WS-15
Type Turbofan
National origin People's Republic of China
Manufacturer Shenyang Liming Aircraft Engine Company
Designer Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute
First run 2006[1]
Major applications Chengdu J-20
Status Initial production

The Shenyang WS-15 (Chinese: 涡扇-15; pinyin: Wōshàn-15), codename Emei, is a Chinese afterburning turbofan engine designed by the Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute and manufactured by the Shenyang Liming Aircraft Engine Company.[1]

The WS-15 is intended to power and enable supercruising on the J-20,[2] improve its maneuverability and range, and offers upgrade potentials for future weapon systems.[3]

Design and development

Development of the WS-15 afterburning turbofan engine began in the early 1990s.[1] In 2005, the engine performed successfully on the testbed. An image of the core appeared at 2006 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. In 2009, a prototype achieved 160 kilonewtons (36,000 lbf) and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 9.[4] The thrust target was reported as 180 kilonewtons (40,000 lbf) in 2012.[5]

In March 2022, Chinese state media reported that the J-20 had performed trials with the engine and experienced significantly improved performance.[6]

In December 2022, Chinese military analysts indicated the WS-15 was undertaking the last stage of testing and development. Chinese sources suggested the engine completed its maiden flight earlier that year on an unknown airframe.[7] In late December 2022, a prototype of the new J-20 variant was observed at Chengdu Aerospace Corporation facilities. The new variant was painted in yellow premier and different from previous J-20 aircraft in airframe and was speculated to be used to test the WS-15 engine and thrust-vectoring.[8][9]

In March 2023, the executive of Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) announced the serial production of the WS-15 had started and China "[tackled] all technical bottlenecks" with the WS-15.[10][11] FlightGlobal speculated that small-scale production run and in-flight testing with the J-20 fighter was underway.[12] On 29 June 2023, a J-20B equipped with dual WS-15 engines was speculated to have made its maiden flight in Chengdu.[13] Despite the lack of clear pictures, circumstantial evidence such as a photo of the engine installation ceremony, lack of censorship by the authorities, and modified airframe suggested the WS-15 was evidently mounted, though Janes noted the engines on trial apparently lacks the thrust vectoring control (TVC) paddles, which could be added later.[14][15][16]

Defense analysts and commentators noted WS-15 was intended to be the ultimate engine for the J-20, providing supercruise capability, enhanced reliability, improved maneuverability, better fuel efficiency and longer ranges, extra electricity production, and upgrade potential for the fighter. Spending several decades of development, the induction of the WS-15 into the Chinese military was seen as a technological leap in China's domestic aviation industry.[13][16][17][18]

Specifications

Data from School of Mechanical Engineering,Shandong University[19]

General characteristics

  • Type: Afterburning turbofan
  • Length: 5.05 m (199 in)
  • Diameter: 1.02 m (40 in)
  • Dry weight: 1,701.5 kg (3,751 lb)

Components

  • Compressor: axial flow
  • Combustors: nickel alloy annular combustion chamber
  • Turbine: single-stage high pressure, single-stage low pressure

Performance

See also

Comparable engines

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fisher, Richard (27 May 2015). "ANALYSIS: Can China break the military aircraft engine bottleneck?". Flightglobal. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Chan, Minnie (10 February 2018). "Why China's first stealth fighter was rushed into service with inferior engines". South China Morning Post.
  3. ↑ "China's New WS-15 Jet Engine Finally Enters Serial Production: How Will it Supercharge J-20 Stealth Fighters?". Military Watch Magazine. 27 March 2023.
  4. ↑ Fisher, Richard Jr. (30 December 2009). "October Surprises In Chinese Aerospace". International Assessment and Strategy Center. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  5. ↑ China Aerospace Propulsion Technology Summit (PDF), Galleon (Shanghai) Consulting, 2012, p. 2, archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2013, retrieved 28 May 2015
  6. ↑ Chan, Minnie (15 March 2022). "China's J-20 stealth fighters are getting an engine upgrade, source says". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Chan, Minnie (19 December 2022). "Is China's W-15 engine to power J-20 stealth fighter jet nearing completion?". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  8. ↑ Newdick, Thomas (23 December 2022). "This Could Be Our First Glimpse Of China's Enhanced J-20 Stealth Fighter". The Drive. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Vinholes, Thiago (27 December 2022). "Alleged new variant of Chinese J-20 stealth fighter emerges". Air Data News. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Chen, Chuanren (27 March 2023). "China Seeks Superalloys, Supply Chain Boost For Military Engines". Aviation Week.
  11. ↑ Kadidal, Akhil; Narayanan, Prasobh (7 April 2023). "Chinese WS-15 engine prepared for mass production". Janes.
  12. ↑ Waldron, Greg (27 March 2023). "Chinese executive hints at progress with J-20's new WS-15 engine". FlightGlobal.
  13. 1 2 Trevithick, Joseph (29 June 2023). "China's J-20 Fighter With Long-Awaited WS-15 Engines May Have Flown". The Drive.
  14. ↑ Kadidal, Akhil (3 July 2023). "New CAC J-20 potentially powered by WS-15 engines". Janes.
  15. ↑ Chan, Minnie (5 July 2023). "China puts advanced WS-15 engines through J-20 stealth fighter paces". South China Morning Post.
  16. 1 2 "China May Have Flown J-20 With Domestic WS-15 Engines". Aviation Week. 30 June 2023.
  17. ↑ Waldron, Greg (4 July 2023). "China's J-20 may have flown with new WS-15 engine". FlightGlobal.
  18. ↑ McFadden, Christopher (5 July 2023). "Footage surfaces of China testing a J-20 with twin WS-15 engines to rival the US". Interesting Engineering.
  19. ↑ 郭培哲 (2016-12-03). "涡扇" (in Simplified Chinese). 山东大学机械工程学院. Archived from the original on 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  20. 1 2 "聚焦航发控制系统主业，增长提速巩固龙头地位" (PDF) (in Simplified Chinese). 中泰证券. 2021-10-08. p. 25. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  21. 1 2 "600893.SH" (PDF) (in Simplified Chinese). 招商证券. 2017-06-07. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  22. ↑ "航发动力(600893)" (PDF) (in Simplified Chinese). 天风证劵. 2018-01-29. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
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