Kuznetsov NK-93

Last updated
NK-93
NK-93 turbofan back maks2009.JPG
NK-93 engine
Type Propfan
National origin Soviet Union
Manufacturer Kuznetsov Design Bureau
First run1989 [1]
Number built11 [2]
Developed from Kuznetsov NK-92 [2]

The Kuznetsov NK-93 was a civilian aircraft engine, a hybrid between a turbofan and a turboprop known as a propfan. The engine was also unique in having a separate duct around the contra-rotating propellers, as most other propfans are unducted. Once described in a respected aviation encyclopedia as "potentially the most fuel-efficient aircraft jet engine ever to be tested", [3] the NK-93 was targeted for derivatives of Soviet/Russian airliners such as the Ilyushin Il-96, Tupolev Tu-204, and Tupolev Tu-330. [2] Five in-flight engine tests were conducted on the NK-93 from December 2006 [4] to December 2008. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Development

The NK-93 engine was developed beginning in the late 1980s, [6] although the design of the engine was allegedly envisioned as early as 1968. [5] Many of the design features were adopted from the Kuznetsov NK-92, the military complement to the NK-93. [2] The core of the NK-93 was to form the foundation of a family of direct-drive turbofans and geared propfans, ranging from 11,000 to 22,000 kilograms-force (24,000 to 49,000 pounds-force; 110 to 220 kilonewtons) in thrust. [9] It was the last major project of Kuznetsov Design Bureau founder Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov. [10]

The NK-93 was originally scheduled for flight testing in late 1993/early 1994 [11] and certification in 1997 so that it could be used on the Ilyushin Il-96M and Tupolev Tu-204M. [12] By May 1994, seven full-size versions of the engine had been built, with five of them close to the production configuration. [13] Due to the breakup of the Soviet Union, though, the schedule was repeatedly delayed because of severe funding shortages [14] and other issues. However, by October 2001, a tenth NK-93 engine neared completion, out of a total of 15 planned engine prototypes. [3]

The engine finally underwent flight testing on an Ilyushin Il-76LL testbed aircraft beginning on December 29, 2006, with a second flight occurring on May 3, 2007. A total of 50 flight test hours were planned. [2] Testing was suspended again in June 2007 because of funding troubles. [15] Airborne testing did not restart until October 2008, [16] with flights on October 2 [17] and 6. [18] Another test flight occurred on December 15, 2008, [5] but the NK-93 was removed from the testbed by May 14, 2009. [4]

Supporters of the NK-93 claim that the amount of money needed to certify the engine is minuscule compared to the development costs of competing new Russian engines, which they regard as still inferior to the older NK-93. [19]

In April 2014, Kuznetsov announced that it would resume work on the NK-93 engine. [20]

Foreign interest

The advanced nature of the engine attracted the attention of airframers and engine manufacturers in other countries. By 1992, the NK-93 was already drawing interest from the Japanese aviation industry. [1] Investors from South Korea were among the groups discussing investment in the NK-93 at the 2001 MAKS air show. [21] In 2004, Airbus and the Kuznetsov Design Bureau studied the feasibility of using the engine to power Airbus commercial aircraft. [22] German engine maker MTU Aero Engines purchased a Kuznetsov report on the noise characteristics of the NK-93 engine for 600,000 Deutsche marks. [23] When the NK-93 was displayed on the Il-76LL demonstrator at the 2007 MAKS air show, Chinese aircraft manufacturers reportedly made a "tempting offer" to buy all of the NK-93's blueprints and documentation. [24] In October 2013, the European Commission gave a three-and-a-half year grant to study the Innovative Counter rOtating fan system for high Bypass Ratio Aircraft engine (COBRA). COBRA was a European Union-Russia cooperative program to study an ultra-high bypass ratio (UHBR) counter-rotating turbofan (CRTF) that was similar to the NK-93. Participating organizations included Kuznetsov, CIAM, Russian propeller manufacturer Aerosila, French engine maker Safran (Snecma), the French aerospace laboratory (ONERA), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). [25]

