AIAA Cycle Time Reduction Strategies and Improvements in Transonic Testing in the AEDC Wind Tunnel 16T

Transcription

1 A AIAA Cyce Time Reduction Strategies and Improvements in Transonic Testing in the AEDC Wind Tunne 16T Wiiam L. Peters, W. R. Lawrence, Michae L. Mis, and Wiiam E. Miam Sverdrup Technoogy, Inc., AEDC Group Arnod Engineering Deveopment Center Arnod Air Force Base, Tennessee th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibit January 1-14, 1999 / Reno, NV For permission to copy or repubish, contact the 1801 Aexander Be Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA 22091

2 Cyce Time Reduction Strategies and Improvements in Transonic Testing in the AEDC Wind Tunne 16T * Wiiam L. Peters,t W. R. Lawrence, Michae L. Mikf and Wiiam E. Miam Sverdrup Technoogy, Inc., AEDC Group Arnod Engineering Deveopment Center Arnod Air Force Base, TN Abstract AOH Air-On Hours Major U.S. aircraft and munition deveopers and manufacturers are seeking dramatic reductions of up to 75 percent in costs and cyce time in deveoping and fieding new weapons systems. The Arnod Engineering Deveopment Center (AEDC), a DOD ground test simuation center, has conducted a comprehensive study to anayze and estabish cyce time reduction strategies and improvements for conducting testing in the AEDC Tunne 16T to coincide with these customer goas. A Monte Caro simuation mode has been deveoped based upon historica Tunne 16T process data associated with instaation and testing to examine prospective cyce time and cost reduction improvements. From this anaysis, ranked improvement areas have been identified eading to a series of faciity investments incuding test hardware performance upgrades, and re-engineering of test processes incuding pretest information management and test data handing. Near-term improvements that have been identified are to upgrade to a new Pressure Scanning System (PSS) and insta on-cart data acquisition systems. An emphasis area is test cart modernization to aow 4-hr instaation into the tunne and automated test cart insertion. These improvements, aong with others, are in progress and are a part of a series of investments that wi be competed over the next five to seven years with a predicted 50-percent reduction in 16T test cyce time and cost. ATP CCD cc-v CFD CMP CTR CTS DACS DAPS DDAS DEC EMD FY HAAS LAN L--T MHWOSH M&S MIB Air-On Test Points Charge Couped Device Cosed Circuit Teevision Computationa CAD Modernization Cyce Time Reduction Captive Trajectory Data Acquisition Fuid Dynamics Program Support and Contro System Data Acquisition and Processing Systems Dynamic Data Acquisition Digita Equipment Corporation System Engineering, Manufacturing, and Deveopment Fisca Year High-Ange Automated Sting Loca Area Network Lost Test Time Hours Equivaent Man-hours per OSH Modeing and Simuation Mode Instaation Buiding Nomencature NTS No Test Schedued Hours AADF Atmospheric Air Dryer Faciity OSH Occupancy Shift Hour AEDC Arnod Engineering Deveopment Center OTC On-Test Condition Hours * The research reported herein was performed by the Arnod Engineering Deveopment Center (AEDC). Air Force Materie Command. Work and anaysis for this research were performed by personne of Sverdrup Technoogy, Inc., AEDC Group, technica services contractor for AEDC. Further reproduction is authorized to satisfy needs of the U. S. Government. f Senior Member, AIAA. This paper is decared a work of the U. S. government and not subject IO copyright protection in the Umted States. 1

