FARNBOROUGH -- The high-thrust GE90-115B engine, powering the Boeing 777-300ER, has achieved one of the best entries into airline service for a jet engine powering wide-body aircraft.
The GE90-115B, certified at an unprecedented 115,000 pounds (512 kN) of thrust, powers the 777-300ER, 777-200LR and 777 freighter.
Since entering service on an Air France 777-300ER in May 2004, GE90-115B engines have accumulated more than 360,000 flight-hours (more than 64,000 cycles) powering 46 777-300ER aircraft.
During that time, the GE90-115B story has contributed significantly to the dramatic success of Boeing's longer-range 777 aircraft. To date, Boeing has sold more than 270 of its new, longer-range 777s, including the freighter model based on the 777-200LR platform.
RELIABILITY
To date, the GE90-115B has experienced no in-flight shutdowns and enjoys an engine departure reliability of 99.97 percent. There have been no forced engine removals and only two scheduled engine removals.
An outstanding example of the new engine's reliability is Emirates Airlines. Emirates began flying 777-300ERs in April 2005, and now has 16 aircraft in its fleet. Over that time, the airline experienced only one engine-caused delay and no engine removals.
The GE90-115B builds upon the reliability of its predecessor, the GE90-94B engine for the 777-200ER. With more than 7.4 million flight-hours accumulated, the -94B has an engine-caused in-flight shutdown rate of 0.0014 while flying more than 90 ETOPS routes.
FUEL BURN
The 777-300ER has improved its fuel burn by 3.6 percent over pre-flight predictions to become one of the most efficient long-range aircraft ever produced. The 777-300ER has the best fuel burn, per seat-mile, of any commercial wide-body aircraft in operation today. These fuel burn improvement equates to an annual jet-fuel savings of more than 1.3 million liters of fuel.
GE90-115B enhancements include re-bladed low-pressure turbine in the first three stages, improved high-pressure compressor clearances, and leakage reduction.
ECOMAGINATION
The GE90-115B hydrocarbon emissions are 60 percent below the level that will be allowed by 2008 international standards.
A fleet of 20 777-300ERs will emit 177,000 fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year than competing airframe powered by four engines. That equals the carbon dioxide absorbed by 43,000 acres of forest, an area more than twice the size of Manhattan, or the carbon dioxide emissions that would be saved by removing nearly 25,000 cars from the road for a year.
"For well over a decade, Boeing and GE have worked together to create a long-range aircraft with unprecedented efficiency," said Lorraine Bolsinger, vice president, Ecomagination, for General Electric Company. "Boeing's longer-range 777s are changing the face of aviation."
The GE90-115B is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio--GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.
Snecma of France, Avio SpA. of Italy, and IHI of Japan are revenue-sharing participants in the GE90 program.
For the entire Boeing 777 family of aircraft, 29 customers have ordered nearly 900 GE90 engines, including nearly 450 of the higher thrust -115B engines for the 777-300ER and 777-200LR.