Design Technology for Improved Performance Retention in Turbofan Engines

The General Electric Company’s Aircraft Business Group has launched advanced mechanical design programs with the objective of substantially improving the performance retention characteristics of turbofan engines. This paper addresses the general causes of performance loss and presents current programs whose objective is to minimize these losses.

Areas addressed are deterioration of clearances between rotating and static components during a typical engine’s life, engine generated and externally applied loads, and operating technique effects.

Several advanced mechanical design features which address these conditions with the intent of minimizing or eliminating resultant deterioration of performance are discussed, and evaluation techniques for design verification, including laser optics are described.