Design

The NK-93 has a core that was developed from the NK-110, an unducted Kuznetsov propfan that was never built. [6] Its Aerosila SV-92 contra-rotating propellers are 2,900 millimetres (114 in) in diameter, have eight blades on the front propeller and ten blades on the back propeller. The engine has a rated thrust of 18,000 kgf (39,700 lbf; 177 kN), [26] a maximum thrust of 20,000 kgf (45,000 lbf; 200 kN), a cruise SFC of 0.49 kg/(kgf⋅h), and a takeoff SFC of 0.234 kg/(kgf⋅h). 13% of the thrust is produced directly by the gas generator, while the rest of the thrust is produced through the turning of the ducted fans. [6] The front and back fans are both variable-pitch propellers; by 1993, the coaxial fans could combine to produce 85% of the desired 4,000 kgf (8,800 lbf; 39 kN) maximum reverse thrust, [27] and by 1995, the reverse thrust capability was 3,800 kgf (8,300 lbf; 37 kN). The engine has a bypass ratio of 17 and is designed around a 22,000 kW (30,000 hp) planetary gearbox with seven satellites. [6]

Applications

The Kuznetsov NK-93 ducted propfan mounted on an Ilyushin Il-76LL testbed aircraft at the MAKS 2007 air show. Kuznetsov KN-93.jpg
The Kuznetsov NK-93 ducted propfan mounted on an Ilyushin Il-76LL testbed aircraft at the MAKS 2007 air show.

Specifications

General characteristics

Components

Performance

See also

Related development

Comparable engines

Related lists

Related Research Articles

Propfan Type of aircraft engine

A propfan, also called an open rotor engine, or unducted fan, is a type of aircraft engine related in concept to both the turboprop and turbofan, but distinct from both. The design is intended to offer the speed and performance of a turbofan, with the fuel economy of a turboprop. A propfan is typically designed with a large number of short, highly twisted blades, similar to a turbofan's bypass compressor. For this reason, the propfan has been variously described as an "unducted fan" (UDF) or an "ultra-high-bypass (UHB) turbofan."

Tupolev Tu-334 Airliner by Tupolev

The Tupolev Tu-334 was a Russian short-to-medium range airliner project that was developed to replace the ageing Tu-134s and Yak-42s in service around the world. The airframe was based on a shortened Tu-204 fuselage and a scaled-down version of that aircraft's wing. Unlike the Tu-204, however, the Tu-334 has a T-tail and engines mounted on the sides of the rear fuselage instead of under the wings. With the nationalisation of the Russian aircraft companies in 2009 to form United Aircraft Corporation it was decided not to continue with the programme.

Contra-rotating propellers Two-propeller design for improving low-airspeed maneuverability

Aircraft equipped with contra-rotating propellers, also referred to as CRP, coaxial contra-rotating propellers, or high-speed propellers, apply the maximum power of usually a single piston or turboprop engine to drive a pair of coaxial propellers in contra-rotation. Two propellers are arranged one behind the other, and power is transferred from the engine via a planetary gear or spur gear transmission. Contra-rotating propellers are also known as counter-rotating propellers, although counter-rotating propellers is much more widely used when referring to airscrews on separate non-coaxial shafts turning in opposite directions.

Soloviev D-30

The Soloviev D-30 is a Soviet two-shaft low-bypass turbofan engine, officially referred to as a "bypass turbojet". It is probably the single most important turbofan engine developed in the Soviet Union. Development of the turbofan spurred numerous growth versions with increased fan diameter and modified component arrangements. Developed within an amazingly short period of time, the D-30 turned out to be one of the most reliable engines in the history of Soviet engine development, and it was recognized with the USSR State Prize.

The Kuznetsov Design Bureau was a Russian design bureau for aircraft engines, administrated in Soviet times by Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov. It was also known as (G)NPO Trud and Kuybyshev Engine Design Bureau (KKBM).

General Electric GE36

The General Electric GE36 was an experimental aircraft engine, a hybrid between a turbofan and a turboprop, known as an unducted fan (UDF) or propfan. The GE36 was developed by General Electric Aircraft Engines, with its CFM International equal partner Snecma taking a 35 percent share of development. Development was cancelled in 1989.

Snecma M88 French afterburning turbofan engine

The Snecma M88 is a French afterburning turbofan engine developed by Snecma for the Dassault Rafale fighter.

