U.E.C.- Russian aircraft engines

Aircraft engine created on 3D printer tested in Russia

MOSCOW, July 22 - RIA Novosti. For the first time, Russia conducted a successful flight test of an aircraft engine made by 3D printing, its production is scheduled for 2021-2022, told RIA Novosti at the Foundation for Advanced Research ( FPI ).

"In Tatarstan, on the basis of the Kazanbash aviation center, for the first time in Russia, flight tests of the MGTD-20 gas turbine engine manufactured by 3D printing were carried out. This power plant with a thrust of 22 kgf (kilogram-force) was developed within the framework of a joint project of the Foundation for Advanced Research and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise " VIAM " SSC RF with the participation of JSC NPO "OKB im. M.P. Simonov, "the press service said.

The FPI explained that a light unmanned aerial vehicle A30 developed by the NPO MP Simonov Design Bureau was used as a flying laboratory for testing the new engine. The wingspan of the drone is 3 meters, the take-off weight is 40 kilograms, taking into account the payload mass of up to 10 kilograms.

"During the first test flight, according to a given program, the device passed in autopilot mode along the route points at an altitude of 170 meters, reaching a maximum ground speed of 154 kilometers per hour, after which it made a successful landing. The maximum engine speed was 101,600 rpm, the workers - 58,000 rpm, "the fund said.

It is specified that the production time of the main elements of the engines thanks to the new technology was reduced by 20 times, while the cost of their production was reduced by more than two times.

During the implementation of the project, a line of promising small-sized gas turbine engines in the thrust class of 10, 20, 125 and 150 kgf was developed, manufactured and tested. The start of serial production of power plants is scheduled for 2021-2022, taking into account the completion of the stage of development work in the interests of the state defense order.

A joint project of the Foundation for Advanced Study and FSUE "VIAM" on the development of new generation materials for additive technologies for the manufacture of structural elements of aircraft and rocket engines was launched in November 2015. Within the framework of the project, a technology has been created for the manufacture of parts for MGTD and gas turbine plants for industrial use by the method of layer-by-layer laser fusion using metal-powder compositions of heat-resistant and aluminum alloys. A number of developed alloys in terms of strength characteristics exceed their foreign counterparts by more than 20%

https://ria.ru/20200722/1574685609.html




Cheaper cruise missiles, or cheaper UAV? Like the American Grey Wolf? It's a little slow.

Isos wrote:It makes no sense actually. Su-35 has them, upgrade for su-30 plans to use the su-35 engine and the upgraded su-27 also use them if I'm not wrong even if they have low numbers of SM2 and SM3 in service (but they won't last as long as the 30 and 35 anyway).

Same situation for the radar. Irbis is already planned to be used on all of them.

What would make sense is to design su-57's engine so that they can be used on su-27 series so that when any of them need new engines they can put the newest one on them and slowly replace all of them.

There was talk about Su-30SM1 using the same engines of Su-35, I have read nothing about the Su-27 or Su-34 doing it until right now.

The izd. 30 is a supercruising engine and therefore it may not make so much sense to put it in a fighter not designed for such flight regime and engine airflow requirements. And probably it will be notably more expensive too.

They have many engines in the same size class as of now: apart from the various series of AL-31F, they have the 41F1-S, the 41F1 and then the izd. 30, that is many engines and it definitely make sense to consolidate them and simplify the logistics while improving the aircraft performance. As far as I see it, there are two options that make sense:

1. They use the 41F1-S on all the Flanker series. Them talking about considering previous versions too may refer to creating an engine that is backwards-compatible with the installation on other planes, but also maybe cheaper than the 41F1-S.

2. They move the technology of the 41F1, which recently was transferred to serial status, to mass production. Otherwise it would be only used on a handful of Su-57 (maybe 20 units or so, until izd. 30 arrives), that would be re-engined afterwards. I don't know if all the tooling and expenses incurred in preparing the serial production of such engine would be covered in that way. Using it in the Su-35 and other Flankers would give VKS a premium in performance, given that the 41F1-S was designed as an export engine, while making use of that production line. The 41F1-S would still be produced for export customers, so that investment would not be lost.

