GE Aviation to spend more than $200m this year on technology maturation for GE9X

GE Aviation is assembling the high pressure compressor (HPC) rig that will be tested this summer as part of the GE9X engine study for Boeing’s 777X aircraft. The high pressure compressor rig will be a 90% scale of the full size HPC on the next-generation GE90 engine and is part of the $200m GE will spend in 2013 on technology maturation programs for the engine. The HPC rig test will occur at a GE Oil & Gas facility in Massa, Italy in July. The HPC rig will include more than 1,000 pieces of instrumentation. The next-generation GE90 engine incorporates an 11-stage HPC with new aerodynamic technology and a 4th generation powdered alloy material that will produce a 27-to-1 pressure ratio, which will be the highest pressure ratio of any commercial engine in service. The new HPC design will significantly increase thermal efficiency and contribute a 2% improvement in the engine’s fuel burn. GE Aviation’s engine study, called the GE9X, for the 777X aircraft has been underway for several years. The engine will be in the 100,000 lbs. thrust class with a 10% improvement in fuel burn over today’s GE90-115B.