3 PES Poars/OSH Prep/Shut PSS PWT SDAS TACS TAS TOSH VP 16T $/ATP Penum Evacuation Data Poars Per OSH System Tunne Startup and Shutdown Pressure Scanning System Propusion Wind Tunne Static Data Acquisition Test Artice Contro System Test Anaysis System Test Occupancy Virtua Presence 16-ft Transonic System Shift Hours Cost in Doars per ATP Introduction Most U. S. manufacturing and service-reated industries are currenty reducing product deveopment cyce time to remain cost competitive in a goba marketpace, and to fied products and services that take advantage of the rapid technoogica innovations which are surfacing. AEDC surveys of U.S. air weapons systems and commercia aircraft deveopers, our chief customers, indicate that reduction goas being sought in the deveopment cyce are up to 75 percent in both time and cost. As depicted in Fig. 1. the current timeine in deveoping a typica new miitary aircraft invoves 30 to 40 wind tunne tests over a span of 8 years with up to 7000 hours of tota test occupancy time. The aircraft deveopment process and performance definition requires a compex force accounting system based upon ground tests of seven to 10 different wind tunne modes and a number of empirica and theoretica corrections (Fig. 2). Hours is moving to a much-compressed schedue from a period of 17 years to a schedue of 4-5 years or ess. What this new deveopment cyce ooks ike is not exacty known; however, there are attempts to merge and compress traditiona deveopment schedues associated with Concept Demo and EMD. Aircraft manufacturers and deveopers are increasingy adopting the practice of initiating new aircraft deveopment by using derived performance modes and simuations based upon eectronicay stored and vaidated performance databases of prior generation aircraft. Deveopers are reying more upon experimentay caibrated CFD codes to tune performance modes. They are endeavoring to shorten wind tunne test cyces and use fewer, but more compex modes, with an Aircraft DeveoDmen t Timeine, vears 1 I 2 I 3 14 I ~9~ s~14113(I6II Wind Tunne Test Cyces Fig. 1. Current miitary aircraft deveopment and wind tunne cyces. CTS StorJSep Mode The aircraft deveopment cyce Fig. 2. Wind tunne mode feet for aircraft deveopment. 2 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

4 emphasis on using wind tunnes to vaidate ony key or critica performance points with compex aerodynamic fows. New nonintrusive test techniques are being appied to reduce technica risks and to support these efforts. Aircraft deveopers are aso seeking to shorten cyce time moving needed critica wind tunne data at east 36 months ahead in design cyce. A Tunne 16T cyce time reduction study was undertaken to estabish a number of strategies and improvements to compement simiar DOD and industry initiatives to reduce weapons systems deveopment time and costs. Athough this work is sti in progress, an anaytica study has been conducted to deveop a ist of initia investments to reduce the wind tunne cyce time in Tunne 16T. This paper summarizes the work to date incuding some of the the process changes which are being panned and executed to improve testing in Tunne 16T. Prior to sharing these study resuts, a brief overview of the Propusion Wind Tunne (PWT) is given. Tunne 16T Faciity Description The PWT Faciity (Fig. 3) consists of the Propusion Wind Tunne 16T with a 16-f-t-square transonic test section, the Propusion Wind Tunne 16s with a 16-ft-square supersonic test section, and the Aerodynamic Wind Tunne 4T with a 4-f-t-square transonic test section. The wind tunnes are cosed circuit, continuous-fow, variabe-density units. The PWT wind tunnes are operated in a production-oriented environment designed to provide high throughput and productivity, athough research-oriented tests are occasionay concuded. A wide variety of test, evauation, and anaysis capabiities are required to support these broad mission objectives. The 16-t? tunnes are designed for aeropropusion testing and are equipped with scavenging systems to remove combustion products. The Mach number and Reynods number range of the three PWT tunnes are shown beow. Tunne 16T s test capabiities are currenty used to support a wide variety of data acquisition requirements, incuding the foowing wind tunne test types that are normay a part of buiding the performance of a miitary aircraft: Force and Moment Pressure Distribution Propusion System Instaed Performance - Inet Performance - Inet-Engine Compatibiity - Inet Drag - Jet Effects Captive Store Grid and Trajectory Deceerator and Parachute Depoyment In Fig. 4, the Tunne 16T occupancy shift hours are shown from FY81 through FY96 for each of these test types. Inet and other propusion integra- OSH BY FY FOR DIFFERENT TEST TYPES 100% aox q propulson Fig. 3. Photograph of PWT Faciity at AEDC. Fig. 4. Test type distribution for Tunne 16T. 3

