Testing a Large Turbine Engine : A New Perspective

[iseeyoukvn]

did you changed the start cart for this test? i remember an yellow one .

[AgentJayZ]

@iseeyoukvn The yellow one was having trouble with its wiring. The green one is a replacement we puchased on Ebay.

[rockerzac99]

You have Transitions in your glasses? I notice they were dimmed a bit.

[n7275]

There's no mistaking that sound, even without the F-104 nozzle it has a distinctive sound.

[ElPhantasamo]

It's so cool that your employer lets you do this.

I found your youtube channel after a search on how to use saftey/lock wire. (I had a general idea how to use it, you gave me more insight and A few tips on how to do it right!)

I watched a few more of your vids out of curiosity, then subscribed.

Please keep the tech vids coming!

[flyinDPOD]

Awesome channel you got here! Watching your videos I get the impression that the LM1500 is the "go to" engine for industrial applications despite being a 1950's design. I suppose it's a price/availability issue, many surplus J79's available. Why is it with more modern more efficient engines available this one should remain so popular in industrial service?

[AgentJayZ]

@flyinDPOD That's a question with a very long answer, but you're on the right track.

Keeping an old LM1500 running costs about 1% as much as buying a new engine.

It's the kind of price difference that's hard to ignore.

[flyinDPOD]

@AgentJayZ Cool. I'm glad they are still useful. Back in the 60's when I was about 6 years old during a visit to Lambert field (STL) where the Mc Donnell plant (now boeing) is, plastered at the window fascinated by the airliner activity, here comes a pair of F4's taking off in full afterburner and rattling the windows like god clearing his throat! Start of a lifelong infatuation with aviation and space.

[pjvenda]

@AgentJayZ The cost matter is fascinating, the differences you talk about are astonishing!

While I fully understand this type of decision, that that apply permanently? Am I wrong in thinking that a newer engine has lower running and maintenance costs, despite the obscene initial cost difference? If so, then the total cost of buying and maintaining new and old engines must meet up at some point and the newer will come out cheaper after X years. Is X too large?

[AgentJayZ]

@pjvenda It's a bit more complicated than that, but the cost of maintaining an older, simpler engine with an established record of reliability is about 20% that of running and maintaining a newer engine.

Some of it has to do with the fact that these ground power units are adaptations of designs originally created to power aircraft.

As modern engines become more perfected for aeropropulsion, they become less than ideal for adaptation to industrial purposes.

[pjvenda]

@AgentJayZ Understood, thanks!

[MPCapricorn]

And a technical question: What were you monitoring for Robin on the top of the engine at around 11:30?

[AgentJayZ]

@MPCapricorn Hmmm... I answered this days ago via mobile, and it doesn't show up...

We are comparing the position of the variable stators, indicated by the computers' sensor attached to the engine, and also indicated by a physical protractor on one of the stators.

Robin is tweaking the computer so it reads the same as the protractor.

[MPCapricorn]

Hey Jay, very nice idea and great video - as always! But OT question: @ 10:38 --> nice Fender chairs... Who of you is playing guitar? :-D

[JetAce08]

when ya purged out the fuel line it looked just like when I purge out a liquid oxygen line. Im assuming that was liquid propane coming out until your evaporator kicked in?

[AgentJayZ]

@JetAce08 Yes, that is liquid propane that has condensed in the line between the vaporizer and the jet engine. At a pressure of 50 psi, which is what we use for starting, and if allowed to cool to ambient, which today was about 20F, the propane returns to a liquid state.

Once the engine is running and using fuel, the fuel flowing through the line keeps it warm.

[kurtnelle]

Camera strapped to you head uh? Nice.

[Blackmoonempire]

Very cool first-person-footage, i love that!

Did the "Dead-man-switch" for the fuel valve change? I remember it as an air- filled gas bottle. The new one looks like it is hydraulic...

[AgentJayZ]

@Blackmoonempire The switch is the same, but now the pressurized gas supplied to it is better integrated into our engine skid. Very nice installation of the equipment by Byron, but it's all hidden under the steel cover plate unfortunately.

[heligeorge]

Agent JZ =global hero = universal star woohoo!

[MrWarwick15]

Thanks Jay!

[daniel2001]

What a lovely noise...

Wondering one thing - how close can you get, safely, to the intake of an LM1500 that's running at full power?

[AgentJayZ]

@daniel2001 We keep about 25 feet or more away at full power. The intake noise is painful and it really gets your attention.

[WolfenGeist]

Very well done Jay,awesome footage!

Test days are awesome,looking at the engine starting and running,maybe after a complete rebuilt,after all the hard work and all the little details,it's a huge satisfaction and exciting thing,i know how it is,was the same for me when i was working on Riva yacht.

Would love to feel again this excitement near this kind of engine :-)

[ricvis44]

Plugged in to my stereo and with 200 watts RMS it sounds ......AWESOME!

[AgentJayZ]

@ricvis44 I've built a JBL 18"/ Crown 900W subwoofer, and I'm afraid to do that...

[HIGGI6]

Really cool - as allways. Are you using propane for all turbines in the test cell or are there ones that have to be runned with kerosene, too?

ps: I like the Fender stools in the cabine ;-)

[AgentJayZ]

@HIGGI6 We have the equipment to run any fuel needed. ...Except dilithium - you need a special permit for that.

[vrsca89]

@AgentJayZ

What? S&S is not certified to maintain warp engines? You should get the permission, I heard it's gonna be the future ;-)

[pym480]

two questions, What do you use an "industrial turbine engine" for?

And do you have a video of the starting cart?

Great video!

[AgentJayZ]

@pym480 ... uh, you're new here, aren't you?

Well, have a look around and see if you like anything !

I'll be here to answer any questions you might have on your second day, OK?

[Lewistodd2008]

Living the dream.

[Bergstaller01]

A day in the life of AgentJayZ.

[aimpointcx4444]

Not to troll, cool vid by the way, reminds me of the time i had to pull the chaulks out from under a running L-29

[aimpointcx4444]

Nevermind. i just read the mic thing.

[aimpointcx4444]

Maybe an external mic for the contour i presume ?

[TheMan1510]

As cool as this video is, I sill wish I could be there to experience it first-hand :-(

[AgentJayZ]

@TheMan1510 You are only limited by your imagination...

[DarkAngelGuyver]

@AgentJayZ Imagination, gas money and some camo gear, if you want to get really technical ;)

[TheMan1510]

@AgentJayZ I hope it didn't sound as though I was complaining--I love the video, and greatly appreciate all of the videos you've posted. Instead, I was simply reminiscing about the few times I've been lucky enough to be near a running jet engine. There truly is nothing like it!

[kurtnelle]

@TheMan1510 Then perhaps they should give guided tours. Testing jet engines could become a tourist attraction.

[LeVonDanE]

This first person camera angle business is pretty neat. I bet it's easier for you too because it's hands free