Kaveri Engine Project update

[DMLA]

Interesting, but 2 things makes me thoughtful. One it was always stated that the engine development will only take 3 years, that's why Snecma proposed the co-developed Kaveri-Snecma engine for LCA MK2 and for Rafale in MMRCA. Also if Kaveri engine already would provide 85kN thrust, why should it only be used on trainers and not directly in the LCA MK1, for which it was designed? The GE 404 engine which the MK1 now will use, provides the same thrust and it sounds strange that we won't use the indigenous engine, if it already would be as useful or?

Well the IAF did not want to loose another project to delays and thus the new engine (E200, GE F414) will be used for LCA mk-II and NOT kaveri.

wrt MK-I, ADE/HAL have purchased the said engines for the first squadron (Link: GE - Aviation: F404-GE-IN20 Engines Ordered for India Light Combat Aircraft)
So there is no question of putting Kaveri now as the engines have been purchased!

From GE spotlight:

A derivative of the F404 also powers the India Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) flight test program which continues with the recent first flight of the second aircraft, TD-2. High-level Indian defense officials have also expressed their intent to procure 50 F404 engines to power the initial production aircraft. GE is currently in discussions with India about the potential incorporation of a FADEC in the engine for the production LCA.

 

[zeus]

Kaveri MK-I will be intergrated with Tejas MK-1 this year to test its air worthiness it will not power Tejas MK-1 or MK-II , it is done to allow GTRE scientist take some pride and officially finish the program development

 

[sancho]

yes it is thought full to put kaveri in Tejas-Mk1 ... and they are doing it as u can see in the article..

but it will take time and we know that LCA project already running slow ... and we certainly don't wan any furthe delay...

Could be wrong, but the way I understand that part is, that the author is giving examples where the engine could be used, so it's only his personal opinon and not a official statement, or proved by a source.

So which Aircraft will Kaveri MK-2 power? Most likely AMCA (Advance Medium Combat Aircraft) which ADE and DRDO will be developing , Kaveri Mark -1 may still be integrated with a Tejas PV-1 aircraft by year end once successful trails have been completed in Russia on a Flying Test Bed in a modified IL-76 aircraft which are currently is taking place.

And as DMLA has pointed out, it hints more on procuring more GE 404IN engines, than integrating Kaveri into LCA MK1, so it must mean Kaveri still isn't on par.
Moreover, IF the article is correct and Kaveri engine will offer 85kN thrust at year end and the requirement of IAF for LCA MK2 around 2014/15 was around 90kN, why would they go for Kaveri-Snecma co-development to increase thrust, instead of simply further develop Kaveri MK1?
IF the engine is that far now, 5-10 kN improvment in nearly 5 years of development time shouldn't be a problem right?

To me the moves of MoD/IAF and HAL for proven western engine in LCA MK1 and 2 + the new interest in a co-developed Kaveri-Snecma engine hints, that Kaveri MK1 is still below expectations and we need foreign help to improve it.
85kN was the aim, but no official source confirmed this yet and last sept, there was an article of Ajai Shukla which said it only offers 65kN:

Monday, 7 September 2009
Kaveri jet engine finally poised for first flight

Ajai Shukla
GTRE, Bangalore
Business Standard, 7th Sept 09

After 20 years in the making, the Kaveri jet engine will finally take to the skies...
...On the other hand, the Kaveri has failed to provide an engine for the Tejas, even after spending Rs 3000 crores.

“The reason was two-fold”, explains Mohana Rao. “The Kaveri turned out 15% heavier than we planned. From the planned 1100 kg, its final weight has gone up to 1265 kg.”

Meanwhile, the Tejas fighter also turned out heavier than planned, demanding a more powerful engine; the Kaveri’s maximum thrust of 65 Kilo Newtons (KN) is simply not enough. The air force has chosen American GE 404-IN engines, which produce 80 KN at full power, to power the first 20 Tejas fighters. And subsequent Tejas will get about 95 KN of thrust from a new-generation engine: the General Electric GE-414 and the Eurojet EJ200 engines are currently being evaluated....

Broadsword: Kaveri jet engine finally poised for first flight

I would be happy to see Kaveri engine flying in LCA, or co-developed in another frontline fighter, but I have some doubts about its actual status.

 

[A$HU]

will it have supercruise and tvc?

