Boeing rolls out first 787-9
Transcript of Boeing rolls out first 787-9
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GE tests GE9X composite fan blades
GE AVIATION has begun testing
the new composite fan blades
for its GE9X engine, which will
power Boeing’s 777X aircraft.
The GE9X front fan will be the
largest of any GE engine at 132
inches (3.35 m) in diameter and
includes a durable, lightweight
composite fan case similar to the
fan case on the GEnx engine.
Compared to a metal fan case, the
composite case will lower engine
weight by 350 lbs (159 kg).
“The GE9X fan blade will feature
new high-strength carbon fi bre
material and a steel alloy leading
edge,” says Bill Millhaem, general
manager of the GE90 Program at
GE Aviation. “This new material,
along with a higher fan tip speed,
will improve the effi ciency of the
low-pressure turbine (LPT) and
deliver more than 1.5% fuel effi -
ciency improvement compared to
the GE90-115B engine.”
The GE9X fan blades will be
fourth-generation composite
blades. GE Aviation developed
the fi rst composite fan blade for
its GE90-94B engine in 1995;
composite blades also feature in
the GE90-115B and GEnx
engines.
Boeing rolls out first 787-9
BOEING HAS completed its fi rst
787-9 Dreamliner, the second
member of the 787 family. The
aircraft was moved to the fl ight
line, where teams are preparing
it to fl y shortly.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s
construction is 50% composite
materials. At 20 ft (6 m) longer
than the 787-8, the 787-9 will
extend the 787 family in both
capacity and range, carrying 40
more passengers and has an
The fi rst 787-9 rolled out of Boeing’s Everett, Washington, factory on 24 August.
additional range of 300 nautical
miles (555 km).
The second and third 787-9s are
in assembly. First delivery to
launch customer Air New
Zealand is set for mid-2014.
At the Paris Air Show earlier this
year, Boeing launched the 787-10
Dreamliner, the third and largest
member of the 787 family.
Boeing; www.boeing.com
Vestas tests 80 m offshore blade
DANISH WIND turbine producer
Vestas has produced the fi rst
prototype 80 m blade for its
V164-8.0 MW off shore wind
turbine at its R&D centre on
the Isle of Wight, UK. The blade
will now undergo extensive
testing.
The 80 m blade, which is the
longest Vestas has ever
produced, is based on the struc-
tural shell design, a proven
concept in which the loads of
the blade are carried in the shell,
rather than using a spar at the
centre of the blade. In order to
validate the strength and relia-
bility of the blade it will be tested
to its limits for six months, repro-
ducing the challenging wind
conditions of the North Sea over
a simulated 25 year lifetime.
The V164-8.0 MW prototype will
be installed in the fi rst quarter of
2014 at the Danish national
testing centre in Østerild.
Vestas; www.vestas.com
The length of the blade is the equivalent of nine double-decker London buses.
The GE9X engine will have 16
fan blades, which is fewer than
the GEnx and the GE90-115B
engines. This reduction is
possible as a result of advances
in three-dimensional (3D) swept
design that enables engineers to
create a more swept design and
large fan chord. The new high-
strength carbon fi bre material
allows the blades to be thinner
than blades made from current
carbon fi bre material, with the
same strength and durability.
These improvements will
enhance fuel effi ciency and cut
hundreds of pounds of weight
from fan blades and the struc-
ture needed to support them.
The lower blade count and new
carbon fi bre composite material
will enable GE to increase the
fan tip speed. The increased tip
speed will improve the effi ciency
of the LPT, contributing to the
engine’s fuel burn improvement.
The GE9X engine for Boeing’s
777X aircraft will be in the
100,000 lbs thrust class with a
10% improvement in fuel burn
over today’s GE90-115B.
GE Aviation;
www.geaviation.com
RP0613_appsNews 5 01-11-2013 09:38:02