The new Behotec JB-180.
03-26-2014, 10:35 AM
#1
Thread Starter
The new Behotec JB-180.
Here is a test report on the new Behotec JB-180 that was released a few months ago.
This engine is derived from the world acclaimed JB-180 Gold Edition that was the most powerful engine in its class back in 2009 when it was released.
At this time, many modelers were suspicious as of the ability to cram in 180N of thrust in a 160 can.
However, Behotec prove its ability to do it as all the engines came out of the factory with a test sheet and certificate of thrust that prove to be accurate. My initial testing of the Gold edition for RCJI back at the beginning of 2010 showed about 170N of thrust, but at a rotational speed of 120 000 RPM. Behotec later released a firmware that allowed 123 000 RPM and this engine was subsequently tested at 177N, which was within the 3% tolerance that we have on our test bench.
Since 2009, many Gold Edition engines have run around the world including in the Middle-East and none of them ever got any catastrophic failure. This is a great testimony of the durability of this engine design.
Given the durability and performance margin that the Behotec engineers had on this model, they decided to push the design further without increasing the max RPM by improving the compressor-diffuser-turbine-NGV assembly. This was only possible by the use of the latest CFD software. It lead to a reliable 220 N engine known as "The Beast" JB-220.
Once the design process of the JB-220 was achieved, Behotec decided to rationalize its production tools and processes and re-designed the JB-180GE in order to utilize as many common part with the JB-220 as possible.
The result is the new JB-180 that features the best engine build on the market at an amazing price.
The specific parts for the JB-180 are the same compressor-diffuser-turbine-NGV assembly than the JB-180GE. All the other parts are new and common with the JB-220. The amazing thing about that fact is that this enabled to UPGRADE the 180 GE to improved parts and REDUCE its price at the same time.
The upgraded features from the 220 are the following;
The bearing centering system that is unique in the world
The rear bearing cooling system
The engine shaft
The tailpipe anti-leak system
The casing
The combustion chamber and ceramic burner assembly
Here is a quick description of the engine.
The JB-180 is actually a clone of the JB-220. So much that the only difference noticeable is the tailpipe shape ( slightly wider exhaust ). The engine retains the excellent bracket system that is much thicker than most of its competitor system and black anodized. This engine is remarkable in that it does not utilize any plastic part in the construction except for the MPX and COM plugs.
The engine is 100% designed and produced in-house, using state-of-the-art German CNC machines. Only the Iconel turbine wheel is cast in by a separate German supplier.
The engine casing is grey anodized and the cowling black anodized. Basically all the engine is anodized, making it quite wear proof. If some fuel/ oil stains occur, just wipe off with acetone and the engine will look like brand new again...
The connectors layout retains the standard COM/ MPX/ dual fuel inlet. The ECU is the very reliable Hornet III. The very much appreciated feature about this ECU is that it is totally immune to static discharge. I still have to see a flameout due to static discharge/ watchdog reboot on this system.
The compressor is CNC machined from an aluminum billet, this is done in-house at Behotec. Similarly, the diffuser assembly is CNC machined from and aluminum billet. The starter motor is a brushed Japanese unit on dual ball bearing. It is enclose in a fully anodized aluminum housing. This make the atrter drive always perfectly straighgt and improves the start sequence as well as reduce starter clutch wear. The front cowling assembly features extremely tight tolerances and the lip clearance is microscopic.
Once the cowling is removed, one can see the engine control interface board. On this view, the two Festo fuel fittings are at the front, while the IR RPM sensor is visible on upper portion of the intake lip.
On the left, one can see the EGT probe ( yellow resin board ) that goes into the casing.
Here is another view of the cowling area. On the right side of the MPX power plug lies the standard RJ11 COM plug. The other IR RPM sensor is visible on the left.
On this view of the engine, one can see on the left the yellow ceramic burner cable that goes into the engine casing.
The tailpipe is fastened by 12 socket head screws. It features a dual cone system and is billet machined. 8 tig welded blades hold the inner cone perfectly centered. The whole assembly is produced from high temperature stainless steel.
Most engines on the market use embossed tailpipes and cones. Not Behotec ones. Both the tailpipe and inner cone are machined from stainless steel billets. This ensures extreme thermal stability and durability/ strength and enables Behotec to use the tailcone as a part of their patented centering system.
