Contributor - UK

David Donald

Pratt &amp; Whitney has completed a preliminary design review of its Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) program for the F135 powerplant installed in all versions of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter. The review affirmed that the program is on track to introduce the upgrade to new and in-service engines in 2029.
The engine OEM developed the ECU to address two specific requirements. The first concerns the diminished service life of the F135 as a result of higher-than-anticipated demands on the engine in service, which in some cases have been more than double those in the original specification. The ECU can be retrofitted during routine depot maintenance.
In addition to restoring full service life to the engine, the ECU also ensures that the F135 can meet the future demands of the power and thermal management system—regardless of whether the PTMS is modified or replaced with a new one—as the aircraft prepares for its Block 4 capability enhancements. The system upgrade requires a power offtake requirement of up to 80 kilowatts.
Elements of the ECU technology have been drawn from the hundreds of hours of running of Pratt &amp; Whitney’s advanced technology demonstrator. The result also informs the design of the next-generation adaptive propulsion prototype that could power the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance fighter.
Pratt &amp; Whitney also is addressing the potential collaborative combat aircraft market and its need for “affordable mass” engines. Additive manufacturing is a technology with application in this sector, and the company has taken its TJ150 missile engine and adapted it for 3D printing to reduce parts count from over 50 to fewer than five. Pratt &amp; Whitney aims to test a fully additively-produced engine, including rotating parts, next year.

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Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine Core Upgrade Clears Design Review

F135 engine upgrade restores service life and meets future power demands

Pratt & Whitney completes a preliminary design review of its Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) program for the F135 powerplant on the Lockheed Martin F-35.

F135 Engine Core Upgrade Clears Design Review

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