Team Members & Role:

• Celia White – Team lead
• Casey Brown – Design Lead
• Zachary Creamer – Analysis Lead
• Devin Dixon – Fabrication Lead
• Neil Kaeslin – Evaluation Lead

Abstract:
High cycle fatigue (HCF) contributes to engine reliability and is a particular concern for Raytheon Technologies subsidiary, Pratt & Whitney (P&W). In all jet engines, each component is subject to vibrational stress which is a key variable in product life, and at high cycle counts material failure commonly happens. HCF is classified by cyclical loading that does not result in plastic deformation, meaning stress magnitudes are well below yield. The rig will help P&W engineers predict the fatigue life of the components within the engine and specify maintenance schedules accordingly. Through sponsorship and guidance from P&W along with close collaboration with the controls team, our task was to evolve the results of the 2019-2020 Unattended HCF Test Rig to be production ready, validated, and user-friendly. The evolved test rig will improve the durability, test repeatability, and form making the design more robust. This R=-1 test rig will require minimal user interaction after initial assembly as it is desired to be easily manufactured. To ensure the rig is cost-effective, our team will maximize the use of off-the-shelf components, exchanging any machined parts from the previous rig that we can. This is to support not only low-cost deployment but also low-cost maintenance and repair as there will be multiple rigs. The rig will include fully automated testing with the ability to run for 10^8 cycles while demonstrating all necessary customer requirements.