I wonder also how Salut will be included in this new development, they were manufacturing AL-31 too...was it only for export customers or also for the Russian Flankers?

Cheaper cruise missiles, or cheaper UAV? Like the American Grey Wolf? It's a little slow.

A straight wing and non retractable undercarriage and a camera attached to its tail... I rather suspect the aircraft design had more to do with its top speed than the motor.... put the new engine for the PAK FA on an AN-2 and it wont fly that fast either...

The point is that this is a cheap easily mass produced engine that works likely for a tiny fraction of those American low cost missiles... you could probably buy five Russian missiles with this sort of engine for the price of the packaging used to deliver the Grey Wolf...


A 25kg thrust motor in a 40kg model should allow quite decent performance, but if you look at the video you could see it wobble from side to side... it can definitely go faster than that but its shape is probably preventing that.

Note they likely chose a low speed shape so they didn't have the problem of a high speed landing....

Rodion_Romanovic wrote:https://naukatehnika.com/pervaya-ustanovochnaya-partiya-dvigatelej-nk-32-vtorogo-etapa-postavlena-dlya-modernizirovannyix-tu-160m.html

The first installation batch of NK-32 engines of the second stage was delivered for the modernized Tu-160M

The United Engine Corporation (UEC, part of the Rostec State Corporation) has begun mass production of the NK-32-02 engines.

Currently, UEC conducts qualification and service life tests of NK-32 series 02 engines at stands. "The newly manufactured engines meet the requirements of the design and regulatory documentation stated in the tactical and technical assignment," the corporation stressed.   The UEC is completing the modernization of production at the UEC-Kuznetsov enterprise, which was required to start the serial production of the second stage NK-32 engines for the modernized Tu-160M ​​strategic missile carriers. "Implementation of measures to organize serial production of NK-32 series 02 engines has been completed. The need to ensure an increase in production throughput entailed a large-scale reconstruction of production," the UEC said.

This is a substantial accomplishment. To spin up production from defunct factories or production lines and to revise the design is something that no
gas station posing as a country can do. Such news is always so bland as if it is run of the mill and ho hum. It is nothing of the sort. Look at China and
its struggle to copy the Su-27 engines. If this sort of development was trivial it would have taken them no time to produce something better.

So we see that in spite of the 1990s, Russia did not lose its scientific and engineering skills as represented by highly qualified personnel (HQP). This means
that effort was made to educate them, train them and pay them. That is not the collapse story always told. In fact, here in the rich west, HQP is let go during
budget cuts as if it will re-emerge form the woodwork when needed. That's not how it works.

UEC-Klimov plans to increase the production of engines for helicopters by one third

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4133997.html

Good background article on the ramping up of helicopter engines.

https://www.stalkerzone.org/russia-has-launched-a-giant-factory-to-replace-ukrainian-engines/

Interesting they mention potential cooperation with foreign companies... maybe they can make the fiddly little titanium hot bits for France that are currently made in the US... that would be good for France and good for Russia too...

Advanced engine for Russia’s latest Mi-28NM combat helicopters passes state trials

The engine has proved to comply with the technical requirements specified by Russia’s top brass and can be used as a powerplant for the latest Russian helicopters, the company’s press office specified

ST. PETERSBURG, October 22. /TASS/. The advanced VK-2500P engine developed for Russia’s latest Mil Mi-28NM combat helicopters successfully passed state bench tests, the developers said at the ceremony of delivering a certificate on the successful trials at the UEC-Klimov engine maker (part of the United Engine Corporation) on Thursday.

The certificate was delivered by representatives of Russia’s Defense Ministry.

"We are confident that this engine has quite a big future. The use of this engine on most Mil and Kamov helicopters will give them completely different qualities than those they have today," UEC-Klimov Executive Director Alexander Vatagin said at the ceremony.

The engine has successfully passed a series of trials to comply with the technical requirements specified by Russia’s Defense Ministry and can be used as a powerplant for the latest Russian helicopters, the company’s press office specified.

As its major advantage, the engine employs the most advanced FADEC (full authority digital engine control system), the executive director stressed.

