Except that it is prob99 beyond man’s ability to make reciprocating engines as reliable as people expect of jets today.
Maybe for homo lycomicus but homo sapiens sapiens should be well capable. The Jumos in the 1930s were extremely reliable. 2 stroke ship diesels operate virtually without failures. Even the engine oil gets filled in when the engine is installed and remains in there for decades until the engine is retired.
Achim, I still just don’t believe this. There will be plenty of development of turbofans – the blisks and other more radical changes like open rotors are being looked at. I do not think reciprocating engines will make a comeback for CAT – no matter how many times you say it! ;)
As to the PT-6, it is a fairly low volume, reliable engine. Yes, FADEC etc would be nice. But I still wouldn’t swap it back for a piston…
Jason, my basic assumption is a very simple one: there will be a time when converting 20% of fossil fuels into propulsion and wasting 80% will no longer be acceptable, even in a King Air or Meridian. My conclusion based on the thermodynamic characteristics of a small turbine is that the most likely solution is going to be reciprocrating engines burning jet fuel in a 2-stroke cycle.
And when you say “There will be plenty of development of turbofans” you should ask yourself why there hasn’t been any. Also I’m referring to turboprops, not turbofans.
The PT6A-52 was a new engine for the Kingair B200GT, and was introduced in 2008.
Yes it is based on previous versions, but so is the Rolls Royce Trent.
What about the walter 610? or is its power range different.
And hasn’t it now been refreshed as the GE H60.
The old Walter is correctly called M601, and the new generation under GE ownership is H75, H80 and H85 (750, 800 and 850 shp, respectively). They claim a somewhat lower SFC compared to M601E/F. The least powerful model in the M601 series is M601Z (512 shp takeoff, 328 shp max. continuous).
Achim, I think there has been plenty of turbofan development. Weight, efficiency, noise etc have all improved dramatically.
There will be a time when converting 20% of fossil fuels into propulsion and wasting 80% will no longer be acceptable, even in a King Air or Meridian.
Acceptable to whom?
Turboprops are a tiny market and only really a King Air could justify development of a new engine. But they work and I don’t think they will be replaced with a reciprocating engine.
