CF6-80E1

--FARNBOROUGH -- With more than 300 million hours of operating experience and infusion of new technology for added life and durability, General Electric Company's CF6 military engine family is enjoying widespread success in the tanker-transport, refueling and VIP communities.

KC-45: CF6-80E1 engines (72,000 lbs/320 kN thrust) will power Northrop Grumman KC-45A aircraft, which was selected in February by the United States Air Force (USAF) for its tanker replacement program. The program calls for 179 tankers in the first of three phases to replace the USAF tanker fleet.

C-5 RERP: The C-5M Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program reached a major milestone in May when it received a Lot 1 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract from Lockheed Martin for the first four propulsion systems. Deliveries of CF6-80C2 engines (63,500lbs/282 kN thrust) are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2009. The Lot 1 award is based on the successful execution of the flight-test program under the System Development and Demonstration phase, which verifies engine capability, operability and integration aboard C-5M aircraft. The Lot 2 LRIP contract for the next 12 propulsion systems is expected later this year. More than 200 engines are expected to be delivered for 52 C-5M aircraft through 2015.

International: Interest in the CF6 continues to grow internationally. The Royal Saudi Air Force recently selected the GE CF6-80E1 engine to power three Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, joining the Royal Australian Air Force in selecting GE power. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2009.

The A330 MRTT is being offered to several international military customers, including India, Korea, Oman and Turkey. The CF6-80C2 was selected to power the 767 tankers for Italy and Japan.

Technology programs: GE launched the Tech CF6 program to incorporate advanced technology into the high-pressure turbine (HPT), combustor and high-pressure compressor (HPC) areas. These upgrades incorporate proven materials, coatings, and design technologies that will improve fuel burn retention and reliability, plus lower the cost of ownership. The upgrade kits have now entered commercial revenue service and the advancements in the HPT are standard on CF6-80C2 and CF6-80E1 new production engines.

GE has also been selected to develop technology for the Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine (HEETE) program, which focuses on greatly increasing the fuel efficiency and range of future mobility aircraft. The program has the potential to provide technology and architecture for GE's next-generation high-bypass turbofan engines.

GE's CF6 engines have been among the most utilized and reliable in the industry. Powering more than 10 models of wide-body aircraft, the engine has established an unparalleled record of reliability with more than 250 customers worldwide. GE and CFM56* engines currently power more than 80% of the U.S. Air Force tanker fleet. American Airlines recently set a time-on-wing record for the CF6-80C2 engine, logging more than 40,000 hours and nearly 10 years of continuous on-wing operation on a Boeing 767 aircraft. Last year, CF6-80E1 engines completed one million takeoffs/landings, or cycles--a significant milestone in an engine's life.

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 integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.

* CFM and CFM56 are trademarks of CFM International, a joint company of Snecma, France, and General Electric Co., USA Share:
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China Airlines: problèmes de réacteurs sur les A330
Publié le 8 mars 2011 à 11h00 par François Duclos dans Actualité, Technologie - 0 commentaire

La compagnie aérienne taïwanaise China Airlines a reconnu que trois de ses Airbus A330-300 avaient connu des problèmes de réacteurs qui avaient forcé à l’annulation de leurs vols.

Les autorités de l’aviation civile ont révélé que trois vols en A330-300 de la compagnie nationale au départ de l’aéroport Taoyuan, près de la capitale Taïpei, avaient dû faire demi-tour après avoir subi une extinction de réacteurs, deux fois en décembre 2010 et une fois en janvier 2011.

La compagnie a examiné les moteurs fautifs, des CF6-80 E fournis par General Electric, et constaté une usure anormale des pales de turbines, alors que dans les trois cas les moteurs n’avaient pas atteint les 18 000 heures de vol prévues avant maintenance. China Airlines a remplacé les trois réacteurs défaillants et ordonné une inspection de tous les moteurs ayant plus de 12 000 heures de vol sur les dix-huit A330 que compte sa flotte, tout en déposant un recours contre GE – qui vient d’envoyer son PDG à Taïwan. Jusque là 30 des 36 réacteurs concernés ont été inspectés.

