On our way through Rio de Janeiro during IBAS 2017, we were honored to receive an invitation to visit the GE Aviation unit in Petrópolis, GE Celma, which is dedicated to the overhaul and assembly of aeronautical engines from around the world. Check below the history of engines and how GE Celma fits into this scenario.
An overview of engine evolution
The history of transport – be it land, sea or air – is closely linked to the organization and development of modern and contemporary societies. In the XNUMXth century, the application of steam engines in locomotives and ships shortened distances and enabled the exodus of the population to other regions and continents.
In the XNUMXth century, it was the turn of internal combustion engines to begin to dominate the market and make possible the cheaper means of transport and the consequent expansion of the automobile industry. Then, in the XNUMXth century, the advent of the turbine for use in airplanes – also known as reaction engine or jet engine – made possible the expansion of the air market, intensifying the shortening of distances and promoting the optimization of time.
At that time, it was clear that the future of aviation lay in turbine engines. More efficient and durable, they allowed speed records and did not cause as much stress on the aircraft structure, compared to piston engines – which caused so much trepidation that it happened that crew needed to tighten screws on seats inside the aircraft, in mid-flight. Although they were noisy and inefficient in burning fuel, they were the best option available on the market.
Today, fortunately, a lot has changed – and continues to change. Reaction engines are increasingly efficient, with nozzles that generate uniform burning and blades that improve air compression. Older engines, or pure jet engines, in addition to being noisier, were not fuel efficient. It can be noticed when a burn is inefficient it leaves a black trail on takeoff, this is due to the fuel particles not burning uniformly, generating residues that did not create the perfect enthalpy after burning. This black contrail can also be generated by purposefully injecting water into the engine to increase engine thrust during takeoff.
In 1964, the first high-by turbofan engine was built by AVCO-Lycoming. Shortly thereafter, the General Electric TF39 became the first production model designed to power the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy for military use, and a few years later, the CF6 was developed for civilian use. It was a real turnaround in the aeronautical world, as the technology of high-by turbofans represented a gain in power and an efficiency in fuel economy of an average of 25%. currently the fan it s for 85% of the power of an ultra by turbofan jet engine.
GE as an engine manufacturer
In 1971 at the Paris Air Show, during a meeting between Gerhard Neumann, from GE, and René Ravaud, from SNECMA, it was decided to unify the two companies and develop a highly efficient commercial engine, which would enter the market to compete with Pratt. & Whitney.
The project was not so simple. GE had already developed the F101 engine for the B1 Lancer and wanted to use the technology for the new commercial engine in partnership with SNECMA, which was from . But as the US government had bought the project, it didn't want the technology to leave the US and denied the export license for the new engine.
The pressure on the US government continued: on one side the French manufacturer, on the other the American manufacturer. In 1973, the discussion entered the agenda of the meeting between the presidents of the United States and – at the time Richard Nixon and Georges Pompidou, respectively –, which would take place in Reykjavík.
Contemporary reports indicate that the deal was based on assurances that the core of the engine – i.e. the prototype that GE was developing from the Military F101 – would be built in the USA and then transported to in order to protect the sensitive technologies.
The t venture also agreed to pay the US a royalty fee of US$80 million – calculated at US$20 for each engine planned to be built – as reimbursement for money provided by the government for the F101 engine development core. . Documents declassified in 2007 revealed that a key aspect of the deal was that the French government agreed not to tax American aircraft that were imported into Europe. Thus, CFM Internacional (CFMI) and CFM-56 were born.
In the evolutionary process GE has developed a fan made of composite materials that partially replaced metal. With this exchange, it was possible to increase the performance of the blades, which is impossible to do in a fan metal, which would not withstand the operating regime and burst. It is worth noting that metal was not completely eliminated from this component. It is still used on the edges of blades, to protect composite material from bird strikes, for example. Just as metal does not a more aggressive design, the composite material does not a great impact – that is, one needs the other.
Such advances have led engines to be more efficient and quieter, as well as less polluting. The CFM-LEAP 1 is an example and explains a little the success of the Airbus Neo. In addition to the European manufacturer, which uses the LEAP-1A, this engine was adopted by Boeing in the 737 MAX, through the LEAP-1B variant, and by the Chinese Comac C919 plane, in the LEAP-1C variant.
Founding of GE Celma
In 1951, in Petrópolis-RJ, the Rocha Miranda family created Companhia Eletromecânica Celma, initially intended for the manufacture of fans. In 1957, the company began servicing the engines of the Lockheed Constellation. Shortly after, he became responsible for maintaining engines for Panair, foreign companies and the Brazilian Air Force.
In 1965, Celma became part of the Brazilian Air Force, providing maintenance and aeronautical manufacturing services, primarily for the FAB and also for domestic airlines. It became a private company again in 1991, with General Electric as one of its shareholders. Five years later, in 1996, GE became a majority shareholder. In 2014, GE Celma began overhauling the modern GEnx-1B and GEnx-2B engines used in the new Boeing 747-8 and 787 Dreamliner. In the same building, the CF34-10E engine is assembled, used in the Embraer 190/195, and another variant, the CF34-10A, which is exported to China and used in the Comac ARJ21. The CF43 is an engine Made in brazil: Parts arrive from abroad and assembly, testing and certification are carried out here.
GE Celma is the largest aircraft engine overhaul shop in Latin America and the first GE turbine factory to be installed outside the United States. From receipt to the testing phase and return, the unit is capable of overhauling an aeronautical engine in up to 65 days.
The engine models that receive upgrades and maintenance at Celma are:
- CF34-10E (E190, E195);
- CFM56-5, CFM56-7 (A319/320, B737);
- CF6-6, CF6-50 and CF6-80 (DC10, B747, MD11, B767…);
- GenX-1B and GenX-2B (New B747-8, B787 Dreamliner);
New engines assembled and certified at GE Celma:
- CF34-10A for Comac;
- CF34-10E for the Embraer 190/195.
In all, GE Celma reviews seven different aircraft engine models: CF6-80C2, CF6-6D, CF6-50C2, CFM56-5, CFM56-7, CF34-10E and GEnx. The company has already overhauled around 9 engines for more than 60 airlines around the world.
Training new talents
In order to maintain this rhythm and make quality deliveries, it is essential to have professionals with excellent technical qualifications. For this reason, in partnership with Senai in Petrópolis, GE Celma set up a training center within the municipality's educational unit. To adapt the classroom to the manufacturing environment, the company provided an unused engine and set up, on site, a layout similar to that of the factory.
After the student graduates, he begins his work at the factory, always supervised by a qualified person certified by ANAC. The entire training process, including all certifications, takes around five years.
GE Aviation in Tres Rios
With an estimated investment of US$ 45 million, GE Aviation is now preparing a new unit in Três Rios (RJ), with a new test bench for aeronautical engines with a capacity four times greater than that of the Petrópolis unit, with engine testing capacity GEnx, GE90 and the, still in development and testing phase, GE9x.
This means an average reduction of 15 days in the delivery time of the GEnx engines, one of the most advanced in the world, which today, after overhauled at the Petrópolis unit, are sent to the GE Aviation unit in Peebles - Ohio, in the United States , to be tested.
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