Here is a view of the tailpipe removed. A specific composite aramid/ NBR/ mineral gasket ( Elrin EWP 210 ) is used. This makes the engine 100% leak proof. The Behotec line of engine is the first totally leak proof on the market, thanks to this technique. This type of gasket material is quite expensive and exclusive to Behotec.
One can see on the picture the conical lip assembly. This is extremely important as it is one of the most clever feature on this engine. Basically the outer casing is used as a centering unit in conjunction with the NGV. The more the engine produces thrust, the more the turbine is going to push against the NGV, the stronger the centering force will become. The centering effect is a combination of the engine shaft funnel stability and casing-NGV stability. Since the rotational imbalance increases with thrust, thus RPM, this is extremely welcome.
Note that all the other engines on the market rely on the funnel rigidity to provide bearing centering. The turbine tip clearance then has to be increased to provide sufficient margin at high RPM.
The Behotec turbines are custom designed in-house from the CFD study and CAD files. The wax plug is produced in-house and then Inconel cast in Germany. The type of Inconel used is so specific that only a few specialized turbo makers in Germany can produced the wheels to the tolerance required. Evey wheel is X-rayed after production to check for integrity.
Similarly, the NGV stator is produced from Inconel. However, as it does not turn, the Inconel type is the more common variant used on most micro turbines.
Here is a general view of the combustion chamber. It is made from laser cut sheets of Inconel that are barrel shaped and gas MIG welded.
The fuel sticks are Inconel tubes as well and feature a specific internal shape to swirl the air before the flame and produce a better fuel diffusion/ combustion in the chamber.
Here is a view of the rear of the combustion chamber. One can see the fuel ramp and the fuel sticks base. The fuel ramp and length of the needle is important to pre-heat the fuel before it is burned.
The EGT sensor is visible on the right. Here the temperature is read after the turbine wheel, So it is EGT. For info, the B300F uses a sensor that is placed between the stator and the rotor. It measures TGT.
The red deposit shown on the tailpipe lip is traces of the NBR binder left from the gasket.
Here is a view of the front of the combustion chamber. One can see the chamber lip welding that is very clean. The ceramic burner is also visible in front of the chamber with the yellow PTFE supply cable.
The burner is angled so that the optimal start position will be with the engine having its MPX plug at 6 to 7 o'clock.
One can also see the springs that load the combustion chamber against the NGV to compensate for thermal expansion.
Performance.
I have extensively tested this engine on my bench and I must say that I was not disappointed. In fact it performed almost identically than the JB-180GE I tested in the issued # 101 of RCJI in January 2010. This is not really surprising as both series share the same compressor-diffuser-NGV-turbine assembly.
The combustion cycle is extremely robust and I had no problem with it in the very hot desert conditions of Dubai.
As you will see below, this one gave me a max thrust of 179N compensated at ISA with a TSFC of 0.0464. This is an excellent figure and only the Hawk engines, B300F and the JetsMunt VT-80 are better than the JB-180 on that matter. Truly remarkable in fact.
Thrust vs RPM.
This curve is quite flat and was obtained with the ECU setting in semi exponential. A max thrust of 40.1 lbs at ISA was obtained at 123 000 RPM.
Fuel endurance vs thrust:
This table shows the excellent results of the 180 on that matter. This engine will give you a 2 minute flight per liter of fuel at full thrust. A 4 liter tank ( 135 fl.oz) will be sufficient to most people to fly 6 to 8 minutes depending on throttle management.
EGT vs thrust:
This curve is fairly standard and flat. Max EGT was measured at 675 c and quite on the cold side for such an engine. This correlates with the fact that the rear bearing is running very cold and has proven excellent reliability over the last 5 years.
TSFC vs thrust.
TSFC is a synthetic index that generally measures the efficiency of the engine. It is the result of the engine weight and consumption indexed to its thrust.
So for a given thurst, an engine with a lower TSFC will be lighter and burn less fuel. It is the true essence of what we, modellers, are looking for from an engine point of view.
This is where the Behotec JB-180 truly shines in fact. I measured this one slightly below the previous 180 Gold Edition by 0.007 point. This is mostly due to the slightly higher thrust measured, with a virtually identical fuel flow at max thrust.