5 tion tests comprise about 20 percent of tota test workoad in Tunne 16T. In genera, CTS testing has increased and inet testing and misceaneous test types have decreased during FY Force & moment and pressure testing have averaged 40 percent or ess of the tota OSH during this period. Tunne 16T is designed to support aerodynamic testing of fu-scae engine instaations, arge-scae air vehice modes, or fu-scae missies; however, these types of tests historicay comprise no more than a maximum of about 25 percent of the tota occupancy time for any year. The 16T Cyce Time Reduction Study A comprehensive study was performed to anayze and estabish cyce time reduction (CTR) and cost reduction improvements and investments to support customer testing in the AEDC Wind Tunne 16T. The study s goas provided by the AEDC Chief Scientist, can be summarized in the foowing four points: 1. Reduce aircraft deveopment cyce time by 50 percent. 2. Increase wind tunne test productivity - 8 poars/tosh. 3. Cost reduction - reduce $/ATP point by 50 percent. 4. Mode instaation to compressor turning - 1 hr. The study used the foowing 4-step process, as iustrated in Fig. 5, and as outined beow: 1. Acquire CTR strategies from customers and experts, obtain ideas from previous interna AEDC studies, and utiize historica faciity databases. 2. Deveop modes, simuations and anayses to evauate potentia improvements and modified test process scenarios to reduce cyce time and test costs. 3. Rank and rate 16T process improvements that offer the optimum performance in test productivity, cost reduction and quaity improvement. 4. Identify specific short-term and ong-term investments and technoogies to accompish 16Tcyce time reduction in concert with customer needs. Strategies for Wind Tunne Cyce Time Reduction Based upon meetings and information acquired from test customers, from nationa wind tunne faciity experts, and from interna studies conducted by 16T test teams within AEDC, the foowing key strategies to reduce air vehice deveopment and wind tunne cyce time were obtained. 1. Provide wind tunne accessibiity within one month of request by our customer. Deveop shortened, smart test panning/design process using eectronic information management technoogies and engineering toos 2. Shorten wind tunne preparation and occupancy time by making investments and reengineering test processes for cyce time and cost reduction. a. Reduce buid-up and in-tunne test instaation time. b. Reduce data acquisition time and number of on-ine/off-ine caibrations. c. Reduce tunne condition set-time and reduce tunne drying time. d. Reduce and optimize test matrix based upon M&S and CFD toos. Cmtomer&Team Inputs Fig. 5. The 16T cyce time study approach. 4 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