Eva Air, l’autre compagnie taïwanaise, a de son côté signalé que ses propres Airbus A330 n’étaient pas équipés des mêmes réacteurs, et donc que ces incidents ne la concernaient pas. Le CF6-80 équipe en revanche des A330 de compagnies comme Aer Lingus, Air France, Continental Airlines, Finnair, KLM, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways etc…

http://www.air-journal.fr/2011-03-08-china-airlines-problemes-de-reacteurs-sur-les-a330-526700.html

General Electric is contacting operators of its CF6-80E1 engines in Asia to check for corrosion on the powerplant's high-pressure turbine blades, following three engine shutdown events on China Airlines Airbus A330-300s.
Hot corrosion caused the incidents, in December 2010 and January 2011, in which flights turned back. The blades involved were in the first-stage high-pressure turbine of certain high-cycle CF6-80E1 engines.
"Preliminary analysis strongly indicates the corrosion damage on the blade surface may have been caused by certain environmental conditions, such as air pollution and other contaminants. The damage on the blades was extensive and they could not be repaired," says GE Aviation.
GE is contacting other CF6-80E1 operators in the region to determine if their blades have similar corrosion damage.
"We are still early in this process and are not sure if the problem has affected operators to the same extent that China Airlines has experienced," says GE.
China Airlines' engines were delivered from 2004. GE introduced a more robust blade on the engine as standard in 2008, with a resistant coating "that enhances blade life", and issued a service bulletin to operators recommending inspection for corrosion during routine engine overhauls. Blades with minimal corrosion can be repaired with a coating.
"However if the corrosion is too much, the blade should be replaced with the new improved HPT blade," says GE.
GE is working with China Airlines to retrofit the new blades. While the airline says it needs to replace only the affected blades, it is replacing all engine blades on its 18 A330s as a precaution. Seventy percent of the work, covering 41 engines, is complete and all blades will be replaced by May.
Taiwan's China Airlines adds that GE investigated its maintenance procedures and found the carrier conformed with instructions, and the operating environment was "no different" from other carriers.

High-pressure compressor (HPC): Tech CF6 reduces maintenance costs by creating a more damage-tolerant HPC. This is achieved with modifications to the mid-span shroud, enabling the Stage 1 blade to become more impact resistant. Compressor durability and performance are further enhanced by adding erosion coatings to several stages of blades and vanes.


The enhanced blade will reduce Stage 1 HPC blade-driven unscheduled engine removals by up to 25%.

The special coatings will reduce erosion-related scrap by up to 50%.


Combustor: Tech CF6 improves durability with enhancements to the lower-emissions combustor liner, reducing the frequency for repairs commonly experienced on that component. This design improves temperature distribution in an environment characterized by extreme temperatures and thermal variations.


Tech CF6’s advanced multi-hole inner liner will be available both as a replacement part and as a three-panel replacement repair, an upgrade that is expected to provide operators with significant cost-of-ownership benefits.

High-pressure turbine (HPT): The biggest technology enhancement introduced through the Tech CF6 engine upgrade program is in the HPT airfoils. The upgrade strengthens HPT airfoil durability through proven technology advancements in design and coatings for turbine blades and nozzles.


The patented tip shelf cooling and new tip diffuser holes on the Stage 1 blade provide for more stable clearances and deliver up to 5°C improvement in EGT margin retention and 0.5% in fuel burn retention. New shank coatings for the HPT Stage 1 and 2 blades also reduce corrosive dirt accumulation and cracking.



Nozzle durability enhancements in the cooling air configuration and internal rib design deliver scrap benefit and reduce life-cycle costs. These enhancements provide significant operational benefits, prolonging engine life and improving reliability.

Tech CF6 Availability
Tech CF6 upgrades are available for the CF6-80C2/
-80E1 engine models, offering advanced benefits to both field retrofits and new production engines.

CF6-80C2 only
Field Retrofit Offerings

CF6-80C2 and CF6-80E1
New Production and Field Retrofit Offerings

FOD Resistant S1 HPC Blade (Also available as -80E1 field retrofit)

HPT Blades

LEC Inner Liner

S1 HPT NGV (-80C2)
S2 HPT NGV (-80C2 and -80E1)

HPC Erosion Coatings

HPT Blade Corrosion Coatings

General Electric said yesterday that component efficiency improvements on its CF6-80E1 engine would provide up to a 1-percent improvement in fuel efficiency for Airbus’s planned extended-range A330. The airframer announced plans for the new development with an increased maximum takeoff weight at the Farnborough International airshow on Monday. The U.S. engine manufacturer expects to deliver the enhanced engine for the first 240-metric-ton A330 in 2015.

“Since GE Aviation’s CF6-80E1 engine entered service on the A330 in 1994, GE Aviation and Airbus have committed to investing in the engine and aircraft to provide additional benefits to customers,” said Chuck Williams, general manager of the CF6 program at GE Aviation. “The enhancements to the engine and aircraft will allow for an increased payload, greater range and lower operating costs on the CF6-80E1 engine,” he added.

The improvements will become the production standard for all new CF6-80E1 engines, said GE, while current operators can incorporate many of these enhancements at engine overhaul. GE has delivered more than 500 CF6-80E1 engines for the Airbus A330.