CPD Course on Rotorcraft Propulsion

CPD Course on

Rotorcraft Propulsion

SUMMARY

Medium to large helicopters are powered exclusively by gas turbine engines called turboshaft. These engines are tuned for the delivery of torque. The shift from internal combustion engines to gas turbines has had a major impact on the industry and has made the helicopter the versatile vehicle we know today. The evolution of the  technology toward more powerful and compact engines has been extraordinary.  Electrical propulsion, will only change the industry at the lower end of weight, power and operations. If you want to know more, please join us via the European Rotorcraft Forum or for other delivery.

AUDIENCE 

This course is for those who want to learn about a field of rotorcraft engineering seldom given the appropriate importance. It is recommended to post-graduate students entering the complex field of rotorcraft, engineers and  researchers from industry who have an incomplete view of the whole machine, and then regulators who are looking at present and future regulations on anything from engines to transmission architectures, including eVTOL. Several test cases will be discussed to cover the range of transmission architectures.

Syllabus 

Principles of Rotorcraft Propulsion
Final programme now available

Part I: Rotorcraft Power Plants and Drive Trains

  1. Rotorcraft power plants – Historical context
  2. Rotorcraft propulsion: gas turbines and Internal Combustion (IC) engines
  3. Modern turboshaft architecture
  4. Internal Combustion engines
  5. Multi-engine rotorcraft
  6. Engine operational environment
  7. Ancillary systems: lubrication, FADEC, APU
  8. Transmission and power trains
  9. Gearboxes 
  10. Multi-engine drivetrain
  11. Tip Jets propulsion

Part II: Elements of Turboshaft Performance

  1. Turboshaft specifications and ratings
  2. Installed versus uninstalled power output
  3. Engine certification process
  4. Engine applications and derivatives
  5. Operational performance

Part III: Elements of Rotorcraft Drive Trains

  1. Turboshaft engine models and computer programs
  2. Turboshaft engine emissions
  3. Installation effects           
  4. Case study: OEI operation with a three-engine helicopter
  5. Power losses and deterioration (engine ageing)
  6. Basics of airframe-engine integration 

Part IV: Inlets and Exhausts

  1. General assessment of inlets and exhausts
  2. Inlet design guidelines
  3. Exhausts: Infra-red suppression devices
  4. Engine integration and losses
  5. Direct Operating Costs (DOC)

Part V: Intake Protection Systems

  1. Intake protection systems (EAPS)
  2. Efficiency versus power losses
  3. Dust dynamics 
  4. Test dust and chemical composition
  5. Engine damage assessment
  6. Examples of engine damage
  7. Estimates of engine integration losses

Part VI: Hybrid Propulsion

  1. Novel rotorcraft configurations
  2. Fully electric distributed propulsion
  3. Case studies 
  4. Battery deterioration effects
  5. Electric tail rotors of conventional rotorcraft

Part VII: Propulsion noise and vibration (intro)

  1. Noise metrics and frequency domain
  2. Internal (cabin) vs external (community) noise
  3. Turboshaft noise
  4. Noise from gearbox and drive shaft
  5. Elements of vibration
  6. Vibration of main gearbox

 

Place and Time

  • Monday 31 August 2026, NLR Labs, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Map. Details to be forwarded.

What is included

  • Booking: see ERF 2026 website (Amsterdam, Eye Film Museum, 1-4 September 2026)
  • Lecture Notes for own non-commercial use
  • Video recordings, available on the cloud for 30 days
  • Email support for 30 days, bibliographic research.
  • No industrial work included. For such work, enquire separately.
  • Catering for the day of attendance.

Exclusions

  • Due diligence carried out to avoid non-compliance due to ITAR and similar restrictions.
  • No data proprietary to third parties will be exchanged for commercial or military purposes.
  • No redistribution, no resale, no onward leasing to third parties or intermediaries.
  • No booking via agents, brokers, PR companies, whose ultimate customers are anonymous/undisclosed.
  • Internet posting of any material and filming are strictly prohibited.

Booking Fees

  • Euro 300 + ERF attendance (booked at European Rotorcraft Forum website, VAT may apply according to Dutch rules)
  • Euro 400, without ERF attendance (must be booked directly, please ask for booking form, no attendance to ERF52)

Enquiries:    info_at_subsonic.aero  (to AVOID automatic bots, sorry)

Delivered by 

Prof A Filippone

School of Engineering

The University of Manchester

United Kingdom

 

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