China Likely To Further Push Aero Engine Development

China is likely to grant top-level support to the development of aero engines to further grow the country's burgeoning aircraft industry, a senior engineer said Friday.

Gan Xiaohua, chief engineer of the Air Force Armament Research Institute, said the development of aero engines would probably be added to the list of national-level big research and development (R&D) projects.

"Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology are mulling the proposal, and steady progress has been made," Gan told Xinhua, without further elaboration.

The national big R&D initiative during the 2006-2025 period covers an array of researches that are vital to China's future development, ranging from large-scale integrated circuit, new-generation broadband wireless telecommunication, to manned space and lunar probe projects.

If included in the list, the project will be able to pool the necessary resources for achieving research breakthroughs.

The development of large passenger jets has already been part of the massively-funded initiative.

Wu Guanghui, vice general manager of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) said earlier this month that China's first large passenger jet, the C919, would make its maiden flight in 2014 and be put into service in 2016.

However, imported engines have to be used in the early stage of the jet's development, because "China's aviation technology still lags behind that of developed nations by about 20 years," Gan said.

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British Expert Believes Chinese engines Used American Technology

British military experts believe that China in the development of WS-10 "Taihang" turbofan engines for military use in the process of obtaining business from the United States CFM56 turbofan engine technology.

Russian media said the Chinese WS-10 "Taihang" engine development program comparable to the United States that year's "Apollo" moon program, are extremely important strategic significance. Experts believe that a weakness of domestic manufacturing of advanced jet engines can not become a superpower country.

WS-10 engine thrust does not open when the afterburner is unclear, but sources said it up to 132 kN afterburning. This indicator and the United States of its F-15 and F-16 are equipped with the F110 engine quite.

WS-10 Taihang Historical Development of the engine

Russian media said the United States to China in 1982 provided for the assessment of CFM56II two engines. Although only a commercial engine, but CFM56II the core components – high-pressure compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine is the same with the F110. U.S.

Department of Defense was worried that China will steal by CFM56II advanced engine manufacturing technology, and therefore opposed to the Chinese side. But the then Reagan administration insisted the deal, the Chinese people dismantling the engine and its components in detail. It is reported that it has not returned to the United States the last two engines, because they were "destroyed in a fire."

Russian media said, but just can not get to observe the structure of materials and production methods related to the engine enough information. Then the Chinese also carried out a lot of work, a generic version engine components has been completed.
Development process

WS-10 turbofan engine development work in 1987 in the 624th China Aviation Industry Research Institute was officially launched.

Russian media said, in 1992, basically to determine the main structure of the engine. In addition, the Chinese side in the powder metallurgy, directionally solidified turbine blades and other fields of work have also made great progress.

In 1997, the compressor blades have also been developed to solve the problem, the engine bench test went smoothly. WS-10 flight test engine later received permission.

In 2000-2001, the first station WS-10 prototype was installed in a J-11 (Su -27) and carried out on a high-altitude fighter test (another test used is imported from the Russian engine AL-31F .)

In 2003-2004, China's engineers have ruled out the engine during the test, some of the problems and try to reduce engine weight. After the completion of a series of improvements, the first time China has decided to install two J-11 WS-10 test flight. However, in 2004 during a test flight, J-11 engine on the right side of the fracture due to bearing damage, but fortunately, the ultimate in single-engine plane to fly back condition. The cause of failure was quickly identified and resolved.

2005, WS-10 engine successfully withstood a 40-day test program.

Russian media said that in 18 years after development work started, WS-10 received airworthiness license, subsequent production work was handed over to the Shenyang Aircraft Manufacturing Company. 2006-2007 have been rumors in the news that the Air Force on WS-10 quality of life of the engine and assembly are not satisfied.

However, WS-10 in the next few years or be out of production. Had emerged in 2010 with a WS-10 equipped with two engines of the J-11B fighter photos.

Obviously, WS-10 engine had appeared most of the problems have been resolved. China has also become able to independently produce advanced state of military jet engines.
Prospects

Now, China's engineers have mastered the advanced jet fighter for the equipment, engine manufacturing technology. It is said, WS-10 WS-10A model improvements have also been put into use. Although the WS-10A in appearance very similar to WS-10, but the former has a guide vane 17 (the latter is 15), in addition, the structure of the engine below the gear box is changed. Another source said, China is also developing the other WS-10 An Improved Model – WS-10B (also known as WS-10G). The new engine has more thrust, longer life, may also be equipped with a control vector nozzles.

Of course, China's engineers to develop new military engine in the process need to solve many problems, but WS-10 engine, its performance has reached the United States in the 1980s the level of similar products, and its improved model, and even more advanced.

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J-11B/BS Now Equip With WS-10 Engines

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U.S. Cancels Alternative F136 Engine For The F-35

According to a U.S. Defense Department news release, the companies, along with Congress, were notified of the decision April 25.

Pentagon procurement czar Ashton Carter issued a stop-work order March 24 to the companies to halt their work on the alternative engine, which the Defense Department had determined is “unneeded and wasteful.”

That action, which saved the Defense Department $1 million per day, was put in place prior to a final resolution of the F136′s disposition in the FY2011 budget.

After Congress voted earlier this month to enact a full-year continuing resolution in which there were no funds allocated to the F136, Carter ordered the engine to be terminated.

General Electric spokesman Rick Kennedy said in a written statement that the company was disappointed but would comply with the termination notice. However, the company is not backing down from continuing the fight to save the engine.

