3631/JN - Spin Test Facility

The University of Sheffield's Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and AMRC with funding from Innovate UK are looking to acquire a spin-test facility (also colloquially known as 'spin-rig') in support of research in high speed rotating components and assemblies. This capability will form part of a UK-wide network of facilities and capabilities which are available to UK industry and academia to further R&D and supply chain development in power electronics, machines and drives. Its principal role will be to facilitate mechanical testing, model validation and certification of high performance electrical machine rotors, including an ability to determine burst speeds and assess the nature of the burst. Although burst capability and overspeed testing is an essential requirement, much of the demand is driven by the need to characterise rotors and shaft assemblies in terms of radial growth at normal operating conditions and to characterise low-cycle fatigue. The system will consist of an evacuated chambers into which the test-piece is located and connected to a drive mechanism that enables its mechanical response to be quantified over a prescribed speed range as set out in the requirements section below. The facility will also be used in support of wider rotatives research across the University Sheffield, in many cases in collaboration with industry and/or academic partners, where likely use cases include inter-alia tool assemblies, compressor and turbine parts. The facility will be an R&D facility, in many cases testing one-of-a-kind test pieces and not a production facility and hence there is little or no premium in rapid / automated set-up of repeated tests. The equipment will be located in an existing industrial unit within the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which has a 400mm thick cast concrete floor, extensive services, large loading doors and a10 tonne overheard crane.