GE engineers are now working to combine the
benefits of both engine designs and create the
ultimate flying machine: a revolutionary
supersonic jet engine that is also fuel
efficient. “We are taking this technology to the
next step,” says Abe Levatter, project manager
at GE Aviation. “The name of the game here is
fuel economy. We are looking at fuel savings of
25 percent, which is huge. That extra fuel gives
a military jet up to 35 percent more range.
That’s key to mission capability.”
Top Gun: GE is looking at fuel savings of 25
percent and up to 35 percent more range with the
new jet engine design. GE has invested billions
to develop the latest high-bypass turbofan
engines like the GE90, GEnx for Boeing’s
Dreamliner, and LEAP for the next generation of
single-aisle airplanes.
The research has embraced new manufacturing
technologies like 3-D printing and led to new
materials like super-strong but lightweight
ceramic matrix composites. They allow GE to
manufacture highly efficient jet engines
operating at temperatures above the melting
point of steel.
GE is now applying all this know-how to the next
generation military engine that can
automatically switch between high power and high
efficiency modes. “How much work can I get from
every drop of jet fuel I put in?” Levatter says.
“In the military world, you want to cruise as
far as you can at subsonic speeds with very
efficient fuel burn, but when you go to
penetrate, you need to accelerate to supersonic
speeds.”
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