Kaveri Engine

GS3 – S&T

Context:

The “Fund Kaveri Engine” campaign has gained attention post-Operation Sindoor, spotlighting this indigenous turbojet project.

What is Kaveri Engine?

• An indigenous turbofan engine developed by DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru.

• Designed originally in the 1980s to power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and reduce reliance on foreign engines.
• Currently being developed as a derivative engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and India’s long-range UCAVs (like Ghatak stealth drone).
• Delays due to complex tech, Western sanctions, lack of skilled manpower, and foreign dependencies.
• Flight testing currently ongoing in Russia.

Technical Features:

• Low bypass, twin spool turbofan engine delivering 80 kN thrust.
• Flat-rated design reduces thrust loss at high speed and temperature.
• Equipped with twin-lane Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) with manual override for reliability.

What is a Jet Engine?

• A reaction engine generating thrust by expelling high-speed gases backward, powering jets and UAVs.
• Works on Newton’s Third Law: action-reaction principle.
• Air is compressed, mixed with fuel, ignited, and expelled to produce thrust.

Types of Jet Engines:

• Turbojet: traditional high-speed fighter engine.
• Turbofan: common in commercial jets, more fuel-efficient with bypass fans.
• Turboprop: combines jet power with a propeller for smaller aircraft.
• Ramjet & Scramjet: no moving parts, used for hypersonic speeds.

Challenges in Jet Engine Manufacturing:

• Requires high-temperature-resistant materials (e.g., single-crystal turbine blades).
• Precision engineering for durability and optimal thrust-to-weight ratio.
• Complex aerodynamics and decades of R&D. Only a few countries have mastered the technology.