Engine Innovations For Enhanced Performance And Fuel Burn

The Air Transport Action Group report indicates how fuel efficiency co-relates with the distance an aircraft can fly, the payload it can carry and, more importantly, offers better environmental performance

- R. Chandrakanth

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT there are nearly 24,000 aircraft in commercial service in the world and that number is going to increase rapidly considering how air travel has become a convenient mode of transport for domestic and international travel. Planes fly faster, are quieter, larger and so comfortable that travelling has taken on a new experience. There have been continuous innovations and improvements that are transforming the aviation industry driven by environmental and operational mandates.

There have been significant technological advances in engines, which have led to lower fuel burn. The engine manufacturers continue to pursue research to further improve fuel efficiency and also explore alternative fuels to reduce carbon footprint.

CFM International has shown the way in innovation, bringing about 15 per cent fuel improvement on its LEAP engine, compared to its best CFM56 engines. The engines also have high level of dispatch reliability and good life-cycle maintenance costs. The LEAP engine is built for 99.98 per cent dispatch reliability which means more time in the air and less maintenance time. The LEAP engine’s fan blades are manufactured from 3D woven resin transfer molding carbon fiber composite, an industry first for CFM. This technology results in fan blades that are not only lightweight but also durable that each Individual blade is strong enough to support the weight of a wide-body airplane like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787.