Currently, the domestic aircraft industry is in a kind of “limbo” state: on the one hand, it exists, but on the other, we have not seen a single modern aircraft of purely domestic design in recent years. And the “Super-Jet” does not count, since it is from Russian - exclusively “screwdriver assembly”. The hope for the resurrection of the aviation industry is the PD-14 engine, the characteristics of which (compared with analogues) allow us to call it one of the best in recent years.

The developers hope that the creation of a new engine will have the most favorable impact on the state of the entire domestic aviation industry, and will also contribute to the creation of many new jobs.

New project

Why was it created at all? new engine PD-14? The characteristics (comparison with foreign models) of modern Russian engines were such that the development of something radically new was urgently required. The designers were guided by the idea of ​​​​creating a power plant that would allow them to further develop and build their own aircraft with a capacity of 130 to 180 seats. The only passenger aircraft of a similar class and entirely of Russian origin is the Tu-214 aircraft. Its production in small batches continues today.

But there is an urgent shortage of these aircraft; we need equipment to renew the entire aircraft fleet of our country. But doing this without completely new engines is absolutely impossible. By technical specifications and their capabilities were in no way inferior to their counterparts from the world's leading manufacturers.

In general, in connection with the recent Ukrainian events and the complete severance of ties in the industrial sphere of the two countries, the PD-14 engine (characteristics, comparison - in this article) is also of great importance in the aspect of a complete revival of development and manufacturing in our country. In addition, during its creation it is planned to solve several important problems at once:

• Complete restructuring of the civil aircraft industry by redistributing roles and involving new players in this project.
• Finally, it is planned to divide areas of responsibility and re-create the division of labor in the production of aviation products, which was completely destroyed at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• The project’s creators also expect to create new polymer and composite materials, which are urgently needed in the modern aerospace industry.

How it all began?

The idea that the country urgently needed a new aircraft engine was born in the depths of Aviadvigatel OJSC when it was the beginning of the 2000s. The time was extremely difficult then, and therefore in reality of this project few believed.

But at this time, the organization’s specialists carefully and purposefully studied world experience in the production of engines, and also analyzed the domestic transportation market, trying to predict what type of engine in the civil aircraft industry would be in high demand. What exactly was the PD-14 engine supposed to stand out about? Its characteristics (comparison and comparison) with foreign models simply had to reveal its noticeable superiority.

Why? It's simple. In those days, the products of foreign aircraft manufacturers were “pushed” into our markets using extremely aggressive methods. Alas, some leaders contributed to this to a large extent. Today, due to sanctions, this issue is no longer so relevant. Moreover, the state itself “suddenly” became interested in the possibility of producing domestic engines. So the Aviadvigatel OJSC enterprise then quickly became the center of attention of both domestic and foreign media.

Main objectives of the project

The main task at that time was to ensure an acceptable price at which this product would actually begin to be intensively purchased. It was then that the idea of ​​​​creating a unified and universal gas generator was born. If it succeeds, then our country will have the opportunity to create a huge list of its own industrial equipment, which cannot but rejoice.

What is a turbofan motor, principles of operation

How can we better understand the benefits that the new turbofan engine provides? The operating principle of all similar engines is similar, and therefore this issue should be considered in more detail, since otherwise the advantages of new technologies are unlikely to be clear.

In the specialized literature, turbofan engines are called engines with a high bypass ratio. Their distinctive feature is the presence of a large diameter fan, due to which a very large volume of air always passes through the engine. Due to the large dimensions of this part, the external nozzle of the engine often becomes too “monumental”, and therefore it is shortened. To prevent dangerous air turbulence from occurring, the design includes fixed blades that turn the flow of the air mixture in the desired direction.

