The Engine Research Building (ERB) is the largest and most adaptable test facility complex at Glenn, with 152,235 square feet of floor space housing more than 60 test rigs. Most aspects of engine development can be studied here with numerous facilities specializing in turbomachinery, tribology, flow physics, combustion, aerochemistry, mechanical components, and heat transfer.
Fundamental and applied research is conducted in the following test facilities:
Compressor and turbine research is conducted in the turbomachinery facilities to advance new technology for components of aeronautical gas turbine engines. Glenn Research Center is NASA’s Center of Excellence in turbomachinery.
Advanced lubricants, oil-free bearings and other components are tested in the tribology facilities to develop clean, fuel-efficient engine technologies requiring less maintenance.
Work to develop and validate computational fluid flow codes, and the subsonic to supersonic flow physics phenomena fundamental to ducted wall-bound flows is conducted in the aerodynamic flow physics.
The combustion processes of aeronautical gas turbine engines, including chemical reactions and combustion flow physics to develop gas turbine combustor technology, is conducted the combustion and aerochemistry.
Components for gas turbine engines, rotorcraft, space propulsion, and space mechanisms are developed in the mechanical components.
Gas path heat transfer with an emphasis on advanced materials is explored in the aeropropulsion heat transfer facilities.
