Jet Engine

Jet Engine.

Tony

Tony’ Technology Series.

Introduction.

There has been significant development in the airline industry. Development of novel jet engine has revolutionized air transport.  This is exemplified by the fact that the introduction of the commercial jet passenger airplane in 1960s reduced the cost of international flights thus facilitating mass transportation of people across the world. In the 1990s, the development of efficient jet propulsion engines that could be fitted in small aircrafts led to the emergence of regional jet airlines (Bruckner, 2007).

The earliest jet engines were piston engines. Their inefficiency and limited thrust led to the invention of the thermojet which had better trust, but it still had the problem of fuel inefficiency. The turbojet replaced the thermojet. Most modern aircrafts use the turbojet (or turbine engines) (Frei, 2006). The principles of operation of the turbine engines shared similarities with the operational principles of all the earlier models of jet engines (Gunston, 2006).

My special interest is in the area of turbine engines. A novel development in the field of turbine engines is the PurePower PW1000G. This engine is a member of the larger geared turbofan engine family. The PurePower PW1000G is efficient in terms of overhaul, servicing, mounting and maintenance (Chandler, 2012). This efficient engine is expedient for the UAE since it will enable jetliners to reduce the overhead costs associated with overhaul, servicing, mounting and maintenance, besides providing smooth air travel coupled with fuel efficiency. This will have the effect of reducing aircraft accidents and crashes (“Global Aerospace Logistics”, n.d).

PurePower PW1000G geared turbofan engine.

This engine has been chosen since it has the most potential for future utilization in the area of civilian air transport in the UAE. This engine has a new FDGS (fan drive gear system). This gear system applies principles of physics to create an effective and reliable propulsion system (Mattingly, 2012). The gear system couples energy efficiency with lightness and compactness. This is epitomized by the fact that the gear system has a diameter of only 50cm, but it is capable of transmitting over 30,000 hp (horsepower). The fan shaft is in front of the FDGS. The engine fan and the low pressure compressor (alongside the turbine) are separated from each other by the FDGS. The optimal efficiency of each engine module is assured by the differential operational speeds of the engine fan and the low pressure compressor (alongside the turbine). The rotational speed of the engine fan is low, while the compressor and the turbine operate at a high speed (Garvey, 2011).

Other improvements in the engine includes efficient aerodynamics, good engine health (due to the effective maintenance and monitoring systems), utilization of light materials and efficiency gains due to the use of low-pressure turbines, high-pressure spools, enhanced combustors and cost-effective engine controls. Improvements in engine architecture have facilitated the passage of almost all the inlet air all over the core engine (“PurePower”, n.d).

The design of this engine eliminates over 75% of the engine noise as compared to the conventional current jet engine models. The high bypass ratio of 12:1 and the efficient combustor ensures that the fuel burn is 20% more efficient as compared to the existing current jet engine models, and that the emissions of oxides of nitrogen and carbon emissions are significantly reduced (Cohen, 2011). The design has few stages, and this has significantly reduced the quantity of life-limited parts and airfoils required. Moreover, this engine has an efficient cooler system as compared to other jets (“PurePower”, n.d).

The designers of this engine offer a customized maintenance plan termed as PureSolution Service. This plan facilitates a cost-effective maintenance within a short time-frame. The engine health is closely monitored by a maintenance team from the P&W (Pratt & Whitney) Company. This team is available at any time. Enhanced diagnostics coupled with increased and efficient real-time data collection enables the maintenance team to easily detect and locate engine problems and then offer the best solutions. Moreover, the real-time data collection and interpretation has enabled the engine to regulate its speed to the appropriate levels, while reducing the operational costs (“PurePower”, n.d). This has an overall effect of reducing the cost of operations of UAE airlines. Also, the off-wing engine troubleshooting enables the airline to avert potential accidents and crashes when their aircrafts are flying (“Global Aerospace Logistics”, n.d).

 The new FADEC engine controls coupled with the cockpit operating displays and controls enables the operation of the engine to be integrated and synchronized with the nacelle system of the jet. This integration reduces the number of parts required, and it also simplifies the maintenance process. The nacelle system can be accessed easily for maintenance.  The duration of the line maintenance time is reduced due to the incorporation of separate side openings in the cowls and bypass ducts. The oil filter is located on top of the engine core, but the oil servicing port is located at a suitable place that is determined by the original airframe. The enhanced diagnostics and the FADEC engine controls ensure the reliability of the engine, while concurrently eliminating most of the traditional aircraft engine maintenance tasks (“PurePower”, n.d). 

The simplicity of the FDGS is described below. The FDGS has seven movable parts and none of them has a life-limitation. Hence, it does not require special maintenance. The lubrication by the engine oil eliminates most special vibration monitoring. The chip detector is the usual standard type. The accessory gearbox contains a few parts, and this has eased its maintenance. The gearbox is mounted on the core. This mounting decreases the number of connectors, wire bundles and tubes, and this facilitates its accessibility while concurrently reducing the maintenance effort. The components of the gearbox are of the standard type, with the only difference being that their functions are integrated. Moreover, these components are located close to their respective modules (“PurePower”, n.d).

This modular engine has only 17 stages; hence it requires the standard equipment for testing, transportation, overhaul and mounting. The number of vanes and blades are reduced due to the modular design of the engine. Horizontal disassembly of this engine allows an expert to work on it either horizontally and vertically. The assembly flanges reduce the duration of the overhaul. Moreover, manuals for this engine are available online (“PurePower”, n.d).

These engines can be used in the UAE. The UAE jetliners just need to mount these engines on their airplanes. It is evident that this engine will enable jetliners operating in the UAE to reduce the overhead costs associated with overhaul, servicing, mounting and maintenance. Moreover, UAE Jetliners will be able to provide smooth air travel that is coupled with fuel efficiency. This will have the effect of reducing aircraft accidents and crashes (“Global Aerospace Logistics”, n.d).

Conclusion.

There have been a number of significant developments in the jet airline industry. The development of novel jet engines has revolutionized commercial civil air transport. The current development in the field of turbine engines is the PurePower PW1000G. This engine is a member of the larger geared turbofan engine family. The PurePower PW1000G is efficient in terms of overhaul, servicing, mounting and maintenance. This development has the most potential future for civil air transport in the UAE. This is because; this engine can be mounted easily into the existing jet airplanes. Moreover, its operation can be integrated and synchronized with the existing systems in the jet. Thus, UAE Jetliners will be able to provide smooth air travel that is coupled with fuel efficiency. This will have the effect of reducing aircraft accidents and crashes. 

References.

PurePower. (n.d). Purepower Engine [Data file]. Retrieved from www.purepowerengine.com.

Bruckner, J (2007). Technological innovation in the airline industry: The impact of regional jets. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 27 (1), 110-120.

Gunston, B. (2006). World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines, 5th Edition. Phoenix Mill,

            Gloucestershire, England, UK: Sutton Publishing Limited.

Garvey, W. (2011, January 9). Pratt Gears Up for PW1000G. Aviation Week, 23, 13-18.

Chandler, C. (2012, February 27). Innovations in Turbine Engines. Aviation pros. Retrieved from http://www.aviationpros.com/article/10617063/turbine-technology-innovations-in-   turbine-engines.

Frei, S. (2006). Technology speed of civil jet engines. Technology and Innovation, 26, 1-6.

Global Aerospace Logistics. (n.d). GAL [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.gal.ae/

Mattingly, J. (2012). Elements of Propulsion: Turbines. Reston, Virginia: American Institute of                      Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Cohen, H. (2011). Gas Turbine Theory. New York, HarperCollins.