FARNBOROUGH, England - GE Engine Services (GEES), a division of GE Aircraft Engines has introduced a new CF34-3B1 durability upgrade that will improve hot-section life and reduce maintenance costs.
The CF34-3B1 durability upgrade kit will incorporate advanced materials and coatings into the engine's high-pressure turbine (HPT), providing a 20+ percent savings in overall material costs over the life of the engine.
Nearly 700 CF34-3B1 engines are in service, and more than 2,600 are on firm order or option. The CF34-3B1 durability upgrade is expected to be available in 2003, and prototype parts are already undergoing testing.
"Our goal is to make good engines even better by leveraging today's advanced technology that has been proven in service in our current production engines," said Dan Heintzelman, president and CEO of GE Engine Services. "By incorporating newer technology into older engines, we also increase the engine's residual value."
In addition to the CF34, GEES offers engine upgrades for each of its commercial engine families. These upgrades infuse new technology into the company's growing installed base. Engine upgrades are expected to significantly increase the residual value of GE/CFM-powered aircraft, creating a new standard for maintenance and service.
The CF6-50 hot section upgrade replaces HPT material in the CF6-50 engine, recognizing that the frequency of engine removals attributed to HPT components, such as nozzles, shrouds and blades, would be reduced by the infusion of today's technology. Components manufactured from GE's N5 monocrystal material, used in the HPT of CF6-80C2 and CFM56-7 engines, provide increased durability and temperature capability. As a result, engine time on wing is increased as much as 25 percent, which translates to a reduction of as much as 30 percent in overall cost of ownership. The CF6-50 hot section upgrade is now in service with Air France and Atlas Airways.
The CFM56-3 core upgrade replaces the high-pressure compressor (HPC) blades with blades designed in accordance with 3-D aerodynamic design codes, already proven in applications such as the HPC blades of the CFM56-5B/P and CFM56-7 engines. The blade replacement accounts for up to a one-percent reduction in fuel burn and an improvement of approximately 15oC in exhaust gas temperature (EGT) margin. As with the CF6-50, the CFM56 core upgrade includes more durable, more temperature-capable HPT components manufactured from N5. Improved coatings are included to enhance cooling in the HPT. The 3-D aerodynamic HPC and the improved HPT reduce the customer's cost of ownership by as much as 30 percent. The CFM56-3 core upgrade achieved FAR33 and FAR25 certification last month, and entry into service at Southwest Airlines, scheduled for August.
The CF34-3A1 to -3B1 conversion upgrade replaces the HPC stage 1 blades with recontoured blades manufactured from durable DA718 material, and reduces the number of blades from 30 to 26. Measures to increase the durability of the HPT and low pressure turbine (LPT) include improving airflow, primarily by improving sealing and clearance control, and replacing the HPT stage 2 nozzle, currently manufactured from R80 material, with an R125 nozzle. The conversion upgrade results in a reduction of up to 3 percent in fuel burn, a reduction of up to 10 percent in maintenance costs, and a thrust increase for hot-day APR takeoffs and for climb.
The GE90 performance improvement program (PIP) upgrades the GE90-90B engine to the higher-thrust GE90-94B configuration, incorporating 3-D aerodynamic blades and vanes in the high pressure compressor, improved sealing of the fan outlet guide vanes, optimized active clearance control in the HPT, and reduced clearances in the LPT. In the upgraded configuration, fuel burn is reduced as much as 1.6 percent, which enables increased payload and/or increased range, and EGT margin is increased by 20oC, which extends engine time on wing. Currently, more than 45 percent of eligible GE90 engines have been upgraded.
GEES passes on savings derived from upgrades to its customers with whom it has customized service agreements. For example, GEES can incorporate an upgrade as part of its Maintenance Cost Per Hoursm (MCPHsm) agreement, reducing the cost-per-hour rate. Subsequent maintenance savings, realized as a result of the reduction in the number of shop visits, plus the lower costs incurred by those shop visits that are necessary, go to increasing the residual value of the engine.
GEAE, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is the world's leading manufacturer of jet engines for civil and military aircraft, including engines produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma Moteurs of France and GE. GEAE also manufactures gas turbines, derived from its highly successful jet engine programs, for marine applications. In addition, GEAE provides comprehensive maintenance support, through its GE Engine Services operation, for GE and non-GE jet engines in service throughout the world. Visit GEAE online at: http://www.geae.com.