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THAI Airways takes delivery of GE's ClearCore engine wash system
THAI Airways* has taken delivery of its ClearCore* engine wash system, developed by GE Aviation. GE's ClearCore system could save THAI more than $4 million annually if utilized across the airline's aircraft fleet.
"THAI Airways has taken many steps to reduce its impact on the environment, and GE's ClearCore engine wash system is another way that we can improve our engine's fuel consumption and performance, which ultimately reduces emissions," said Flt. Lt. Montree Jumrieng, Managing Director of Technical Department, THAI Airways International Public Company Limited.
"By selecting GE's ClearCore engine wash system, THAI Airways is demonstrating its commitment to improving the performance of its engine fleet and lowering its overall operating costs," said John Gough, GE Aviation's flight operations director and leader of Fuel & Carbon Solutions. "GE's ClearCore engine wash system features a full effluent capture system in which the water is cleaned and can be re-used, providing THAI with a complete on-wing engine wash system that can be used at the gate or in a hangar."
An engine's performance deteriorates over time due to mechanical wear and environmental contamination, such as dust and sand. The deterioration caused by these environmental factors can be lessened with GE's ClearCore. The mobile unit enables operators to quickly and easily clean surface contaminants from inner aircraft engine components to maximize operating efficiency.
For an airline experiencing a 0.25 percent fuel efficiency loss due to an ineffective engine wash program, GE's ClearCore engine wash system combined with GE diagnostics can provide significant cost savings. For a fleet of 10 GE90-115B-powered* Boeing 777-300ER* aircraft, even a modest improvement from the ClearCore engine wash system could produce annual fuel savings of close to $500,000 while reducing annual CO2 emissions by 1,900 metric tons.
The ClearCore engine wash system is designed to fully capture wash water and prevent runoff during the wash operation. The wash water is then filtered for reuse. An integrated vacuum system eliminates water pooling. While performance recovery levels can vary based on operating conditions and wash interval cycles, customers who use ClearCore can see an improvement in the exhaust gas temperature (EGT), specific fuel consumption, and time-on-wing.
The ClearCore system can be used on any aircraft engine. Customers can purchase a full-service package with GE providing the washes, or they can choose to purchase the equipment only. The water collection system can be used with existing front-end washing systems.
As part of GE's ecomagination product portfolio, the ClearCore engine wash system furthers GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.
THAI Airways is the national flag carrier and the largest airline in Thailand. THAI flies to 72 destinations in 35 countries with its fleet of 92 aircraft. The airline operates GE's CF6* and GE90 engines along with CFM56* engines.
Contact: Jeff Wiseman jeffrey.wiseman@ge.com
Wales engine overhaul facility celebrates triple award win
GE Aviation, Services – Wales maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility is celebrating the recent receipt of three prestigious awards honoring the UK’s top businesses.
- Made in Wales Manufacturer of the Year Award – Presented October 20, 2011, this top prize honors Welsh companies for excellence in manufacturing, design and product development.
- South West Region Business Growth Award – Presented November 3, 2011 by EEF, an organization representing UK manufacturing businesses, this annual award recognizes GE’s Wales site for a significant increase in growth during 2011, including new investment in technology and the creation of 100 new high-skill jobs needed to meet the growing demand for its MRO services.
- Company of the Year – Presented November 25, 2011 by the Institute of Welsh Affairs and the Western Mail, this award recognizes businesses nationwide that have achieved exceptional sales performance in 2011.
GE Aviation, Services – Wales managing director Adrian Button attributes the triple win to the company’s investment in skills and training, dedication to quality, excellence and customer care, and excellent financial performance.
“To be recognized for our extensive business growth is a huge achievement, and comes at a significant time as we celebrate 20 years of GE Aviation in Wales,” Button said.
Employing more than 1,200 highly skilled staff, the state-of-the-art facility specializes in three main engine types – GE90, GP7200*, and the complete family of CFM56 engines – with service to more than 90 airlines globally.
Contact: Emma Breeze emma.breeze@ge.com
Southwest launches LEAP-1B powered 737 Max, extends 30 year relationship with CFM
CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Snecma (Safran group), is extending its three decade-long relationship with Southwest Airlines* with the launch of CFM’s advanced LEAP-1B* engine on the Boeing 737 MAX* aircraft.
Southwest, which is CFM’s largest commercial customer, booked a firm order for 150 of the aircraft in December 2011, along with an order for 58 additional CFM56-7BE-powered Next-Generation 737-800s. Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Southwest’s executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Van de Ven describes the newly inked deal as the next chapter in a long and successful relationship.
“We have a 30-year history of exceptional reliability, fuel efficiency and ongoing innovation with CFM engines,” Van de Ven said. “I have tremendous confidence that the LEAP-1B will bring those same results to our future fleet.”
Evolution of LEAP-1B
Since 2005, CFM and Boeing have been working together to evaluate engine configurations for re-engined and potential new aircraft to replace the Next-Generation 737 family. That work resulted in Boeing’s August 2011 launch of the 737 MAX program with CFM’s LEAP-1B, now the exclusive powerplant for the new 737 variant.
To date, Boeing has received commitments for more than 1,000 LEAP-1B-powered 737 MAX aircraft from 15 customers worldwide.
Contact: Bill Brown bill.h.brown@ge.com
Component repair highlights
Development of new repairs has the dual goal of increasing engines’ time on wing while reducing customers’ cost of ownership. Following are a few of the recently released repairs and programs for CF6-80C and CF34-3/-8* engines. For a complete list of the newest industrialized repairs, download the GE repair catalog from our Customer Web Center (CWC).**
Parts: CF6-80C2/-80E low-pressure turbine (LPT) Stage 5 nozzles
Repair: Mid span repair
The mid-span of LPT Stage 5 nozzles experience distress due to thermal and mechanical loading. This repair restores the mid span region by brazing a cast insert to strengthen the mid-span. Subsequent blending and heat treat operations return the part to a serviceable condition. A 6% reduction in scrap rate is expected.
Parts: CF6-80C2 high-pressure turbine (HPT) Stage 1 blades
Repair: Concave damper pocket shank repair
The damper pocket region is prone to cracking due to mechanical loading conditions. This repair removes certain types of cracks using specialized material removal processes to restore the part to a serviceable condition. Applicable to R142 blades only, this repair also addresses a known field distress mode and reduces overall scrap rate by up to 2%.
Parts: CF34-3/-8C/-8E HPT Shroud hangers
Repair: Seal slot repair
This repair extends shroud hanger life by restoring seal slot dimensions. Seal slots play an important role in maintaining engine efficiency by controlling secondary cooling flows to the HPT shroud. A 10% reduction in scrap rate is expected as a result of this repair. The repair process consists of welding, heat treat and blending operations.
Parts: LM2500+* LPT Stage 1-6 blades
Repair: Full repair
This repair addresses the full repair of the complex tooth geometry of the power turbine rotor blade, Stage 1-6 LPT blades. This repair restores the wear on the outer diameter surface of the blade’s seal serrations, and shroud interlocks on LPT Stage 1-6 blades. A 30% reduction in scrap rate is expected as a result of this repair introduction.
Contact: Bobby Sohi bobby.sohi@ge.com
**Signed General Terms Agreement (GTA) required for CWC access.
Did you know?
GEnx engine parts pricing is now available. Contact your GE representative or visit GE's Customer Web Center (CWC)** for more information.
**Signed General Terms Agreement (GTA) required for CWC access.
