Thu, May 29, 2008
Cleared For Flight Testing This Year
Pratt & Whitney's Geared
Turbofan demonstrator engine recently completed Phase II ground
tests, and has been cleared for flight testing on Pratt &
Whitney's 747SP flying test bed mid-year.
Phase II, which began in April at Pratt & Whitney's advanced
test facility in West Palm Beach, FL, focused on engine performance
and ground acoustics with the Geared Turbofan engine's flight
capable nacelle system. The engine completed 120 hours of testing
during Phase II and has logged a total 250 hours since ground
testing began in November 2007.
"The ground test program has been a complete success and the
Geared Turbofan engine has met or exceeded all performance
targets," said Bob Saia, Pratt & Whitney vice president, Next
Generation Product Family. "This demonstrator engine has confirmed
the laboratory results of our Fan Drive Gear System demonstrating
excellent efficiency and operational characteristics. The
double-digit reductions in fuel burn, engine noise, environmental
emissions and operating costs we've targeted make the Geared
Turbofan engine the best solution for the next generation of
commercial aircraft."
The Phase II test program included the acoustic measurements of
the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine. The tests measured the
ground-level noise characteristics of the engine, which is expected
to be 50 percent quieter than today's engines and 20 dB quieter
than International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Stage 4 noise
regulations. The testing used an array of 32 individual microphones
around the engine test stand and 16 sound pressure transducers
inside the engine to get accurate data for noise modeling.
"Initial data from the ground acoustic testing show the Geared
Turbofan engine is right on target," Saia said. "The ground test
noise data will be compiled with flight test measurements taken
later this year to validate the Geared Turbofan engine's noise
signature. The significantly lower noise of the Geared Turbofan
engine is a key benefit to airlines and operators, giving them
increased flexibility for landing and takeoff at airports with
heavy noise regulations."
Pratt & Whitney will first fly the Geared Turbofan on its
Boeing 747 testbed. As ANN reported, Airbus also
plans to test-fly the engine later this year on a company-owned
A340.
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