GE Passport /NG34

FAN
24 swept wide chord titanium 3D fan blades
Reliability: proven technology adapted to this fan size
Maintenance costs: technology and materials for blades and case (forward case in aluminium) selected to reduce production costs and ease repairability
Fuel burn
o Optimized efficiency
o Reduced weight
Noise: minimized fan speed and fan pressure ratio

GE Aviation was planning to "freeze" the design of its Passport 20 turbofan engine for the Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000 large-cabin, ultra-long-range business jets by the end of April, pending a successful "tollgate 6" critical design review.

The engine is designed to produce a maximum take-off thrust of 16,500lb (70kN) and provide fuel savings of 8% compared with the Rolls-Royce BR725 that powers the only competitor in the sector - the Gulfstream G650.

The Passport 20 has a 132cm (13in) diameter, 18-blade titanium fan blisk, three-stage booster, 10-stage HPC with blisks for the first four stages, an annular combustion chamber, two-stage high-pressure turbine and four-stage low-pressure turbine.


© Bombardier

The company plans to begin building the first of eight test engines by the end of the year, with first engine to test planned for the second quarter of 2013 and certification some time in 2015.

Bombardier hopes to have the Global 7000 in service in 2016 and the Global 8000 in 2017.

General Electric's aggressive plan to enter the high-thrust bizjet arena remains on track with the freezing of the design of its new Passport business jet engine following a “toll gate 6” program review on April 27. Rated at 16,500-lb.-thrust, the initial Passport 20 variant is in development for Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000 ultra-long-range, large-cabin business aircraft.

Previously called TechX, Passport is a parallel development to GE's NG34 regional jet CF34 successor program. Both leverage high-pressure compressor and turbine technology now being developed and tested in the eCore 2—an advanced gas generator technology program that also forms the basis for CFM's Leap engine for the Airbus A320NEO, Boeing 737 MAX and Comac C919 aircraft. Two eCore 2s have accumulated 150 test hours and a third demonstrator is set to run near year-end.

Hardware for the first of seven test engines will arrive in October with assembly set to begin by year-end. Actual testing is set for second-quarter 2013. First flight on a flying testbed is targeted for 2014 with engine certification due in 2015. Recent validation tests include blade out, bird ingestion and aeromechanical verification of the solid titanium, 52-in.-dia. blisk fan using two test units.

Another fan blisk will be tested in 2013, according to GE. The engine maker has also conducted booster icing work and testing of a new full authority digital engine control unit. The powerplant is designed to have at least 8% lower specific fuel consumption than current business jet engines in the 10,000-20,000-lb.-thrust class, double-digit margins to CAEP/6 regulations on all emissions and air transport-like standards of reliability.

Meanwhile, GE Aviation also is ready for regional jet manufacturers to make a decision on next generation aircraft and is in “active discussions” with Embraer. The engine maker, which says it could develop a new RJ powerplant in 48 months, expects a 15-20% lower fuel burn when compared to its CF34-10E5 and CF34-8C5 engines thanks to improvements in both propulsive and thermal efficiency.

The thrust can be pushed to about 23,000 pounds, says Paxson, noting that one Embraer redesign for its E-Jets (that has since been scaled down) needed as much as 24,000 to 25,000 pounds of thrust, which would require an engine like CFM International’s LEAP engine (which is developed by GE and Snecma).

GE Aviation has begun assembly of the first Passport development engine selected to power Bombardier's in-development Global 7000 and 8000 business jets.
Testing of the 16,500lb (73kN)-thrust engine is scheduled for the
second quarter of 2013. The ultra-long-range aircraft are scheduled for
service entry in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The Passport 20 is designed to provide fuel savings of up to 11% compared with the Rolls-Royce BR725 that powers the only competitor in the sector - the Gulfstream G650.
It has a 52in (132cm) fan diameter with an 18-blade titanium fan
blisk. The core of the engine includes a three-stage booster and a
10-stage high-pressure compressor, including blisks on the first four
stages. The engine also features an annular combustion chamber, a
two-stage high-pressure turbine, and a four-stage low-pressure turbine.

