A battle between jet engine makers for Boeing and Airbus is for a good reason, as each manufacturer has claimed new methods of testing have allowed them to create more efficient and longer-lasting engines than their competitors.
CFM International, which makes engines for around 75 percent of narrow-body jets made for the two companies, claims its new LEAP engine will burn 15 percent less fuel with a reduced operating cost between 2 to 3 percent. Their competitor Pratt & Whitney has said its new engine’s 15 percent reduction of burned fuel is more reliable because it has been tested in aircraft, according to Reuters, while they say CFM’s engines are only made of test parts at the moment.
Additionally, the two manufacturers have claimed their engines will last longer than their rival’s. CFM’s LEAP engine has been claimed to last 2 percent longer than its competitor, while Pratt has said its offering is shorter and lighter than CFM’s, requiring less maintenance and emissions to the tune of $1.5 million in annual savings.
The manufacturers’ battle for peak efficiency will have great advantages for consumers, as their engine technology will continue to become more affordable and longer-lasting with continued competition and testing.
Combustion testing in Connecticut
Other testing on jet engines is taking place at the University of Connecticut, where engineering professors are committing studies on jet engine combustors to maximize their performance, thrust and stability, looking to better understand the science of the spread of flames inside the engines, according to the university’s blog. The research is being used by Pratt & Whitney to refine designs.
Current jet engine combustors are first developed and then tested for efficiency and possible flaws, which can be time-consuming and wasteful for engineers. Instead, the UConn professors are using laser-based measurements to maximize their performance and design, registering at high speed when flames will go out to know exactly how to refine the design process while saving millions of dollars in the process.
Additional testing conducted by the professors includes studying the reactions of flames under different mixtures of air and fuel, as well as introducing different levels of turbulence and velocity to combustion chambers and seeing any change in reaction. By varying the flow of air and gas, the researchers will have more accurate predictions, cutting down on others testing the wrong aspect of an engine.
Laser technology is being used to measure levels of decay and repair in turbine engine blades’ ceramic coatings as well, meant to find methods of prolonging their lifespans and thus increasing the reliability of the engines. Current methods of testing involve visual inspection and regularly scheduled maintenance, but if an engine’s blades are damaged without their wear being noticed, they can be further damaged or even melted by spiking temperatures inside the engines.
The laser technology used measures the stress-dependent bonding material on the blades, which can be used to determine a more accurate measure of the blade’s longevity. A side effect of the testing allowed researchers to better clean particles out of engines’ blades.
Improvements in component testing will only serve to further develop successful and longer-lasting engines, allowing for lower maintenance costs.