ABB has modernized a variable speed drive (VSD) for NASA to extend, by at least 10 years, the life of the wind tunnel at its National Transonic Facility (NTF) at Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. The tunnel is used to optimize aircraft performance and fuel consumption by mimicking flight conditions at high altitudes and close to the speed of sound. It has been used to test the Boeing 777, the Space Shuttle and its Booster Rocket. In 2021, NASA’s engineers identified a need to upgrade the tunnel’s medium voltage (MV) drive, due to the aging of the drive’s components. ABB supplied the drive in 1997 as the most powerful of its kind in the world: the 101-megawatt (MW) drive can test models in air or nitrogen flowing at transonic speeds and at ambient or cryogenic temperatures. As a result, the NTF can simulate a wider range of flying conditions than any other wind tunnel, enabling engineers to gain unique insight and hone aircraft designs.

After ABB’s service specialists evaluated the performance and mechanical connections of the existing drive, the next step was to develop a solution based on modern high-efficiency power electronic components to match the original drive’s maximum power, while achieving high availability and reliability. This resulted in the modernization of the drive, replacing key components inside the existing footprint with the latest ABB state-of-the-art technology. The scope included upgrading the small part of the drive (control unit), which minimized the duration and disruption of the project and demonstrated circularity by minimizing waste and logistics as much as possible. “NASA relied on ABB’s domain expertise, technology and services to ensure its National Transonic Facility (NTF) provides high reliability and uptime to maximize availability for its testing programs—and optimize the life-cycle value of its assets,” said Oswald Deuchar, head of modernization services, ABB Motion. “Extending the life of the wind tunnel by at least 10 years supports NASA’s operational goals while upgrading the drive’s key components demonstrates efficiency and circular approach.” NASA ordered the upgrade project as the first activity under an ABB Motion OneCare service agreement that also covers spare parts and maintenance. This type of agreement provides flexibility for operators like NASA to bundle together the services they want so that they can optimize the life cycle of their motors, generators and drives.