low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems and fuel spray nozzles and injectors |
| Combustion and spray test facilities | Low-pressure Optically-Accessible Combustion Rig (LOACR) | Research, testing and validation of low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems and fuel spray nozzles and injectors |
| Combustion and spray test facilities | High-pressure Optically Accessible Combustion Rig (OACR) | Research, testing and validation of low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems and fuel spray nozzles and injectors |
| Combustion and spray test facilities | Continuous Emissions Monitoring systems | Research, testing and validation of low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems and fuel spray nozzles and injectors |
| Combustion and spray test facilities | Non-intrusive, laser-based optical diagnostics | Research, testing and validation of low-emission, fuel-flexible combustion systems and fuel spray nozzles and injectors |
| Turbomachinery test facilities | Transonic Linear Cascade (TLC) | Supports gas turbine engine fuel-efficiency improvements through advancements in engine turbomachinery, engine inlet and exhaust systems; tests and validates the performance of engine probes |
| Turbomachinery test facilities | Subsonic Linear Cascade (SLC) | Supports gas turbine engine fuel-efficiency improvements through advancements in engine turbomachinery, engine inlet and exhaust systems; tests and validates the performance of engine probes |
| Turbomachinery test facilities | Subsonic Turbine Rig (STR) | Supports gas turbine engine fuel-efficiency improvements through advancements in engine turbomachinery, engine inlet and exhaust systems; tests and validates the performance of engine probes |
| Turbomachinery test facilities | High-Subsonic Probe Calibration Rig | Supports gas turbine engine fuel-efficiency improvements through advancements in engine turbomachinery, engine inlet and exhaust systems; tests and validates the performance of engine probes |
| Turbomachinery test facilities | Coaxial Subsonic Exhaust Rig (CSER) | Supports gas turbine engine fuel-efficiency improvements through advancements in engine turbomachinery, engine inlet and exhaust systems; tests and validates the performance of engine probes |
| Engine test cells | Engine test cells | Engine performance, operability and certification testing including icing, bird ingestion, blade-off, alternative fuel certification and endurance trials |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Icing Spray Masts | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Laser-based diagnostics for droplet diameter measurements | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Ice Crystal Icing System | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Bird Strike Cannon | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Hail Storm Simulator | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Iso-Kinetic Probe (IKP) for accurate total water content measurements | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | FAR 33.68 icing certification testing | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Engine ingestion test systems | Abradable Seal Rig | Supports engine icing certification testing and analysis, as well as development of icing detection and mitigation systems onboard aircraft and engines |
| Mechanical component test facilities | High-Speed Rolling-Element Bearing Rig | Supports tribological (friction and wear) testing, analysis and modeling (including mechanical equipment and rotating machinery) |
| Mechanical component test facilities | Journal Bearing Dynamic Rig | Supports tribological (friction and wear) testing, analysis and modeling (including mechanical equipment and rotating machinery) |
| Mechanical component test facilities | Oil-Free Bearing Rig | Supports tribological (friction and wear) testing, analysis and modeling (including mechanical equipment and rotating machinery) |
| Mechanical component test facilities | Journal Bearing Static Rig | Supports tribological (friction and wear) testing, analysis and modeling (including mechanical equipment and rotating machinery) |
| Mechanical component test facilities | Traction Motor Bearing Rig | Supports tribological (friction and wear) testing, analysis and modeling (including mechanical equipment and rotating machinery) |
| Research altitude test facility | Altitude chamber | Supports the testing of engines and related systems under simulated high-altitude (pressure, temperature and humidity) conditions |
| Research altitude test facility | Inlet air treatment (refrigeration) system | Supports the testing of engines and related systems under simulated high-altitude (pressure, temperature and humidity) conditions |
| Research altitude test facility | Air exhausters (2 MW / 5 MW) | Supports the testing of engines and related systems under simulated high-altitude (pressure, temperature and humidity) conditions |
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Bioenergy technology innovation | https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/nrc-facilities/bioenergy-technology-innovation |
| Global Aerospace Centre for Icing and Environmental Research (GLACIER) | https://nrc.canada.ca/en/research-development/research-collaboration/global-aerospace-centre-icing-… |
| COPA Flight cover article on NRC effort to identify 100LL Fuel Replacement | https://copanational.org/sites/copanational.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CF-Oct-16.pdf |