1980s British/French turboshaft engine
The
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322
is a
turboshaft
engine produced by Safran Helicopter Engines. It was originally conceived and manufactured by
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited
, a joint venture between
Rolls-Royce plc
and
Turbomeca
(now
Safran Helicopter Engines
). The engine was designed to suit a wide range of military and commercial
helicopter
designs. The RTM322 can also be employed in maritime and industrial applications.
The
Safran Aneto
is a later development targeted for the super-medium and heavy
helicopters
, developed by
Safran Helicopter Engines
, unveiled at London's Helitech on 3 October 2017 and covering the 2,500 to 3,000 hp (1,900 to 2,200 kW) range.
Development
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It was designed for the
Hughes AH-64 Apache
and
Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk
, competing with the
General Electric T700
and the
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100
.
The partners shared equally the £100 million development costs, Rolls-Royce made the
turbines
, the
combustor
, and the inlet particle separator while Turbomeca produced the
axial
-
centrifugal compressor
and
intake
.
It first ran on 15 December 1984, with eight bench
prototypes
for 30,000 cycles and 13,000 test hours, and four for flight tests, initially aiming for a 1987
certification
.
[1]
The first order for the RTM322 was received in 1992 to power 44
Royal Navy
AugustaWestland Merlin HM1s
which subsequently entered service in 1998.
[2]
Over 1,100 engines are in service, having logged over one million flight hours, powering 60% of the AW101 fleet and 80% of in-service NH90s.
[3]
In 2013, Turbomeca (part of the
Safran Group
, and now known as Safran Helicopter Engines) acquired the entire programme, becoming responsible for both production and product support.
[3]
Safran Helicopter Engines has since developed a new engine derived from the RTM322, known as the Aneto.
Safran Aneto
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Safran Aneto
The first 2,500 shp -1K was selected to power the
Leonardo AW149
and
Leonardo AW189K
twin to extend its capabilities, it flew in March 2017 and is scheduled to be introduced in the fourth quarter of 2018.
[4]
The more powerful 3,000+ shp “Dash 3” should appear in the early 2020s and will feature a new compressor and hot section.
[5]
The required documentation should be handled to the
EASA
in early 2019 for a second quarter certification.
[6]
By October 2018, the programme had accumulated 4,000 hours, including 105 hours of flight time. Sikorsky is considering
re-engining
its
CT7
-powered
S-92
.
[7]
The 1,063 kW (1,426 hp) Aneto-1K was added on the RTM 322
type certificate
on 12 December 2019.
[8]
Design
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As an RTM322 variant, the Aneto is a two spool turboshaft with a three stage axial compressor and a single stage centrifugal compressor turning at 36,300
rpm, a reverse flow annular combustor, a two stage gas generator
axial turbine
and a two stage axial power turbine with a forward transmission shaft turning at 21,000
rpm. Fitted with an inlet
particle
separator, its
accessory gearbox
is driven by the gas generator and the engine is control by a
FADEC
.
[8]
Built upon the Safran Tech 3000 technological demonstrator, it aims to gradually offer up to 15% better
fuel economy
over current competitors to improve
payload-range
and offers 25% better
power density
than existing engines of same volume. Offered for new or for existing models, fewer scheduled maintenance tasks, longer maintenance intervals and health monitoring should improve
maintainability
.
[4]
Suited for 8?15 ton helicopters, it is developed from the RTM322: the -1K has a similar architecture but no common parts. Parts made by
additive manufacturing
are used in the gyratory
combustion chamber
and the inlet guide vane system. Compatible with
hybrid
and
distributed propulsion
systems, in cruise flight one of the two engines could be shut down and restarted when needed. In the AW189, it is offered along the incumbent General Electric CT7, needing minor changes to the top-deck structure and engine cowls. Exempted from U.S.
International Traffic in Arms Regulations
, it could power the AW189's military derivative, the
AW149
or a future
attack helicopter
based on its dynamic systems.
[5]
Developed from a
French Aviation Authority
study, the Safran Power Pack Eco Mode on the
Airbus Helicopters Racer
allows it to shut down one of engines in cruise, lowering fuel consumption by 15%, and quickly and automatically reactivate it with an
electric starter
to its maximum power for acceleration, landing or emergencies.
[9]
The Aneto
specific fuel consumption
should be 10% better than the competing
CT7s
.
[6]
Applications
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Aneto
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Specifications
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Variant
[8]
|
RTM322-01/1
|
RTM322-01/9
|
Aneto-1K
|
Type
|
Turboshaft
|
Compressor
|
Three axial stages + one centrifugal stage
|
Combustor
|
Reverse flow annular
|
Turbine
|
Two-stage high-pressure + two-stage power
|
Length
|
1,171?1,181 mm (46.1?46.5 in)
|
Diameter
|
615?708 mm (24.2?27.9 in)
|
Dry weight
|
255 kg (562 lb)
|
232 kg (511 lb)
|
260 kg (570 lb)
|
Take-off power
|
1,611 kW (2,160 hp)
|
1,611 kW (2,160 hp)
|
1,063 kW (1,426 hp)
[a]
|
Gas generator speed
|
36,300 rpm
|
Power turbine speed
|
20,900 rpm
|
20,841 rpm
|
21,000 rpm
|
Power:weight ratio
|
6.1 kW/kg (3.7 hp/lb)
|
6.9 kW/kg (4.2 hp/lb)
|
4.1 kW/kg (2.5 hp/lb)
|
BSFC
|
|
255 g/(kW?h)
0.420 lb/(hp?h)
[11]
|
|
- ^
one engine inoperative: 1,572 kW (2,108 hp)
See also
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Comparable engines
Related lists
References
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External links
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