Accordingly, according to the principle of their operation, such engines strongly resemble rocket engines, but there is practically no mixing of flows in them. The advantage of turbofan engines is that the jet coming out of the rockets “into the pipe” in this case spins an additional fan, which is powerful source traction. It is he who produces at least 70-80% of the total traction force. Thus, the PD-14 aircraft engine is extremely economical. The internal contour of these engines almost completely repeats the design of rocket models, but their last stages “concurrently” act as a fan drive.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like all its “relatives”, the PD-14 aircraft engine has both positive and negative sides. Its strengths include high efficiency, which allows these power plants to be widely used even on long routes.

What disadvantages does it have? The most significant is its very large dimensions and decent weight. Despite all the efforts of engineers and scientists, turbofan engines create significant resistance to the oncoming air. air flow in flight. It is expected that this problem will be solved when ways are found to reduce their overall dimensions.

Comparative differences

The new turbofan engine, the operating principle of which is similar to “classic” domestic models, is still very different from its predecessors. Of course, differences “by eye” are only noticeable to engineers. If you compare it with the PS-90A model (Il-96, Tu-214, Il-76), you will immediately notice, let’s not be afraid of this word, a qualitative leap in technological process and possibilities.

The bypass ratio increased exactly twice, the gas temperature before entering the turbine increased by 100 K, the total compression ratio (in different conditions) increased by 20-50%. In comparison with the above varieties of domestic engines, the new PD-14 aircraft engine allows you to save at least 12-16% more fuel.

Weight savings

For the first time in the domestic civil aircraft industry, the engine design uses the technology of producing hollow turbine blades from high-strength titanium alloys.

This results in a weight saving of 30%; in total, the new PD-14 aircraft engine is lighter by about 10%. Also, the Perm Engine Plant is currently mastering the technology for producing monocrystalline turbine blades. It is reported that this approach will allow raising the operating temperature of gases immediately to 2000 K.

In addition, for the first time, domestic manufacturers are going to use such a quantity of polymer composite materials when designing and manufacturing engines. This approach will not only significantly reduce the weight of the engine, but also increase its strength and resistance to overloads.

The value of creating a new motor

As we said at the very beginning of the article, it is impossible to create a single new aircraft without first developing new engines. With the latter, everything is gradually starting to get better: testing of the PD-14 engine in the form of a State inspection will start soon... But what cars will be equipped with them?

It is assumed that the MS-21 aircraft (long-haul, 21st century) will be created specifically for these engines. If this is really implemented, then we can talk about a real breakthrough; for the first time since the times of the USSR, something new will actually be created in our country. More importantly, the Russian PD-14 engine will make it possible to create a whole line of new aircraft designed to perform both long-distance flights and domestic routes. Until recently, everyone said that domestic aircraft would have to be equipped exclusively with imported engines. Today it turned out that this, fortunately, is not the case.

What cars are they going to equip with it?

It is already obvious today that the unified design of the new engine will allow it to be successfully used not only on passenger aircraft, but also on transport aircraft. Since its thrust is as much as 14 tons, this model can be installed on the MS-21-200/300/400. Surely it will be acceptable to equip the IL-214 with them. There is information about the beginning of the creation of an even more powerful modification with a thrust of 18 tons, that is, PD-18. It is supposed to be used on Tu-214 and Il-96 aircraft. Let us remind you that today all these machines are equipped with the “old man” PS-90A.

The developers also report that a decision has already been made to create a lightweight version of this engine with a thrust of ten tons. It can be assumed that it will be used to produce the long-suffering Superjets, for which no one wants to buy engines from France now. Finally, a special helicopter version of this engine will also be created, which will be equipped with the famous transport “cow”, also known as the Mi-26 helicopter.

Until this day, Ukrainian D-136 engines were used in the production of these machines. Even preliminary calculations show that the existing need for these engines is more than enough to cover all the costs that were incurred during the development of new technology. In total, it is planned to attract at least 70 billion rubles of investment, half of which will come from the federal budget. The last circumstance shows how much this project is needed by the country.

What's bad about the old PS90-A?

