RuAviation

United Engine Corporation held a panel discussion on the prospects of hybrid propulsion systems (HPS) application in unmanned aircraft systems within the framework of the business program of the International Forum for Technoprom-2023 in Novosibirsk.

In particular, they discussed the development of urban aeromobility in the perspective up to 2050 and building cooperation chains for the production of unmanned aircraft systems with vertical takeoff and landing.

As part of the discussion, Mikhail Shemet, Deputy Director of the Advanced Engines Program at ODK-Klimov, spoke about the future of hybrid propulsion systems. The presentation was based on the company’s ongoing research and development work aimed at creating HPS based on its own gas turbine engines.

“The HPS has broad application prospects. According to our estimates, a hybrid system including electric and gas turbine components will be an optimal solution for transportation drones with multi-rotor architecture for vertical takeoff and fixed wing for horizontal flight “like a plane”. An electric propulsion system, in fact a HPS without a turbo generator, could be useful in the emerging field of aeromobility in the world, for example, it could be equipped with air cabs. In this case, short flight ranges are acceptable, and environmental friendliness and reduction of noise impact come to the forefront,” said Mikhail Shemet.

He also said that UEC plans to complete ground tests of the hybrid propulsion system demonstrator based on the VK-650V 500 kW engine tentatively in 2024, and to start flight tests within two years.

“After ground tests and after harmonization of the issues of integration of the HPS on the aircraft with the developer in the horizon of two years, we plan to proceed to flight tests of the demonstrator of the HPS,” said the deputy director of ODK-Klimov.

Among the advantages of hybrid propulsion systems over traditional gas turbines are reduced fuel consumption, longer service life and increased flight safety, improved flight characteristics of the aircraft and the possibility of forming a whole line of hybrid propulsion systems on the basis of a single GTE by varying the power of the electric part.