PD-14 is the engine. Turbofan engine: new developments

Most recently, tests began in the IL-76LL laboratory where the PD-14 was tested - an engine considered to be the most important development in domestic civil aviation for thirty years. Why? There are many reasons for this.

General view

PD-14 - engine of the fifth generation among turbojet engines. It is a complex construction, where innovative engineering solutions are implemented. Take at least a turbine blade, rotating at a frequency of twelve thousand revolutions per minute. At the same time, centrifugal force of eighteen tons is applied to it. There are up to seventy such blades in the turbine.

How it all began

The idea of creating the engine appeared at the beginning of the two thousandths in JSC Aviadvigatel. For a long period, the development of world leaders in the production of engines was studied, both air transport and aircraft were analyzed. At that time, the Russian market was dominated by foreign producers and everything. This greatly affected the domestic engine building. Therefore, the developers faced a challenge not only to reach the level of world leaders, but also to surpass the available technologies, as well as to make domestic aviation equipment competitive in terms of environmental, price and economic indicators. It is clear that it was not easy to realize such a task.

Therefore, it was decided to use all the advantages of domestic enterprises and research institutes for the production of engines.

The main idea of the project was to create a modern gas generator with such parameters, on the basis of which it was possible to build engines of different capacities. They were supposed to be installed on different aircrafts, as well as ground-based devices - at electric stations and gas transmission facilities. Gas generator is the most difficult node of the motor with high voltage. It was thanks to its unification that the problem was solved in providing serial production for various units. At the same time, the cost of each of the future models has significantly decreased. All materials and technologies were not imported at design (and even could not, even if such a desire arose, since the data are secret and not disclosed), but produced in Russia.

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Here it should be borne in mind that, in addition to Russian companies, technologies for the creation of new generation turbojet engines are available only in the United States, France and Britain. It turns out that they own fewer countries than those who possess nuclear weapons or are able to launch satellites into outer space. China, for example, has been trying to excel in this field for many years. He easily copied the domestic SU-27, but the engine AL-31F remained unavailable. Therefore, this country is still forced to buy in Russia is not a modern motor. That's why the developments in this industry are protected by the state.

Cooperation of developers and manufacturers

All the participants who planned to implement the project supported the idea. In 2006, they signed a protocol on joint implementation, which later became the basis for future cooperation.

The initiative also received government support. The project was named "PD-14". The engine began to be developed in OAO Aviadvigatel, and produced in OAO UK ODK. In addition to the main companies, a number of leading enterprises of aircraft engine building, branch institutes and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences took part in the implementation.

Synchronous production

PD-14 is a two-circuit engine, related to turbojet, has a thrust of 14 tons. It is supposed to be installed in MS-21 aircraft (they are designed for the number of passengers from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and eighty), which will be put into operation in 2017. Therefore, the engine of the aircraft is created in synchronization with the MS-21 itself.

When implementing the project, the so-called Gate-technologies are used. At the end of each stage, an appropriate examination is carried out, in which experts - representatives of all organizations participate. Due to this regime, if necessary, it is possible to make corrections in time and eliminate possible errors.

What's new in the engine

The basis was laid on the classic solutions, which proved their reliability in the development of PD-14. The engine at the same time contains modern design technologies. For example, nickel and titanium superalloys are used, which ensure the achievement of the required parameters. Thus, Russian developers made a qualitative leap to a new level, where the engine of the aircraft improved on all major indicators.

So, fuel consumption decreased by twelve to sixteen percent. The introduction of polymer composite materials has improved sound attenuation and reduced engine weight. There are about 20 new materials.

High quality of manufacturing is achieved due to sixteen main technologies used. Earlier in the engine building they were not used. Therefore, now they are actively developing and introducing into production.

In 2012, in order to demonstrate the engine with the claimed technological and design solutions, the bench test engine-demonstrator of technologies successfully passed. Excellent results were achieved in terms of acoustics, emission and thermodynamics.

To make the engine PD-14 characteristics and airworthiness its proven, a special qualification of the materials used is used. The data bank containing the materials contains all information about the level of structural strength that they have. All materials are tested in special modern laboratories.

Project Objectives

The development of engines is accompanied by the following objectives:

• Reduction of production costs;
• Reduction of maintenance and repair costs;
• Guaranteed stable operation of the mechanism;
• Reduction of fuel consumption;
• Weight reduction;
• Reduction of noise, emission of harmful substances.

Together with the work on the engine, a convenient system of servicing the units after the sale is created. It includes, in addition to optimal maintenance and repair, logistics schemes, guarantees and service. This is especially important in connection with the fact that this system is almost non-existent, since domestic aircraft are not used very much.

Guarantee of success

In 2013, an application for a certificate for PD-14 was filed, and at the end of 2015 tests were already conducted.

Due to the fact that the project is being implemented by a number of enterprises and research institutes, effective use of budget funds is ensured. Investments both in the development and in the real implementation of the project, allows us to overcome the backlog that was observed in the domestic aviation industry and lay the foundation for its subsequent development.

The development of new technologies is now becoming particularly effective, as our own practice will help to prevent all possible mistakes. All developments are being implemented in a knowingly successful project. All participants of the project continue to profit from other orders, which negates the risk of losses.

PD-7, PD-10, PD-14 against PS0-90

The only domestic engine that is equipped with airliners in Russia today is PS-90A. All other aircraft have foreign aggregates.

The developers of the project plan to translate all Russian planes into domestic new engines in the future.

PS-90A is a turbofan engine. The turbojet type PD-14 solved the problems previously available in jet engines, which prevented them from being used in civil aviation. The main problems were the huge fuel consumption and strong noise. In the new project, these and other obstacles were overcome, so that the engines will now be used for civil aircraft.

The PD-14 engine family includes PD-7 units with thrust up to 7,900 kilograms, and PD-10 with thrust up to 9900 kilograms. The most powerful modification of the PD-14M is capable of increasing the flight range with both maximum load and without it. And this will be realized with reduced fuel consumption from ten to fourteen percent compared to what the turbofan engine currently consumes.

Demand in the domestic and foreign markets

The developers are fully confident in the prospect of saturation of PD-14 engines by the internal market. Among the five competing airliners operating on the domestic market, the MS-21 has a significant advantage in the number of passengers. It can carry two hundred and twelve people. Compare: Boeing-737 carries only 189 passengers, while Bombardier-CS300 - only 135. In addition, the volumes for luggage, passage and chairs will increase. This will facilitate and accelerate the procedure for loading and unloading passengers.

Another significant advantage is the low cost of the aircraft. If a domestic aircraft that has the best engine inside is worth seventy-eight million dollars, then Boeing-737, for example, costs for companies almost one hundred and seven million, and Bombardier-CS300 - at eighty million.

As for the prospects for the MS-21 to enter the international market, the future is still vague. The only real foreign buyer is a Malaysian company that has already ordered twenty-five aircraft.

Among the domestic companies the aircraft was ordered:

• Aeroflot is fifty;
• "VEB-leasing" - thirty;
• Ilyushin Finance is twenty-eight;
• "Sberbank Leasing" - twenty;
• "IrAero" - ten.

The fact that both our and foreign companies do not aspire to acquire MS-21 can still be connected with unfinished tests. In addition, there is the problem of the lack of a developed service system after the sale of airliners.

Nevertheless, President Vladimir Putin at his press conference at the end of 2015 called the completion of the PD-14 project the most important event in the Russian engine industry since the eighties of the twentieth century and expressed confidence that our new engines will outperform foreign counterparts.

Therefore, there is every reason to predict success to the domestic engine and aircraft industry.