The newest engine for the MS-21, PD-14, is a new generation. In addition, it is perfectly compatible with relatively old modifications of aircraft. Thus, the honored “veterans” of the IL-76, the modernization of which has been intensively carried out since last year, can fly several tens of thousands more hours when a new engine is installed on them. In addition, it will be possible to increase the flight range from four to five thousand kilometers, the unloaded distance will also increase by one thousand kilometers, and fuel consumption will be reduced by approximately 14%. The last circumstance is especially important, since thanks to it it will be possible to reduce the cost of transporting a ton of cargo by 10%.

Thus, the old motor, which has faithfully served its time in service and was developed in the USSR, is still coping with its responsibilities, but it no longer meets modern requirements. The main problem is high fuel consumption and increased noise. In principle, this has been known for a very long time, but concrete steps towards correcting the situation and creating a new engine have been taken only now. To be fair, it is worth saying that only today have all the necessary means for this work appeared.

Official information about the progress of work

Officially, the engine has been in development since 2008, but in fact, a talented team of designers began designing it back in 1999.

In 2012, a full-fledged assembly was carried out for the first time demo version. At the same time, intensive development of the gas generator systems was underway, which caused the designers the main problems. To date, all shortcomings have been successfully eliminated. This Permian engine was first launched in mid-2012. At the same time, the designers found out that the high design indicators were fully consistent with the practical state of affairs, which further strengthened their conviction in the need to urgently establish the production of new engines.

It was originally planned to be completed three years ago, but due to some problems there is information that they are partially continuing to this day. It is expected that mass production will begin this year, and Perm residents should assemble at least two to three dozen new engines per year. And this is very little, since domestic aviators believe that if the current pace of flights is maintained, by 2019, aircraft engines should be produced at a titanic pace - 200 units in 12 months. I would like to hope that the domestic industry will be able to “pull” this project.

What about MS-21?

For the first time, information about the start of work on the production of a new aircraft began to arrive at the beginning of last year. At the moment, it is known for sure that the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is already in full swing assembling the first fuselage of the new domestic airliner, which is better known in its environment under the “unofficial” name of the Yak-242.

The wing is made from unique composite materials and is assembled in Ulyanovsk. Most likely, it has already arrived in Irkutsk. Domestic media, which have their representatives at this enterprise, firmly promised that the first plane would be able to take off this summer. It is reported that the manufacturer already has as many as 175 firm contracts for the construction and supply of MS-21. The customers were many large organizations, including even Sberbank, which supplies new aircraft on lease.

There is also information that an additional 100 aircraft of this type may be ordered, and not only domestic, but also foreign translators will act as customers. This message is truly unique, since the last time someone showed interest in our passenger aircraft was only during the Soviet era.

The importance of the MC-21 project is that it is the first and so far the only domestic aircraft created independently and without the use of old developments from the times of the Union, in which foreign components are not used. This brand will enter the flight routes only after the final completion of all types of flight and bench tests, which continue to this day.

conclusions

Thus, the new promising engine is a real breakthrough for the entire domestic industry and, in particular, for civil aircraft construction. As for the need for these engines, it is colossal. For a very long time, domestic carriers have been saying that they are not too eager to buy decommissioned imported aircraft, the service life of which is almost exhausted. But at that time, the domestic industry could not offer them anything suitable.

Today there is both an engine and an airplane. Since sanctions have been introduced against our state, there are no opportunities to buy anything abroad, and the skyrocketing exchange rate does not add to the attractiveness of this decision. So the domestic project has great prospects. I would like to hope that the industry will not let us down and will be able to provide manufacturers with all the necessary components.

The PD-14 is a fifth-generation engine; it combines the best domestic traditions with new aviation standards of the 21st century. A turbojet engine is a highly complex engineering device that requires very complex design solutions. For example, one turbine blade, and there are about 70 of them in stages, rotates at a frequency of 12 thousand revolutions per minute, and is acted upon by a centrifugal force equal to 18 tons. For comparison, this is the load on the suspension of a double-decker London bus.

