| Passport | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Passport engine exhibited at theEBACE 2019 | |
| Type | Turbofan |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | GE Aerospace |
| First run | June 24, 2013[1] |
| Major applications | Bombardier Global 7500 and 8000 |
| Developed from | |
TheGeneral Electric Passport is aturbofan developed byGE Aerospace for largebusiness jets.It was selected in 2010 to power theBombardier Global 7500 and 8000, first run on June 24, 2013, and first flown in 2015.It was certified in April 2016 and powered the Global 7500 first flight on November 4, 2016, before its 2018 introduction.It produces 14,000 to 20,000 lbf (60 to 90 kN) of thrust, a range previously covered by theGeneral Electric CF34-10.A smaller scaledCFM LEAP, it is a twin-spool axial engine with a 5.6:1bypass ratio, a 45:1overall pressure ratio and one-piece 52 in (130 cm) titanium fanblisk with 18 blades.
The GE eCore research program, which developed a common architecture for business,narrowbody andregional jets, resulted in theCFM LEAP engine which replaced theCFM56 on theBoeing 737 MAX andAirbus A320neo.After a market study, GE pursued the long-range, largebusiness jet requirement and selected a 14,000–20,000 lbf (62–89 kN) thrust range using technology it had developed for its commercial and military engine programs.Preliminary design work started in 2009.In 2010,Bombardier Aerospace selected the engine with a 16,500 lbf (73 kN) rating for theGlobal 7000 announced at the same yearNBAA convention.[2]Testing of the engine core began in 2010.[3]On May 16, 2011, the TechX was renamed the Passport.[4]
In 2011, rig testing started for components such as thecombustor and high-pressureturbine.In 2012, a fan blade-off test was done to confirm whether the fan case could stop blade parts from passing through the case and causing further damage.By 2013, testing of engines had started at the GE outdoor testing site atPeebles, Ohio.In 2014bird ingestion and endurance tests were done.In 2015, the Passport first flew installed on the GEBoeing 747-100 flying testbed based atVictorville, California.Icing and water ingestion tests up to simulated altitudes of 51,000 feet were done at theU.S. facility in Tennessee.[2]
In April 2016, it wasFAA Certified after 3,380 hours and 3,385 cycles of testing.[2]The Global 7000 made itsmaiden flight with it on November 4, 2016.[5]It flew 100 hours on the Boeing 747 before logging more than 900 hours aboard the Global 7000prototypes.By May 2017, the engines had completed 3,100h in ground andflight test.[6]
On 15 August 2017, the Global 7000 second prototype's right engine suffered an in-flightflameout at FL410, after “high vibration and high inter-turbine temperature readings”; subsequently, the airplane returned toWichita Airport (290 km away) for a single engine landing.[7]It was traced to a mis-assembled part and a fleet-wide inspection revealed it was a one-off error.[8]
In autumn 2017, GE was building the flight test engines for Bombardier while preparing for early manufacturing.By service entry in 2018, 4,000 hours and 8,000 cycles of testing should be completed.[2]
In 2021, General Electric tendered Passport to the USAF to be assessed in a contest against Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney to reengine theB-52H Stratofortress.[9] The contract was awarded to Rolls-Royce.[10]
The engine is a twin-spool, axial-flowturbofan with a highbypass ratio of 5.6:1 and anoverall pressure ratio of 45:1. The front fan is attached to the three-stage low-pressure compressor; the 23:1 pressure ratio 10-stage high-pressure compressor includes fiveblisk stages for weight reduction. The low-emissioncombustor has a case with integrated OGV diffuser for weight reduction. There is a two-stage high-pressure and four-stage low-pressure turbine. The engine and aircraft accessory drive extracts energy from the high-pressure, high-speed rotor. It is equipped with a dual-channelFull Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) control system, providing fault isolation and engine functionality and diagnostics capability.[11]
A smaller scaledCFM LEAP, its HP compressor has fivetitanium blisks then five stages with insertablenickel alloy blades for higher temperatures.Itsbleed air cooledturbine blades are made of advanced alloys from the eCore program.Blade tipactive clearance control is modulated with cooling air from an enclosing manifold to the case, controlling its expansion and contraction depending on theflight envelope.[2]
The 52 in (130 cm) fan blisk, the first application of such technology on an engine this size, eliminates the need to balance a hub and blade system.[12]Blisk fans are usually found in smallGE Honda HF120 orWilliams International turbofans but the Passport titanium blisk is larger than theGE90 first stage compressor blisk.The 18 highly twistedwide chord forged titanium blades arefriction welded by translations to the hub.The one piece fan reduces the vibration for cabin comfort, lowers wear and maintenance due to fewer parts, is lighter by a third and improves performance with less leaks and a smaller hub.Fuselage-mounted business jet engines are high off the ground and shielded by the wing from mostforeign object damage.Its blades are more damage-resistant by being thicker at theleading edges due to their great efficiency.The fan can be changed on-wing as aLRU to be evaluated for repair in the shop.[2]
Its corecowling,exhaust cone andmixer are made in ox-ox composites, with inorganic high-temperature-tolerant resins and oxide ceramicsCMCs to withstand 1,000 °C without deformation, saving weight and allowing complex molding.Thecarbon fiber composite fan cowl can contain a separated fan blade.GE provides the wholenacelle including thethrust reverser.[2]Developed withSafran, the slimline nacelle with clam-shell cowl openings reduce weight and drag.[13]
ItsTSFC is 8% lower than the competingBR725 of theGulfstream 650, and over 10% better than theBR710.[2]GE'sStrother Field plant inArkansas City, Kansas, was the initial final assembly location.[14] GE's plant inLafayette, Indiana, is the current assembly site for the engine as of 2020.[15]
Data from type certificate data sheet[11]
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