"This expands the engine’s capabilities enormously, which enables it to give a new quality to the helicopters that have been operational in Russia for many years. The trials took twelve months. We expect the engine to find its application not only on Mi-28NM helicopters but also on other rotorcraft," he told reporters.

VK-2500 engines are mounted on Mi-8/17, Mi-24/35 and Ka-50/52 helicopters and also on civil Ka-32 rotorcraft. The VK-2500P modification has been developed for the Mi-28NM, the upgraded version of the Mi-28N ‘Night Hunter’ gunship.

https://tass.com/defense/1215181

About the NK-32-2:

"Yes, the engine is closed, but all its closeness is inside. Inside the gas-air path, there are a lot of design changes, in particular, the geometry of the blades of profiles, the material from which it is made, the amount of it at different stages has changed. The engine has become more economical. The Tu-160M2 will be able to overcome the distance with this engine for another 1000 km more, and on special modes and more," the serviceman said.

https://tvzvezda.ru/news/opk/content/20201025924-33ARV.html

Rodion_Romanovic wrote:I am even more interested in having news about the Pak-Da  engine (apparently a subsonic derivative of the NK32-2 and see if they can do a  high bypass 24 tons takeoff thrust powerplant for a transport aircraft based on it.

Of course with new fan, nacelles and pylons (and possibly modified LP system, if the one of the PAK-DA is not up to the job).

Me too, but given it is the new engine for a strategic bomber news are going to be scarce. Russia already has the capacity to repair the D-18T so they are, I would think, not in a hurry for a new engine for the An-124

I would like to see them release an early model Il-106 perhaps with 18 ton thrust engines based on the PS-90A3 or something... it should be able to get 70-80 ton payloads around the place, and then later with something like a PD-24 with four engines or PD-35 with two engines they could have the full power standard Il-106M going...

Hard to make suggestions without knowing the time lines for each engine type...

Actually that is rather better than I thought... 17.6 tons would be fine for the first models... they will need longer runways and will initially limited to the length of runways they can use, but that is fine... when the more suitable engines become available (ie four 22 ton thrust engines or two 35 ton thrust engines) they can convert them during an upgrade and get the full performance.

A payload of 80 tons is a useful level of payload... that is the payload of the An-22 which these aircraft are essentially replacing... so matching that with the first versions knowing new engines are going to bring a much bigger boost to performance is a very good thing.

In fact they might find the reduced fuel costs of the smaller less powerful engines might make them a cheaper option for some roles so they might keep the four engine lower thrust models... it is a possibility.

When the new engines are ready new models can be built with 22-24 ton thrust engines (x4) or 35 ton thrust engines (x2) which should allow safe operations with payloads of 100-110 tons with reduced fuel loads... perhaps getting inflight refuelling topups after takeoff or on the way to the destination.

They are going to have An-124s around for a while so a PD-24 replacement for their existing engines means they can keep using them because they make every other part of the aircraft themselves, so Slon can then be worked on with its four PD-35 engines with a normal payload of 180 tons as standard (remember four PD-35s means it will have more engine power than the An-225 with 6 engines, so a version with an H tail for external loads on its back could be made to fill that niche role for the Soviet Space agency...)

So that will mean they will have some Il-106s with four PS-90A3s, and An-124s with upgraded D-18s... then eventually when the PD-24s are ready they can make Il-106s with PD-24s, and fit PD-24s to the An-124s. Those PS-90A3s could be cascaded to Il-76 and Il-476 aircraft because PD-24s will just be more thrust than they need, though they might make a PD-18 to power all the Il-76 clan from two on the IL-276 to four on the 76 and 476 and 576 platforms.

Once the PD-35 is ready they can put it on the Slon (4 engines), the Il-106 (2 engines) and of course the Il-96 (2 engines) and perhaps even consider using it to replace the turboprop engines on the Bear family of aircraft maybe... if they want to keep using that... or the PAK DA if suitable.

And I do not believe they want to do a sort of fat il76 or russianised y20....

But as you say, the Il-106 with 17.6 ton thrust engines (x4) is actually the replacement for the 80 ton capacity An-22 they wanted in the 1990s anyway... at the very least operators of Russian aircraft look at the C-17 and want something like that but dont have the connections or the enormous amounts of money needed to buy those expensive planes.