1. The first aircraft engine created in Russia after the collapse of the USSR

Project PD-14 - new page in the history of turbofan bypass engines and the first domestic development in the field of civil engine construction over the past 29 years: the first flight of the Il-76LL under the PS-90A test program took place on December 26, 1986.

PD-14 is created on the basis of a specially developed unique gas generator, which includes three elements: a highly efficient compressor, a high-pressure turbine and a low-emission combustion chamber. The PD-14 unified gas generator makes it possible to create engines with a thrust from 8 to 18 tons.

2. Basic design for the engine family

The family of engines based on the PD-14 will make it possible to equip almost all Russian aircraft with modern power plants: from the PD-7 for the short-haul Sukhoi Superjet 100 to the PD-18, which can be installed on the long-haul Il-96. Based on the PD-14 gas generator, it is planned to develop a PD-10V helicopter engine to replace the D-136 on the world's largest helicopter, the Mi-26. The same engine can also be used on the Russian-Chinese heavy helicopter, the development of which has already begun. Based on the PD-14 gas generator, gas pumping units or even gas turbine power plants with a capacity of 8 to 16 MW can be created.

3. 16 new technologies have been developed for PD-14

For the PD-14, with the leading role of the Central Institute of Aviation Engine Manufacturing (CIAM), the leading research institute of the industry, and the Aviadvigatel Design Bureau, 16 critical technologies were developed: monocrystalline high-pressure turbine blades with a promising cooling system, operable at gas temperatures up to 2000 °K ; a hollow wide-chord fan blade made of titanium alloy, thanks to which it was possible to increase the efficiency of the fan stage by 5% compared to PS-90; low-emission combustion chamber made of intermetallic alloy; sound-absorbing structures made of composite materials; ceramic coatings on hot end parts; hollow low-pressure turbine blades, etc.

4. 20 new materials were created for the project

With the participation of the All-Russian Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM), about 20 new materials were developed for the PD-14. The use of composite materials in the design of the engine and engine nacelle, and hollow wide-chord titanium fan blades have significantly reduced the weight of the engine. PD-14 wins due to its undeniable advantages: reduction in specific fuel consumption by 10-15%, reduction in cost life cycle by 15-20%; engine operation will cost 14-17% less than existing analogues.

But creating the material is half the battle: its use in a civil aircraft engine requires certification according to international standards. Otherwise, the engine, no matter how good it is, will not be allowed to fly outside Russia. The rules here are very strict because we are talking about people's safety. The same applies to the engine manufacturing process: enterprises in the industry require certification according to the standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). All this will force us to improve production standards. The development of the PD-14 itself took place using new, digital technology, thanks to which the 7th copy of the engine was assembled in Perm using mass production technology, while previously a pilot batch was produced in quantities of up to 35 copies. In general, the PD-14 project will save more than 10 thousand highly qualified jobs for Russia.

5. Eco-friendly and silent aircraft engine

Optimization of thermodynamic cycle parameters, low-emission combustion chamber, and low specific fuel consumption made it possible to minimize harmful emissions in PD-14. The achieved emission levels are 30-45% below the established standards.

PD-14 is a silent engine. 3D aerodynamic modeling of components, increasing the bypass ratio to move to the low-frequency zone and the use of effective noise suppression systems of the latest generation have made it possible to significantly reduce the noise level. The noise levels exceed the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization by a significant margin.

6. The first Russian aircraft engine of the 5th generation

Progress in aircraft engine manufacturing is characterized by several parameters, but the main one is the temperature of the gas in front of the turbine. The transition to each new generation of turbojet engines, and there are five of them in total, was characterized by an increase in this temperature by 100-200 degrees.

Thus, in the 1st generation of engines of the late 1940s, the temperature did not exceed 877 °C, in the 2nd generation (1950s) this figure increased to 977 °C, in the 3rd generation (1960s) .) this parameter rose to 1176 °C; for engines of the 4th generation (1970-1980), the gas temperature reached 1376 °C. Turbine blades of 5th generation engines, the first examples of which appeared in the West in the mid-1990s, operate at a temperature of 1626 °C. Currently, only 15% of engines in use in the world are of the 5th generation.

