Shenyang WS-15
{{Short description|Chinese fighter turbofan engine}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
|name= WS-15 |image= |caption= }} {{Infobox Aircraft Engine |type= Turbofan |national origin = People's Republic of China |manufacturer= Shenyang Liming Aircraft Engine Company |designer= Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute |status = Initial production |major applications= Chengdu J-20 |program cost = |unit cost = |developed from = |developed into = }} |
The Shenyang WS-15 ({{zh|c=涡扇-15|p=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.
The WS-15 is intended to become the main engine of the Chengdu J-20 stealth aircraft,{{cite news |last1=Chan |first1=Minnie |title=Why China's first stealth fighter was rushed into service with inferior engines |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2130718/why-chinas-first-stealth-fighter-was-rushed-service |work=South China Morning Post |date=10 February 2018}} enabling it to supercruise, improve its range, manoeuvrability and upgrade potential for future weapon systems. It will eventually replace the Shenyang WS-10, which currently serves as the interim engine of J-20, while the WS-15 is being refined. Delivery of the Chengdu J-20B fighter aircraft, which will feature the new engine, to the Chinese armed forces could begin in 2025. https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/new-phase-single-crystal-blade-ws15
Design and development
Development of the WS-15 afterburning turbofan engine began in the early 1990s. 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 {{convert|160|kN}} and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 9.{{cite web|url=http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.219/pub_detail.asp |title=October Surprises In Chinese Aerospace |last=Fisher |first=Richard Jr. |date=30 December 2009 |publisher=International Assessment and Strategy Center |access-date=28 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813161423/http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.219/pub_detail.asp |archive-date=August 13, 2015 }} The thrust target was reported as {{convert|180|kN}} in 2012.{{Citation |year=2012 |title=China Aerospace Propulsion Technology Summit |publisher=Galleon (Shanghai) Consulting |page=2 |url=http://www.turbineengine.org/pdf/China%20Aerospace%20Propulsion%20Technology%20Summit.pdf |access-date=28 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208202208/http://turbineengine.org/pdf/China%20Aerospace%20Propulsion%20Technology%20Summit.pdf |archive-date=8 December 2013}}
In March 2022, Chinese state media reported that the J-20 had performed trials with the engine and experienced significantly improved performance.{{Cite web |last1=Chan |first1=Minnie |title=China's J-20 stealth fighters are getting an engine upgrade, source says |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3170433/chinas-advanced-j-20-stealth-fighters-are-getting-engine |date=15 March 2022 |access-date=18 March 2022 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}
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.{{cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3203866/chinas-w-15-engine-power-j-20-stealth-fighter-jet-nearing-completion |title=Is China's W-15 engine to power J-20 stealth fighter jet nearing completion? |website=South China Morning Post |date=19 December 2022 |first=Minnie |last=Chan |access-date=7 January 2023 |archive-date=7 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107190422/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3203866/chinas-w-15-engine-power-j-20-stealth-fighter-jet-nearing-completion |url-status=live }} 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 primer and different from previous J-20 aircraft in airframe and was speculated to be used to test the WS-15 engine and thrust-vectoring.{{cite web |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/this-could-be-our-first-glimpse-of-chinas-enhanced-j-20-stealth-fighter |title=This Could Be Our First Glimpse Of China's Enhanced J-20 Stealth Fighter |website=The Drive |date=23 December 2022 |first=Thomas |last=Newdick |access-date=7 January 2023 |archive-date=7 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107190420/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/this-could-be-our-first-glimpse-of-chinas-enhanced-j-20-stealth-fighter |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.airdatanews.com/alleged-new-variant-of-chinese-j-20-stealth-fighter-emerges/ |title=Alleged new variant of Chinese J-20 stealth fighter emerges |website=Air Data News |date=27 December 2022 |first=Thiago |last=Vinholes |access-date=7 January 2023 |archive-date=7 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107190421/https://www.airdatanews.com/alleged-new-variant-of-chinese-j-20-stealth-fighter-emerges/ |url-status=live }}
