Aero engine nacelles have become an important focus for Northern Ireland, especially with the Irkut 21 package. Michael Thompson, general manager of the Nacelle Group's Nacelle Systems Consultancy (NSC), which has been involved in design work for the project, said NSC has for 15 years been conducting design stress and certification work for airframers and engine manufacturers.
“And we also do fire testing,” he added. To highlight this, NSC has an aircraft seat that looks like it is on fire, which the company exhibits at shows such as Farnborough. “It gets people to stop and talk,” explained Thompson.
Around three years ago, Thompson said, NSC realized it had developed a useful sideline in environmental testing and certification work, and saw that it had an opportunity. “So we built a new 6,000-sq-ft facility at Newry, with a series of test labs,” he said. This is now NSC’s Resonate Testing subsidiary.
The aim, said Thompson, is “to support the aviation sector but also others, such as rail.” Now, it is the only U.S. FAA-accredited lab on the “island of Ireland,” meaning Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
“People bring parts of aircraft or prototypes to check their temperature and [conduct] fire tests," he said, noting that the company tested a thrust reverser. He said NSC does thermal cycling, aimed at, for example, ensuring that composites “don’t delaminate.”
“Everything we do [at the testing lab] is destructive. We are looking to test things before people go into production.” He noted, “We see composites being used in places we’d never expected.”
Interestingly, Thomson said “an old V8 Jag engine coupled to a Chieftain Tank supercharger is used to generate airflow…and a 1959 tractor coupled to a pump to create a pressure differential. This is pretty innovative!” All testing is recorded on video and “can be streamed to customers,” he added.
Invest NI was “very supportive” with setting the center up, said Thompson. “People used to have to go to Florida or California for this kind of testing.”