The General Electric Passport (formerly called TechX) is a high bypass turbofan engine currently under development by GE Aviation, in cooperation with Safran. It is being developed in parallel with the larger CFM International LEAP, and includes many similar technologies, like blisks and NOx reducing combustors.
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It is designed to produce 10,000 to 20,000 pounds-force (44 to 89 kN) of thrust for large business jets and regional jets, in place of the General Electric CF34. It is selected to power the Bombardier Global 7000/8000.
Development
The testing of the engineering cores began in 2010, with a second core set to be ready in 2011. GE is developing the core from the LEAP-X eCore technology, using a 52 inches (130 cm) metal fan blisk, the first application of such technology on an engine this size. In addition to eliminating the need to balance a hub and blade system, the blisk eliminates air leaks around the fan blades, thus improving its aerodynamic efficiency. On May 16, 2011, the TechX was renamed the Passport.
On December 30, 2014, GE mounted the first 16,500 lb thrust Passport engine on its Boeing 747-100 flying engine test bed. GE also completed hail and bird ingestion tests for the engine. The Passport will feature a slimline nacelle with clam-shell cowl opening to reduce weight and drag.
GE Aviation will perform the Passport 20 final assembly at its Strother Field plant in Arkansas City, Kansas. The engine FAA certification was announced on May 23, 2016.
Design
The engine is a twin-spool, axial-flow turbofan with a high bypass ratio of 5.6:1 and an overall pressure ratio of 45:1. The front fan is attached to the three-stage low-pressure compressor; the 23:1 pressure ratio 10-stage high-pressure compressor includes five blisk stages for weight reduction. The low-emission combustor has a case with integrated OGV diffuser for weight reduction. There is a two-stage high-pressure and four-stage low-pressure turbine. The engine and aircraft accessory drive extracts energy from the high-pressure, high-speed rotor. It is equipped with a dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) control system, providing fault isolation and engine functionality and diagnostics capability.
Specifications (Passport 20)
Data from type certificate data sheet