Qualification of a Small Turbojet Engine for UAV - a Challenge

摘要

A small turbojet engine has been developed for UAV application. The engine operates at high rotor speeds of about 30000·rpm and rotor integrity at such high speeds to be maintained while delivering the required performance for different flight missions. Various engine systems have to efficiently work inside the flight envelope during various maneuvers where engine attitudes may change frequently. The UAV will be launched from ground stations or from ship decks with the help of booster rockets and will be recovered over sea or on land. Engine has to withstand high impact loads while recovering from sea and should be capable for reuse after injection of saline water and sand from the sea. Therefore, qualification of the engine and its components for their rigidity, life and performance for UAV flight is a challenging task. Formulating the various types of tests required, test conditions and limitations, test procedure, and analysis of test data play a vital role in qualifying the engine for UAV. This paper highlights some of the tests carried out on the engine, their procedure and results to qualify the engine for its suitability for UAV and safe functioning inside the flight envelope.