LE BOURGET -- GE Aviation has unveiled its new GEnx engine in a special ceremony at the 2009 Paris Air Show today at Le Bourget.
The GEnx engine is the best selling engine for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the sole source engine for the Boeing 747-8 aircraft. With more than 1,100 engines on order, the GEnx is the fastest-selling large jet engine in GE history. Based on the GE90's proven architecture and often called its "little brother," the GEnx combines many breakthrough technologies:
- Composites: The GEnx is the first engine with a carbon fiber, composite fan case and fan blades. GE introduced composite fan blades in the 1980s as part of the open-rotor fan system on its GE36 engine. The GE90 was the first commercial engine with composite fan blades, enabling unprecedented bypass ratios for better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
- TAPS Combustor: The Twin-Annular Pre-mixing Swirler (TAPS) combustor reduces emissions. TAPS pre-mixes air and fuel to create a leaner mixture that burns at lower temperatures, leading to lower levels of NOx. The GEnx combustor reduces NOx to levels 60% below today's limits, and other regulated gases more than 90 percent below.
- Turbines: The GEnx's high- and low-pressure turbines contain the most advanced geometry, material, and coatings for improved durability and efficiency.
The GEnx engine offers up to 15 percent improved fuel efficiency compared with GE's CF6 engine that it will replace. This fuel efficiency translates to approximately 15 percent less CO2. The GEnx will also be the quietest engine that GE has produced, based on the ratio of decibels to pounds of thrust.
IHI of Japan, Avio SpA. of Italy, Volvo Aero of Sweden, MTU of Germany, TechSpace Aero of Belgium, Snecma (SAFRAN Group) of France and Samsung Techwin of Korea are revenue-sharing participants in the GEnx program.
The GEnx is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio -- GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance. You can learn more about the GEnx engine by clicking this link: http://www.ge.com/news/genx_video.html.
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 avionics, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation.
GEnx Stats
GEnx-1B (on display at Le Bourget)
Fan diameter (in): 111"
Engine length (in): 184.7" (from forward flange of front fan case to the outer flange of turbine rear frame)
Thrust: 53,000 lbs - 69,800 lbs
Bypass ratio: 9.6 at takeoff
Pressure ratio: 23:1 (highest in aviation)
Engine to power Boeing 787 aircraft
GEnx-2B
Fan diameter (in): 104"
Engine length (in): 169.7" (from forward flange of front fan case to the outer flange of turbine rear frame)
Thrust: 67,000 lbs
Bypass ratio: 8.0 at takeoff
Pressure ratio: 23:1 (highest in aviation)
Engine to power Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and Freighter
The GEnx aircraft engines projected to be sold in the next 20 years will emit an estimated 77 million fewer tons of greenhouse gases than would have been produced by older comparable engines.
If today's fleet of 200- to 300-passenger aircraft had GEnx engines, annual carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by an amount equal to:
- removing more than 800,000 cars from the road for a year
- adding more than 1.2 million acres of forest
- 4 percent of the annual carbon dioxide emissions produced by all U.S. commercial aircraft
By using GEnx engines, that same fleet could save nearly 500 million gallons of jet fuel each year - enough to fly more than 12 million people from New York City to London on Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets.
If an airline were to replace 20 of its older 200- to 300-passenger aircraft with next-generation jets powered by GEnx engines, it would save nearly $5 million in fuel costs annually.