Engine Dominance in Commercial Aviation

Connecticut-based United Technologies Corporation (UTC) has all the reasons to celebrate the success of one of its companies – Pratt & Whitney which has established itself as one of the dominant players in engine development in commercial aviation. Of all the UTC companies, Pratt & Whitney has registered encouraging profits for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 compared to the same period previous year, while others are lagging behind a bit.

Bringing to the market disruptive technologies, Pratt & Whitney is expected to take a leading role in commercial aviation. With over 13,000 large commercial engines installed today, Pratt & Whitney provides dependable power to hundreds of airlines and operators every day. Its fleet of commercial engines has logged more than one billion hours of flight, powering the narrow- and wide-body aircraft that fly both passengers and cargo around the world.

Not sitting on laurels, the company is continuously innovating in power-plant design, pioneering effort. The company’s patented technology has changed the boundaries of time and shortened the distance between people and places. In the realm of commercial aviation, its engine offerings include the best-selling PurePower PW1000G; V2500; GP7200; PW4000-94; PW4000-100; PW4000-112; PW6000; JTD8 and JTD9.

PurePower PW1000G Engine

Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1000G Engine Family is not just a concept or a promise for the future—it is reality. With 20 years of research and development, component rig testing on all major modules, extensive ground and flight testing underway, two engines in the family certified and the PW1100G-JM carrying passengers on a daily basis, the PurePower PW1000G engine with Geared Turbofan technology delivers game-changing reductions in — Fuel burn; environmental emissions; engine noise; and operating costs.

In the PurePower PW1000G engine family, a state of the art gear system separates the engine fan from the low pressure compressor and turbine, allowing each of the modules to operate at their optimum speeds. This enables the fan to rotate slower and while the low pressure compressor and turbine operate at a high speed, increasing engine efficiency and delivering significantly lower fuel consumption, emissions and noise. This increased efficiency also translates to fewer engine stages and parts for lower weight and reduced maintenance costs.

PRATT & WHITNEY’S ARRAY OF ENGINES HAVE BENEFITTED AIRLINES SUBSTANTIALLY AND THIS MAKES THE UTC COMPANY A LEADER WHO UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMERCIAL AVIATION BUSINESS WHICH IS HIGHLY VOLATILE, AFFECTED BY FUEL PRICES AND OTHER FACTORS.

The PurePower PW1000G engine’s fan-drive gear system is just one component of this next-generation engine. The PurePower PW1000G engine also incorporates advances in aerodynamics, lightweight materials and other major technology improvements in the high-pressure spool, low-pressure turbine, combustor, controls, engine health monitoring and more.

Advanced Technologies

Pratt & Whitney has been actively testing all key components of the PurePower PW1000G engine family, with 16 technology rigs running around the world. The PW1100G-JM engine for Airbus A320neo family of aircraft and the PW1500G engine for the Bombardier CSeries are certified. The PW1400G-JM engine for the Irkut MC-21 aircraft, the PW1200G engine for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the PW1900G for the Embraer E190-E2 are all in testing. The PW1100G-JM began powering revenue flights in January 2016.

V2500 Engine

The V2500 engine is designed and manufactured by International Aero Engines, a global partnership of aerospace leaders including Pratt & Whitney, Japanese Aero Engine Corporation and MTU Aero Engines. International Aero Engines brings advantages in technical excellence and manufacturing expertise, with a reputation of producing the engine of choice for the Airbus A320 family.

V2500 engines offer the most advanced technologies in the 22,000- to 33,000-pound thrust range with lowest overall emissions in its class.

GP7200 Engine

The GP7200 is derived from two of the most successful wide body engine programmes in aviation history. The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between General Electric Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, was established in 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell and support a family of advanced technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft. The result is the GP7200, a twin spool axial flow turbofan that delivers 70,000 pounds of thrust for the Airbus A380.

The GP7200 is derived from the PW4000 and GE90 families. The engine benefits from each programmes’ latest proven technologies and incorporates lessons learned from more than 25 million flight hours of safe operation on both engines. The GP7200 entered service in 2008 with the world’s largest A380 fleet, Emirates. The first GP7200-powered A380 was delivered to Air France in 2009. Since entering service, the GP7200 has achieved a 99.9 per cent departure reliability rating without experiencing a single in-flight shutdown.

PW4000-94 Engine

The PW4000 94-inch fan engine is the first model in the PW4000 family of high-thrust engines. It covers a range of 52,000 to 62,000 pounds of thrust and has five major aircraft applications. Approved for 180-minute Extended-range Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS), the engine provides airlines with excellent operational flexibility and high reliability. Advanced, service-proven technologies, such as single-crystal superalloy materials and its Full-Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC), contribute to superior fuel economy and reliability. The engine’s benefits are further enhanced by excellent performance retention, long on-wing times and low maintenance costs.

