Kaveri engine will continue to validate next-gen technologies : Govt
Source : RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
DRDO and GTRE developed Kabini and Kaveri engines at display (File Photo) |
Raksha Rajya Mantri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to M. Mohamed Abdulla in Rajya Sabha said that the Kaveri Engine project that was sanctioned in 1989 with funds of 2105 crore has managed to develop 9 Full prototype engines and 4 core engines built and has completed 3217 hours of engine testing conducted along with 73 hours of Altitude tests & 57 hours of Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials and the program will continue to be used for as test vehicles for validating next-generation technologies.
Parliamentarians were informed that the Kaveri engine project has achieved a higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) in many critical technology domains and those technologies are being used in the various engine development programs of the country.
At present, the LCA Tejas is integrated with an imported engine. However, in the future, it is proposed to develop indigenous engines for powering our aircrafts such as LCA variants and AMCA in association with an International Engine House. The technological capabilities built through the Kaveri engine project will be utilized.
LCA Tejas, Flight Operational Clearance (FOC) configuration demands higher thrust than the intended engine requirement. Hence the Kaveri in the present architecture cannot be integrated. To induct with LCA Tejas, a modified engine version is required.
Kaveri Dry Variant
GTRE has been granted 595 crores by MoD to develop the Kaveri dry engine for the USAV Program. Dry Variant already has achieved 600 hours of engine testing including Altitude tests and will soon be going for Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials. GTRE plans to conclude all trials by 2024-25 and enter limited-scale production from 2025-26.
46kN Kaveri Dry Variant will be used to power an Unmanned Strike Aerial Vehicle (USAV) with an all-up weight of 13 tons that will be integrated with a fluidic thrust vectoring nozzle.
New Redesigned Afterburner Section
GTRE is also working to develop a redesigned Afterburner Section with technical improvements over the last afterburner section that had underperformed in the past. GTRE plans to matte the 46kN Kaveri Dry Variant with redesigned Afterburner Section so that it can validate a 76kN Wet Variant of the Kaveri engine that could be used for other programs in the future.
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