7. PD-14 technologies - state secret

In addition to domestic companies, only companies in the USA, Great Britain and France possess technologies for the full cycle of creating modern turbojet engines. That is, states producing modern aircraft turbojet engines, less than countries with nuclear weapons or launching satellites into space. For example, China's many years of efforts have not yet led to success in this area. The Chinese quickly copied the Russian Su-27 fighter, but they were never able to copy its AL-31F engine. China is still forced to purchase this no longer the most modern engine from Russia. Therefore, aircraft engine development technologies are protected as the most important state secret.

As is known, the Russian civil aviation industry found itself in last decades in a difficult situation. No, we have not forgotten how to make airplanes that fly. But the global air transportation market requires equipment that meets high operational requirements, especially in terms of efficiency, noise level and environmental friendliness. Most of these requirements are designed in Soviet time passenger aircraft did not match or, in any case, were inferior in these indicators to competitors from Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer.

PD-14 is an engine with an ultra-high bypass ratio (1:8.3). This is noticeable already from the impressive fan with a diameter of 1.9 m. The power plant will consume fuel very economically.

There wasn't one of our own

The first attempt in new Russia to create a competitive product was made by the company " Civil aircraft Sukhoi" with its Superjet 100. The creators of this regional airliner were often reproached for the fact that, they say, the car can only be called Russian conditionally - there are too many imported components in it. Take, for example, engines, which make up about a third of the price of an aircraft. The Superjet 100 is equipped with SaM-146 jointly produced by the French company Snecma and the Russian NPO Saturn. However, the most complex and expensive part of a turbofan engine is the gas generator (compressors, combustion chamber, high-pressure turbine) - a solution from a French partner. And only the “cold” part - the fan and the low-pressure turbine that rotates it - was developed in Rybinsk at NPO Saturn.

The gondola was developed by Aviadvigatel OJSC, that is, the PD-14 manufacturer itself. It embodies many interesting solutions, in particular the unique reverse design.

In other words, at the time of the Superjet design, Russian industry had almost nothing to offer aircraft manufacturers. Russia did not have its own competitive engine for regional aircraft. As well as many other things. However, today the situation has changed. The new medium-haul airliner MS-21 (probable name in the Yak-242 series) will depend to a much lesser extent on cooperation with foreign suppliers. And although, as is customary, the aircraft customer will have the right to choose and will be able to give preference to a foreign-made power plant, there will be Russian engines for the MC-21. More precisely, they already exist.

PD-14 refers to turbofan engines in which the flows from the two circuits do not mix. Air from the second “cold” circuit flows out of a nozzle with wavy edges.

World class parameters

The fifth generation PD-14 engine was developed by Perm-based Aviadvigatel OJSC. It is based on a unified gas generator: an 8-stage compressor, a low-emission combustion chamber, and a high-pressure turbine. This gas generator will also be used in other engines of the PD family with lower or higher thrust. The PD-14 produces a thrust of 14 tons, and the operation of the secondary circuit is provided by a fan with hollow wide-chord blades and a low-pressure turbine. The bypass ratio of an engine is the ratio of air flow through the outer loop to air flow through the inner loop, and for the PD-14 engine it is equal to 8.3. This is a modern indicator for both domestic turbofan engines and foreign ones. The high bypass ratio results in a significant reduction in fuel consumption. According to the statement of the PD-14 developer, the reduction in specific fuel consumption compared to modern analogues will be 10-15%. The declared noise level is 15−20 dB below the standards established by the 4th ICAO standard, and the level of emissions of harmful NOx substances will be 30% lower than the 2008 ICAO standards. This complies with modern environmental standards.

