GE next generation of engine, carbon fiber fan blade

GE aviation group has started for the next generation of Boeing 777 aircraft to use x GE90 engine - GE9X test new type of composite fan blades. The verification test is GE plans this year to the number of GE9X fan unit cell tests of the first item.
The first round of testing fan blades has been in June in the UK on engine test base of ITP, mainly of the fan blade is to validate the new composite materials. Test result is very good. GE plans in ITP in the summer for a second test, further verify the new fan blade composites as well as for fan blade leading edge of new metal materials.

"GE9X fan blade will adopt a new strength higher carbon fiber materials and alloy steel front," GE aviation GE90 project general manager Bill. Mill ham (Bill Millhaem) said. "New materials and higher speed of the fan blade tip will improve the efficiency of low pressure turbine (LPT), and to improve fuel efficiency than GE90-115 - b engines by 1.5%."
GE9X fan unit has several unique features. GE9X former fan 132 inches in diameter and is the largest of the GE engine; There is a similar to the GEnx of high durability, light weight composite fan casing. Compared with the fan casing metal material, composite material fan casing will make every engine weight of 350 pounds.

GE9X engine fan blade will be the fourth generation of composite fan blades. GE aviation in 1995 for GE90-94 - b engines developed the first composite fan blade. GE90-115 - b and GEnx engines are also adopted the composite fan blades. GE of composite fan blades has accumulated 36 million flight hours, is expected to put into use in the end of this decade when GE9X will more than 100 million hours.
GE9X engine will have 16 pieces of fan blades, are less than the GEnx and GE90-115 - b engines. To achieve reduction in the number of the fan blade can be attributed to the advanced three-dimensional (3 d) sweepback design, the design enable engineers to develop more after prey, wider fan blades. Compared with the carbon fiber blades, new high strength carbon fiber material makes the blade is thinner, and keep the same strength and durability. These improvements will increase fuel efficiency, make the fan blade and its supporting structure to reduce hundreds of pounds of weight.

Reduction in the number of blades and adopt the new carbon fiber composite materials can make the GE aviation group, improve the speed of the fan blade tip. Higher speed of the fan blade tip will make LPT efficiency, reducing the LPT leaf number and help to improve the fuel efficiency of the engine.
Will be used in a Boeing 777 aircraft x GE9X engine thrust level for 100000 pounds, fuel efficiency at present GE90-115 - b will increase by 10%. Its main features include: the fan diameter of 132 inches; Composite fan magazine and the fourth generation of composite fan blades; Compression ratio for 27:1 "a new generation of high pressure compressor; Can improve fuel efficiency and reduce the emissions of the third generation of TAPS (double loop premixed spin) combustion chamber; And the ceramic matrix composites (CMC) of the combustion chamber and turbine.
GE aviation group in the past few years has been in the new materials and technology test for the engine. In addition to the ITP for the engine test base of the fan blade to test, GE aviation in Italy this month massa GE oil and gas group factory testing high pressure compressor. GE plans to carry out the first engine test in 2016 in 2017 on the GE's flight test bench in flight test, 2018 aviation authority jaa will enable.