6 e. Reduce faciity ost test time and cir- GGCUrrent ced-out time (maintenance optimization).. 3 months. 3. Provide on-ine eectronic data presentation and transmitta to mutipe customer ocations to accommodate quicker test anaysis and reduce test faciity staffing. /TestMaw-t \ /M&hidup \ / 4. Remove faciity-dependent factors and witch hunts by faciity correction techniques and fow quaity improvements. Based on the strategies above, the future vision of a wind tunne test cyce with Fig. 6. Re-engineered a concurrent set of test processes and the one-month test cyce as depicted in Fig. 6 has been adopted as the future direction of wind tunne testing at AEDC. As shown, the test cyce is approximatey one-third of the current, systematic step-by-step test process that often asts for three months or more. Cyce Time Reduction Math Modes To identify opportunities for cyce time reduction improvement in the wind tunne test cyce, mathematica modes were empoyed to examine strategies 1 and 2 -that of improving wind tunne accessibiity and of shortening wind tunne preparation and occupancy time. Two spreadsheet math modes were deveoped to evauate potentia improvements - a singe-test simuation mode and a mutitest, mutiyear workoad simuation mode. The singe-test mode was deveoped to capture the times invoved in conducting one typica wind tunne test in Tunne 16T. This mode uses representative times for distinct testing events from instaation through remova. Where the overap of events occur, the critica path event is given priority. Like events are umped together rather than being isted chronoogicay. The singe-test mode was deveoped about a test matrix for a singe force and moment type of aerodynamic test. Event frequencies and times required as inputs for the mode were obtained from an historica database of Tunne 16T operationa statistics and estimates from project and test engineers. This mode provided a good first cut of test cyce from 3 months to 1 month. assessing and ranking panned and potentia wind tunne improvements for cyce-time and test cost reduction for one test. A mutitest, mutiyear workoad simuation was aso deveoped for Tunne 16T to assess the potentia payoff in cyce-time reduction and test cost for those most promising improvements identi- fied by the singe-test mode. The mutitest mode is a Monte Caro statistica mode which emuates a defined test mix of differing test types, and required test cart utiization, to more fuy represent test unit productivity given an entire year of typica back-toback tests in Tunne 16T. The approach taken to deveop the mutitest mode of test productivity, cyce time, and costs is iustrated in Fig. 7. Mutipe-Test *Deveop Component &U&b&& to Represent Pr- 1.v for Mutipe-Year Workoads to Generate Monte-Caro Resuts for Key Metrtc fndcators. Throughput Mode Deveopment Avg Instaa Sensitivities 1 1 T Fig. 7. Productivity mode deveopment. Identification of Primary Processes The mutitest mode used a statistica simuation of test parameters incuding required number of 5

7 poars (aternatey referred to as runs ), mode changes, air-on time, instaation/remova time, tunne start/stop events, ost test time, other productive time, panning/reporting, eectrica power required, cart sequencing and instaation impact, and the associated cost of each of these components (see Fig. 8 for definitions). I. AOH (Air-On Hours) - OTC (On Teat Ctidition) -On Condition CTesti~ - Off Condition -Change Condition - Prep/Shut (Preparation/Shutdown) -Set Tent Condition -Shutdown Z MDWK (Mode Work) 5. UR (Indaation and Remova) Imtdation mmc Remova Time 1LTbstTatTiie) - AEDC Lost Test Tic - UserL.mtTestTime 5. Other Productive Time. Pre-Op and Pmt-Opa - Hot Wind-Off Checu 6. crdcd-m The - NT-5 (No Tea sehcdud) - Dry-Air Support * Dru Rmcvatw - Ohrr Items OP (Openting Panmeters) = Runs Operating Hours L OTC + LIT + hdwk + Prep/Shut + Other Prod Time UOH (User Oc-cupmq Hours) I Operating Houn - AEDC LTP OSH (Occupmq Shift Houn) - Operating Hours + /R + Schedued Down Time Fig. 8. Definition of important productivity A further description TOSH (est Occupmq Shift Hours) = Operating Houn + I/R + Circted-Out Time metrics. of each process foows: In-tunne nsfaation - The process of moving one of two test carts (shown in Fig. 9) from the Mode Instaation Buiding (depicted in Fig. 10) to Tunne 16T, instaing the cart into the 16T tunne circuit, performing any pretest checkout, and bringing the tunne to the point of operationa readiness. Tunne Startup and Shutdown (Prep/Shut ) - The process time of bringing the tunne from Fig. 9 One of two Tunne 16T test carts. Fig. 10. Depiction of 16T cart traveing MIB and Tunne 16T. between the atmospheric conditions to the first test condition and the neary reverse process time of bringing the tunne operations from the ast test condition (after the ast data acquisition) back to atmosphere. On-Test-Condition (OTC) Time - The time recorded during an air-on period from the first estabished test condition to the competion of the ast data acquisition at the ast test condition. Other Productive Time - Process time in the tunne for other important data required for the test. Exampes are acquisition of mode weight tare data and acquisition of static thrust tares for a jet effects mode. Lost Test Time (Lrr) - Process time for emergency repair of AEDC equipment during the time of tunne occupancy. In-Tunne Mode Work Time - Process time for performing customer mode work based on the time between opening the test section access door (after an air-on period) to the time of cosure of the test section access door (prior to restarting the tunne). 9 No Ops or No-Test-Schedued (NTS) Time (incudes Mode Instaation Buiding work) - Time of no schedued occupancy in the tunne by a test program, excuding weekends and hoidays. 6

