The Shenyang WS-10 (), codename
Taihang
The Taihang Mountains () are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over from north to south and has an average elevation of . The principal peak is M ...
, is a
turbofan
The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which ac ...
engine designed and built by the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
Chinese media reported 266 engines were manufactured from 2010 to 2012 for the J-11 program.
Unofficial estimates placed production at more than 300 units by May 2015.
Description
The WS-10A is advertised as an engine with thrust.
It has
full authority digital engine control
A full authority digital engine (or electronics) control (FADEC) is a system consisting of a digital computer, called an "electronic engine controller" (EEC) or "engine control unit" (ECU), and its related accessories that control all aspects of ai ...
(FADEC).
Development
The WS-10 is derived from the
CFM56 with the experience gained from the
Woshan WS-6
The Woshan WS-6 was an unsuccessful turbofan development program from the People's Republic of China.
Development started as part of the "Aviation Industry Science and Technology Development Program for 1978-1985" with the larger goal of develop ...
turbofan project, which was abandoned at the start of the 1980s.
The WS-10 project was reportedly started by
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese revolutionary leader, military commander and statesman who served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from December 1978 to November 1989. After CC ...
in 1986 to produce an engine comparable to the
Saturn AL-31
The Saturn AL-31 is a family of axial flow turbofan engines, developed by the Lyulka design bureau in the Soviet Union, now NPO Saturn in Russia, originally as a 12.5-tonne (122.6 kN, 27,560 lbf) powerplant for the Sukhoi Su-27 long ran ...
. The work was given to the
Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute
Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute (; or 606 Institute) is a Chinese aeroengine design institute of the Aero Engine Corporation of China. In the past, it has partnered with Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in developing military aircraft engines ...
(606 Institute) of the
Aviation Industry Corporation of China
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
(AVIC).
Initial production models suffered quality issues from the early direct use of AL-31 control systems. Furthermore,
Salyut
The ''Salyut'' programme (russian: Салют, , meaning "salute" or "fireworks") was the first space station programme, undertaken by the Soviet Union. It involved a series of four crewed scientific research space stations and two crewed ...
refused to sell source code of the
full authority digital engine control
A full authority digital engine (or electronics) control (FADEC) is a system consisting of a digital computer, called an "electronic engine controller" (EEC) or "engine control unit" (ECU), and its related accessories that control all aspects of ai ...
(FADEC) system, forcing China to spend nearly 20 years developing its own code independently.
An early version of the FADEC flew on an
J-8II in 2002.
The WS-10A, targeted for of thrust,
was already in development in 2002.
In 2004, Russian sources familiar with project reported problems meeting the thrust target;
in 2005, they reported problems reducing the weight of the primary and secondary compressors, in addition to problems meeting thrust requirements. Engine testing on the J-11 had already started by 2004,
and testing using one engine on the J-11 may have occurred as early as 2002.
A full-scale WS-10A engine was first seen at the 2008
China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition.
In 2009, Western media claim that the WS-10A approached the performance of the AL-31, but took much longer than the AL-31 to develop thrust.
Furthermore, the engine reportedly only generated of thrust.
In April 2009,
Lin Zuoming
Lin Zuoming (; born May 1957) is a Chinese business chief executive and politician who served as chairman of the Board of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China from 2012 to 2018. He previously served as general manager of the corporation an ...
, head of AVIC, reported that the engine's quality was unsatisfactory.
In 2010, it was reported that reliability was also poor; the WS-10A lasted only 30 hours, while the AL-31 needed refurbishing after 400 hours. The quality problems encountered with the WS-10A reflected the state of the Chinese aerospace industry. AVIC initiated a general effort to improve quality control throughout its production chain in 2011.
The WS-10A reportedly matured enough after 2009 to power the J-11B Block 02 aircraft. Production or performance issues may have prevented the WS-10A from powering the J-10B.
In 2018, Chinese state media reported an increase in engine lifespan from 800 to 1,500 hours due to the increased heat resistance of new third-generation single-crystal turbine blades.
In March 2020, Chinese state media released a video showing a WS-10B-powered J-10C; aircraft markings suggest it was part of the fourth batch of J-10Cs for the PLAAF.
The WS-10 has also powered various versions of the
Chengdu J-20
The Chengdu J-20 (), also known as ''Mighty Dragon'' (), is a twinjet all-weather stealth fighter aircraft developed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The J-20 is designed as an air ...
. The WS-10B reportedly powered
low rate initial production
Low rate initial production (LRIP) is a term commonly used in military weapon projects/programs to designate the phase of initial, small-quantity production. The prospective first buyer and operator (i.e., a country's defense authorities and the re ...
aircraft in 2015,
and was used as an interim engine before the adoption of the AL-31.
In 2019, the Xian WS-15
The WS-15 (), codename Emei, is a Chinese afterburning turbofan engine designed by the Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute and manufactured by the Xi'an Aero-Engine Corporation.
The WS-15 is intended to power and enable supercruising on the ...
– the J-20's intended engine – failed trials, leading to the decision to replace the AL-31 with the WS-10C as the interim engine; reportedly, the AL-31 was unacceptable because Russia refused to sell additional engines unless China also bought the Sukhoi Su-35
The Sukhoi Su-35 (russian: link=no, Сухой Су-35; NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) is the designation for two improved derivatives of the Su-27 air-defence fighter. They are single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable aircraft, design ...
as well. Testing was underway by November 2020. In June 2021, Chinese media confirmed that the WS-10C was powering operational J-20As. In January 2022, it was reported that J-20's powered by the WS-10C would be upgraded with TVC.