"Stranger" under the wing

While the first flight model MS-21 is just being built, the PD-14 is taking to the skies. It is suspended from the pylon of the Il-76 LL flying laboratory instead of one of the four standard engines. The tests are carried out by test pilots and engineers from the famous Flight Test Institute (LII named after M.M. Gromov), part of the United Aircraft Corporation, as well as representatives of the manufacturer - Aviadvigatel OJSC. It is difficult to confuse the experimental engine with the standard Ilov engines, since its dimensions exceed those of the standard D-30KP-2. Suffice it to say that the fan inlet diameter alone is 1.9 m.

Anatoly Dmitrievich Kulakov, Deputy General Director of the Flight Research Institute, spoke to Popular Mechanics about the technologies for preparing and testing a promising Russian engine. MM. Gromov on testing power plants. As we learned from our conversation, before the engine could take off on its first flight, the institute’s specialists had to solve many complex engineering problems. The first of these was the choice of a flying laboratory (FL). LII has at its disposal several LLs created on the basis of the Il-76 aircraft, but not all of them can carry out tests of the PD-14. Much depends on the mass of the power plant (will the wing support the weight?) and the thrust created by the PD-14. The choice fell on the Il-76 LL with a reinforced wing, which can accommodate a power plant weighing up to 9 tons and an engine thrust of up to 25,000 kgf. However, this aircraft was last involved in testing in 1996. Then a unique D-27 propeller-fan engine, intended for use on the Ukrainian-Russian An-70 aircraft, was attached to it. After almost two decades of inactivity, it was necessary to restore the airworthiness of the IL-76 LL, for which a special program was drawn up with the active participation of JSC AKB im. S.V. Ilyushin." A significant part of the equipment on the veteran aircraft, including flight and navigation equipment, was replaced, and all the necessary conclusions were received that the LL could take off. What's next? Suspend the engine and start testing? No! It is not that simple.

In the photo you can see a promising Russian engine without a nacelle.

The PD-14 engine is also unique in that for the first time in the practice of domestic engine building, the manufacturer developed not only the engine itself, but also the nacelle for it (usually the engine nacelle is made for a specific engine by the company that creates the aircraft). Thus, the engine already has a mount designed for the MS-21 pylon, and it does not fit the IL-76LL wing. LII specialists had to design a special power spacer - an adapter between the fastenings of the MS-21 pylon and the IL-76LL wing.

This photo shows the process of hanging a nacelle with an engine from the pylon of a flying laboratory. For connecting fasteners different types A special power adapter is used.

Where to put the energy?

The most important engineering problem is that the new engine cannot be tested under the control of standard LL systems. In the laboratory, it is necessary to recreate all the control systems of the experimental power plant, similar to those that will be used on the MS-21, and also to reliably reproduce all the loads under which the engine will operate. For this purpose, before testing, it was necessary to design and integrate all the relevant equipment into the flying laboratory.

The engine not only creates jet thrust, it is the energetic heart of the aircraft. Using a shaft and a gearbox, the high-pressure turbine shaft is connected to the CPSA (aircraft drive unit). In the CPSA, the torque transmitted there is “disassembled” by an electric generator and hydraulic pumps. Engines now require as much electrical power as possible, especially as a number of hydraulic drives are being replaced by electric drives. The IL-76LL is equipped with an electrical power take-off system. The power taken from the generator is realized in special thermal electric loaders (TEH), which are installed in fairings blown with outside air during flight.

In the background you can see the main control panel of the experimental engine: sitting at this control panel, the leading LII engineer controls the PD-14 modes during the test flight. Closer to us are the workplaces of other specialists who monitor engine operating parameters.

In addition to torque, compressed air is taken from the engine, which enters the systems of the MC-21 aircraft. Air is sampled for different purposes at several points in the gas generator. For example, after the third stage of the compressor, air is removed for the air conditioning needs of the MS-21 passenger compartment. The flying laboratory does not have an air extraction system with parameters of the air conditioning system similar to that of the MS-21, since compressed air extraction is a power extraction from the engine, which means that during testing this load must also be implemented. LL is also full of control and measuring equipment. When operating a serial engine, the on-board parametric recorder records 30−40 operating parameters of the installation. During the tests, 1066 parameters are taken from an experimental engine equipped with many sensors. The data is sent to the central server, to the leading engineer’s console in the cargo compartment of the IL-76LL, to the display in the cockpit, via a radio channel to the ground control point and directly to specialists in Perm, at Aviadvigatel OJSC.

