Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 13)

FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 CFM Launches Its Next-Gen Engine CFM has unveiled the LEAP-X—a new jet engine it hopes will one day power an entirely new generation of Boeing and Airbus airliners in the single-aisle class. A conventional enclosed turbofan, LEAP-X is designed to burn up to 16% less fuel than the CFM56s that power today’s Boeing 737s, along with significant reductions in noise and emission levels. “This is our great leap forward,” says William Clapper, CFM executive vice president. “The key is a high bypass ratio of 9:1 instead of the current 5:1 [on the CFM56]. We also benefit from advancements in core technology and engine systems.” Component testing of the new engine is underway, and CFM plans to have a full-scale technology demonstrator running before year’s end. International certification of LEAP-X is expected by 2016. According to Clapper, the LEAP-X concept grew from the realization that fuel price is now the toughest obstacle that airlines face, and that noise and emission standards can only become more stringent. With these considerations in mind, CFM—a joint venture between America’s GE and Snecma of France—opted to take a proven core and fine tune it with the help turbine blades, a variable area fan nozzle, improved internal aerodynamics and a core pressure ratio 50% higher than current-generation turbofans. If all goes according to plan, LEAP-X will be 10-to-15 dB quieter than Stage 4 noise limits, while producing a level of nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions up to 60% lower than CAEP 6, the new international standard. “We accelerated the technology search, because we wanted significant margins over the next set of rules,” Clapper says. “This is not a retrofit engine—this is a powerplant for a new airplane.” LEAP-X. of computer-based design tools. Enhancements include woven composite fan blades, ceramic matrix CFM’s Ready with an Open Rotor, Too Aglow with the Farnborough launch of its new LEAP-X turbofan, CFM is looking ahead to an open rotor engine offering even greater fuel economy through the ultimate expression of the high bypass principle. The big question: Will it ever be built? “It all depends on whether the aircraft manufacturers want it,” says William Clapper, CFM executive vice president. “The technology is certainly doable, but it’s a technical challenge. You’ve got to be able to install it in an efficient, certifiable way.” GE, which shares the CFM partnership with Snecma of France, is no stranger to open rotor technology. Its unducted fan (UDF) engine of the 1980s performed well in flight testing aboard DC-9/MD-80 aircraft, but market conditions—read cheap fuel—pre-empted further development. Now, with jet fuel past the $4 per gallon mark and climbing, the open rotor is getting a serious second look. CFM’s concept has two sets of counter-rotating blades, with 12 in the first row and ten in the second. To ensure maximum efficiency in every stage of flight, each blade will require its own pitch change mechanism. “This is a lot more difficult than it sounds,” Clapper says. “In fact, making it happen is going to be an incredible feat of engineering. That’s why Miss the Traffic with PremiAir “Beat the traffic. Farnborough Air Show in style—the PremiAir way.” The helicopter operator’s invitation to join Bing and Dean in the high life is enticing. “Blue chip aerospace companies looking for a quick and stress-free way of getting in and out of Farnborough can book a helicopter from the London Heliport in Battersea with PremiAir, the UK’s largest executive helicopter operating and charter company,” says the marketing brochure. According to David Langton, PremiAir’s sales and customer service manager, “The ground transportation problems getting to and from Farnborough Air Show are notorious What better way to arrive than by helicopter?” The trip takes approximately 20 minutes each way from central London. “Day return fares starting from just £775 per person in an AS 355 Twin Squirrel, including all landing fees.” In the unforgettable words of the Yorkshire National Anthem, “ ’Ow much!?!” In May, visitors landing at Tegel Airport for the Berlin air show at Schoenefeld were able to travel between the two—admittedly half as far—at a there-and-back cost of just 158 euros (£126), including all taxes and fees, and an entrance ticket and show catalogue. We know that fuel prices are rocketing upwards, but not by that much in just two months. —Paul Jackson July 14, 2008 13 we’re now considering 20 different design con|cepts for the pitch change mechanism alone.” CFM’s open rotor vision is slated to have a bypass ratio of 35:1 (by comparison, a current production CFM56 turbofan has a 5:1 bypass ratio), and its 14-ft blade diameter is three feet larger than that of the original UDF. Aerodynamic testing of early concept models is underway at three of the world’s most capable wind tunnels: NASA Glenn in the U.S., TsAGI near Moscow and HERA in France. Low-speed tests will measure acoustics, while high-speed trials are expected to validate performance. Still, the biggest challenges to the open rotor may be social, rather than technical. “Bypass ratio work: there’s no doubt about that,” Clapper concludes. “But we also know that nobody’s willing to compromise on noise for fuel burn.” www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 Contents Thirty More Years CFM Reveals New Engine Boeing Reduces Forecast UAVs’ Quiet Revolution Finmeccanica: U.S. Success A Plethora of AESAs BAE North America Plus L-3 Becomes a Prime Better Late Than Never A Peek Behind the Curtain China’s J-10 Revealed Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Breaking LM’s Hegemony

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

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