8 Historica Data Avaiabe data for Wind Tunne 16T testing during the period of FY89-96 were examined to define a database to emuate with the baseine mutitest mode. Statistica summary data for FY89-95 were obtained from operationa ogs. A more detaied breakdown of test activity hour-by-hour for every test day in FY 96 was derived from the FY96 Operating Time Log (OTL) for 16T. Wind Tunne 16T test unit utiization for each of the primary processes is shown in Fig. 11. No Tests Ready Schedued or 3% On Cond Off Cond 14% 1% Mode Work Fig. 11. Test unit utiization in Tunne 16T. The major 16T cyce time components incude on-test-condition time accounting for 14 percent, mode work accounting for 23 percent instaation and remova accounting for 15 percent, and ost test time accounting for 13 percent of the operating time avaiabe. These resuts are, in genera, typica of the breakdown for the FY89-95 period. Improvement Areas Identified and Ranked By using the mutitest mode, test engineers coud vary parameters to show the changes expected from the faciity as a resut of combined improvements or decrements in faciity operationa factors. Data cost and test program cyce time were measured and tracked for each improvement using the foowing performance metric indicators: Cyce Time - Poars/OSH (Poars Per Occupancy Shift Hour) The mutitest mode was used to assess the impact of potentia improvements on cyce time for Tunne 16T performance. These improvements were ranked based upon reductions in cyce time as first priority and in cost reduction as a second priority. The ranked improvements are indicated in Fig. 12, and the top three are summarized as foows: Increase poars (runs) per UOH by faster data acquisition and mode movement and contro. Reduce mode instaation from approximatey 2 days to 4 hours. Reduce test cart time in the Mode Instaation Buiding when the tunne is unoccupied by a test. Investments to Foow Improvements From the improvements identified in the cyce time reduction math modeing, severa investments were proposed as means to meet the cyce time reduction goas and to focus on the accompanying strategies of tunne accessibiity on demand and reduced tunne occupancy time to obtain data. The foowing investments represent some being executed or panned to support Tunne 16T cyce time reduction.. Cost - $/ATP (Doars Per Air-On Test Point) Fig. 12. Ranked improvements HR* q 107. EG 107. for 16T cyce time reduction. 7

