Engine economics
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Posted Date: 01/12/2007
Issue: Executive & VIP Aviation International December 2007
Publication: Executive & VIP Aviation International
The growing internationalisation of the business sector, together with a rapidly modernising society, gives rise to a niche in the aviation market. People’s desire to travel instantly and easily, as well as their increasing awareness of environmental issues, calls for a new type of jet – one that is lighter, requires low maintenance and is more efficient. That is why GE Aviation and Honda Aero have combined their enhanced technology, leadership and experience with the goal of taking performance standards for small jet engines to a new level.
The GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine, which is currently under development, has a top-rate fuel efficiency and turbine durability that is expected to revolutionise completely business jet travel. The engine was formally launched in October 2006 when it was selected to power both the HondaJet advanced light jet and Spectrum Aeronautical’s second model, the Freedom business jet. Rated at 2,050lb thrust, it has come a long way since Honda’s original HF118 prototype engine, which has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of testing on the ground and in flight. GE and Honda redesigned the engine for higher thrust, while seeking new standards of performance in terms of low noise and emissions, fuel efficiency and durability. “It’s about economics,” says Bill Dwyer, president of GE Honda Aero Engines. “The strategy for the engine is to bring to the commercial jet industry reliability and efficiency. One of the exciting things about this project is the growing market.”
Green design
And as well as being speedier and more lightweight, the engine is much kinder to the environment. “The environmental benefits are multiple,” explains Dwyer. “If you burn less you produce less CO2 and it is fundamental to have an environmentally friendly engine. It is also important to reduce the noise of the engine because noise is a waste of energy so the work we’re doing on the HF120 is all in the efficiency of the engine.” HF120 certification by the Federal Aviation Authority is targeted for 2009, with entry into service on both aircraft scheduled to begin in 2010. Initial engine production will begin in 2009 at GE’s facility in Lynn, Massachusetts. Then, a Honda Aero facility is due to be constructed by 2010 in Burlington, North Carolina, for final assembly of the engines. GE Honda expects the annual production capacity for the engine to reach 140 early in the next decade, however it estimates a production capacity of up to 1,000 engines a year in the long run.
In September, GE Honda Aero Engines began testing the first full HF120 demonstration engine, including maximum thrust levels, at Honda’s aircraft R&D centre in Japan.
Certification testing will continue in 2008.
Dwyer says GE Honda has been encouraged by the recent testing process, which is necessarily aggressive to ensure the design is ready for certification. “There will be a rigorous approach to mapping engine performance and we will be refining and fine-tuning any problems that arise,” he says. “During the testing process in small engines we want to confirm a couple of key things. By going through this process, we go through the various dynamics and confirm any leakages and secondary flows. “We fired up our first demonstrator engine in September and we now have our final designs in tow. We have validated that there are no real issues and performance is on track so I’m confident we’ll meet our target dates.”
GE Honda Aero Engines has no plans yet for pursuing other applications as it believes in focusing its efforts on the customers in hand, however, because of its thrust range and light design, it eventually will be able to power other lightweight aircraft, both commercial and military.
High technology
The success of the engine will be the result of revolutionary construction techniques based on a combination of resources from both GE and Honda. GE is a leader in aviation engines, with more than 60 years of developing commercial and military engines. And Honda, the largest engine maker in the world, brings advanced manufacturing and R&D skills. In 2004, GE and Honda formed its 50/50 joint company, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, near the GE Aviation headquarters. The joint company is structured so that Honda ultimately is responsible for final assembly of the engine, while GE’s network of existing jet engine support facilities around the world will provide the long-term product support. “It has been exciting to bring a capability jump to this industry and it has been exciting working with a partner that has a natural fit with GE Aero Engines and what they are trying to achieve,” says Dwyer. “Our two design teams collaborate very well together and we look forward to growing this relationship over time.”
So what makes the engine so special? Its technologies include a compound-swept front fan and two-stage booster – a GE Honda design, which is the result of the latest 3D aerodynamic modelling. It is the same design used for GE’s GEnx engines and for boosting performance in Honda’s Formula One cars because of its lower weight and efficiency. The compressor features a high temperature, titanium impellor developed by Honda over the past 20 years for maximum engine pressure ratio and stall-free performance. Its combustor is based on the Honda HF118 design, featuring compact reverse-flow configuration and single-stage air-blast fuel nozzles. Advanced products are being used for the turbine, which is designed to take high temperatures off of the combustor, including single-crystal high pressure turbine blade materials from the GEnx engine, to improve durability. Its design is under development and will power the 787 and 747-8.
Dwyer explains that a key feature of the HF120 will be its ability to operate in service for an industry record-breaking 5,000 hours before the first major overhaul, with no need to open the engine for interim hot-section inspections. “Honda is bringing advanced technology to the turbine industry,” he says. “Because of the reliability of the engine, it would need to visit the engine shop less than existing engines. Today’s engines have a turbine performance at 1,700 hours and we are designing our engine to have 5,000 hours.”
He continues: “GE infrastructure and technology service centres will provide operators who can help with just a phone call away. There will be a maintenance centre but the detail is still under discussion.”
Market differentiation
Speaking at the National Business Aviation Association’s 60th annual convention held in Atlanta in September, Linden Blue, Managing Director of Spectrum, said the engine’s fuel efficiency and turbine durability will enable the Freedom aircraft to become “the most reliable aircraft in the sky”. He added that it will “truly set the jet apart” from the rest as the 5,000 hours of turbine durability is “unprecedented” for an aircraft of this size.
Also at the convention, President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, Michimasa Fujino, said Honda plans to hike its annual build rate up to 100 HondaJets within two years of starting its production line. He added that current orders for the aircraft stand at “more than 100”, despite the fact that the aircraft is currently only on sale in the US.
Although Dwyer cannot divulge too many details on their pursuit of further applicants or their strategies for maintaining the engines once they are in the field, he displays a sense of confidence that they can deliver them on time and keep them running successfully well into the future. “We will continue methodically as planned,” he says. “The simple message is that the Honda and GE brand names stand for reliability, low maintenance costs and better fuel consumption and that’s what we plan to bring to the market.“I hope it would be interesting for the jet owners to have two companies collaborating to build a reputation for this engine. We will look forward to developing those areas where we can create the most value to the customer.”
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