Only 4 engines currently sold on the market do better than the Behotec 180. These are the Hawk 100 and 190, the Merlin VT-80 and the B300F. This is the true testimony of Behotec knowledge and mastering of turbine engines design.
Some people might argue that price is more important than efficiency. In that case I would point them to my blog, where I listed most of the engines available on the market by power-to-weight-to-price:
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/blogs/j...ur-application
I think that Behotec made the right choice to keep the proven design of the previous 180 Gold Edition. This engine is in fact boasting an impressive no fault record for now 5 consecutive years with thousands of operating hours and no recall whatsoever and is certainly the most reliable 180 in the world.
I have produced a complete set of custom documentation for this engine that is available on our web site in the dowload tab of the product page:
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/collect...roducts/jb-180
The current state of the user manual is revision 4 as of March 2014.
I have also completely re-written the ECU user manual which is on revision 2.
Finally we have a Bulletin on revision 2 that is intended to be used as a quick start manual.
Let me know if you have any further question about the engine or the documentation.
This engine is derived from the world acclaimed JB-180 Gold Edition that was the most powerful engine in its class back in 2009 when it was released.
At this time, many modelers were suspicious as of the ability to cram in 180N of thrust in a 160 can.
However, Behotec prove its ability to do it as all the engines came out of the factory with a test sheet and certificate of thrust that prove to be accurate. My initial testing of the Gold edition for RCJI back at the beginning of 2010 showed about 170N of thrust, but at a rotational speed of 120 000 RPM. Behotec later released a firmware that allowed 123 000 RPM and this engine was subsequently tested at 177N, which was within the 3% tolerance that we have on our test bench.
Since 2009, many Gold Edition engines have run around the world including in the Middle-East and none of them ever got any catastrophic failure. This is a great testimony of the durability of this engine design.
Given the durability and performance margin that the Behotec engineers had on this model, they decided to push the design further without increasing the max RPM by improving the compressor-diffuser-turbine-NGV assembly. This was only possible by the use of the latest CFD software. It lead to a reliable 220 N engine known as "The Beast" JB-220.
Once the design process of the JB-220 was achieved, Behotec decided to rationalize its production tools and processes and re-designed the JB-180GE in order to utilize as many common part with the JB-220 as possible.
The result is the new JB-180 that features the best engine build on the market at an amazing price.
The specific parts for the JB-180 are the same compressor-diffuser-turbine-NGV assembly than the JB-180GE. All the other parts are new and common with the JB-220. The amazing thing about that fact is that this enabled to UPGRADE the 180 GE to improved parts and REDUCE its price at the same time.
The upgraded features from the 220 are the following;
The bearing centering system that is unique in the world
The rear bearing cooling system
The engine shaft
The tailpipe anti-leak system
The casing
The combustion chamber and ceramic burner assembly
Here is a quick description of the engine.
The JB-180 is actually a clone of the JB-220. So much that the only difference noticeable is the tailpipe shape ( slightly wider exhaust ). The engine retains the excellent bracket system that is much thicker than most of its competitor system and black anodized. This engine is remarkable in that it does not utilize any plastic part in the construction except for the MPX and COM plugs.
The engine is 100% designed and produced in-house, using state-of-the-art German CNC machines. Only the Iconel turbine wheel is cast in by a separate German supplier.
The engine casing is grey anodized and the cowling black anodized. Basically all the engine is anodized, making it quite wear proof. If some fuel/ oil stains occur, just wipe off with acetone and the engine will look like brand new again...
The connectors layout retains the standard COM/ MPX/ dual fuel inlet. The ECU is the very reliable Hornet III. The very much appreciated feature about this ECU is that it is totally immune to static discharge. I still have to see a flameout due to static discharge/ watchdog reboot on this system.
The compressor is CNC machined from an aluminum billet, this is done in-house at Behotec. Similarly, the diffuser assembly is CNC machined from and aluminum billet. The starter motor is a brushed Japanese unit on dual ball bearing. It is enclose in a fully anodized aluminum housing. This make the atrter drive always perfectly straighgt and improves the start sequence as well as reduce starter clutch wear. The front cowling assembly features extremely tight tolerances and the lip clearance is microscopic.
Once the cowling is removed, one can see the engine control interface board. On this view, the two Festo fuel fittings are at the front, while the IR RPM sensor is visible on upper portion of the intake lip.
On the left, one can see the EGT probe ( yellow resin board ) that goes into the casing.