"The Passport's integrated propulsion system from Nexcelle - a joint
venture between GE and Safran - will feature a slim-line nacelle with
outward opening cowl to reduce weight and drag while allowing for easy
maintenance access and high dispatch availability," says GE.

Since launching the engine in 2010, GE has conducted validation tests
on the fan blisk design, including two fan blade-out rig tests,
ingestion tests and a fan aero rig test to demonstrate fan efficiency.
About 150h of testing has also been conducted on two eCore
demonstrators. GE says another eCore demonstrator is scheduled to run
this year.

GE's Passport engine is the result of a joint venture between GE, IHI of Japan and TechSpace Aero of Belgium. The Passport engine for the Bombardier* Global* 7000* and Global 8000* business jets will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and will incorporate advanced technologies and materials to provide: 8% lower specific fuel consumption than engines in its class; margin to CAEP/6 emissions and to Stage 4 noise regulations; and world-class reliability and support.

HI and Techspace Aero will be responsible for more than 37 percent of the Passport engine, which will power the Bombardier* Global 7000* and Global 8000* aircraft. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, IHI will be responsible for the low-pressure turbine module, aerodrive systems, fan hub frame and aft fan case. Techspace Aero, located in Liège, Belgium, will be responsible for the booster module, lube tank and pump and the heat exchangers

GE's Passport engine will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and will incorporate advanced technologies and materials to provide: 8% lower specific fuel consumption than engines in its class; margin to CAEP/6 emissions and to Stage 4 noise regulations; and world-class reliability and support.

Clearer view of @GEAvation Brad Mottier's 'wicked mixer' RT @FG_STrim: #nbaa #passport pic.twitter.com/8IkgpDVPFX

— Guy Norris (@AvWeekGuy) October 21, 2013

As @GEaviation exec Brad Mottier just said, "that is one wicked mixer". #nbaa #passport 20 pic.twitter.com/YWljKD8YWU

— Stephen Trimble (@FG_STrim) October 21, 2013

Ellisville, Mississippi, 10 décembre 2013 – Nexcelle, la joint-venture d'Aircelle (Safran) et de Middle River Aircraft Systems (GE Aviation) - qui fournit des nacelles pour la prochaine génération de systèmes de propulsion intégrés – vient de franchir une étape clé avec la livraison de son premier composant majeur : la première entrée d’air pour le moteur Passport™ de GE Aviation destiné aux avions d’affaires.

Un succès double puisque la première entrée d’air du Passport est aussi le premier matériel fabriqué dans la nouvelle usine GE Composites d’Ellisville dans le Mississippi. Inaugurée en début d’année, cette usine est le plus récent site de production de GE Aviation aux USA.

L'entrée d'air Nexcelle a quitté Ellisville pour rejoindre le site d’essais de GE Aviation à Peebles dans l'Ohio, où elle sera intégrée à un moteur Passport en vue des essais de givrage qui seront effectués au Canada. Nexcelle est chargée de concevoir, développer et produire la nacelle du moteur GE Passport. Dans ce cadre, Middle River Aircraft Systems est notamment responsable de l'entrée d’air et des capots du moteur Passport, tandis qu’Aircelle fournit l'inverseur de poussée à grilles.

« La force de Nexcelle réside dans l’utilisation des ressources combinées de ses deux sociétés mères qui permettent à notre joint-venture de développer des nacelles optimisées, plus performantes et plus pratiques pour la maintenance », a déclaré Michel Abella, président de Nexcelle. « La réalisation de la première entrée d’air du Passport à Ellisville montre combien ces ressources sont essentielles pour Nexcelle alors que nous entrons dans la phase de production des futurs systèmes de propulsion intégrés. »

Pour la production et l'assemblage à Ellisville de l’entrée d’air du Passport, Nexcelle utilise un système robotique de nouvelle génération capable de percer, fraiser et contrôler les trous automatiquement. Ce robot permet ainsi d’améliorer la vitesse de production et la qualité. Il provient du centre mondial de recherches et développement en robotique, automatisation et instrumentation de GE Aviation à Bromont au Québec, qui développe des procédés avancés notamment en robotique, applications logicielles et domaines de propriété intellectuelle, pour tous les sites de GE Aviation dans le monde.