Rostec starts manufacturing of 500 kW hybrid power plant demonstrator

The Rostec United Engine has started manufacturing a 500 kW hybrid power plant demonstrator, which in the future can be used in unmanned aerial vehicles, multi-purpose helicopters and aircraft.

It will be five times more powerful than its predecessor, manufactured last year at the St. Petersburg enterprise UEC-Klimov.

The hybrid power plant will include a power unit, including a VK-650 aircraft gas turbine engine and an electric generator, two electric motors, a unique automatic control system (ACS), etc.

A demonstrator is an experimental sample that contains the main functional elements of a future product. It is created to confirm the technical feasibility of the basic engine concept and the potential benefits of its application.

"Last year, we manufactured and completed tests of a 100 kW HCS demonstrator, on the basis of which we worked out fundamental technical solutions, and were able to make all elements of the installation work in a coordinated manner under the control of our ACS. The formed backlog allowed us to approach the target line of 500 kW," said Mikhail Shemet, deputy director of promising programs at UEC-Klimov.

Hybrid power plants will have a number of advantages over traditional gas turbine power plants. It is predicted, in particular, reduced fuel consumption, environmental friendliness, increased flight safety due to the presence of two energy sources instead of one, the ability to take off aircraft from short runways and increased maneuverability.

The GSU has wide application prospects - they can be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles, including vertical take-off, air taxis, light multi-purpose helicopters and airplanes. On the basis of one gas turbine engine, by varying the power of the electrical part, a wide range of hybrid power plants can be formed.

For the first time, the layout of the GSU "UEC-Klimov" was presented at the International Aerospace Salon MAKS-2021.