Propulsion and power laboratory

With a proud legacy that stretches back to the 1930s, the Propulsion and Power Laboratory (PROPEL) at the NRC's Aerospace Research Centre plays a pivotal role in advancing aerospace propulsion and power technologies for Canadian industry. PROPEL's pioneering work in engine icing also contributes greatly to enhancing the safety and well-being of Canadians and others travelling by air.

Today, concerns around the impacts of climate change are shaping the future of the aerospace sector as well as aerospace propulsion and aero-derivative engine technologies. Building on our historical competencies and strengths in the research, testing and certification of gas turbine engines, PROPEL is expanding its support to our Canadian and international partners with new capabilities in a number of areas:

• Electrification
• Hydrogen utilization
• Sustainable aviation fuel utilization
• Advanced thermal management
• New aircraft architectures, including boundary layer ingestion

We provide our Canadian and international partners with access to nationally unique, globally competitive research expertise and facilities for demonstrating and certifying advanced aerospace propulsion and aero-derivative power systems and for developing related technologies.

PROPEL's facilities

Altitude research facility

• Supports the research and testing of aerospace engines and other aerospace systems under high altitude conditions including:
  • Research altitude test facility
    • Used to test the performance degradation of aircraft instruments and engines that are exposed to ice-crystal clouds
  • Impact test facility
    • Used to simulate bird and drone strikes on aircraft and their structures and analyze the impact of the strikes
  • Hybrid electric research outfit (HERO)
    • Enables research on and test and certify hybrid electric propulsion systems

Combustion research facility

• Supports the research, testing and validation of advanced, low-emissions, clean-fuel (including hydrogen) combustion systems for aerospace and aero-derivative engine applications at representative conditions

Global aerospace centre for icing and environmental research (GLACIER)

• A nine-metre outdoor test facility, located in Thompson, Manitoba, that certifies some of the world's largest aircraft turbine engines

Engine research facility

• Supports certification testing and the testing of engine performance and operability, including icing, bird ingestion, blade-off, alternative fuel certification and endurance trials in addition to operating and maintaining the icing masts it developed for the global aerospace centre for icing and environmental research (GLACIER)

Central facility

• Maintains and operates large-scale facility infrastructure to provide centralized distribution of air compressor and exhauster services, cooling water and fuel supply to our various research facilities in addition to providing facility services to Pratt & Whitney Canada

Why work with us

Our world-renowned research expertise in the field of aircraft engine icing and sustainable aviation supports our partners to maintain a globally competitive position in their respective markets through developing and validating technologies to meet ever-stringent environmental, safety, cost, performance and fuel flexibility requirements.

Our facilities provide a cost-effective platform to test and de-risk new technologies, enabling our Canadian and global partners to move their technologies to market more rapidly and meet the latest industry regulations and standards. We take a long-term view of industry needs and challenges, working with clients and stakeholders to identify the outcomes that will drive our research and technology focus areas, and our future capability investments.

We have outstanding competencies and facilities in numerous areas of expertise:

• Alternative fuels for aviation and energy production
• Combustor system development and evaluation
• Engine performance assessment and certification
• Engine test cell development
• Icing formation, detection and mitigation

PROPEL's facilities are ISO 9001 certified. This certification covers all critical business and technical processes. In addition, all instrument calibrations are traceable to appropriate national and international standards.