 

[abdul1]

This development aligns with predictions of retd. air marshal rajkumar that kaveri will be powering LCA bu 2017-2018 (in his book so please don't ask for links ). Let's see if we can see LCA MK3 then only it can power LCA or else it will be powering the trainers for the time being. If the trials go well then we can safely assume that we have SC blade tech mastered as this was one of the main the reason touted for previous failures. With ships being powered with this engine we can see the fruits coming after years of painful work. Great job done

 

[abdul1]

will it have supercruise and tvc?

If my memory serves right TVC is planned but can't comment on super cruise

 

[sudhir007]

India to flight-test first indigenous jet engine next month

After two decades of research and development, India is all set to flight-test its first indigenously developed jet engine next month, an official said on Wednesday.


"Kaveri engine will be flight-tested in one-and-half months... Should be after middle of May," Director of Bangalore-based Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a DRDO lab, T Mohana Rao, said.

It would be flight-tested using the IL-76 aircraft in Russia, he said. The Kaveri engine, meant for India's fighter jet, the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, has completed all simulation and altitude tests. The altitude tests in Russia in February were a "grand success", he said.
GTRE officials said around Rs 3,000 crore has been spent on the Kaveri project.

Rao said GTRE is now looking to reduce the weight of the Kaveri engine to 50 kg from 60 kg. "It has to be fine-tuned. We will go in for lot of optimisation in future".

GTRE, which is engaged in research and development of gas turbines for military aircraft, has so far developed nine Kaveri engines and four Kabini (core of Kaveri). "All engines have been tested to full potential," he added.

 

[BJlaowai]

Good News. Decades of hardwork seems to be finally paying off.
Lots of good news coming from DRDO, HAL, NAL, ISRO etc. these days. 2010 seems be a good year for India.

India to flight-test first indigenous jet engine next month


Rao said GTRE is now looking to reduce the weight of the Kaveri engine to 50 kg from 60 kg. "It has to be fine-tuned. We will go in for lot of optimisation in future".

There seems to be someting wrong with statement.
Should it be > Rao said GTRE is now looking to reduce the weight of the Kaveri engine by 50 kg to 60 kg. Some shitty reporting by the desi media.

 

[CONNAN]

can i have the source of this news please

 

[Justin Joseph]

can i have the source of this news please

Source is already given, just click the headline.

It's from Deccan Herald

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/62518/indias-flight-test-first-indigenous.html

 

[RadyLeo]

This is the same engine that was rejected for LCA, right? Not the new engine that's being developed in collaboration with Snecma???

 

[gogbot]

There seems to be someting wrong with statement.

I agree.

The project goal is

Production model goal: 950 kg

Could it be they meant 960 to 950 kg

If so, they i have to say they did a good job getting that light.

2 years ago it weighed 1,100 kg

And if they are flight testing it could mean the Kaveri has also achieved the desired trust,

Goal: 60.0 kN military trust

Again 2 years ago that was at 52 kN.

The Current Kaveri may never see induction on the Tejas.
But it still will be used on UAV's and a variant for Arjuns new turbine engine

 

[nomi007]

making fool the world

 

[Mauryan]

making fool the world

We dont need to fool anyone.Primarily because we are spending our own money on our R & D.

GTRE started with baby steps,unlike coppying other countries engines.India is not fooling anyone by reverse-engineering an imported product and thereby exporting the same with IP violations.

As a matter of fact,GTRE-Kaveri was a great achievement for a country like india which dont even had an automobile engine development facility at the time when the project was conceived.

Kaveri though completed its development ,cant be used for Tejas in its present configeration.Reason: Tejas has gain weight and IAF asked for extra performance,hence the need for co-developing Kaveri-MKII with a foreign partner to shorten the time.

The turbofan Kaveri has helped the other forces with its spin-offs.IN is got the marine variants with 12MW.And GTRE is working on a 25 MW model to power big ships.

Kabin core in return has led the way to many minuaturised versons.And the variants being rolled out for testing on missiles and APC`s, you will see the results in couple of ears.

Having said that,KAVERI engine development which took 2 decades and 3000 core is still worth the money and investment with respect to India( may not be for a pakistani,given they look for ready made products from china and NK)

 

[AVADI]

making fool the world

You are fooling yourself.