The Automated Fuel Control Calibration project is a joint project between Collins Aerospace and students from the Mechanical Engineering department and the MEM department in the UConn School of Engineering. The team is designing and prototyping an automated torque tool that will automate the calibration of the fuel flow on Pratt and Whitney’s PurePower jet engines. The first step in this process is for our tool to untorque a locknut. Then, the tool switches over to the adjustment screw and based on the fuel flow readings, adjusts the adjustment screw to properly calibrate the fuel controls. Next, while holding the adjustment screw in place, the tool then retorques the locknut in place. The tool must be able to produce desired values for torque, provide repeatable measurements and be intrinsically safe. This current process is currently done manually but with our tool it will be automated saving the company both time and money.

Our team collaborated with Mechanical Engineering 19 on this project.