FARNBOROUGH -- GE Aviation's GE90 and GEnx continue to be extremely popular engines for widebody aircraft, such as the GE90 on the Boeing 777, and GEnx engines on the Boeing 787 and 747-8 aircraft. Below is an update on these exciting GE engine programs.
GE90
The GE90 engine has benefited from GE's tremendous technology investments. In 1995, the first GE90 engine entered service with British Airways and was the first commercial engine to use composite fan blades. Two years later, GE introduced a growth version of the engine, capable of achieving up to 90,000 lbs. of thrust. The GE90-94B entered service in 2000 with advanced 3-D aerodynamic design in the high pressure compressor. The engine provided customers with a 1.6 percent fuel burn advantage and an approximately 20 ° Celsius increase in exhaust gas temperature margin for better levels of performance, longer time on-wing and reduction in operating costs. Many customers have upgraded their lower thrust GE90 models to take advantage of these benefits.
In April, the GE90-94B base engine surpassed 10 million flight hours -- an outstanding milestone for this exceptional engine. The GE90-94B engine powers more than 165 Boeing 777-200 and -200ER aircraft for 16 operators around the world. The engine's performance has been stellar with a dispatch reliability rate of 99.96 percent. Its in-flight shutdown rate has been remarkable. In fact, it has experienced no in-flight shutdowns in the last 12 months.
The GE90-115B engine, the world's largest, highest-thrust commercial engine, powers the Boeing 777-200LR, -300ER and Freight aircraft. The engine is one of the quietest per pound of thrust. The engine also exhibits superior fuel burn and low overall emissions due in part to its improved combustor. The combustor meets all 2008 international emissions standards with margin, including no more than 40 percent of the allowable hydrocarbons. This engine has proven to be tremendously popular with customers around the world, with close to 1,000 engines being sold. The GE90-115B engine has logged more than two million flight hours since entering service in 2004.
Snecma of France, Avio SpA. of Italy, and IHI of Japan are revenue-sharing participants in the GE90 program.
GEnx
With more than 1,100 engines sold to date, the GEnx is the fastest-selling engine in GE's history. Based on the proven architecture of the GE90, the GEnx will succeed GE's CF6 engine. Compared to the CF6, the GEnx will offer 15 percent improved fuel efficiency, which translates into 15 percent less CO2. It is designed to stay on wing 30 percent longer than the CF6, while using 30 percent fewer parts, greatly reducing maintenance.
The GEnx emissions will be as much as 95 percent below current regulatory limits. The engine will also be the quietest one that GE has produced, based on a pound-of-thrust-per-decibel ratio. As the world's only jet engine with both a front fan case and fan blades made of carbon fiber composites, the GEnx will also have greater durability, better performance retention as well as lower operating costs than comparable engines in its class.
The GEnx-1B engine for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner received airworthiness engine certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in March. The FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 33 certification follows an extensive two-year ground- and flight-test program that involved nine engines and two flight-test programs on GE's 747 flying test bed. GE continues to test the GEnx-1B engine and has accumulated more than 5200 cycles and more than 4100 hours. A third flight test program on GE's 747 flying testbed is being conducted this month in Victorville, CA.
The GEnx-2B engine is optimized for the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, but still shares the engine core and 80 percent of the line replaceable units (LRUs) as the GEnx-1B. Ground testing on the GEnx-2B engine began in late February and reached 71,250 lbs. of standard day sea-level takeoff thrust at GE's outdoor testing facility in Peebles, Ohio. The engine has accumulated close to 150 hours and cycles to date.
The certification program for the GEnx-2B engine will involve five engines. Engine certification is anticipated in first half of 2009 with entry into service in late 2009.
IHI of Japan, TechSpace Aero of Belgium, Avio SpA. of Italy, Volvo Aero of Sweden and Samsung Techwin of Korea are revenue-sharing participants in the GEnx program.
The GE90-115B and GEnx engines are part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio--GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.