How are aircraft engines tested?

Testing of a jet engine takes up to two years and includes one test where 4.5 tons of water a minute is poured into the engine and it must keep running. After that test ¾ of a ton of hail is fired at the engine in just 30 seconds.

Where does GE test jet engines?

Peebles, Ohio
DeBruin runs GE Aviation’s jet engine test operations site in Peebles, Ohio, and his job is to make sure that GE engines keep working when they fly into an hailstorm, encounter a dust cloud or ingest a goose.

What is GE point?

OnPoint is the aircraft manufacture’s preferred engine maintenance program. Leveraging OEM resources and capabilities, GE OnPoint provides a complete solution to keep your aircraft in flight. Predictable budgeting and tools can help enhance your aircraft’s resale value to protect your investment.

Does GE manufacture aircraft engines?

With more than 33,000 engines in service, GE is a world leader in jet engine manufacturing, offering products for many of the best-selling commercial airframes. Each one of GE’s commercial engines is a leader in its class for performance, reliability and cost of ownership.

How reliable is a jet engine?

Despite the tremendous engineering and tight tolerances involved in the design, a turbine/jet engine is very reliable. Turbines do not break down easily, and if they do, it is usually a supporting system that fails. A broken pump and a clogged pipe are much more likely than the turbine to malfunction.

Who make aircraft engines?

Table 2: Top Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturers According to North American Market Share*

Does heavy rain affect jet engines?

While rain can have an influence on the function of a jet engine, it is typically not a significant effect. The majority of storms produce light rain or snow that has little if any impact on an engine. Clouds are also made of small ice crystals that have no appreciable effect.

How much water can a jet engine take?

There is a test that the faa mandates called the water ingestion test for engine certification. It requires and engine to perform during typhoon conditions or about 8 inches per hour. So to answer your question, yes they can take in a ton of water and keep trucking. Practically, on the order of 6% of the intake air.

Does GE Aviation pay well?

The average estimated annual salary, including base and bonus, at GE Aviation is $136,838, or $65 per hour, while the estimated median salary is $135,432, or $65 per hour. Salaries contributed from GE Aviation employees include job titles like Lead Engineer, Data Scientist, Operations Manager, and Financial Analyst.

Which planes use Rolls Royce engines?

Members of the Trent engine family are now in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A350, and A380, as well as the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner.

Do jet engines need oil changes?

Generally, there are no scheduled oil changes for jet engines. During engine maintenance, however, oil filters and seals are checked and changed if necessary. Typical “top‑ups” are done on a daily basis, so jet engines always have some fresh oil but rarely need a complete oil change.

How many years does a jet engine last?

Older and smaller jet engines typically have TBOs of 5,000 hours at the most. More modern engines have about 6,000 hours or more. With most business jets accumulating less than 500 hours of flying time a year, the schedule for modern jet engine MRO operations averages about 12 years or more.

What does GE use to test jet engines?

First, the easy stuff. The engines need to handle water, so GE will set up a hose and blast a running GEnx engine with 800 gallons of water per minute. When the test goes as planned, all that rain flies through the chamber and out back without diminishing thrust. That means it’ll easily handle the drizzle when flying out of O’Hare.

What kind of FAA certification does GE have?

The FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) Part 33 certification involved eight test engines. This certification achievement culminates GE Aviation’s renewal of its commercial jet engine portfolio, including the GEnx for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the CFM LEAP engine.

How many hours of ground testing is GE9X engine?

GE Aviation is currently conducting 3,000 hours of additional ground testing on the GE9X engine to support Extended Operations (ETOPS) approval. The GE9X team is also conducting maturation testing to help GE engineers prepare to support the engine in service.

How old is the GE flying testbed jet?

The story of GE and modern aviation are closely linked. Few symbols embody the connection more than the original GE flying testbed, a 49-year-old Boeing 747-100 that served as an airborne lab for engineers testing generations of new jet engines. Images credit: GE Aviation.