Kaveri Engine Program : News and Updates

Any News update and press releases by GOI regarding Kaveri Engine Program to be posted in this thread.

 

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri C Rajendran in Lok Sabha Monday, August 02, 2010

The project for design and development of Kaveri engine was sanctioned to achieve the interim flight standard for LCA ‘Tejas’ integration. Though the Kaveri engine was not fully meeting the requirement of LCA ‘Tejas’, it provided a platform for gas turbine technology development in the country.

This project was the first indigenous aero-engine development project in the country. Besides, some of the reasons for delay in the project are:-

(i) Ab-initio development of state-of-the-art gas turbine technologies.

(ii) Technical/technological complexities.

(iii) Lack of availability of critical equipment & materials and denial of technologies by the technologically advanced countries.

(iv) Lack of availability of test facilities in the country necessitating testing abroad.

(v) Non availability of skilled/technically specialized manpower.


Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) associated itself with a premier scientific organisation of Russia i.e., Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) with an objective of fine tuning of Kaveri engine performance. This association brought GTRE per se Kaveri project in higher platform, resulting in successful completion of one major milestone i.e. altitude testing, simulating Kaveri engine performance at different altitude and Mach No. Subsequently, one of Kaveri prototype (K9) is being integrated with IL-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Russia for ground and flight tests, of Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials, this will be the second major milestone to be achieved. These two milestones would make ‘Kaveri engine flightworthy.


PIB Press Release

 

Kaveri a boost to gas turbine engine tech: Govt



The DRDO-made 'Kaveri' engine could not be integrated with the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) but it has provided a platform for the development of gas turbine engine technology in the country, Lok Sabha was informed today.

"Though the Kaveri engine was not fully meeting the requirement of LCA 'Tejas', it provided a platform for gas turbine technology development in India," Defence Minister A K Antony said in reply to a question in Lok Sabha.



The design and development of Kaveri was sanctioned for the LCA 'Tejas' fighter aircraft programme.

Talking about the milestones achieved by the engine project, the Minister said DRDO has tied up with a Russian scientific organisation Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) for fine-tuning of the Kaveri engine's performance.

"This association brought the project in higher platform, resulting in successful completion of one major milestone of altitude testing, simulating Kaveri engine performance at different altitude and Mach No," he added.

Antony said that one of engine prototypes 'K9' is being integrated with IL-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute in Russia for ground and test bed trials.

Kaveri a boost to gas turbine engine tech: Govt

 

Kaveri engine compressor blades pics

 

Suppperbbb dude. Kaveri uses SBC. I have been asking around how we can ask for a 'world class' engine without SBC- kaveri, for all it's flaws really kicks ass.

 

Jagjit bhai, is that Indian SCB technology, or any TOT???? Man I cant believe it....

 

Almost forgot this thread:

Kaveri engine flight testing successful

India's indigenous aircraft engine, Kaveri, was successfully flight tested at Gromov Flight Research Institute in Moscow, the DRDO saidon Wednesday.

The test was conducted at the Flying Test Bed at Gromov, with the engine running right from the take-off to landing, flying for a period of over 1 hour up to an altitude of 6,000 metres yesterday, it said in a press release here.



The engine helped the IL-76 aircraft test bed fly at speeds of 0.6 mach in its maiden flight, according to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

"The engine control, performance and health during the flight were found to be excellent. With this test, Kaveri engine has completed a major milestone of development programme," it added

During the coming months, further 50 or 60 test flights would be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness, it said.

These trials will pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri engine with a fighter aircraft.

"An existing IL-76 aircraft was modified as a flying test bed for this trial with Kaveri engine replacing one of the four engines of the aircraft. The modifications included instrumentation required for trials as well as integration of mechanical, electrical and fuel system," the release said.

The engine was controlled by the pilot from the cockpit and a number of taxi trials were carried out with the engine integrated with the aircraft, before the maiden flight. The engine data was recorded in the aircraft as well as transmitted to ground station by telemetry.

DRDO Chief Controller (Aeronautics and Services Integration) was present during the flight trial.

