Pratt & Whitney starts geared turbofan tests.

Pratt & Whitney has initiated performance testing of the fan drive gear system, a key element of the next-generation Geared Turbofan engine, at the company's new $12 million testing facility in Middletown, Conn. The gear system design will undergo critical testing over the next 18 months as part of the company's technology development plan.

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The gear system test rig is capable of handling up to 60,000 shaft horse power and simulating flight altitudes of-up to 45,000 feet. The facility is also capable of creating operational loads to test performance limits of the gear system outside of specifications to validate durability.

The company predicts that the Geared Turbofan engine will deliver more than 12 percent reduction in fuel consumption and 40 percent less maintenance costs while producing half the noise and emissions of current-generation jet engines. The Geared Turbofan engine builds on more than 20 years of development and over US$1 billion of technology investment. With full-scale engine testing scheduled to begin later this year and flight testing in 2008, the Geared Turbofan engine is scheduled to be ready for service by 2012.

The fan drive gear system allows the fan to operate independently from the low-pressure compressor and turbine, resulting in greater engine fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed for less noise. The testing will validate the efficiency targets and durability of the gear system.

Pratt & Whitney has been rig testing other key technologies of the Geared Turbofan engine over the past two years. The company ran a scaled fan rig in 2006 and is currently testing the engine's high-pressure compressor under an agreement with MTU Aero Engines in Germany. According to the company, all test results show that the engine modules are performing as anticipated.