The PW4000’s noise and emissions parameters are lower than levels required for all current and anticipated emissions and noise regulations. For a further reduction in emissions, Pratt & Whitney’s TALON (Technology for Advanced Low NOx) combustor technology is now available for the PW4000. Since entering revenue service in 1987, Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 2,500 PW4000-94” engines that have collectively logged more than 120 million dependable flight hours on commercial aircraft around the world.

PW4000-100 Engine

Pratt & Whitney has taken its successful PW4000 100-inch engine for the Airbus A330 to new heights with the introduction of the PW4170 Advantage70 programme. The Advantage70 is offered as a new engine and as an upgrade kit for existing engines. It delivers superior engine performance, including a two per cent thrust increase, over one per cent reduction in fuel consumption, increased durability, and reduced maintenance costs.

Developed specifically for the Airbus A330 twinjet and introduced in 1994, the PW4000 100-inch fan engine has thrust capability from 64,500 to 70,000 pounds at take-off. The engine was the first in aviation history to qualify for ETOPS prior to entering service. It is now approved for 180-minute ETOPS. Pratt & Whitney supplies A330 customers the entire propulsion system – engine, nacelle, thrust reverser and accessories. This, along with superb service reliability, excellent performance retention and low cost of ownership, make the PW4000 100-inch engine an outstanding value.

PW4000-112 Engine

The PW4000 112-inch engine, an ultra-high-thrust model covering the 74,000 to 90,000 pound-thrust class, is the reliability, experience and ETOPS leader for the 777 aircraft, providing the best customer value. The engine’s advanced, service-proven technologies including single-crystal super alloy materials, powdered metal disks, and FADEC, provide excellent operational performance and durability. These features contribute to the engine’s excellent environmental performance, which meets with margin all current noise and emissions regulations.

The PW4000 112-inch engine retains the outstanding accessibility and component modularity of other PW4000 family members to reduce maintenance time and cost. For transportability, the engine can be shipped in a 747F aircraft as a complete engine.

PW6000 Engine

The PW6000 engine covers the 18,000- to 24,000-pound thrust class and is targeted for 100-passenger aircraft. The PW6000 is currently offered on the Airbus A318, which is part of the successful A320 aircraft family.

The PW6000 builds on proven technology from other Pratt & Whitney advanced engine programmes to deliver the lowest cost of ownership for 100-passenger aircraft operators. Pratt & Whitney has incorporated technological advances in the PW6000 that enable a reduction in parts count for lower acquisition cost as well as a reduced maintenance cost. The PW6000 meets all current and anticipated noise and environmental regulations. For airlines contemplating the future acquisition of new 100-passenger aircraft, the PW6000 is an excellent choice as it was specifically designed for high-cycle operation in the demanding short-haul aircraft market. The PW6000 meets the challenges of low cost, clean, quiet, reliable, and durable power for airline customers.

JT8D Engine

Pratt & Whitney introduced the JT8D to commercial aviation in 1964 with the inaugural flight of Boeing’s 727-100 aircraft. The JT8D engine has proven itself to be a highly durable and reliable engine, having completed more than 673 million dependable flying hours since entering service. Once deemed the workhorse of the industry, more than 14,750 JT8D engines have flown. Today, there are 2,400 engines still in use.

Pratt & Whitney has developed a new low-emissions combustion system, or E-Kit, that is FAR 25-certified to ensure the JT8D-200 engine stays current with environmental regulations. The E-Kit reduces JT8D-200 engine NOx emissions by 25 per cent and exceeds all ICAO standards for new production engines.

JT9D Engine

Pratt & Whitney’s JT9D engine opened a new era in commercial aviation: the high-bypass-ratio engine to power wide-bodied aircraft. Since entering service on the Boeing 747 aircraft in 1970, the JT9D engine has proven itself to be the workhorse for early 747, 767, A300, A310 and DC-10 aircraft models with more than 3,200 cumulative engines delivered.

The JT9D engine family consists of three distinct series. The JT9D-7 engine covers the 46,300- to 50,000-pound-thrust range, and the JT9D-7Q series has a 53,000 pound thrust rating. Later models, the -7R4 series, cover the 48,000- to 56,000-poundthrust range. For JT9D-7R4 twinjet installations, the engines are approved for 180-minute ETOPS.

Pratt & Whitney’s array of engines have benefitted airlines substantially and this makes the UTC company a leader who understands the needs of the commercial aviation business which is highly volatile, affected by fuel prices and other factors.