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Technology
The CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) programme goals include reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by more than 20 per cent as well as ensuring 100 per cent compatibility with alternatives like saf and hydrogen. cfm international is a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.
Future of Flight — Powered by GE By Joseph Noronha
Photographs: GE
With the threat of catastrophic climate change looming large, commercial aviation simply cannot continue on its present unsustainable trajectory. GE Aviation has therefore embarked on a comprehensive technology-based endeavour to slash aviation’s carbon emissions and rewrite the narrative. A new refrain is animating General Electric these days: the “Future of Flight”. Were it to come from another enterprise it might sound clichéd. But not when it is GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, and maker of some of the world’s bestselling military and commercial engines. The history of General Electric, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, goes back all of 105 years to 1917 – just 14 years after powered flight began. The sweep of GE’s technology development roadmap under the “Future of Flight” is remarkably wide-ranging and momentous. It is part of what US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm calls an “all-in effort” to decarbonise aviation, which currently accounts for approximately 2.5 per cent of global carbon emissions – a figure that seems set to rise. As a measure of General Electric’s determination to put aviation first, it announced a year ago that it would spin off its healthcare and energy businesses and make GE Aviation its main focus. GE Aviation will be rebranded as GE Aerospace by early 2024 to better reflect the new priorities. GE already fields
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37,700 commercial aircraft engines and 26,500 military aircraft engines. However, the present campaign does not directly involve its military portfolio. GE’s commercial engines include the GE90, GE9X, GP7-200, CF-6 and GEnx. In addition, CFM International (CFMI), a 50-50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, manufactures the CFM56, the world’s bestselling turbofan, and its successor, the LEAP engine. So, what does GE think is the future of flight? In a word, it is ‘Sustainability’. Seeking Sustainability GE’s upcoming GE9X turbofan is the most fuel-efficient engine in its class. Over the coming years, GE also intends to demonstrate some key technologies and advanced engine architecture such as open fan and hybrid-electric propulsion systems, as well as new compact engine cores. It will also actively support the use of alternative fuels, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and hydrogen, and harness digital technologies to help make the industry more sustainable.
www.sps-aviation.com