The Yakovlev Yak-46 was a proposed aircraft design based on the Yak-42 with two contra-rotating propellers on the propfan located at the rear. The specification of the Samara turbofans was in the 11,000 kg thrust range. Though proposed in the 1990s, production of the Yak-46 never commenced.

Progress D-27 Propfan engine

The Progress D-27 is a three-shaft propfan engine developed by Ivchenko Progress. The gas generator was designed using experience from the Lotarev D-36 turbofan. The D-27 engine was designed to power more-efficient passenger aircraft such as the abandoned Yakovlev Yak-46 project, and it was chosen for the Antonov An-70 military transport aircraft. As of 2019, the D-27 is the only contra-rotating propfan engine to enter service.

Kuznetsov NK-86 1970s Soviet/Russian turbofan aircraft engine

The Kuznetsov NK-86 is a low bypass turbofan engine used on the Ilyushin Il-86 rated at 13,000 kgf or 28,600 lbf thrust. It is made by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau. It is an upgraded version of the Kuznetsov NK-8.

JSC Kuznetsov is one of the leading Russian producers of aircraft engines, liquid-propellant rocket engines as well as aeroderivative gas turbines and modular stations.

Kuznetsov NK-25 1960s Soviet turbofan aircraft engine

The Kuznetsov NK-25 is a turbofan aircraft engine used in the Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bomber. It can equal the NK-321 engine as one of the most powerful supersonic engines in service today. It is rated at 245 kN (55,000 lbf) thrust. The three shaft engine we call the NK-25 was designed in the years 1972–1974. It is made by the Soviet Kuznetsov Design Bureau.

Pratt & Whitney/Allison 578-DX

The Pratt & Whitney/Allison 578-DX was an experimental aircraft engine, a hybrid between a turbofan and a turboprop known as a propfan. The engine was designed in the 1980s to power proposed propfan aircraft such as the Boeing 7J7 and the MD-91 and MD-92 derivatives of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. As of 2019, it is still one of only four different contra-rotating propfan engines to have flown in service or in flight testing.

Progress D-436

The Progress D-436 is a three-shaft high by-pass turbofan engine developed by the Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. It was initially developed to meet the requirements for late versions of the Yakovlev Yak-42 and the Antonov An-72 in the 1980s. The engine first ran in 1985 and was subsequently certified in 1987. Several variants have been developed and are currently in service with a variety of aircraft.

MPC 75 was an aircraft project of the company "MPC Aircraft GmbH" a subsidiary of "Deutsche Airbus". Work on the project was done mainly between 1988 and 1992 in Hamburg, Germany. Predevelopment work was finished, however the project never got the "go ahead" and never made it into full development.

Progress D-236 Propfan engine

The Progress D-236 was an experimental aircraft engine, a hybrid between a turbofan and a turboprop known as a propfan. Also known as the Lotarev D-236T, the three-shaft geared engine was designed in the 1980s and 1990s to power proposed propfan aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-334, Ilyushin Il-118, and Ilyushin Il-88.

The Ilyushin Il-90 was a twin-engine, widebody aircraft proposed by the Ilyushin Design Bureau. First mentioned at the Farnborough air show in 1988, the Il-90 was a replacement for the Ilyushin Il-62M long-range narrowbody airliner. The Il-90 was designed to carry 200 passengers a distance of 5,900 to 7,000 nautical miles. On a 540 nmi sector, per-passenger fuel consumption would be 18 to 19 grams per kilometre. Powerplant choices included the NK-92, an 18,000-kilogram-force thrust ducted propfan engine that was related to the Kuznetsov NK-93.

The Kuznetsov NK-92 was a military engine with a super-high bypass ratio. The NK-92 was proposed to power the Ilyushin Il-106 heavy military transport aircraft. Development of the Il-106 aircraft and its NK-92 engine slowed in the early 1990s. However, aspects of the engine's design were applied to the NK-92's civil engine counterpart, the Kuznetsov NK-93, which was tested in flight in the first decade of the 2000s.

The Kuznetsov NK-22 is an afterburning turbofan engine, designed by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau.

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References

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Bibliography

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