SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), a premier lab under India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has announced plans to develop a new 700HP engine specifically tailored for the Zorawar Light Tank. This initiative comes as the Zorawar project moves towards full-scale production, aiming to enhance the tank’s performance on India’s rugged terrains.
The current prototype of the Zorawar Light Tank is powered by an American-made Cummins 750HP engine. This same engine is slated to equip the first batch of 59 units. However, looking ahead to the broader production phase, where 240 more units are expected to be manufactured, CVRDE has proposed an indigenous solution with its 700HP engine.
The Proposed 700HP Engine
CVRDE’s new engine is designed with the following specifications:
- Configuration: An 8-cylinder V90 with a cross-plane crankshaft, incorporating tungsten inserts for durability.
- Dimensions: Bore x Stroke of 114 mm x 112 mm.
- Performance: Capable of reaching up to 3600 rpm, featuring an Overhead Valve (OHV) system, a waste-gated turbocharger, and a charge cooler.
- Fuel System: Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI) for efficient fuel delivery.
- Lubrication: Utilizes a dry-sump lubrication system.
- Operational Characteristics: Achieves a mean piston speed of approximately 13.4 m/s and a Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) of 23 bar.
This engine is tailored to fit within the spatial constraints of the Zorawar’s current engine bay, offering a balance between power output and size. While the Cummins 750HP engine has served well for initial testing and the first production batch, scaling up production with a foreign engine poses strategic and logistical challenges, including dependency on imports. The alternative considered was downgrading a 1000HP engine to fit into the Zorawar, which would necessitate significant modifications to the tank’s internal structure due to the larger size of the engine. This approach would increase complexity and potentially compromise other aspects of the tank’s design.
The new engine’s design also promises enhanced performance suited for high-altitude operations, a critical factor given the Zorawar’s intended deployment in regions like Ladakh, where traditional tanks struggle with mobility due to thin air and rugged terrain.
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