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Frank A. Jones
Frank A. Jones
Manager, Business Development

The evolution of the PBS TJ80 engine program

02/13/2022
Turbojet and turbofan engines have been around for more than 80 years now. The technology has made enormous progress since, yet major aerospace producers still thrive for further innovations. Leading aerospace producer PBS has mastered the art of constant innovation within their TJ80 engine program and has pushed the turbojet engine performance as a whole to the limits.

THE PBS TJ80 PROGRAM INITIATION

 
PBS has been supplying aerospace products and services to global customers for more than 50 years now. The decision to enter the turbojet engine market had been made in 2002 with the initiation of the PBS TJ100 turbojet engine program.
 
Since 2002 PBS has taken a giant leap in turbojet engine segment product development. Following the unprecedented success of the PBS TJ100 engine program (more than 1000 units sold) PBS has decided to launch a new turbojet engine development. The program was to be called TJ80 and the goal was very clear – to deliver an unrivalled engine solution for the fast-emerging UAV market in both civil and defense segments.
 
In 2018, after only a 2-year long opening R&D initiative, the very first TJ80 engine was introduced. The state-of-the-art engine had thrust rating of 200 lbf and was so compact, that it only weighed 26 pounds.

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THE FOLLOWING 2-YEAR R&D PROCESS
 

Only two years after the introduction of the original TJ80 further innovations were being investigated. After a thorough internal analysis it was decided to launch a new R&D program focused on new fuel system and innovations of the flow parts. 

The innovated fuel system resulted in higher overall efficiency of the engine cycle and was a crucial part of the engine overall performance enhancements. The innovations of flow parts were carried out first on the compressor stage and then on the turbine stage. The single stage centrifugal compressor was modernized and the single stage axial turbine wheel was also upgraded in terms of materials.

The key innovation milestones achieved:

o    Increasing thrust from 200 lbf to 270 lbf
o    Setting the world record  in Thrust-to-Weight engine ratio to 9,23
o    Maintaining the original TJ80 weight & size

 

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PBS TJ80 Turbojet Engine with Thermal Insulation [2]

Stepping up from 200 lbf thrust rating to 270 lbf resulted in overall 35 % thrust increase. The globally leading Thrust-to-Weight ratio makes the PBS TJ80 the world’s most efficient gas turbine engine on today’s market.
 

THE TJ80 PROGRAM OFFERING

 

As of early 2022 PBS is offering its TJ80 program in various modifications which have different technical specifications ranges and engine features. 

The specification range includes up to 2250 W of el. power delivered to the onboard systems, flight envelope enhanced to more than 32,000 ft. and maximum starting altitude of almost 20,000 ft.
 
The features of the engine program include the possibility of salt water recovery, very short start sequence and in-flight restart. Since the engine is fuel lubricated, it naturally makes the propulsion solution lighter and simpler to use and utilise.
 
All the key features highlighted above make the TJ80 the perfect fit for the platforms listed below:
 

  • Class 3 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

  • Single Use Applications (Cruise Missiles, Anti-ship Missiles, PGMs, Missile Guidance Kits)

  • Aerial Targets

 

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

 
The PBS TJ80 program is successfully paving its way to become “the” solution for future smart platforms mainly in the defense market. In such market new challenges occur constantly – this drives the defense contractors to continuously innovate and look for better solutions.
 
What the future holds for the TJ80 program is soon to be discovered as additional innovations are already being investigated.
 

Author: Radim Jansa, Product & Business Development Manager

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