The C-17 would be ideal for New Zealand with long range and excellent payload, but it is just too damn expensive.

An Il-476 would actually be a much better choice, but if they are going to have 80 ton payload Il-106 with a flight range of 5,000km then that would actually be much better.

Right now and for the foreseeable future we have 20 ton LAV III vehicles we might need to take around the world for peace keeping UN operations... surprise surprise... our transport aircraft is the C-130... which has a 20 ton payload limit, so we can carry one in each plane, but the problems only start there... it is not pressurised so you fly through the weather rather than over it... so it can be very bumpy. It is a prop driven aircraft so it is rather slow so you spend more time getting bumped around to go anywhere... and with a full payload on board its flight range is not that great... with a full payload it can barely reach Australia from New Zealand and it flys at about 550km/h, so civilian airliners are racing past you as you go...

In comparison an Il-106 could carry three LAVIIIs and their crews and ammo and equipment... fly at 800km/h at much higher altitudes above the weather distances of 5,000km at a time so we could visit Pacific Islands directly without having to island hop like we do now...

The first tests of the gas generator for the PD-8 engine are scheduled for March 2021

As reported in "UEC-Saturn", the company has an export portfolio of orders for the production of several hundred aircraft engines in the next three to four years

RYBINSK, November 30. / TASS /. The first tests of the gas generator demonstrator for the new PD-8 medium-class engine are planned for March 2021. The managing director of UEC-Saturn (part of the United Engine Corporation of the Rostec State Corporation) Viktor Polyakov told TASS about this.

"We are carrying out development work on a promising engine, but we are doing it in cooperation with UEC enterprises. We plan to assemble a demonstrator of the gas generator and conduct the first tests in March 2021," he said.

Earlier, the first deputy head of the Rostec state corporation Vladimir Artyakov said in an interview with TASS that the promising Russian PD-8 engine for the SSJ 100 aircraft and the Be-200 amphibious aircraft will receive a type certificate in 2023. According to him, the base of the engine can also be used for helicopters.

Tests of blades for PD-35

The first prototypes of composite blades for the promising PD-35 engine, which is supposed to be installed on wide-body aircraft, were manufactured at the UEC-Saturn; tests of the blades are scheduled for next spring, Polyakov said.

"To date, we have passed the stage of research and development work, we are moving on to the stage of development work. Prototypes of blades have already been manufactured. We are not talking about the series yet, because we need to carry out a set of tests, the beginning of which is scheduled for spring 2021" he said.

As the managing director of "UEC-Saturn" explained, now at the enterprise specialists are trying to reduce the production time for composite blades and improve their characteristics.

The development of composite blades for the PD-35 engine is carried out in parallel in two technological directions: specialists from the Rybinsk enterprise use 3D weaving (the blade is made on a specialized loom using composite threads), specialists of UEC-Perm Motors use directional laying.

“The first blades produced by Perm were supplied to a sample engine, they were made in the PD-14 dimension, for the development of technologies. The first results are encouraging,” Polyakov said.
Aircraft engines for export

UEC-Saturn has an export order book for the production of several hundred aircraft engines in the next three to four years, Polyakov said.

"Now a contract for the next supply of several hundred engines is being finalized. This is a contract for the next 3-4 years," he said.

The Managing Director noted that UEC-Saturn's export portfolio is approximately 35%. The main share of export is made up of engines for IL-76 aircraft of foreign customers.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/10125887

Engines for the Yak-130 doubled the resource

The increase in service life will affect both new engines and those already in service, which will be upgraded when they are received for repair.

The resource of the AI-222-25 engine of the Yak-130 combat training aircraft has been doubled due to the use of new materials and technologies, which will allow maintaining the flight readiness of aircraft for longer without major repairs, the press service of rostec state Corporation reports.

"The implemented improvements made it possible to increase the resource of the current engine modification by two times, and if compared with 2009, when the unit began to be produced in series, by four times," - the press service quotes the words of industrial Director of the Rostec aviation cluster Anatoly Serdyukov.

