General Electric Aircraft Engine Services, GE90 Test Cell

To prepare for the next millennium, General Electric Aircraft Engine Services Ltd has invested more than $30M in the development of a new aircraft engine test facility and workshop at Nantgarw, South Wales, for its GE90 engine. This paper describes the development and the design of the test cell, workshop structure and control building, site infrastructure and overhead engine-handling system. It also briefly outlines the history of the project from the initial development stage, which commenced in December 1995, through to its completion in February 1998. The test cell is a twin-skin construction in reinforced concrete. It is 113m in length, and the highest part of the exhaust stack is 36m above the test cell floor. The height of the exhaust stack and test-cell form were selected to satisfy rigorous acoustic design requirements.

S.J. Luke, M. McElligott and M. Everett