General Electric GE90
| GE90 | |
|---|---|
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| GE90-115B | |
| Type | Turbofan |
| Manufacturer | GE Aviation |
| First run | March 1993 |
| Major applications | Boeing 777 |
| Number built | 2000 as of 2014 |
| Unit cost | GE90: US$ 27.5 million list price (2011) GE9X: US$ 41.4M list price (2016) |
| Developed into |
General Electric GEnx Engine Alliance GP7000 |
The General Electric GE90 is a family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines built by GE Aviation for the Boeing 777, with thrust ratings from 81,000 to 115,000 lbf (360 to 510 kN). It entered service with British Airways in November 1995. It is one of three options for the 777-200, -200ER, and -300 versions, and the exclusive engine of the -200LR, -300ER, and 777F.
Developed from the NASA 1970s Energy Efficient Engine, the 10-stage high-pressure compressor develops an industry record pressure ratio of 23:1 and is driven by a 2-stage, air-cooled, HP turbine. A 3-stage low-pressure compressor, situated directly behind the fan, supercharges the core. The fan/LPC is driven by a 6-stage low-pressure turbine. The GE90 series are physically the largest engines in aviation history, the fan diameter of the original series being 123 in (310 cm), and the largest variant GE90-115B has a fan diameter of 128 in (330 cm).
The GE90 engine was launched in 1990. GE Aviation teamed with Snecma (France, 24%), IHI (Japan) and Avio (Italy) for the program.
As one of the three available engines for the new Boeing 777, the GE90 was an all-new $2 billion design meant to handle transoceanic routes; the offerings from Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce were modifications of existing engines. It is the world's largest and the most powerful jet engine.
For Boeing's next-generation 777 long-range versions (later named 777-200LR and 777-300ER), greater thrust was needed to meet the specifications. General Electric and Pratt & Whitney insisted on a winner-take-all contract due to the $500 million investment in engine modifications needed to meet the requirements. GE received sole engine supplier status for the higher-thrust engine variants for the 777-200LR, -300ER, and 777F.
These higher-thrust variants, GE90-110B1 and -115B, have a different architecture from the earlier GE90 versions, with one stage removed from the HP compressor and an extra stage added to the LP compressor. A net increase in core flow was achieved. General Electric performed a similar re-staging exercise when they upgraded the CF6 from the -6 to the higher-thrust -50. However, this thrust growth route is expensive, since all the downstream components (e.g. turbines) must be larger for flow capacity. The fan is an advanced, larger diameter unit made from composite materials and is the first production engine to feature swept rotor blades.
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