Increasing the engine life will make it possible to maintain aircraft flight readiness much longer without major repairs, reduce costs and reduce maintenance labor.

AI-222-25 - two-circuit turbojet engine, which is used in the Russian combat training aircraft Yak-130. In 2015, United engine Corporation completed import substitution of AI-222-25 parts and assemblies that were previously manufactured in Ukraine. Now it is produced by the Moscow plant "Salyut" entirely from Russian components. Before that, some of the components were supplied from Ukraine.

https://tvzvezda.ru/news/opk/content/20201211510-BUpl6.html

LMFS wrote:Engines for the Yak-130 doubled the resource

The increase in service life will affect both new engines and those already in service, which will be upgraded when they are received for repair.

The resource of the AI-222-25 engine of the Yak-130 combat training aircraft has been doubled due to the use of new materials and technologies, which will allow maintaining the flight readiness of aircraft for longer without major repairs, the press service of rostec state Corporation reports.

   "The implemented improvements made it possible to increase the resource of the current engine modification by two times, and if compared with 2009, when the unit began to be produced in series, by four times," - the press service quotes the words of industrial Director of the Rostec aviation cluster Anatoly Serdyukov.

Increasing the engine life will make it possible to maintain aircraft flight readiness much longer without major repairs, reduce costs and reduce maintenance labor.

AI-222-25 - two-circuit turbojet engine, which is used in the Russian combat training aircraft Yak-130. In 2015, United engine Corporation completed import substitution of AI-222-25 parts and assemblies that were previously manufactured in Ukraine. Now it is produced by the Moscow plant "Salyut" entirely from Russian components. Before that, some of the components were supplied from Ukraine.

https://tvzvezda.ru/news/opk/content/20201211510-BUpl6.html

Ukrop engines need to go. SM-100 are sorely needed.

UEC began work on a promising gas generator for the 5th generation engine

In the future, the new engine can be used for promising long-range and military transport aircraft.

SAMARA, December 23. / TASS /. PJSC "UEC-Kuznetsov" (part of the United Engine Corporation of the State Corporation "Rostec") plans to conduct research and development work until 2022 to develop a promising gas generator for a fifth generation engine in the 18-24 tf thrust class. Pavel Chupin, General Designer of the company, told reporters about it.

“The promising work that we are currently doing is work on a two-shaft gas generator for the next generation engines. This is a gas generator in the same thrust class as the gas generator for the NK-32 (engine for the Tu-160 aircraft - TASS note). <... > The project for a promising gas generator is now calculated until the end of 2022, "he said, explaining that in the future the new engine could be used for promising long-range and military transport aircraft.

The project is carried out by the design bureau "UEC-Kuznetsov" and the partner of the enterprise - Samara University named after S. P. Koroleva. R&D should be completed with a deep, in the scope of a technical design, study of the design, including the development of a three-dimensional geometric model, "digital twins" of the gas generator and its main units, assembly units and parts for all basic physical processes.

"The fundamental requirements are to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the mass of the gas generator and engines based on it. Our requirements are to improve by at least 10-15% indicators in relation to the gas generator of the NK-32 engine in terms of mass and specific fuel consumption. This is the next generation engine gas generator." - noted Chupin.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/10330029

Finally concrete news about this issue we have talked so much about, surprisingly this is not called a NK-32 derivative, but being done by Kuznetsov I assume is basically a step further, the efficiency increase they mention was probably not possible with the old layout. If they manage to create it in the short time they say, then it is even better than just to adapt the new cold part to the existing gas generator and will give them an engine with much longer life. Probably the work done for the PAK-DA helped here?

UEC will transfer another batch of NK-32 engines of the second series for the Tu-160M ​​within a month

Engines are being tested now

SAMARA, December 23. / TASS /. The UEC-Kuznetsov enterprise (part of the United Engine Corporation of the Rostec State Corporation) within a month will hand over to the customer another batch of NK-32 engines of the second series for the modernized Tu-160M ​​strategic missile carriers. This was announced to reporters by the deputy general director - managing director of "UEC-Kuznetsov"

"Now the next engines are being tested, they are preparing to be handed over to the customer. We will transfer the next batch of engines at the turn of December - January," he said.

