Creating an Aircraft Pressure Testing Simulator with Fairchild and Bürkert Products

Background

All aircraft must be rigorously tested in order to be used for commercial and industrial flights. In other words, the structure and equipment of each aircraft must be safe and certified for flight.
Fine Controls were approached by a major aircraft manufacturer to assist with the planning and construction of an Aircraft Pressure Testing Simulator.

Project Requirement

Aircraft fatigue is a consideration that must be analysed on a regular basis and it is something that can happen to all metal airframes. Over time, when an aircraft has been used frequently, metal elements can begin to weaken and cracks develop. Eventually, this will mean that repairs will be required as the aircraft ages.

Specifically, aircraft fatigue may become more dangerous when the plane is older and exposed to different altitudes. It means that after a certain amount of years, that aircraft will then be unsafe to fly and have to retire.

Therefore, there is a need to design a system that is going to simulate and analyse an aircraft exposed to altitude changes. It is beneficial to have a system that can do this over a 10-year period. This will be provided by the Bürkert and Fairchild pressure test.

Project Considerations

In order to receive the most accurate data from this test, there has to be an exceptionally high level of safety. This is necessary to stop damage to the aircraft, which could occur from over pressurisation. Every stage of the test has to be carefully monitored in order to ensure that this does not happen.

Thus, the system created by Bürkert and Fairchild is going to pressurise and depressurise all of the voids contained within the aircraft. This should be accurate and within 0.1 PSI at all stages to ensure the highest standard of safety and to still provide beneficial information on aircraft fatigue.

Aircraft Pressure Testing Simulator

Solution

A suitable control system was designed in order to ensure the highest standard of safety. Namely, this was created with Fairchild and Bürkert products. For example, Fairchild 200 XLR Series volume boosters were used to quickly pressurise the voids in the aircraft. This product was also able to do this accurately when it was installed in the system. A command signal was sent using a Fairchild I-P Converter.

To carry out the depressurisation of the aircraft, Bürkert products were used in the system. In particular, Bürkert air operated and solenoid operated valves were used successfully in order to carry out this step of the test.

Products used in this Pressure Testing Simulator

The major aircraft manufacturer was able to build this solution utilising Fairchild and Bürkert products, which were recommended by Fine Controls and are available to buy online:

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