VAROC Air Dynamometers

Portable Turboshaft Engine Testing in Any Climate

The VAROC® Air Dynamometer has been used by military and commercial organizations throughout the world since 1985. It has established a new standard for testing turboshaft engines for helicopters, power generation and marine applications. Branches of the US military use the VAROC to test Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook engines before they are reinstalled to help ensure the safety of the pilots and crew. Recently, the Swedish Navy purchased a VAROC to to help with their Visby Class Corvette, the first vessel in the world to have fully developed stealth technology.

The VAROC family of air-brakes, V35, V35/85, and V250, provide an accurate, easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain, compact, lightweight, and highly reliable test capability to measure the performance of turboshaft engines ranging from 50 hp to 18,000 hp.

Our patented product design uses ambient air as the fluid medium, which provides significant advantages over other types of dynamometers, including water brakes. Some of the VAROC Air Dynamometer benefits are:

  • Flexible installation for use in fixed test-cell installations or mobile field applications
  • No extensive support equipment required
  • Operational in any climate, extreme heat, cold, arid or humid
  • No potentially hazardous materials produced, so no need for contaminated water remediation, etc.
  • Easy to operate & maintain

This video documents the Swedish Navy’s search for the best portable testing system for the aero derivative engines that power a critical part of their military infrastructure, stealth ships, and how Concepts NREC filled that need.

 

The project included the data acquisition systems, the control systems, the integration of the air dynamometer with their engine, and all of the validation, testing and commissioning for a fully portable and very reliable solution. 

 

V35 Dynamometer testing helicopter enginesA V35 air dynamometer is configured for testing helicopter engines in high altitude / low temperature conditions. A custom gearbox and pedestal style torquemeter are used to maximize drive-line performance.

 

V35 dynamometer testing an Apache EngineThis V35 air dynamometer is testing a T700 Apache engine in the field.

Varoc Air Dynamometer from Concepts NREC

A V35 air dynamometer is set up on the flight line to execute a test in freezing conditions.

 

V250 Dynamometer testing a T55 Chinook engine for the US ArmyA V250 air dynamometer tests a T55 Chinook engine at one of the U.S. Army’s several indoor/outdoor facilities located around the world.

 

Concepts NREC V35 Dynamometer testing a T58 Sea King Engine

V35 air dynamometer tests a T58 Sea King engine at one of the U.S. Navy’s several indoor/outdoor facilities located around the world.

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Introduction to VAROC Air Dynamometers

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Capabilities

Concepts NREC’s manufacturing capabilities extend far beyond simply cutting metal. Our highly skilled machinists are backed by experienced design engineers with diverse technical backgrounds and software engineers who have produced industry-leading CAE and CAM programs. This broad expertise enables us to suggest more efficient manufacturing methods, materials, processes, and designs that meet customer needs while lowering their production costs.

5-axis machining of blades, blisks, inducers, propellers, impellers, and other turbomachinery parts
Component assembly
Concurrent manufacturing/engineering
Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection
Dynamic balancing and modal analysis
Machining complex shrouded (enclosed) impellers for pumps and compressors
Prototypes and shorter production runs
Reverse engineering of obsolete parts

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State-of-the-Art Machine Tools and Technologies

Concepts NREC operates a state-of-the-art product center capable of producing the highest-quality, precision-machined turbomachinery components and assemblies. Drawing on extensive experience and expertise with materials, industries, and technologies, Concepts NREC succeeds at complex component challenges that typically have been problematic for others.

This knowledge is supported by the latest manufacturing technologies that, combined, provide Concepts NREC with the credentials to meet the most exacting customer requirements across many industries including aerospace, energy, and industrial processing. 

Capabilities

  • 5-axis machining of blades, blisks, inducers, propellers, impellers, and other turbomachinery parts
  • Component assembly
  • Concurrent manufacturing/engineering
  • Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection
  • Dynamic balancing and modal analysis
  • Inspection and testing to validate integrity and performance
  • Machining complex shrouded (enclosed) impellers for pumps and compressors
  • Prototypes and shorter production runs
  • Reverse engineering of obsolete parts

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Your Trusted Partner

Our design and manufacturing capabilities make us the first choice for many of the world’s leading manufacturers.

