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A disaster happening in slow motion right before our eyes. Patch work over patch work isn't going to cover up the organizational & technical incompetence of GTRE-DRDO & the MoD babus-politicians who've repeatedly failed to appreciate the gravity & nature of the problem here (1)
Let's start with the problems the Kaveri engine faced(s). Decayed performance at high altitude, combustion flicker, insufficient thrust & noise at high throttle testing. Leaving out the noise, the rest of issues, all point to a similar problem area, combustion (2)
Combustion research is a high end research area. Controlling combustion in a jet engine to realize high performance is like developing a super car. The paradigm of technologies applied itself is different and the margin for errors is very very low (3).
example, even though the underlying objective is similar, creating a race car engine cannot be done by a commercial engine developer. you can't scale your engine to high power or speed. You have to entirely reconceptualize a high performance engine with different technologies (4)
Similarly, developing a high thrust low bypass turbofan for military applications is a whole new ballgame. It requires deep expertise across combustion, materials that would only come from years of dedicated research experience, not from generalist engineers with an M Tech (5)
So we first need to determine what would be a success in the Kaveri programme.
a) Do we need a performing engine with a black box solution from Snecma?
b) or do we need a co-development program where our engineers understand the problem and the solutions and techniques? (6)
a) Do we need a performing engine with a black box solution from Snecma?
b) or do we need a co-development program where our engineers understand the problem and the solutions and techniques? (6)
The former is a short, clear objective that would serve the LCA and probably couple of other military programs too. What would happen if GTRE is then asked to develop a different engine? Will they then know how to identify challenges and research solutions on their own? (7)
Let's not forget that Transfer of technology equips us to solve only one kind of a problem. What we need is deep, broad competence across niche technological domains that can keep solving new kind of problems everytime they come up in the jet engine domain. (8)
A crystal blade technology is ONE kind of solution for ONE kind of problem in a jet engine. Getting these marquee technologies lock stock barrell isn't a solver bullet for all kinds of previously existing or new potential technological challenges that may appear. (9)
So what ails our GTRE-DRDO scientists? Are the scientists to be blamed? Partially yes, but largely the blame lies with the way the organization is structured,
managed & funded. Absence of right incentive structures that would reward better performers and initiative takers, (10)
managed & funded. Absence of right incentive structures that would reward better performers and initiative takers, (10)
InConsistent funding that doesn't match the development timeline/cycle rather than extraneous factors, lack of visionary driven upper management that does not see this project as a typical 9-5 govt job to work till 60 and ensure pension and benefits for lifelong (11)
All this has contributed to the mess that we are in. In a co-development project, it is important for the DRDO to work in sync with Safran that requires a different work ethic, performance and motivation. Clearly that's absent here largely. (12)
Can GTRE laterally recruit combustion, gear design or materials experts from the industry across the world, give them the funding and freedom to research and develop a complete suite of products? That is what researchers look for. Not a bureacracy. (13)
Without a revolving door at research organizations, you are denying entry to experts, fostering a lazy workforce within and no exit for poor performers. And I cant emphasize this enough. Liberal funding and performance based incentives absolutely necessary. (14)
