P&W Prepares for Phase II Testing of Geared Turbofan

Pratt & Whitney installed the flight inlet and nacelle system on the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine in preparation for Phase II ground testing scheduled to begin next month. The nacelle system, provided by Geared Turbofan demonstrator program partner Goodrich, was installed during a fit check before...

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Pratt & Whitney installed the flight inlet and nacelle system on the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine in preparation for Phase II ground testing scheduled to begin next month. The nacelle system, provided by Geared Turbofan demonstrator program partner Goodrich, was installed during a fit check before final test sensors are connected and the engine returns to the test stand. The Geared Turbofan has been chosen to power the proposed Bombardier CSeries 110- to 130-seat aircraft and the 70- to 90-seat Mitsubishi Regional Jet. If launched, both aircraft are scheduled to enter service in 2013.
"We are on track to begin Phase II ground testing of the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine ahead of schedule," said Bob Saia, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Next Generation Product Family. "The Goodrich nacelle system fits perfectly and we are excited to continue our ground test program as we prepare for flight testing later this year."
The Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine will return to Pratt & Whitney's advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., to begin its next series of tests. Phase II testing will focus on engine performance, acoustic characteristics, and nacelle system validation.
"As we continue to analyze the data from Phase I testing, we are delighted by the performance of the Geared Turbofan engine," said Saia. "The results surpassed our pre-test predictions in every major area, demonstrating the fuel burn, noise and emissions characteristics of this new architecture. As we enter Phase II testing, we will validate the full performance and noise characteristics of this game-changing technology."
The Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine has logged a total of 130 hours since ground testing began in November. Running from idle to full power, Phase I testing validated the design of the fan, low pressure compressor, fan drive gear system and thermal management system to demonstrate the Geared Turbofan engine's operational efficiency.
The Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine is part of Pratt & Whitney's overall technology readiness program to power the next generation of commercial aircraft. The company is actively testing key components of the Geared Turbofan engine on 15 test rigs worldwide. The Geared Turbofan engine is expected to set new standards in environmental and operational engine performance.
In a Geared Turbofan engine, a state-of-the-art gear system allows the engine's fan to operate independent of the low-pressure compressor and turbine, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed for less noise. The Geared Turbofan engine builds on more than 20 years of technology development with improvements in every major module.