Perhaps most famous for designing a 60-year series of legendary fighter engines, Russia’s engine industry – dominated by Rostec-subsidiary United Engine (UEC) – is attempting to rapidly catch up to four decades of Western development of high-bypass turbofan engines for commercial applications.
That ambition has already produced a locally-designed rival called the PD-14 engine to power the Irkut MC-21, and could lead to a revived partnership with China’s emerging jet engine industry.
A full-scale engine that made its debut in the exhibit hall of the MAKS air show two years ago was labeled a technology demonstrator and emblazoned with serial number 100-01.
In fact, that engine – representing the indigenous alternative to the Pratt & Whitney PW1400G for the MC-21 – actually stopped short of qualifying as the first engine to test for the PD-14 programme.
After the example was shown at MAKS show in 2013, Aviadvigatel made a variety of undisclosed design changes. A new technology demonstrator was assembled in 2014 as the engine entered an “intensive test programme”, Masalov says.
“This year it is very critical and important because industry has started to make the engines,” he adds. “Now we have an engine that is manufactured with serial technologies.”
Engine numbers seven through 11 are scheduled to be assembled by the end of the year to be inducted into the certification test programme. Engine type certification is scheduled in 2017 and entry into service on the MC-21 is scheduled for 2018.
The PD-14 represents the future of Russian commercial aircraft propulsion. It follows the highly successful PS90 high-bypass turbofan engine that began testing 23 years ago, and adds a host of new technologies, including a hollow titanium fan blade.
With the PW1400G as the alternative, the Aviadvigatel faces a formidable competitive challenge, but the Russian supplier sees a variety of opportunities for the PD-14. The company launched the programme with a business plan to sell over 200 PD-14 engines for the MC-21 through 2030, Masalov says.
“Of course there are more optimistic and more pessimistic, but this is a very realistic plan, and now we have already firmed a contract with a company that belongs to state company Rostec for 70 engines already.”
The PD-14 is also likely to be the natural engine choice for Russian government and military customers of the MC-21, of which there could be several. But Masalov cautions the government has not yet made a decision, and “the customer decides which engine he will take”.
As the first new commercial engine core developed in two decades, the PD-14 will be likely asked to adapt to a variety of applications. Spinning off PD-14 technologies to improve the performance of a future Superjet engine is one possibility. But the engine architecture also be stretched to serve the requirements for larger aircraft types. Aviadvigatel has discussed options for an 18t-thrust-class version of the engine dubbed the PD-18.
“Of course, we considered PD-14 as a family of engines,” Masalov says. “We concentrate on the engine core which can then be made into a bigger or smaller engine. And then we have preliminary operating information from the state’s operator from the ministry of defense that the 18t version can be used for medium transport aircraft. Of course we think it’s quite positive because then we can launch the market for such engines based on one engine core.”
The PD-18 also is a candidate to support a collaboration with India to develop a multifunction transport aircraft, he adds.
“I must note that there is a need for a large engine – 30t-35t-thrust – maybe it will be for widebody aircraft, maybe it would be independently of a Russian-Chinese airframe,” Masalov says. “There is a need for this airframe. Recently, research done in research insinuate and United Aircraft Corporation for an engine of this thrust class [suggests] a gear-drive or a fan may be used.”
UEC has agreed to launch a technical assessment of China’s latest commercial turbofan engine development project that could lead to a new industrial collaboration with Russian industry, Vladislav says.
UEC and the Chinese counterpart took the decision about the assessment at the a meeting with Avic Aviation Engine Corporation (AAEC) last November at the Zhuhai air show, Masalov says.
The study will focus on the design details of the CJ1000 engine, which is the Chinese industry’s competitor to the CFM International Leap-1C. Both engines are being developed to power the 150-seat Comac C919 commercial narrowbody.
If the study determines that there are opportunities for Russian technologies to improve the CJ1000, UEC could propose to collaborate with China to provide those components, Masalov says.
This is the second round of discussions between UEC and AAEC about a collaboration on the CJ1000. In the early days of the project, UEC had discussed making fan blades and perhaps even the entire fan module of the engine.
“Later on, these discussions stopped and we had some unofficial information about absence of need for United Engine Corporation to make this for CJ1000,” Masalov says.
At the latest Zhuhai air show last November, however, AAEC submitted a new proposal to UEC to launch a technical assessment.
“And now we are in negotiations with the Chinese side regarding this engine,” Vladislav says.
UEC subsidiary Aviadvigatel is developing the PD-14 engine in the same thrust class as the CJ1000 to power the Irkut MC-21. It features a hollow titanium fan blade and a fan module that allows for an 8.6:1 bypass ratio.
Source: Flight Daily News
