Testing to begin soon on GE9X High Pressure Compressor

GE Aviation will start testing this summer on a high pressure compressor (HPC) rig for the GE9X engine that will power Boeing’s 777X aircraft. GE plans on spending $200m in 2013 on maturation testing of technologies for the new GE9X engine. The high pressure compressor rig will be a 90% scale of the full-size HPC with more than 1,000 pieces of instrumentation. A GE LM2500 engine will generate more than 29,000 horsepower to drive the HPC rig during the test. The test will be completed by year end and will demonstrate the compressor’s performance and operability. An additional HPC rig test is scheduled for 2014 to test further enhancements to the HPC design based on this year’s test results. Among the test cell upgrades are: an enhanced ventilation system capable of the cooling and heating required by the HPC rig, a unique exhaust frame and water quenching system and new instrumentation and data acquisition systems. A new inlet system was also installed and will be tested this month.