Here is another view of the cowling area. On the right side of the MPX power plug lies the standard RJ11 COM plug. The other IR RPM sensor is visible on the left.
On this view of the engine, one can see on the left the yellow ceramic burner cable that goes into the engine casing.
The tailpipe is fastened by 12 socket head screws. It features a dual cone system and is billet machined. 8 tig welded blades hold the inner cone perfectly centered. The whole assembly is produced from high temperature stainless steel.
Most engines on the market use embossed tailpipes and cones. Not Behotec ones. Both the tailpipe and inner cone are machined from stainless steel billets. This ensures extreme thermal stability and durability/ strength and enables Behotec to use the tailcone as a part of their patented centering system.
Here is a view of the tailpipe removed. A specific composite aramid/ NBR/ mineral gasket ( Elrin EWP 210 ) is used. This makes the engine 100% leak proof. The Behotec line of engine is the first totally leak proof on the market, thanks to this technique. This type of gasket material is quite expensive and exclusive to Behotec.
One can see on the picture the conical lip assembly. This is extremely important as it is one of the most clever feature on this engine. Basically the outer casing is used as a centering unit in conjunction with the NGV. The more the engine produces thrust, the more the turbine is going to push against the NGV, the stronger the centering force will become. The centering effect is a combination of the engine shaft funnel stability and casing-NGV stability. Since the rotational imbalance increases with thrust, thus RPM, this is extremely welcome.
Note that all the other engines on the market rely on the funnel rigidity to provide bearing centering. The turbine tip clearance then has to be increased to provide sufficient margin at high RPM.
The Behotec turbines are custom designed in-house from the CFD study and CAD files. The wax plug is produced in-house and then Inconel cast in Germany. The type of Inconel used is so specific that only a few specialized turbo makers in Germany can produced the wheels to the tolerance required. Evey wheel is X-rayed after production to check for integrity.
Similarly, the NGV stator is produced from Inconel. However, as it does not turn, the Inconel type is the more common variant used on most micro turbines.
Here is a general view of the combustion chamber. It is made from laser cut sheets of Inconel that are barrel shaped and gas MIG welded.
The fuel sticks are Inconel tubes as well and feature a specific internal shape to swirl the air before the flame and produce a better fuel diffusion/ combustion in the chamber.
Here is a view of the rear of the combustion chamber. One can see the fuel ramp and the fuel sticks base. The fuel ramp and length of the needle is important to pre-heat the fuel before it is burned.
The EGT sensor is visible on the right. Here the temperature is read after the turbine wheel, So it is EGT. For info, the B300F uses a sensor that is placed between the stator and the rotor. It measures TGT.
The red deposit shown on the tailpipe lip is traces of the NBR binder left from the gasket.
Here is a view of the front of the combustion chamber. One can see the chamber lip welding that is very clean. The ceramic burner is also visible in front of the chamber with the yellow PTFE supply cable.
The burner is angled so that the optimal start position will be with the engine having its MPX plug at 6 to 7 o'clock.
One can also see the springs that load the combustion chamber against the NGV to compensate for thermal expansion.
Performance.
I have extensively tested this engine on my bench and I must say that I was not disappointed. In fact it performed almost identically than the JB-180GE I tested in the issued # 101 of RCJI in January 2010. This is not really surprising as both series share the same compressor-diffuser-NGV-turbine assembly.
The combustion cycle is extremely robust and I had no problem with it in the very hot desert conditions of Dubai.
As you will see below, this one gave me a max thrust of 179N compensated at ISA with a TSFC of 0.0464. This is an excellent figure and only the Hawk engines, B300F and the JetsMunt VT-80 are better than the JB-180 on that matter. Truly remarkable in fact.
Thrust vs RPM.
This curve is quite flat and was obtained with the ECU setting in semi exponential. A max thrust of 40.1 lbs at ISA was obtained at 123 000 RPM.
Fuel endurance vs thrust:
This table shows the excellent results of the 180 on that matter. This engine will give you a 2 minute flight per liter of fuel at full thrust. A 4 liter tank ( 135 fl.oz) will be sufficient to most people to fly 6 to 8 minutes depending on throttle management.
EGT vs thrust:
This curve is fairly standard and flat. Max EGT was measured at 675 c and quite on the cold side for such an engine. This correlates with the fact that the rear bearing is running very cold and has proven excellent reliability over the last 5 years.