  • Large OEMs trust us to concurrently engineer/manufacture the blisks and vanes for their newest product designs.
  • International pump companies rely on us for our consistent quality and timeliness with their shrouded (enclosed) impellers.
  • Users across a broad spectrum of industries leverage our expertise to reverse engineer obsolete turbomachinery parts.
  • Early-stage start-ups work with us to build and improve their prototypes.     

    

What We Offer

Capabilities

  • Simultaneous 5-Axis up to 39 in (99.06 cm) diameter
  • Turning up to 39 in (99.06 cm) diameter
  • CMM Inspection with Zeiss Blade Pro for in-depth dimensional analysis of turbine blades
  • Assembly & Testing

Services

  • Heat Treat
  • Wire/Sinker EDM
  • Spline/V-tooth/Drive Pins/Polygon
  • Grinding
  • Abradable Coating
  • Brazing
  • Polishing
  • Shot Peening
  • Paint
  • Passivation
  • Electroplating
  • Welding
  • Dynamic Balancing
  • Overspeed Testing
  • Liquid Penetrant Testing
  • Ultrasonic Testing
  • Laser Scanning
  • Additive Manufacturing

Materials

  • Aluminum
  • Stainless Steel
  • Inconel
  • Titanium

Part Types

  • Pump Impellers (open & integrally shrouded)
  • Compressor impellers (open & integrally shrouded)
  • Turbines rotors/impellers
  • Blisks
  • Housings/Volutes
  • Bladed stators/guide vanes (IGVs)
  • Diffusers
  • Shrouds

Tolerances

  • Dimensional to +/- 0.0001”
  • Surface finishes to 8 µ in Ra

Trust the Experts in Turbomachinery

For over 60 years, we have helped leading global OEMs to improve the performance and manufacturability of their turbomachines.

This is a video of Concepts NREC's optional 3+2 Roughing Module that enables roughing out of impellers using 3-axis algorithms, keeping a constant tool vector. This strategy optimizes the toolpath to provide constant cutting load, making it suitable for high speed machining. This is extremely helpful for large (>0.5 m) diameter impellers and/or hard materials where roughing using the 5-axis strategies is less efficient.

Below is a video of Concepts NREC's optional 3+2 Roughing Module that enables roughing out of impellers using 3-axis algorithms, keeping a constant tool vector. This strategy optimizes the toolpath to provide constant cutting load, making it suitable for high speed machining. This is extremely helpful for large (>0.5 m) diameter impellers and/or hard materials where roughing using the 5-axis strategies is less efficient

Below is a video of Concepts NREC's optional 3+2 Roughing Module that enables roughing out of impellers using 3-axis algorithms, keeping a constant tool vector. This strategy optimizes the toolpath to provide constant cutting load, making it suitable for high speed machining. This is extremely helpful for large (>0.5 m) diameter impellers and/or hard materials where roughing using the 5-axis strategies is less efficient.

Below is a video of Concepts NREC's optional 3+2 Roughing Module that enables roughing out of impellers using 3-axis algorithms, keeping a constant tool vector. This strategy optimizes the toolpath to provide constant cutting load, making it suitable for high speed machining. This is extremely helpful for large (>0.5 m) diameter impellers and/or hard materials where roughing using the 5-axis strategies is less efficient.

Here are some quotes from our Customer Satisfaction Survey sent out after every job:

  • "Customer service is really good - they answer questions and concerns in a timely manner."
  • "High performance from quote to delivery"
  • "Concepts' decision to stock material that is qualified to our specifications is a great competitive advantage. Their willingness to provide technical / commercial informational support makes them my "go-to" supplier for milled impellers."

Agile Products Support (APS)

APS is Concepts NREC’s software maintenance and support program that elevates us from just a software provider to a valued partner. 

An APS subscription is included with all annual licenses and is a highly-recommended option for perpetual software licenses. Every software customer is supported for one month following purchase for any installation questions that may arise. Learn more on the Agile Products Support Membership Benefits Datasheet. 

  • Free software updates
  • One business day response times
  • Expert technical assistance
  • Major discounts on software workshops
  • Discounted professional development course
  • Annual balloting system for development planning
  • Annual Meetings

VAROC Air Dynamometers Brochure

For reliable, low-maintenance load testing of gas turbine engines

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