9 DACS - On Cart Data Acquisition System Mode buidup, checkout, and cart instaation time wi be significanty streamined by means of a data acquisition system (steady-state and dynamic) and a test artice contro system onboard each of the 16T test carts. The PWT sustainment program is currenty impementing this system for fu operation in FY99. Locating the data systems and test artice contros on-board the cart in environmentay controed cabinets as shown in Fig. 13 wi ensure that the same systems used during test buidup are used during tunne operations, thus eiminating rework associated with using different systems in the tunne and buidup areas. Fig, 13. On-cart data acquisition on the 16T test cart. cabinet ocations Off-the shef software wi be use extensivey to minimize deveopmenta, operationa, and maintenance software costs. As the test cart is being moved from the MIB to the tunne, power to the test cart wi be maintained using an uninterruptabe power source (UPS). Once the cart is in pace, power wi be suppied from tunne systems. After tunne instaation, the on-board test cart systems wi be inked to the Tunne Executive System using shared memory impemented with fiber optics. Once connected, the Tunne Executive System wi direct the Test Cart Systems to perform sef-caibrations using votage-insertion, resistor substitution, resistor shunt, pressure caibration, signature anaysis, etc., to verify that the systems are functioning correcty. The caibrations wi provide key performance indices (e.g., channe zero, span, shunt vaue, etc.) that become the baseine vaues used in conjunction with Statistica Process Contro charts to monitor/assess measurement system quaity throughout the test. These automatic caibrations wi repace traditiona measurement and contro system pre-ops. Rea-time data coection/transmission and tunne sequencing is accompished via refective memory connected with fiber optics. The refective memory is the primary cyce time reduction improvement for improved data acquisition rates and increased poars or runs per OSH. PSS (Pressure Scanning System) In the near future, PWT 16T tests requiring the measurement of arge numbers of pressures wi utiize an eectronicay upgraded, mutipexed pressure scanner system. This system wi be impemented for Tunne 16T beginning in p/99. The PSS software contros a PSI 8400 system with up to 4096 channes. The 8400 system scans pressure inputs on 8-, 16-, 32-, 48-, and 64-port temperature compensated eectronicay scanned pressure scanners. Each scanner can measurepressures with semiconductor, temperature-compensated pressure transducers. These scanners and the digitizer are miniaturized and are normay paced inside the mode to minimize pressure ags. Digitizers send digita data back to a host computer over fiber-optic cabes. The PSS provides the measurement capabiities: Pressure Range - 1 psid to 500 psid Measurement Uncertainty % FS 9 Data Update Rates - 50 msec Integrated Contros and Automation The pant/tunne contros portion of the PWT sustainment program consoidates operation from severa different contro rooms (i.e., 16T Contro Room, PES Contro Room, Dryer Contro Consoe, etc.) to a singe Test Operations Center. An operator in the Operations Center (shown in Fig. 14) wi have access to competey integrated data acquisi- 8 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

10 tion, tunne, and pant contros and monitoring. This is accompished using an extensive CCTV monitoring and intercom system. Some key features of the system incude: Remote monitoring and operation. Fuy integrated Tunne 16T and pant contros Redundant operator interface operation Fig. 14. Future integrated Tunne 16T operations center. This integrated system contros and monitors the existing PWT dryer, the Penum Evacuation System, the fexibe nozze, the main drive, and the K cooer. Integration and automation of a data acquisition, data processing, tunne contros, and test artice contro eements wi produce significant gains in productivity and operations efficiency. By FY03, the standard Tunne 16T operations staff wi be reduced from 18 personne to four. Test Cart Modernization Improvements in the test instaation process can readiy affect the overa utiization efficiency of Tunne 16T to perform more test programs. The 16T instaation process requires the mode to be instaed in the test cart in the MIB. The test cart is then moved to the tunne circuit via the transfer car and the test cart, is then inserted into the tunne circuit. A portion of that time for the instaation process can be reduced by efficient cart insertion into the circuit, reducing in-tunne mode support system hardware caibrations and minimizing the amount of work required to reconfigure the cart before the next test program. Aso, a reiabe transfer car drive system can minimize ost test time that occurs when the test cart is stranded between the MIB and the 16T tunne circuit. Thus, three areas of improvement are being considered by his project. They are (7) more efficient cart insertion into the tunne circuit, (2) estabishing a standard cart configuration to reduce mode buidup time and (3) transfer car refurbishment to the hydrauic and motor drive systems. Data Management System Impementation of a data and project information management system (Fig. 15) is required to reduce the time and costs of information transfer to and from AEDC and our customers. This incudes reducing our project cyce times from panning through deivery of fina data packages. A system caed TestView, to be impemented in ate FY99 wi aow AEDC to support eectronic test panning and operations. In the future, a product data manager (PDM) wi integrate information from a aspects of the test process with the test customer.. TestView software. This software permits the customer and project engineer to input the instrumentation ist and hookup into a data- Fig. 15. Eectronic data management systems for pretest panning, preparation and data transmission. 9

