GTRE develops marine gas turbine for Indian Naval ships

Bangalore, Jul 17 (UNI) The city-based Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), which is indigenously developing Kaveri aircraft engine, has developed a marine gas turbine to power Indian Naval ships.

The turbine, developed as a spin-off during the development of Kaveri engine for propelling the Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas', was evolved by the scientists using the core of the Kaveri engine by adding a low pressure compressor and turbine as a gas generator and designed a free power turbine to generate shaft power for the maritime application, a DRDO release said here today.

The Kaveri marine gas turbine, as it has been named, was transported to the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam and installed on the marine gas turbine test bed, an Indian Navy facility capable of testing up to 25 MW of shaft power through a reduction gear box and a water brake dynamometer.

The Indian Navy was involved in the development of the engine and supported the testing phase. The engine was tested to its potential of 12 MW at ISA SL 35 degree Celecuis condition, which was the requirement for propelling the SNF (Rajput) class of ships.

India would become self-reliant in the technology of gas turbines for ship propulsion with the support of the Navy as an active and participating user throughout the development. This would put the country in the elite club of marine gas turbine designers, along with the US, Russia, Britain and Ukraine.

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