- Kuznetsov NK-12
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NK-12 NK-12M Turboprop engine on a Tu-95 at RIAT Fairford 1993 Type Turboprop National origin Soviet Union Manufacturer Kuznetsov Design Bureau Major applications Antonov An-22
Tupolev Tu-95
Tupolev Tu-114The Kuznetsov NK-12 is a Soviet turboprop engine of the 1950s, designed by the Kuznetsov design bureau. It drives huge eight-bladed (four per propeller) contra-rotating propellers 5.6 m (18ft 4.5in) in diameter (6.2 m (20ft 4.1in) in the NK-12MA and NK-12MV).
Contents
Design and development
The NK 12 turboprop was originally developed after World War II by a German ex-Junkers team under Ferdinand Brandner, evolving from late war German turboprop studies. This started with the post-war development of the wartime Jumo 022 turboprop design that developed 6000 ehp in a 3000 kg engine. The effort continued with a 5000 ehp engine that weighed in at 1700 kg, completed by 1947. The evolution to the TV-12 12000 Ehp engine required extensive use of new Soviet-developed alloys and was completed in 1951.[1]
The NK-12M developed 8,948 kW (12,000 ehp), uprated in the NK-12MV to 11,033 kW (14,795 ehp) and reaching 11,185 kW (15,000 ehp) in the NK-12MA. The NK-12 is by a wide margin the most powerful turboprop engine ever built. Only recently the Progress D-27 and Europrop TP400 came somewhat close. It powered the Tupolev Tu-95 / Tu-142 bombers. The Tupolev Tu-114 airliner (with NK-12MV) is still the world's fastest propeller-driven aircraft, and the Antonov An-22 Antheus (with NK-12MA) was the world's largest aircraft at the time. It has also been used to power several types of amphibious assault craft, such as the A-90 Orlyonok "Ekranoplan" and the Zubr class LCAC.
The engine has a 14-stage axial-flow compressor, producing compression ratios between 9:1 to 13:1 depending on altitude, also controlled by variable inlet guide vanes and blow-off valves. The combustion system used is a cannular-type: each flame tube is centrally mounted on a down-stream injector that ends in an annular secondary region. The contra-rotating propellers and compressor are driven by the 5-stage axial turbine. Mass flow is 65 kg (143 lb) /sec.[2]
Applications
Specifications
General characteristics
Components
Performance
- Maximum power output: 11,033 kW (14,795 ehp), for NK-12MV
- Overall pressure ratio: 9.5[2]
- Turbine inlet temperature: 1250K[2]
- Specific fuel consumption: 0.360 lb/shp-hr [3] 0.219 kg/kW-hr for NK-12MA and NK-12MV
- Power-to-weight ratio: 3.7 kW/kg (2.3 hp/lb), for NK-12MV
See also
- Related lists
References
External links
Kuznetsov aircraft engines Turbofans Turboprops NK-4 NK-12
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- Turboprop engines 1950-1959
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