11 base eectronicay. The customer wi be abe to enter maintain, and adjust the tet matrix database during the course of test panning and conduct. Product data manager. A data management system coud comprehensivey compie and disseminate test project information throughout the ife of a project. It coud receive onine updated customer information currenty contained in the Test Project Criteria, such as information on mode hardware, tunne systems requirements, instrumentation specifications, and data reduction equations. The system woud possiby receive instrumentation information, incuding hook-up and patching schedues, from the test customer. Data product deivery. Data and test information are envisioned to be shipped on a reatime basis, as directs the customer. The system woud possiby remotey receive test data (text and images) as they are acquired, and have robust toos for anaysis, verification, and recomputation on a rea-time basis. 9 CAD Modernization Program (CMP). The intent of a panned CMP piot program is to deveop a competition sensitive server accessibe via an internet connection to aow an estabished test customer access to 3D mode drawings of test artice, reevant test instaation hardware, and mounting configuration drawings for a panned test program. Mode Pre-Instaation Checkout Wind tunne modes arrive at AEDC at various stages of readiness. The future test preparation scenario for Tunne 16T is to perform a mode preparation and instaation checkout activities in the MIB. Reducing the cyce time and costs of this effort requires a we-equipped MIB with as many utiities and capabiities as possibe that wi permit simuating the actua 16T tunne test. The foowing MIB upgrades wi optimize these needed capabiities to meet time and cost objectives: 1. Equip a new and existing bays (mode buidup areas) with a. Automatic checkoading equipment (weights, hangers, etc.) b. Mode attitude caibration equipment (mode attitude and measurement equipment) c. Mode pressure eak check equipment d. Network inkage to CMP drawing database, Mode Shop, and the design section staff e. Customer office area with remote workstation and fax machine for access to remote ocation 2. Modify an additiona cosed bay (mode buidup area) for one or more 16T test carts to be buit in the future. 3. Study the need and potentiay buid a soundproof bay for checkout of propusion system test artices with 5-10 Ib/sec high-pressure air capabiity up to 2000psia suppy pressure. This bay, if buit, woud be equipped with the same air contro capabiity as used in the tunne, and interface exacty as that of the tunne systems. Tunne Productivity Gains A number of other investments are being panned or impemented which wi offer reduced cyce time reduction as indicated in Ref. 1. A comparison of the current Tunne 16T workoad to a FY03 scenario iustrates that amost twice as many test programs wi have the opportunity to use this test faciity as a resut of these investments. As shown in Fig. 16, ony about 15 test cyces are currenty capabe of being competed in TEST 1 I -, L TEST 3: 0, $ E TEST5: b a - z TEST % MAINT: I - m $ TEST 13: - I - TEST 15; Week Number Fig. 16. Current 16T test workoad with 15 test cyces per year. 10 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

12 (c)999 American Institute of Aerohautics & Astronautics the yeary occupancy of Tunne 16T, whereas, approximatey 30 test cyces (as shown in Fig. 17) coud be competed in the future. The resuts of the mutitest math mode show that the cost per data point is reduced by 58 percent of the baseine vaue, and productivity (indicative of reduced cyce time), measured by achieved poars per occupancy shift hours, is increased by 84 percent. Thus, significant additiona occupancy time is predicted to be avaiabe in the tunne to accommodate additiona customers and testing, and those customers are expected to receive test data at significanty reduced cost. Figure 18 shows a representative prediction of future productivity gains (as a function of time) many of the improvements discussed in this paper are impemented. -- $ TEST Week Number Fig. 17. Future 16T test workoad with 30 test cyces per year. I I 01 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ( I Ffw FVOQ FYot nor Fig. 18. Representative productivity improvements with investments over a six-year period. Concusions An initia Cyce Time Reduction Study has been competed for AEDC Tunne 16T to identify improvements and strategies to reduce test cyce time and costs. The improvements identified cover a wide range of efforts to reduce manpower, eectrica resources and time for test preparation and conduct. Productivity modes that have been deveoped predict that these investments coud improve productivity in Tunne 16T by 84 percent and reduce costs by 58 percent within the next six years. References 1. Peters, Wiiam L., et a. Update on Recent and Panned Improvements in Transonic Testing at AEDC, AIAA , AIAA Advanced Measurement and Ground Testing Conference, June I 11