In November 2022, a production Shenyang J-15
The Shenyang J-15 (Chinese: 歼-15), also known as ''Flying Shark'' (; NATO reporting name: Flanker-X2, is a Chinese all-weather, twinjet, carrier-based fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporat ...
powered by the WS-10, possible the WS-10B, appeared in Chinese media. It was the last indigenous Chinese combat aircraft to replace the AL-31; possibly due to navalisation. According to Chinese observers, compared to the AL-31 the WS-10 had superior safety, reliability, and service life, aspects which are magnified by the constraints of carrier aviation. The replacement reflected continuing improvements in China's aviation engine industry.
WS-20 (WS-188)
The Shenyang WS-20 (WS-188) is a high-bypass engine, reportedly producing 13.8 tons of thrust. It is believed to be based on the core of the WS-10A.
The Shenyang WS-20 is believed to be intended for the Y-20
The Xi'an Y-20 Kunpeng () is a large military transport aircraft developed by the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation for the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The aircraft is nicknamed "Chubby Girl" () in the Chinese aviation industry becaus ...
strategic airlifter.
Thrust vectoring
A testbed J-10B powered by a WS-10 with thrust vectoring
Thrust vectoring, also known as thrust vector control (TVC), is the ability of an aircraft, rocket, or other vehicle to manipulate the direction of the thrust from its engine(s) or motor(s) to control the attitude or angular velocity of the v ...
(TVC) – called "WS-10B-3" by Jamie Hunter – was demonstrated at the 2018 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. The TVC nozzle uses actuator-assisted moving petals, similar in concept to General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
's axisymmetric vectoring exhaust nozzle (AVEN) 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 ...
's pitch-yaw balance beam nozzle (PYBBN).
Variants
* WS-10 – base variant
* WS-10A – improved variant with FADEC; advertised to have thrust.
* WS-10B – improved variant with greater reliability and thrust; based on the WS-10A, with thrust reported as y Janes in 2020 and by Chinese media in 2018.
* WS-10H – Naval variant equipped on two Shenyang J-15
The Shenyang J-15 (Chinese: 歼-15), also known as ''Flying Shark'' (; NATO reporting name: Flanker-X2, is a Chinese all-weather, twinjet, carrier-based fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporat ...
prototypes. Limited to testing.
* WS-10B-3 – TVC variant
* WS-10C – "Updated" variant with stealthier serrated exhaust feathers and improved thrust of .
* WS-10G – thrust vectoring variant generating of thrust during testing; intended for the Chengdu J-20
The Chengdu J-20 (), also known as ''Mighty Dragon'' (), is a twinjet all-weather stealth fighter aircraft developed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The J-20 is designed as an air ...
* WS-20
The WS-20 () is a high-bypass turbofan currently powering the Y-20 family of strategic airlifters in limited numbers. It is based on the core of the low-bypass turbofan Shenyang WS-10A. The thrust range is .
Testing with the Ilyushin Il-76 began ...
– high-bypass derivative for the Y-20 transport; of thrust
* QD70 – 7MW class gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directi ...
engine developed from WS-10 for industrial & naval applications
Applications
;WS-10
*Shenyang J-8
The Shenyang J-8 (Simplified Chinese characters, Chinese: 歼-8; NATO reporting name: Finback) is an interceptor aircraft developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute, 601 Institute (Shenyang) in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It ...
II (test)
;WS-10A
* Chengdu J-10B (test)
*Shenyang J-11
The Shenyang J-11 (Chinese: 歼-11; NATO reporting name Flanker-B, -L) is a twin-engine jet fighter of the People's Republic of China whose airframe is derived from the Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-27. It is manufactured by the Shenyang Aircraft Co ...
B
*Shenyang J-15
The Shenyang J-15 (Chinese: 歼-15), also known as ''Flying Shark'' (; NATO reporting name: Flanker-X2, is a Chinese all-weather, twinjet, carrier-based fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporat ...
(prototype)
*Shenyang J-16
The Shenyang J-16 (Chinese: 歼-16) is a Chinese advanced fourth-generation, tandem-seat, twinjet, multirole strike fighterBronk, page 38 developed from the Shenyang J-11 (itself derived from the Sukhoi Su-27) and built by Shenyang Aircraft ...
;WS-10B
*Chengdu J-10C
*Shenyang J-16
The Shenyang J-16 (Chinese: 歼-16) is a Chinese advanced fourth-generation, tandem-seat, twinjet, multirole strike fighterBronk, page 38 developed from the Shenyang J-11 (itself derived from the Sukhoi Su-27) and built by Shenyang Aircraft ...
*Chengdu J-20
The Chengdu J-20 (), also known as ''Mighty Dragon'' (), is a twinjet all-weather stealth fighter aircraft developed by China's Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The J-20 is designed as an air ...
(low rate initial production
Low rate initial production (LRIP) is a term commonly used in military weapon projects/programs to designate the phase of initial, small-quantity production. The prospective first buyer and operator (i.e., a country's defense authorities and the re ...
aircraft)
;WS-10B-3
*Chengdu J-10B (demonstrator)
*Chengdu J-20B (prototype)
;WS-10C
*Chengdu J-20A (2019–present)
Specifications (WS-10A)
See also
References
;Bibliography
*
{{People's Republic of China military aeroengines
1990s turbofan engines
Low-bypass turbofan engines