NK-93 engine, the most efficient in the world

[Carlo]

I never heard about the NK-93 engine until a saw a picture of it in Sergei's blog. It seemed a quite different engine, so I decided to get more information on it. Here are the most interesting things I found about it. First, from a forum in pravda.ru:
"New Russian Aircraft Engine may Revolutionize Russian Aviation
http://tuku.military.china.com/mili...7_354261254.htm
http://tuku.military.china.com/mili...7_354261684.htm
I took these pictures from a Chinese website and they show the new NK-93 engine from the Nikolai Kuznetsov Aircraft Engines Association of Companies(including OAO Motorostroyitel company of Samara, Russia) shot at I assume MAKS 2007 Air Show.
The engine has been in the R&D stage since around 1992. But it seems with an influx of cash it has finally reached full testing and fielding/production stage.
In the picture it is attached to an IL-76 testbed aircraft next to the old D-30 low bypass turbofan engine used on the IL-76 aircraft.
It is a completely new Propfan design that is based on the old NK-12 Turboprop engine of the Tu-95 bomber and old Tu-114 airliner.
The NK-12 had good long range characteristics(15,000km range) and was more fuel efficient than the jet engines that replaced it. It achieved amazing speeds of 950km per hour using propellers(faster than some jet engines).
The NK-93 is a major improvement over that design. The internal shape and placement of the blades is very similar. The engineers at the Kuznetsov Design Bureau were never satisfied with the performance of their low bypass jet engines and they obviously wanted to improve their old successful design.
The new engine has a thrust capacity of 18,000kgf, making it the most powerful civilian Russian aircraft engine. The D-30 by comparison has about 12,000kgf and the newest variant of the NK-12 the MP variant 10,000kgf. The most modern Russian civilian engine in service, the PS-90 has 16,000kgf.
Four such engines placed on the newest IL-76MF could probably not only increase its range but also increase it cargo payload capacity up to 70 tons if not more. It meets all future ICAO requirements."
http://engforum.pravda.ru/showthread...postid=2331297
And now from an article in Russian from Russia Today, I translated the part about the NK-93:
"The last engine by SNTK (how Kuznetsov is now called. I didn't understand the expression выполненный “в железе”, someone who knows Russian better than me please help!) is the NK-93. Though work on NK-93 began already 15 years ago, its economical characteristics until now are the best in the world. Especifical fuel consumption is 0.49, in that time like in all the others it is no less than 0.58 or 0.56. In other words, NK-93 is 20% more economical than its most economical foreign analogous. NK-93 is supposed to be used in Tu-330 and new modifications of Il-96."
http://russia-today.ru/2006/no_22/22_economics.htm
I also read that NK-93 may be also used in Tu-204. If this engine enters serial production and gets certified in the West, Russian civilian aircraft will be much more attractive in the world market.

[Carlo]

Pictures of the NK-93 engine. It is installed in a Il-76 for flight tests. Comparing the first picture with the last, it seems that the blades can change their pitch, like a propeller. In the first picture they seem to be in full idle. As far as I know, turbofan blades don't change their pitch, just propellers.

[FireFly]

Very interesting article..
I think if such engine will enter production and be implemented in current aircrafts "or even on new versions", I think it would be a great economical advantage, and a huge step forward for Russian aviation industry over the other competing countries.
I would love to know more about any future contracts or deals to put that engine in production. Do you have any?

[Buran-Pilot]

wonder how loud this thing is...

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Buran-Pilot

wonder how loud this thing is...

Rest assured that the Tu-144's engine would be louder..

[Carlo]

I don't know how loud it is, but surely not much: it complies with Stage IV noise regulations. Basically it is a very high bypass turbofan, which increases the advantages of the turbofan: low noise, pollution and fuel consumption.

[SukhoiLover]

The first time i saw it i thought: What the heck is that??
The fan part which compresses the air seems to be much bigger then in other engine models so maybe the air goes more compressed to the burning chamber resulting in better performance??
Can someone clear me on this??
Also the fans don´t seem to be as many as the ones in the western engines, which effect does this have??