In March 2023, the executive of Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) announced that the serial production of the WS-15 had started and that China had "[tackled] all technical bottlenecks" with the WS-15.{{cite web |url=https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/supply-chain/china-seeks-superalloys-supply-chain-boost-military-engines |title= China Seeks Superalloys, Supply Chain Boost For Military Engines |website=Aviation Week |date=27 March 2023 |last=Chen |first=Chuanren }}{{cite web|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/chinese-ws-15-engine-prepared-for-mass-production |title=Chinese WS-15 engine prepared for mass production |website=Janes |date=7 April 2023 |first1=Akhil |last1=Kadidal |first2=Prasobh |last2=Narayanan }} FlightGlobal speculated that small-scale production run and in-flight testing with the J-20 fighter was underway.{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/chinese-executive-hints-at-progress-with-j-20s-new-ws-15-engine/152627.article |title=Chinese executive hints at progress with J-20's new WS-15 engine |website=FlightGlobal |date=27 March 2023 |first=Greg |last=Waldron }} On 29 June 2023, a J-20B equipped with dual WS-15 engines was speculated to have made its maiden flight in Chengdu.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/chinas-j-20-fighter-with-long-awaited-ws-15-engines-may-have-flown |title=China's J-20 Fighter With Long-Awaited WS-15 Engines May Have Flown |website=The Drive |date=29 June 2023 |first=Joseph |last=Trevithick }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/new-cac-j-20-potentially-powered-by-ws-15-engines |title=New CAC J-20 potentially powered by WS-15 engines |website=Janes |date=3 July 2023 |first=Akhil |last=Kadidal }}{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226562/china-puts-advanced-ws-15-engines-through-j-20-stealth-fighter-paces |title=China puts advanced WS-15 engines through J-20 stealth fighter paces |website=South China Morning Post |date=5 July 2023 |first=Minnie |last=Chan }}{{cite web |url=https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/china-may-have-flown-j-20-domestic-ws-15-engines |title=China May Have Flown J-20 With Domestic WS-15 Engines |date=30 June 2023 |website=Aviation Week }}
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/chinas-j-20-may-have-flown-with-new-ws-15-engine/153994.article |title=China's J-20 may have flown with new WS-15 engine |website=FlightGlobal |date=4 July 2023 |first=Greg |last=Waldron }}{{cite web|url=https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/j20-with-twin-ws15-engines |title=Footage surfaces of China testing a J-20 with twin WS-15 engines to rival the US |website=Interesting Engineering |date=5 July 2023 |first=Christopher |last=McFadden}}
Guizhou incorporated many of the same technology as on the WS-15 to develop the WS-19, a 10-ton thrust engine with the same footprint as the earlier Guizhou WS-13.{{Cite web |url=https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2023-02-09/856756 |title=中國渦輪-19發動機進度提前！ 航發總師曝 : 未來殲-35會比殲-20更早換裝|author=曾品潔 |date=2023-02-09 |publisher=Newtalk新闻 |language=zh-hant |accessdate=2023-02-26 }}
Specifications
{{jetspecs
|ref=School of Mechanical Engineering,Shandong University{{Cite web |url= https://www.mech.sdu.edu.cn/info/1193/124824.htm |title= 涡扇 |author= 郭培哲 |date= 2016-12-03 |publisher= 山东大学机械工程学院 |language=zh-hans |access-date=2021-10-02|archive-date=2021-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002014904/https://www.mech.sdu.edu.cn/info/1193/124824.htm}}
|type=Afterburning turbofan
|length={{cvt|5.05|m|in|abbr=on}}
|diameter={{cvt|1.02|m|in|abbr=on}}
|weight={{cvt|1600|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|compressor= axial flow
|combustion= nickel alloy annular combustion chamber
|turbine= single-stage high pressure, single-stage low pressure
|fueltype=
|oilsystem=
|power=
|aircon=
|turbinetemp= {{convert|1850|K}}{{Cite web |url= http://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H3_AP201706080634203430_01.pdf |title=600893.SH |date=2017-06-07|publisher=招商证券|language=zh-hans |access-date=2022-04-09 |page=10}}
|fuelcon=
|specfuelcon=
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{AVIC Aero Products}}
{{People's Republic of China military aeroengines}}