Chinese Engine Development

Orthan

Senior Member
They've been saying the same thing for the past century.

For how long has this engine been in development? if this engine hasnt yet been test-flight, that can only be explain by major problems in its development. Makes me wonder if china´s aircraft engine industry can go beyond WS10/WS20 (both use same core AFAIK) at this point.
 

latenlazy

Brigadier
For how long has this engine been in development? if this engine hasnt yet been test-flight, that can only be explain by major problems in its development.
Not necessarily. A prototype core completed testing in 2008. The rapid advances in China’s technological base in the decade between then and today could easily mean they went back to the drawing board a few times.
 

Orthan

Senior Member
The rapid advances in China’s technological base in the decade between then and today could easily mean they went back to the drawing board a few times.

Im no expert in aeronautical development, but for me it doesnt make sense to postpone flight testing an engine due to the program continuously going to drawing board, unless they are going to the drawing board because the engine isnt flight test capable. You flight test anything that you have and then test something else when its available.
 

latenlazy

Brigadier
Im no expert in aeronautical development, but for me it doesnt make sense to postpone flight testing an engine due to the program continuously going to drawing board, unless they are going to the drawing board because the engine isnt flight test capable. You flight test anything that you have and then test something else when its available.
That’s not how engine testing works. You never put an engine into flight testing until you’ve finalized its design. Until the design is finalized all testing during development is done on a platform.
 

duncanidaho

Junior Member
If they are taking that long to finalized the design, then it must be either the lack of basic technology (materials).

Or the way round, they advanced faster in the basic technology as expected. As the development of the chinese EM-Catapult shows, the Chinese Navy put full stop on the construction of the next aircraft carrier (003), as they find out their EM-Catapult improved much faster as they thought.
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
If they are taking that long to finalized the design, then it must be either the lack of basic technology (materials).

Average develpment time for high performance Turbo fan is 20 to 25 years
So WS 15 development time is normal .Going from T/W 8 to T/W 10 is generational leap
Western Turbo fan development look like faster but the R&D is far longer and they normally separate it into 2 or 3 stages So it give the impression of faster development time
 

Figaro

Senior Member
Registered Member
They've been saying the same thing for the past century.
Be patient. The WS-15 was never slated for completion before 2020. Even then, the process might take longer given that the engineers are probably incorporating recent advances in the Chinese engine industry onto the WS-15. If anything, Pupu’s comment should alleviate any fears of delays or potential accidents.
If they are taking that long to finalized the design, then it must be either the lack of basic technology (materials).
Completely wrong. When the WS-15 first underwent core testing in the mid 2000s, the primary materials were the 2nd generation DD6 single crystal superalloy HPC and the 2nd generation FGH96 powder metallurgy disk, all of which were suitable for a T/W 10 level engine. Given huge strides in Chinese metallurgy and the aviation industry in general, they now have way more options. For example, the WS-15 could very well use (most likely) use 3rd generation superalloys such as DD9 and DD10, or it could even go for the 4th generation DD22. As for the powder metallurgy disks, the WS-15 can now use those of third generation and higher (FGH 97, FGH 98). Since I’m sure that the Chinese are content with the initial materials (or even design), they are probably constantly tweaking and adding in more technologies. All of this takes time. So most likely, the WS-15 will be superior to the one envisioned back in the early 2000s, when the engine industry was still nascent. China was not deficient in engine material back then and certainly is not today.
 

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
We haven't heard about WZ 16 for a while now But according to this article it will receive production certification next year ans will be put into production
Via Xinhui
涡轴-16发动机明年投产 ,令武直-10的性能成倍跃升!
红网时刻株洲5月11日讯(记者 聂千川)备受军迷关注的涡轴-16(代号:WZ-16)发动机将于明年生产下线。5月11日,记者从中国航空发动机集团(以下简称中国航发)在湖南株洲召开民用涡轴涡桨发动机2018年度供应商(国际)大会获得上述消息。

据中国航发工作人员透露,涡轴-16发动机将于明年取得生产合格证(PC),并正式投产。涡轴-16是中国航发与法国赛峰直升机发动机公司合研的中等推力涡轴发动机,双方共享知识产权。涡轴-16型发动机技术先进,采模块化设计,双通道全数字式电子控制,高可靠性,重量轻,油耗低,是第四代技术水准的发动机。功率达到1200至1500千瓦,超过加拿大生产的PT6C-67C涡轴发动机。

根据计划,涡轴-16将首先装备中航直升机股份有限公司生产的AC352直升机上。坊间普遍认为,涡轴-16未来装备武直-10的可能性非常大。

我国在研制武直-10时,选用的是两台PT6C-67C涡轴发动机,由于多种原因,未能如愿。目前,武直-10使用的是国产涡轴-9型发动机,其功率仅为1000千瓦左右,性能存在不足。涡轴-16研制成功后,如果能再次整合到武直-10项目中,能令武直-10的性能成倍跃升,或能从中型武装直升机一跃成为与阿帕奇比肩的重型武装直升机。
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The vortex-shaft-16 engine will be put into operation next year, which will double the performance of the Wuzhi-10. Rednet Times Zhuzhou May 11th (Reporter Nie Qianchuan)

The vortex-shaft-16 (codename: WZ-16) engine that has attracted much attention from military enthusiasts will be produced next year. On May 11th, the reporter obtained the above news from China National Aero-engine Group (hereinafter referred to as China Aviation)'s 2018 Supplier (International) Conference on Civil Turboprops in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province.

According to the China Aviation Development Corporation staff, the turboshaft-16 engine will receive a production certificate (PC) next year and will be officially put into production. The vortex-16 is a mid-thrust turboshaft engine jointly developed by China Aviation and French Safran Helicopter Engine Company. Both parties share intellectual property rights. The vortex-axle-16 engine has advanced technology, adopts modular design, dual-channel digital electronic control, high reliability, light weight, low fuel consumption, and is the fourth-generation technology engine.

The power is 1200 to 1500 kW, which exceeds the Canadian PT6C-67C turboshaft engine. According to the plan, the turboshaft-16 will be first equipped with the AC352 helicopter produced by China Aviation Helicopter Co., Ltd. It is widely believed that there is a very high probability that the vortex-16 will be equipped with WuZhong-10 in the future. When developing the WuZhong-10 in China, two PT6C-67C turboshaft engines were selected. Due to various reasons, they failed to do so.

At present, Wu Zhi-10 uses a domestic turboshaft-9 engine, which has a power of only about 1,000 kilowatts, and its performance is insufficient. After the successful development of the vortex- 16 , if it can be integrated into the Wuzhi-10 project again, the performance of the WuZhong-10 can be doubled, or it can become a heavy-armed helicopter commensurate with Apache from a medium-sized armed helicopter.
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