TSFC vs thrust.
TSFC is a synthetic index that generally measures the efficiency of the engine. It is the result of the engine weight and consumption indexed to its thrust.
So for a given thurst, an engine with a lower TSFC will be lighter and burn less fuel. It is the true essence of what we, modellers, are looking for from an engine point of view.
This is where the Behotec JB-180 truly shines in fact. I measured this one slightly below the previous 180 Gold Edition by 0.007 point. This is mostly due to the slightly higher thrust measured, with a virtually identical fuel flow at max thrust.
Only 4 engines currently sold on the market do better than the Behotec 180. These are the Hawk 100 and 190, the Merlin VT-80 and the B300F. This is the true testimony of Behotec knowledge and mastering of turbine engines design.
Some people might argue that price is more important than efficiency. In that case I would point them to my blog, where I listed most of the engines available on the market by power-to-weight-to-price:
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/blogs/j...ur-application
I think that Behotec made the right choice to keep the proven design of the previous 180 Gold Edition. This engine is in fact boasting an impressive no fault record for now 5 consecutive years with thousands of operating hours and no recall whatsoever and is certainly the most reliable 180 in the world.
I have produced a complete set of custom documentation for this engine that is available on our web site in the dowload tab of the product page:
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/collect...roducts/jb-180
The current state of the user manual is revision 4 as of March 2014.
I have also completely re-written the ECU user manual which is on revision 2.
Finally we have a Bulletin on revision 2 that is intended to be used as a quick start manual.
Let me know if you have any further question about the engine or the documentation.
Last edited by olnico; 03-26-2014 at 11:07 AM.
03-26-2014, 03:09 PM
#5
Thread Starter
03-26-2014, 03:16 PM
#6
Thread Starter
The deposit is non sticky. However what is important is that no sand enters the bearing system. The 180 has been performing extremely well in this situation.
03-26-2014, 03:22 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Behotec is based in Munich and run by Thomas Berthold.
However Thomas has money in BF ( The B of BF is for Berthold and the F for Frey ).
They both have separate means of production but share the know-how and some design features like the self centering bearing system, combustion chamber production processes, ECU system, kero burner...
Also Christian's machines are used as an additional asset to catch up with Behotec's production when required.
03-28-2014, 02:51 AM
#9
Thread Starter
You have the new version. Yours is the first one in the USA.
Please make sure to direct your builder to our online documentation.
03-28-2014, 03:06 PM
#14
Thread Starter
I am updating that documentation on a regular basis. It is worth keeping an eye on the download page for the latest version.
03-29-2014, 12:18 PM
#15
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: kenilworth , UNITED KINGDOM
Posts: 2,369
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Unusual diffuser design (well unusual to me anyway) Never seen anything like that before and I aways find it encouraging when I see something that I consider new and radical. I think Behotec are one of those manufacturers who think outside the box and for themselves. I have always liked Behotec products and if it wasn't for that ridiculously agricultural looking pump supplied with the 220 I'd own one now.
Jason
Jason
03-29-2014, 09:53 PM
#16
Thread Starter
The 220 diffuser is quite different from the 180 and even more radical. You should see the NGV as well with the centering system.
For the pump, my adjective wouldn't be agricultural, but rather "very German". It is sized for the job and bullet proof...
For the pump, my adjective wouldn't be agricultural, but rather "very German". It is sized for the job and bullet proof...
03-30-2014, 11:06 AM
#19
Thread Starter
03-30-2014, 11:07 AM
#20
Thread Starter
04-01-2014, 03:03 PM
#22
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ON, Canada
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey Oli,
What is the second button for on the new I/O board? The outside most one is for priming but can't figure out the other one! Nothing in your manual either about it.
Mike
What is the second button for on the new I/O board? The outside most one is for priming but can't figure out the other one! Nothing in your manual either about it.
Mike
04-02-2014, 12:05 PM
#23
Thread Starter
Hi Mike. The second button has no use so far. Maybe they designed the board with something in mind. I will ask the guys at Projet.
04-11-2014, 02:30 PM
#25
We just received the JB-180 in stock at the Houston shop. What an impressive turbine!
Woody
www.Ultimate-Jets.net
Woody
www.Ultimate-Jets.net