“[General Electric] and Rolls-Royce will work closely with our Congressional supporters during the 2012 budget process in pursuit of incorporating the engine into the program, and preserving competition,” Kennedy said, echoing earlier comments by General Electric CEO and chairman Jeffrey Immelt.

In a letter to GE Aviation employees, Immelt vowed to continue to fight to save the engine program.

“I can assure you we are not giving up. We will fight to bring competition to the 2012 budget debate,” he said.

Immelt said that the government would forgo billions in long-term savings by canceling the F136, which he said has completed 80 percent of its developmental phase.

“We will keep the core technical team together as we continue the fight, and reassign the other highly skilled employees of the F136 team to other Aviation programs,” Immelt said.

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Chinese Defense Industry Faces Homemade Jet Engine Problems

China can send a man into space and a rocket into lunar orbit but, paradoxically, its defense industry cannot build a top-end aircraft engine. Or an engine sophisticated enough to power advanced surface ships and armored vehicles.

But this broad statement requires a caveat. China's defense industry can indeed design, develop and produce propulsion systems for relatively simple military platforms — certain transport aircraft, patrol boats, some types of main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers. But high-performance combat aircraft, destroyers and similarly demanding platforms are another matter.
Only submarines appear an exception to this general rule. Most new types are fitted with locally developed propulsion systems, although the technology's origins are not known.

This technical shortcoming was most recently highlighted in a report in the Russian newspaper Vedomosti stating that Beijing last month bought 123 AL-31FN turbofan engines from Russian manufacturer NPO Saturn. These cost over US$500 million. The order follows earlier tranches that since 2001 have totaled 930 engines.


The AL-31FN currently powers China's J-10 multirole fighter and J-11A/B air superiority fighter, as well as the J-15 carrier-based fighter which is under development. Russia's Klimov RD-93 engine is fitted on the Chinese JF-17 multirole fighter and FC-1 attack fighter. A French engine drives the Z-11 helicopter and an American one powers the civilian ARJ-21 jet airliner.

Indicative of this trend elsewhere in the People's Liberation Army, the navy's Song-class submarine has MTU diesel engines from Germany, while the Luhai-class destroyer has Ukrainian gas turbines and German diesels. Among ground forces, the ZBL-09 8x8 infantry combat vehicle is fitted with a Deutz engine from Germany and the Type 99 main battle tank has a locally produced power plant derived from German technology.

Just a handful of companies worldwide have truly mastered the engineering challenge of developing high-performance engines, and China's dependence on foreign suppliers is deeply problematic for Beijing. But a new report concludes that change may be imminent.

Gabe Collins and associate professor Andrew Erickson, in a comprehensive study published recently by specialist website China SignPost, focus on military jet power plants.

“The Chinese aerospace industry is driven by four strategic imperatives as it pursues the ability to manufacture large volumes of high-performance aircraft engines — parts dependence avoidance, Russian supply unwillingness, aircraft sales autonomy and poor Russian after-sales service,” the authors state.

They say that quality control remains spotty, resulting in problems with reliability, and key weak points include turbine blade production and process standardization. Beyond these issues, “(China) appears to remain limited with respect to components and systems design, integration and management ... and to making logistical and operational plans at the force level based on reliable estimates thereof.”


Progress is uneven but, the authors add, China's dominant aerospace conglomerate — the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), with 10 subsidiaries and 400,000 employees — has now placed a high priority on engine development and plans over the next five years to invest 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) in jet engine research and development.

This is particularly significant because Russia looks to be an increasingly reluctant supplier, partly because of production pressures due to heightened domestic requirements, but also because of China's rising international sales competitiveness. Such reticence could seriously impede Beijing's push to upgrade its air force with J-10, J-11, J-15 and J-20 fighters — the last of these a fifth-generation fighter under development, with Moscow seemingly hesitant to provide the 117S engine it needs for sufficient power.

“We estimate that, based on current knowledge and assuming no major setbacks or loss of mission focus, China will need two to three years before it achieves comprehensive capabilities commensurate with the aggregate inputs in the jet engine sector and five to 10 years before it is able to consistently mass produce top-notch turbofan engines for a fifth-generation type fighter,” said the study.

“If China's engine-makers can attain the technical capability level that United States manufacturers had 20 years ago, it will be able to power its fourth-generation and fifth-generation aircraft with domestically made engines. These developments would be vital in cementing China as a formidable regional air power and deserve close attention from policymakers.”

Collins and Erickson characterize China's inability to domestically mass produce advanced jet engines of consistent quality as an enduring Achilles' heel in its military aerospace sector. And there are important strategic and commercial implications inherent in overcoming this problem.

Presumably, if more priorities arise, doing so through AVIC's new initiative may also provide lessons that could be applied to ground and naval platforms.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/special-to-the-china-post/2011/07/20/310435/p2/China-defense.htm

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China Signs $500 Million Deal With Russia For 123 AL-31FN Engines

China’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract to buy Russian aircraft engines worth $500 million in early June, Vedomosti reported, citing an unidentified personsource close to Russia’s state arms-selling agency and an unidentified manager of an aviation company. 

The contract is for 123 AL-31FN engines by 2013, the first 13 of which will be delivered later this year, the newspaper said. 

Read More At:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-04/china-signs-500-million-russian-jet-engine-deal-vedomosti-says.html

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