Technology Technology: Gas Turbine Research
Technology Technology: Gas Turbine Research
Technology Technology: Gas Turbine Research
ISSN : 0971-4413
BULLETIN OF DEFENCE RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION Vol. 17 No. 5 October 2009
Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru, a constituent laboratory of DRDO, is entrusted with the
design and development of Kaveri engine which is an augmented low bypass twin spool turbofan engine of 80 kN thrust
class. The engine cycle is based on a detailed system analysis culminating into a potential power plant for the Indian Light
Combat Aircraft Tejas. The engine incorporates flat-rated characteristics to pre-empt and mitigate the thrust drop due to
high ambient intake temperature and/or high forward speed. Twin-lane full authority digital engine control with an
adequate manual backup is a salient design feature of Kaveri engine.
Kaveri engines have been tested both in normally aspirated and with limited high pressure/temperature entry
conditions for more than 1800 h. Stringent structural (safety and life) and aerodynamic tests have taken up as a prelude to
official altitude test, flying test bed trials and accelerated mission tests leading to engine certification for airworthiness.
Technology
Six-stage axial flow high pressure (HP) compressor has been designed for a mass flow rate of 66 kg/s; pressure ratio
of 6.4; isentropic efficiency of 85 per cent; and surge margin in excess of 23 per cent. Design methodology is based on 3-D
Navier Stokes code. Design validation of the HP compressor has been done for aerodynamic and structural tests for life
and safety.
Annular Combustor
Annular combustor
Afterburner system
Engine Gearbox
Engine gearbox
All the electro-hydro mechanical control systems are interfaced with Kaveri digital engine control unit (KADECU) for
proper closed loop control of the engine throughout the flight envelope.
GTRE has set up extensive structural test facilities for structural integrity and life evaluation of various components
and sub-systems such as fan/compressor/turbine rotor discs and blades, transmission shafts, casings, piping, engine
gearbox, etc.
Cyclic spin test facility is used for
low-cycle fatigue life evaluation of
engine rotor discs and incorporates
fully automated motor-driven
system capable of providing
variable speeds. This facility
simulates various combinations of
speed and temperature.
Full-scale power absorption test facility is used for performance and endurance testing of engine accessory gearbox
along with various Line Replaceable Units (accessories) mounted and duly loaded using water brake dynamometer.
The casing structural test facility equipped with fatigue-rated actuators is used for structural integrity assessment of
engine frames, rotor-support structures, and engine-mount points. The system facilitates programming of desired load
spectrum, execution and monitoring of the tests in both static and dynamic modes.
Technology
Compressor test facility is used to evaluate the performance of fan and compressor modules, both under design and
off- design conditions.
Combustor test facility is used for evaluation of combustor system performance, both under design and off-design
conditions of pressure, temperature and air flow.
Cold turbine test facility is used for evaluation of turbine module performance, both under design and off-design
conditions of pressure, temperature and air flow. It employs an electro-hydraulic dynamometer for power
absorption.
Afterburner test rig is used for test and evaluation of scaled-down model of engine afterburner, both under
simulated screech and buzz conditions with several pilot ignition system configurations.
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October 09
>2000 K).
Salient Features
GTRE has also set up extensive simulation and analysis facilities to enable design evaluation, prototyping, digital
manufacturing, optimisation and assembly integration. These facilities consist of high-end hardware, and in-house and
07
commercial software tools.
October 09
Computer-aided Engineering
Damage tolerance analysis of the gas turbine components. Design and development of composite structures.
(CHT) analyses.
Estimation and improvement of aerodynamic performance of all the major modules and sub-systems of the engine,
viz., fan, compressor, combustor, turbine, afterburner with CD nozzle and bypass duct.
Estimation of the liner metal temperatures of hot-end components through CHT analyses.
Estimation of the secondary air temperature rise while passing through the compressor and turbine annular disc
through CHT analyses.
GTRE has extensive manufacturing facilities consisting of CNC systems (machining centre, EDM wire cut and
vertical turn mill centre), investment casting, electron beam welding, vacuum heat treatment, jig boring, etc. Besides,
quality assurance and inspection facilities consisting of 3-D CMM, x-ray diffraction, ultrasonic testing, non-contact 3-D
scanning system, x-ray fluorescence spectrometer, and hard bearing balancing are also being used to maintain high
standards of the products.
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October 09
Technology
RAPID PROTOTYPING
This scaled engineering prototype of Kaveri engine has been prepared using rapid prototyping technologies of
stereolithography and fused deposition modelling using 3-D CAD model data. The entire sequence of prototyping
activities include pre-processing, part building, post-processing, assembly and mounting.
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October 09
The Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) engine, a derivative of Kaveri aero engine, is also being developed as a power
plant for propelling Indian naval ships. The gas generator of KMGT is derived from Kaveri aero engine, and a two-stage
free power turbine has been designed to translate the gas power into mechanical output to drive the ship propeller.
Salient Features
Output : 15 MW at ISA-SLS
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October 09
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xBE Coordinator
b + i, funskd] MslhMkWd, esVdkWQ gkml] fnYyh Dr AL Moorthy, Director, DESIDOC, Metcalfe House, Delhi
n Members
b + Mv,xnBE +v xn, b+b+ x, VV M, x< n Dr BR Gandhe, Director of Armaments, DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
b nx BE,xnBE O xn, b+b+ x, VV M, x< n Dr Sudarshan Kumar, Director of Materials, DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
g + BE,xnBE lh Axb < xn, b+b+ x, VV M, x< n Shri R Shankar, Director of CV&E, DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
BEb { BE g,xnBE xB + Axb b xn, b+b+ x, VV M, x< n Cmde PK Mishra, Director of Naval Research & Development
g xVi <,F j BE YxBE cBE BE LVkWQ +vBE,b+b+ x DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi
VV M, x< n Shri Ranjit Elias, SO to SA to RM, DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi