The ATEC T901 (HPW3000) was a
turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
engine in the class under development for the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
's
Improved Turbine Engine Program
The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), formerly the Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine (AATE) program, is a United States Army project to develop a General Electric T700 replacement for the UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache, improving fuel ...
(ITEP). The ITEP plans to re-engine over 1,300
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift Utility helicopter, utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transpo ...
and more than 600
Boeing AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache () is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night visi ...
, and to power the
Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft
The Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program was initiated by the United States Army in 2018 to develop a successor to the Bell OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopter as part of the Future Vertical Lift program. The OH-58 was retired in 2014; ...
, beginning after 2025.
The T900 was developed by the
Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC), a joint venture between
Honeywell Aerospace
Honeywell Aerospace is a manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, as well as a producer of auxiliary power units (APUs) and other aviation products. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it is a division of the Honeywell International conglome ...
and
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military aviat ...
. In February 2019, the US Army selected the GE T901 as the winner of the program.
Development
The T900 is ATEC's dual-spool engine
intended to replace the U.S. Army's existing engines for its Black Hawk and Apache helicopter fleet. Originally called the HPW3000, the Army designated it as the T900 engine in February 2017. In August 2016, the Army awarded ATEC a $154 million, two-year preliminary design review contract to further support development of the replacement engine.
ATEC completed a core engine (high pressure system only) test in mid-2011 on the two-spool HPW3000 and completed gas generator (both high and low pressure systems) testing in January 2012. Durability testing of the first HPW3000 completed in October 2013. A second HPW3000 was tested for performance and sand ingestion during late summer 2014. In February 2017, the Army designated the HPW3000 design as the T900-HPW-900 engine.
On 1 February 2019, the US Army selected the
General Electric T901
The General Electric T901 (GE3000) is a turboshaft engine in the class currently under development for the United States Army's Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP).
The ITEP plans after 2025 to re-engine over 1,300 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk a ...
as the winner of the ITEP program, awarding the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract for $517 million.
Later that same month, ATEC protested the selection of the GE T901 over its T900 in a filing with the
Government Accountability Office
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal govern ...
(GAO).
The GAO denied the protest in a filing posted on May 30, 2019.
Design
The T900 was designed so the Army can install it without having to adjust the engine compartment.
A dual-spool engine has potential to increase an engine's pressure-to-power ratio.
ITEP calls for the engine to be 50 percent more powerful and 25 percent more fuel efficient while lowering maintenance costs.
The engine's increased power is designed to allow Black Hawk and Apache helicopters to fly higher and longer with more soldiers or payload in hotter climates.
Specifications (T900-HPW-900)
See also
References
External links
*
Pratt & Whitney T900 engine webpage
{{US military gas turbine aeroengines
2010s turboshaft engines
Honeywell Aerospace aircraft engines
Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines
United Technologies