Kaveri is being developed for fighter aircraft at the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bangalore with the active support of several other DRDO labs, academic institutions and industry partners.

During development phase, Kaveri engine has successfully completed various stages of development including component testing, safety tests, ground-based engine tests, and endurance tests, both at GTRE as well as at test bed facilities abroad.

Kaveri engine flight testing successful

 

Further tests on 'Kaveri' aircraft engine in January

India's first indigenously developed fighter aircraft engine 'Kaveri' will undergo further analysis in January in Moscow, a top government official has said.
T Mohana Rao, Director, Gas Turbine Research Establishment of the Defence ministry, said the weather there is not suitable for now and more tests on the engine will be conducted by end of January or early February.

The Kaveri engine which will be used for the 'Tejas' Light Combat Aircraft was successfully tested last month in an aircraft in Moscow.
The test data analysis indicated that the engine performance was as per the design intent, he said adding unless these engines are tested for thousands of hours, the right configuration cannot be achieved.

Central Chronicle - Madhya Pradesh's News Portal

 

Kaveri Test on January?? Well thats Interesting Indeed, there was a news regarding the Single Crystal Blade, Has that been engineered into kaveri?

 

Price negotiations for JV for fighter engine in advanced stage

India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) expects to close price negotiations in a month for a joint venture (JV) with French engine maker Snecma to develop gas turbine engines that would power the Indian Air Force’s light combat aircraft (LCA).

The move to partner Snecma follows DRDO’s failure to develop sufficiently powerful engines on its own after spending 2,880 crore over two decades on the project.

While Snecma will bring in critical technology for the hot engine core, DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) will work on the cold sections around it.

“GTRE will have 50% technology work-share and Snecma will have the other half. We will be closing price negotiations within a month,” said Prahlada, chief controller, research and development, DRDO, who goes by one name.

GTRE will obtain complete know-how and intellectual property rights for the engine, Prahlada added. After the closure and approval from the cabinet committee on security, work will begin in three months and the engine will be designed and built in four years, another GTRE official said, requesting anonymity.

The Kaveri engine, developed by GTRE, is undergoing trials in Russia and is nowhere near developing the level of thrust needed to power the LCA. The Kaveri has a thrust of around 65 kilo newton (kN), while 90 kN or more is required to power the LCA for optimal performance. The engine is also much heavier than specified. Nonetheless, some of the technologies and components developed for the Kaveri will be used in the JV.

Because of the delay in developing the Kaveri, India opted for American GE-404 engines. The current Mk-I LCAs are flying with the GE-404 IN20, although even these do not meet original requirement specifications for levels of thrust for the LCA. In October, DRDO selected the more powerful GE-414 as the alternative engine for LCA Mk-II.

Prahlada declined to reveal the estimated cost of the Snecma-GTRE project, but said the new engine will be comparable in pricing and performance to the GE-414. DRDO plans to replace the GE engines on the LCA Mk-I with the Snecma-GTRE engine. “We have plans to fit the engine on all platforms, including the proposed advanced medium combat aircraft and unmanned combat air vehicle,” Prahlada said.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will manufacture the engines in India. Prahlada said the agreement is to make 100 engines in the first batch.

Ratan Shrivastava, director for aerospace and defence practice for South and West, Frost and Sullivan, said the project’s value lay in the fact that India will finally have a flying fighter engine of its own, albeit with a foreign partner.

Price negotiations for JV for fighter engine in advanced stage - Home - livemint.com

 

Kaveri engine is totally waste of time and money...DRDO almost spent 18 yrs to develop this crap...

 

Hey tingumaster, you can say that Kaveri was developed crappily.

But if you say that a turbojet with 70-75 kN thrust with FADEC is crap, then mate........



Just check the project timelines of all countries with jet engine technology and you'll realise that it is not exactly a walk in the park!


P.S.Do you think that the engines for future cruise missiles like Nirbhay will appear out of thin air?

@Jagjit sir,

Does this slide mean that we have developed SCB tech for Kaveri?

 

^^^ oh hell your right...it was worth spending 3000 crores for single crystal blades alone.

 

Chief of Russia's flight test agency: India's indigenous Turbofan Engine, Kaveri