According to Sobolev, the first shipments of the newest gas turbine engine were made in August this year. Then the customer received six NK-32-02 engines. The next batch of engines was shipped in October.

"Now the production is organized in such a way as to systematically, in the interests of the customer, to carry out deliveries in the amount necessary for them (customers - TASS note)," said the deputy general director of UEC-Kuznetsov.
Reduced weight and reduced fuel consumption

The NK-32 series 02 engine for the modernized strategic missile carrier Tu-160M ​​has a reduced weight and reduced specific fuel consumption compared to the NK-32 engine of the first stage, which will allow the aircraft to perform missions at a longer range, said Pavel Chupin.

"The fundamental difference between the NK-32 series 02 engine and the first stage engine is that the engine has been optimized for the aerodynamics of the gas-air duct and its weight has been reduced. The most important thing is that the specific fuel consumption of this engine has been reduced, which, all other things being equal, allows the aircraft with fly long distances with this engine, "he said.

Chupin also stressed that today there are no competitors in the world for the Russian engine NK-32-02. "Engines with an afterburner in this thrust class simply do not exist. We compete with ourselves to provide the best parameters. Of course, the engine is unique in its tactical and technical characteristics, just like the Tu-160M ​​aircraft, and has no analogues in the world." , - noted the general designer.

In early November of this year, the deeply modernized strategic missile carrier Tu-160M ​​made its maiden flight with the new NK-32-02 engines from the airfield of the Kazan Aviation Plant named after S.P. Gorbunova. As reported in the UAC, the updated general aircraft systems and avionics installed during the aircraft modernization were checked during the flight, and the work of the new NK-32 02 series engine was evaluated.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/10330059

New Russian helicopter engines win in the competition with Motor Sich in the world markets.
2 days ago

Along with the recent successes of the Russian aircraft manufacturers, a significant contribution to the revival of the aircraft industry in Russia, at the end of the outgoing year, was also achieved by domestic creators of aircraft engines. At the end of October, at the UEC-Klimov plant in St. Petersburg, a ceremony was held to hand over the certificate of completion of state tests of the VK-2500P engine. Thus, the United Engine Building Company (UEC) in November began the serial assembly of these newest power plants for the modernized Mi-28NM helicopters.

VK-2500 engines are widely used in the Russian helicopter industry and were originally intended to replace the TVZ-117 power unit, which was supplied by the Ukrainian company Motor Sich. This case was accelerated by the well-known events on the "Maidan" and the subsequent ban on the supply of dual-use goods to the Russian market. Motor Sich engines were also banned. Then large-scale work on the development of domestic helicopter engines began in Russia. For these purposes, a plant was built in St. Petersburg to produce 500 aircraft engines per year. The issue of independence of the Russian helicopter industry from Ukrainian engines was practically resolved.

How successful the modernized VK-2500P has turned out can be judged by how interested the countries operating Russian helicopters are. For example, it became known about China's intention to purchase 100 of these engines for the modernization of the Mi-171 located in the Celestial Empire. As the Chinese customers explain: Russian motors significantly outperform Motor Sich products. VK-2500P have twice the interval between maintenance than their Ukrainian counterparts, besides, they showed themselves at their best when tested in high altitude and extremely low temperatures. In addition, China is interested in further cooperation with the Russian Federation.

For a Ukrainian company that is on the verge of bankruptcy, the loss of the helicopter engine market is fatal. It is known that Motor Sich was intended for the products of the Soviet and then Russian aircraft industry. But after severing ties with Russia, it survives by repairing and maintaining aircraft from countries that operate Russian aircraft. It also produces, by order of the same customers, aircraft engines in piece lots. The planned cooperation with Turkish drone production companies will not be a lifesaver for a sinking giant - not the scale ... Ultimately, we will have to start assembling chainsaws and milk separators.

https://zen.yandex.ru/media/6y1len_62/novye-rossiiskie-vertoletnye-dvigateli-vyigryvaiut-v-konkurentnoi-borbe-s-motor-sich-na-mirovyh-rynkah-5fe0547627ce98245ad75895