Workplace one of the engineers involved in the tests, and a cabinet with computer equipment that analyzes the data using specially developed software.

Solo on one motor

When the time comes to lift the LL into the air, the most experienced test pilots of the LII named after them sit in the seats of the flight crew. MM. Gromova. In the cargo compartment, test engineers occupy seats at the consoles. Pilots have at their disposal all the usual control systems for the Il-76LL aircraft and its engines. And only the experimental engine is controlled by the leading test engineer from the LII. Next to him at the central console is another LII representative and an engineer from the PD-14 developer. “We take off on three engines using a special technique so that due to asymmetric thrust the plane does not fly off the runway,” says Alexander Krutov, Honored Test Pilot, Hero of Russia, Head of the LII Test Pilot School. — At this stage of takeoff testing, the experimental engine runs only at idle. First, we warm up the three standard engines. Then we put the second engine, symmetrical to the experienced one, at low throttle and slowly begin the takeoff run. We put the 1st and 4th standard engines into takeoff mode. Then, during the takeoff run, we smoothly bring the 3rd standard engine to takeoff mode. We take off at three and gain altitude. This way we can avoid dangerous turning points during takeoff.”

After gaining altitude, the leading test engineer, who has at his disposal the control lever of the experimental engine installed on the main console, begins directly testing. The first engineering test program for the PD-14 is designed for only 12 hours of flight time. At the end of each flight, the information received is analyzed by LII specialists, and representatives of Aviadvigatel OJSC carefully inspect the engine components, assess its condition, and eliminate possible defects. Of course, everything will not end with the first series of test flights. The engine will face new tests with heavy loads, including in high altitude conditions, extreme heat and severe cold. But even now, according to LII specialists participating in the tests, the characteristics of the PD-14 engine correspond to the calculated data in proven modes.

At the end of last year, tests of the newest Russian aircraft engine PD-14 began on the Il-76LL flying laboratory, which experts called “an event of exceptional importance.” What is unique about this engine and why was it called the most significant Russian project in the field of civil aviation over the past 30 years? Seven facts about PD-14 will help clarify. The PD-14 is a fifth-generation engine; it combines the best domestic traditions with new aviation standards of the 21st century.

A turbojet engine is a highly complex engineering device that requires very complex design solutions. For example, one turbine blade, and there are about 70 of them in stages, rotates at a frequency of 12 thousand revolutions per minute, and is acted upon by a centrifugal force equal to 18 tons. For comparison, this is the load on the suspension of a double-decker London bus.

1. The first aircraft engine created in Russia after the collapse of the USSR

The PD-14 project is a new page in the history of turbofan bypass engines and the first domestic development in the field of civil engine construction in the last 29 years: the first flight of the Il-76LL under the PS-90A test program took place on December 26, 1986.

PD-14 is created on the basis of a specially developed unique gas generator, which includes three elements: a highly efficient compressor, a high-pressure turbine and a low-emission combustion chamber. The PD-14 unified gas generator makes it possible to create engines with a thrust from 8 to 18 tons.

2. Basic design for the engine family

The family of engines based on the PD-14 will make it possible to equip almost all Russian aircraft with modern power plants: from the PD-7 for the short-haul Sukhoi Superjet 100 to the PD-18, which can be installed on the long-haul Il-96. Based on the PD-14 gas generator, it is planned to develop a PD-10V helicopter engine to replace the D-136 on the world's largest helicopter, the Mi-26. The same engine can also be used on the Russian-Chinese heavy helicopter, the development of which has already begun. Based on the PD-14 gas generator, gas pumping units or even gas turbine power plants with a capacity of 8 to 16 MW can be created.

