Pratt & Whitney Completes Over 100 Hours Of Testing
Pratt & Whitney has completed more than 100 hours of
testing on its full-scale PurePower engine core, successfully
validating performance goals of its new generation of commercial
jet engines and demonstrating excellent starting and operability
characteristics. The PurePower family of engines is designed to
power the next generation of passenger aircraft, including
narrow-body jets, regional aircraft and large business jets.
The results of the PurePower core testing further confirm that
the first PW1000G engine to test is on target for later this summer
for the Bombardier CSeries single-aisle aircraft, followed by the
first engine to test for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. The results
also validate the performance of the PurePower PW800 engine for the
next generation of large business jets.
PW1000G Display
"(T)he overall engine performance is well aligned with
expectations," said Paul Adams, Pratt & Whitney senior vice
president, Engineering. "These results position us to execute the
development of our Next Generation Product Family flawlessly."
The PurePower family of engines shares a common, advanced core
across the models and feature flight proven, next-generation
technology. The engine core consists of an ultra-efficient
high-pressure compressor, a low-emissions combustor, and an all new
high-pressure turbine. The testing program is evaluating engine
performance, operability and structural design characteristics of
these key modules.
"The PurePower core, when combined with our lightweight,
low-speed propulsor technologies, enables Pratt & Whitney to
deliver world class levels of fuel burn, noise, and emissions at
lower turbine temperatures and pressures with fewer compressor and
turbine stages," said Bob Saia, Pratt & Whitney vice president,
Next Generation Product Family. "These characteristics ultimately
result in significant operating cost advantages to our
customers."
PW800
In addition to the core testing, Pratt & Whitney has
performed critical module-level testing for the PurePower engine
program, including: fan drive gear system testing with simulations
of more than 40,000 takeoffs and landings; hundreds of hours of
testing on the high-pressure compressor with the advanced design
meeting or exceeding efficiency and operability goals; nearly 200
hours of testing on the low-pressure compressor verifying low-spool
high-speed performance; and extensive fan module testing with 300
pieces of instrumentation that verified performance, operability
and acoustics of the low speed fan.
The PurePower PW1000G engine has been selected as exclusive
power for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft scheduled to enter
service in 2013 and the Mitsubishi Regional Jet scheduled to enter
service in 2014. The PW1000G was also recently selected to power
the proposed new Irkut MC-21 narrow-body jet scheduled to enter
service in 2016. The PurePower PW800 engine is targeted to power
the next generation of large business jets.
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