The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration granted type certification to Pratt & Whitney’s new GTF Advantage geared turbofan engine, confirming that it meets airworthiness, noise, and emissions standards for commercial aerospace. A redesign of the PW1100G version of the high-bypass turbofan GTF engines, the Advantage will be the production standard for the series, variants of which power the Airbus A220 and A320 aircraft and Embraer E-Jet E2 series jets.
Geared turbofan engines are designed so that the fan and turbine spin at different speeds, to achieve fuel efficiency and noise reduction. Pratt & Whitney introduced the GTF engines in 2016, and initiated the GTF Advantage design update in 2021. It reports that the new engines were subjected to more than twice the number of tests as the current GTF engine model.
"GTF engines already offer the lowest fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for single-aisle aircraft," stated Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "The GTF Advantage engine extends that lead and enhances aircraft capability, providing more thrust and even more value to operators of A320neo family aircraft, especially on longer-range aircraft like the A321XLR, all with a more durable configuration.”
Among other improvements, the GTF Advantage features “redesigned life-limited parts and technological enhancements throughout the gas path” that make it more durable than the current version.
Increased airflow in the core helps lower operating temperatures, and the high-pressure turbine has a new airfoil design with improved coatings. Improved cooling holes in the combustor and HPT reduce oxidation.
Several improvements to the engine design may be adapted to the current GTF engines, which are installed in more than 2,200 commercial aircraft now in service. Pratt & Whitney reported the GTF Advance is “fully interchangeable and intermixable with the current GTF engine model”.
GTF engines are manufactured at Pratt & Whitney locations in Columbus, Ga., West Palm Beach, Fla., and Singapore.
