General Electric has revealed that its Passport 20 engine, destined for the Bombardier 7000 and 8000 ultra-long range business jets, will be partly made using a new form of ceramic matrix composite material, with a wide range of potential applications in the aviation industry.
The oxide-oxide CMC material replaces what would have been graphite-epoxy components in the Passport 20 – namely, the four-piece panel enclosing the engine core and a nine-piece component called a mixer.
The new oxide-oxide material saves 18.1-20.4kg (40-45lb) in the mixer components alone. The material is one of several new technologies on the Passport 20, including a 132cm (52in)-diameter fan blisk and “super”-finish airfoils, allowing GE to claim an 8% specific fuel consumption advantage over the Rolls-Royce BR725.
Source: Flightglobal