Gas-turbine Research Establishment

Overview

India’s first indigenously produced jet engine, but developing very slowly

This engine is planned as the power plant of the production HAL Tejas, India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), replacing the General Electric F404-F2J3 used in the three LCA prototypes. Although influenced by existing engines, the Kaveri is a completely Indian project. It was preceded by the following development engines:
GTX37-14U: This afterburning turbojet was the first jet engine to be designed entirely in India. First run in 1977, it has a three-stage LP compressor and seven-stage HP compressor, both driven by single-stage turbines. It is flat-rated to ISA +30ºC at 44.5 kN (10,000 lb st) dry and 64.3 kN (14,450 lb st) with maximum afterburner. A few of these engines have continued being tested, to support later versions.
GTX37-14UB: Derived turbofan with an increase in core airflow and a modest bypass ratio of 0.215, resulting in a small increase in frontal area. Maximum thrust 88.9 kN (19,990 lb st).
GTX-35: Largely redesigned turbojet with five-stage HP compressor, new annular combustor and increased turbine temperature. This engine offers the thrust required for the production fighter, but at the cost of higher fuel consumption, and even more severe noise.
Kaveri: Also designated GTX-35VS. Improved turbofan planned as the engine for the production Tejas. Redesigned six-stage core compressor, updated Fadec of Indian design, and advanced nozzle. The core engine first ran in March 1995, and the first complete engine in September 1995. In the third quarter of 1998 an engine to the latest standard underwent various tests at CIAM (which see, under Russia). By 2001 several of a planned total of 17 development engines were on test in Russia and India, and an engine installed in a pod under a Tu-16 was scheduled to begin flight testing in January 2000.

It did not, and in June 2003 Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, Director of India’s Aeronautical Development Establishment, said “The Kaveri is undergoing high-altitude-chamber tests in Russia, and we hope to start flying testbed work next year. The engine should be available for fitment in the LCA airframe in 2006, and flight testing will commence thereafter. We are doing this in the country for the first time…” The slow progress of the engine, relative to the Tejas aircraft, resulted in 2003 in General Electric being awarded a contract for a production run of a later F404 version. In February 2001 Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes recommended that India “should establish links with other Asian countries and South Africa to further the LCA.” Previously, BAE Systems of the UK and Sukhoi of Russia had expressed an interest in creating LCA partnership agreements.
The Indian Air Force has a requirement for approximately 200 LCA fighters, plus 20 dual-control trainers. As recently as 2002 the first production aircraft was scheduled to be delivered in 2006, and this clearly will not happen. In mid-2003 unofficial Indian reports claimed that the Tejas would not even begin flight testing with the Kaveri engine before 2008. That may be pessimistic, but, in the Editor’s view, the engine will continue to be the pace-setter. Among future projects are a carrier-based naval version, to replace the Sea Harrier, though in July 2003 India made a formal application to discuss joining the JSF programme. Another project is an enlarged version of the Tejas with two engines fitted with fully vectoring nozzles, possibly making the vertical tail (the Tejas has no horizontal tail) redundant.

Type

Low-BPR turbofan with afterburner.

LP Compressor

Three stages with transonic blading. Pressure ratio 3.4.

HP Compressor

Six stages with variable IGVs and first two stators. Pressure ratio 6.4, giving OPR 21.5.

Combustion Chamber

Annular, with dump diffuser and air-blast fuel atomisers.

HP Turbine

Highly loaded single stage with cooled blades of DS material. Entry gas temperature 1,214 to 1,427ºC (1,487 to 1,700K).

LP Turbine

Single-stage, cooled.

Afterburner

Advanced afterburning jetpipe with modular light-up and con-di variable nozzle. It is intended that production aircraft should have multi-axis thrust vectoring.

Control System

KADECU Fadec developed at GTRE in collaboration with HAL. Maintains T-O power to high ambient temperature.

Starter

HAL-manufactured jet-fuel starter.

Dimensions

Not disclosed.

Weight, Dry

1,100 kg (2,427 lb)

Performance Ratings

Flat rated to S/L ISA+20ºC:

Maximum dry (MIL)
52.0 kN (11,687 lb st)

Maximum afterburner
81.0 kN (18,210 lb st)

Specific Fuel Consumption

Maximum dry
22.09 mg/Ns (0.78 lb/h/lb st)

Maximum afterburner
57.50 mg/Ns (2.03 lb/h/lb st)

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