Samara Researchers Build Test Rig to Evaluate Drone Engines in Extreme Weather
The system allows engineers to test small engines at temperatures ranging from −50°C to +50°C.
Scientists at Samara University named after Korolev have developed a testing complex for small engines used in drones. The system is designed to evaluate how these engines perform under extreme temperatures. Several industrial companies have already expressed interest in the new facility, the university’s press service told IT Russia.
The installation recreates complex weather conditions, including sharp swings in temperature and atmospheric pressure. It allows engineers to analyze how a given engine behaves and how its performance changes under precipitation and other environmental factors.
Tests can be carried out at temperatures from −50°C to +50°C, while the system can simulate flight altitudes of up to 10 kilometers. The facility is designed to test engines with thrust of up to 1,500 newtons, as well as individual components and parts. The system has already entered operation. Engineers are now preparing for the final stage of testing a small gas-turbine engine previously developed at the university called Kolibri (Hummingbird), which produces a maximum thrust of 220 newtons and is intended for mobile power units and cargo UAVs powered by jet propulsion.
First Orders Already Placed
According to Evgeny Filinov, senior researcher at the Energeticheskie ustanovki (Power Systems) laboratory of Samara University, similar facilities in Russia exist mainly at major engine-building research institutes and large manufacturers. However, they are typically designed to test large, full-scale engines.
Several industrial companies have already ordered engine tests using the university’s new equipment.
Earlier we reported that drones in Russia are set to take off using Dobrynya.
