LM9000 free power turbine: Advanced test bench

In Oil and Gas framework, the need of innovative turbomachineries in terms of efficiency, weight, and flexibility is quickly growing. For these reasons, the new LM9000 is entirely designed with aviation design criteria. It is composed by a gas generator derived from the GE90-115B twin shaft turbofan, coupled to a free power turbine (FPT). Both the gas generator and the FPT use rolling element bearings that contribute to reduce the weight and the complexity of the engine and its auxiliary systems architecture. The free power turbine represents the new element. Due to the FPT dimensions, weight and characteristics, it was necessary to realize a dedicated test bench that is in a class by itself in the Oil and Gas industry. To give an idea of the dimensions, the ball bearing installed has a bore diameter of 320mm with a ball diameter close to 60mm. The test bench was crucial to validate the sump configuration for on-shore and off-shore applications and to define the inputs range in which the FPT will operate properly. The first part of the paper aim at describing the solutions adopted to realize the test bench. The main results are reported in the second part of the paper. Moreover, the test bench provides flexibility to perform complex tests for different configurations thanks to its 20 tons allowable payload, considerable volume for the test article installation and its modular design.