Contributor Jim Steibel is manager, Advanced Ceramics Technology, for GE Aviation
With our work on the F136 engine for the Joint Strike Fighter program, GE Aviation is achieving an elusive, technical milestone — that of introducing durable, lightweight composite components into the “hot section” of a flying jet engine.
Hot idea: Jim Steibel, manager of Advanced Ceramics Technology for GE Aviation, says the new technology will allow composite components to one day be used in even more areas of the engine.
In some ways, I’ve been working toward this moment my entire career. When I started at GE in 1989, I was tasked with researching Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) materials for a NASA program. For the last 20 years, I’ve continued studying and maturing CMC material, with the hopes of commercializing it in our next generation GE engines. Now, that hope has become a reality thanks to the efforts of our entire GE team, including colleagues at our Global Research Center and Ceramic Composite Products organizations.
The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team’s F136 development engine has now become the industry’s first application using CMC materials in the engine turbine. Joint Strike Fighter development funding has truly been instrumental in the advancement of this technology. And, this unique material will be key to our eCore technology initiative, the foundation for future GE commercial jet engines.
Keeping cool: This new turbine vane, which helps the blades by improving air flow, improves efficiency in the jet engine as it’s lighter, more durable and cooler than its traditional counterparts.
What makes CMC’s so unique and beneficial is that they can withstand higher operating temperatures than metal alloy, and at the same time, are substantially lighter than their nickel-based counterparts. In fact, CMC’s are one-third the density of metal, dramatically reducing the engine’s weight, which translates to better fuel efficiency for our customers.
And, it’s performing well! After the engine test, the CMC vanes look almost brand new. Now, that’s a tough material.
Click here to read GE Aviation’s announcement
