Gas Turbine Research Establishment

This page is part of the Facilities Collection.

The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) is the successor to the Gas Turbine Research Center (GTRC), which was established by the Ministry of Defense in Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) in 1959. The GTRE was moved to Bangalore in 1961 to undertake research and development in “aerogas turbine technology.” Since then, the GTRE has emerged as a full-fledged Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory committed to the development of “aerogas turbine engine systems suited to specific Indian requirements.” The GRTE has facilities for: full-scale engine tests; testing engine components; mechanical analysis; experimental stress analysis; and vibration engineering.

The GTRE undertakes research on “gas turbine components,” design and development of “gas turbine engine systems for military applications,” provides “specialist support in gas turbine technology,” and undertakes projects to set up “test facilities.” The laboratory’s principal achievements include:

• Design and development of India’s “first centrifugal type 10kN thrust engine” between 1959-61.
• Design and development of a “1700K reheat system” for the Orpheus 703 engine to boost its power. The redesigned system was certified in 1973.
• Successful upgrade of the reheat system of the Orpheus 703 to 2000K.
• Improvement of the Orpheus 703 engine by replacing “the front subsonic compressor stage” with a “transonic compressor stage” to increase the “basic dry thrust” of the engine.
• Design and development of a “demonstrator” gas turbine engine-GTX 37-14U-for fighter aircraft. Performance trials commenced in 1977 and the “demonstrator phase” was completed in 1981. The GTX 37-14U was “configured” and “optimized” to build a “low by-pass ratio jet engine” for “multirole performance aircraft.” This engine was dubbed GTX 37-14U B.
• Design and development of the “Kaveri” gas turbine engine for the Light Combat Aircraft.