Modified Kaveri engine to propel Indian Navy ships

Bangalore, July 17 : The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bangalore of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which has been indigenously developing Kaveri engine for propelling the Indian Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), has now come up with a modified marine version, as a spin off during research, to develop shaft power for propelling Indian Naval ship.

Using the core of the Kaveri engine, the scientists of GTRE have added low pressure compressor and turbine as a gas generator and designed a free power turbine to generate shaft power for the maritime application.

The Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) as it has been named has been transported to naval dock yard, Vishakapatnam and installed on to the marine gas turbine test bed which is an Indian Navy facility capable of testing the gas turbines up to 25 MW of shaft power through a reduction gearbox and a water brake dynamometer.

The Indian Navy has been involved in the development of the engine and participated and supporting the testing phase.

The engine has been tested to its potential of 12 MW at ISA SL 35 degree C condition which is the requirement of Indian Navy for propelling the SNF (Rajput) class of ships.

This engine has been demonstrated to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and others including the Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister M. Natarajan, Vice Admiral B.S. Randhawa, Dr. D.Banerjee, Chief Controller of DRDO.

With this development, India will become self-reliant in the technology of gas turbines for ship propulsion.

This will put India in the elite club of Marine Gas Turbine designers for example USA, Russia, UK and Ukraine. By Kestur Vasuki

ANI