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3 Aug 2009, 0238 hrs IST, Peerzada Abrar, ET Bureau
BANGALORE: Indias defence scientists are tweaking Kaveri engine originally meant for the countrys light combat aircraft (LCA) project
to power battle tanks, railway locomotives and commercial and naval ships, after project delays forced the country to seek help from private sector firms for the LCA project.
We are developing the marine version of Kaveri called Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine for Indias Rajput class of ships. It has been transported to Naval Dockyard of Vishakapatnam and is being worked on in the test bed. After making the modifications, we will fit it on board of any Indian warship, said a scientist at the department of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Originally meant for powering Indias LCAs, the Rs 2,839-crore Kaveri project is almost two decades old.
The second potential we are seeing is in the Indian Railways which have to transport iron ore, metal and other heavy items it will not only reduce the weight but also make transportation much faster, the scientist added. Another defence official added that Kaveri could even be used for powering battle tanks, the way Americas Abrams tanks are fitted with Honeywell-manufactured gas turbine engines.
Meanwhile, officials are also working at developing a smaller version of Kaveri, which could power drones-unmanned aerial vehicles. DRDO is also developing a mini
Kaveri engine which has a power of 1.2 MW for other applications, said a DRDO scientist. A top scientist from National Aerospace Laboratories also confirmed this.
A defence industry expert said: The mini Kaveri will be used for payloads for the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles also known as Drones which can be 7 kg in weight, he said. The Indian defence is trying to make these Drones, using silica instead of metal so that when they are sent for attack or reconnaissance, they dont leave any trace behind and disintegrate like sand. However, Kaveri will have to prove itself for these newer applications.
There are certain technological challenges such as how to prevent gas turbine engine like Kaveri from getting stuck due to climatic conditions and sand in the desert area once it is fitted in armoured fighting land-based vehicles, said a DRDO scientist.
Indeed, it could be some time before Kaveri is successfully deployed in other applications. The applications of the Kaveri engine are wide but as it is designed for the aerospace platform, it needs to proven first before it can implemented in warships, commercial shipping, submarines and battle tanks, the defence expert quoted earlier said.
BANGALORE: Indias defence scientists are tweaking Kaveri engine originally meant for the countrys light combat aircraft (LCA) project
to power battle tanks, railway locomotives and commercial and naval ships, after project delays forced the country to seek help from private sector firms for the LCA project.
We are developing the marine version of Kaveri called Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine for Indias Rajput class of ships. It has been transported to Naval Dockyard of Vishakapatnam and is being worked on in the test bed. After making the modifications, we will fit it on board of any Indian warship, said a scientist at the department of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Originally meant for powering Indias LCAs, the Rs 2,839-crore Kaveri project is almost two decades old.
The second potential we are seeing is in the Indian Railways which have to transport iron ore, metal and other heavy items it will not only reduce the weight but also make transportation much faster, the scientist added. Another defence official added that Kaveri could even be used for powering battle tanks, the way Americas Abrams tanks are fitted with Honeywell-manufactured gas turbine engines.
Meanwhile, officials are also working at developing a smaller version of Kaveri, which could power drones-unmanned aerial vehicles. DRDO is also developing a mini
Kaveri engine which has a power of 1.2 MW for other applications, said a DRDO scientist. A top scientist from National Aerospace Laboratories also confirmed this.
A defence industry expert said: The mini Kaveri will be used for payloads for the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles also known as Drones which can be 7 kg in weight, he said. The Indian defence is trying to make these Drones, using silica instead of metal so that when they are sent for attack or reconnaissance, they dont leave any trace behind and disintegrate like sand. However, Kaveri will have to prove itself for these newer applications.
There are certain technological challenges such as how to prevent gas turbine engine like Kaveri from getting stuck due to climatic conditions and sand in the desert area once it is fitted in armoured fighting land-based vehicles, said a DRDO scientist.
Indeed, it could be some time before Kaveri is successfully deployed in other applications. The applications of the Kaveri engine are wide but as it is designed for the aerospace platform, it needs to proven first before it can implemented in warships, commercial shipping, submarines and battle tanks, the defence expert quoted earlier said.
