ecomagination

When the Boeing 747-100 rolled onto the airport tarmac in January 2008, one of its four engines was noticeably different than the other three. The airport was GE’s Flight Test Operation in Victorville, California, the 747 was a flying test bed, and the engine in question was the GEnx-1B, about to participate in U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight-testing.

Eighteen flights and 84 flight hours later, the GEnx-1B for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner received airworthiness engine certification from the FAA. During its development and certification, the GEnx ran 4,800 cycles (simulated takeoffs and landings) and more than 3,600 hours. “The ground- and flight-tests validated that the GEnx-1B engine will have the lowest fuel consumption and be an environmentally responsible solution for Boeing 787 operators,” said Tom Brisken, general manager of the GEnx program.

At another GE test facility, this time in Peebles, Ohio, ground tests were conducted for a different GEnx engine — the GEnx-2B — which will power the Boeing 747-8. The certification program for GEnx-2B engines involves five engines, and certification is expected in the first half of 2009.

The GEnx-2B engine is optimized for the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, but still has the engine core and 80 percent of the line replaceable units of the GEnx-1B that powers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. “The GEnx-2B engines serve a critical role in the efficiency gains offered by the 747-8 family,” said Ross R. Bogue, vice president and general manager, 747 program and Everett site for Boeing. “It will help the 747-8 provide our customers with improved fuel efficiency and reductions in emissions and noise, while allowing customers to generate additional revenue with their ability to carry more passengers and cargo.”