3. 16 new technologies have been developed for PD-14

For the PD-14, with the leading role of the Central Institute of Aviation Engine Manufacturing (CIAM), the leading research institute of the industry, and the Aviadvigatel Design Bureau, 16 critical technologies were developed: monocrystalline high-pressure turbine blades with a promising cooling system, operable at gas temperatures up to 2000 °K ; a hollow wide-chord fan blade made of titanium alloy, thanks to which it was possible to increase the efficiency of the fan stage by 5% compared to PS-90; low-emission combustion chamber made of intermetallic alloy; sound-absorbing structures made of composite materials; ceramic coatings on hot end parts; hollow low-pressure turbine blades, etc.

4. 20 new materials were created for the project

With the participation of the All-Russian Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM), about 20 new materials were developed for the PD-14. The use of composite materials in the design of the engine and engine nacelle, and hollow wide-chord titanium fan blades have significantly reduced the weight of the engine. PD-14 wins thanks to its undeniable advantages: a reduction in specific fuel consumption by 10–15%, a reduction in life cycle costs by 15–20%; operating the engine will cost 14–17% less than existing analogues.

But creating the material is half the battle: its use in a civil aircraft engine requires certification according to international standards. Otherwise, the engine, no matter how good it is, will not be allowed to fly outside Russia. The rules here are very strict because we are talking about people's safety. The same applies to the engine manufacturing process: enterprises in the industry require certification according to the standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). All this will force us to improve production standards. The development of the PD-14 itself took place using new, digital technology, thanks to which the 7th copy of the engine was assembled in Perm using mass production technology, while previously a pilot batch was produced in quantities of up to 35 copies. In general, the PD-14 project will save more than 10 thousand highly qualified jobs for Russia.

5. Eco-friendly and silent aircraft engine

Optimization of thermodynamic cycle parameters, low-emission combustion chamber, and low specific fuel consumption made it possible to minimize harmful emissions in PD-14. The achieved emission levels are 30–45% below the established standards.

PD-14 is a silent engine. 3D aerodynamic modeling of components, increasing the bypass ratio to move to the low-frequency zone and the use of effective noise suppression systems of the latest generation have made it possible to significantly reduce the noise level. The noise levels exceed the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization by a significant margin.

6. The first Russian aircraft engine of the 5th generation

Progress in aircraft engine manufacturing is characterized by several parameters, but the main one is the temperature of the gas in front of the turbine. The transition to each new generation of turbojet engines, and there are five of them in total, was characterized by an increase in this temperature by 100–200 degrees.

Thus, in the 1st generation of engines of the late 1940s, the temperature did not exceed 877 °C, in the 2nd generation (1950s) this figure increased to 977 °C, in the 3rd generation (1960s) .) this parameter rose to 1176 °C; for engines of the 4th generation (1970–1980), the gas temperature reached 1376 °C. Turbine blades of 5th generation engines, the first examples of which appeared in the West in the mid-1990s, operate at a temperature of 1626 °C. Currently, only 15% of engines in use in the world are of the 5th generation.

7. PD-14 technologies – state secret

In addition to domestic companies, only companies in the USA, Great Britain and France possess technologies for the full cycle of creating modern turbojet engines. That is, there are fewer countries producing modern aviation turbojet engines than countries that have nuclear weapons or launch satellites into space. For example, China's many years of efforts have not yet led to success in this area. The Chinese quickly copied the Russian Su-27 fighter, but they were never able to copy its AL-31F engine. China is still forced to purchase this no longer the most modern engine from Russia. Therefore, aircraft engine development technologies are protected as the most important state secret.

The development of the base engine stimulates the development of domestic industry and science

The goal of the project “PD-14 Engine for the MS-21 Aircraft” is to create a family of commercial engines for short- and medium-haul aircraft with passenger capacity from 130 to 180 seats. The engines of this promising family must compete with foreign analogues in terms of technical characteristics and economic efficiency.

The main goal of the project is to eliminate Russia’s technological lag in gas turbine engine construction in the shortest possible time. In addition, during its implementation the following tasks are solved: