Poking around the engine shop.

[MeCasa16]

I was in the maintenance hangar at work the other day, and poked my head in the engine shop for a little tour.

They always have several motors in there in various stages. They have “Go Boxes” they can load into a plane with a disassembled engine to fly into any airport and do a full engine swap in 6 hours.

This engine is off an airbus A321 Neo. The fan blades are honeycomb carbon with Titanium edges baked onto them.

The 737 engines have titanium blades. They cost about $50k/ blade.

The engine covered up in blue in the top picture is the motor off a 737 Max. That motor is mothballed for the time being.


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[rivrrts429]

Wow, that is really cool.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Very cool and thanks for sharing

 

[monkeyswrench]

Not the engine shop I pictured reading the title! Very cool, thank you for the pics. I had read about the turbine blades being titanium, but never heard about the carbon/titanium composite setup.

I'm more "trailing edge" of technology...like point gaps, or jet sizes...totally different "jets"

 

[HBCraig]

Always wondered the rpm range they run at when at cruising speed? What's the rpms?

 

[530RL]

Always wondered the rpm range they run at when at cruising speed? What's the rpms?

Depending upon the engine model, about 5000 for N1 and 15000 for N2 at 100%.

Here is a flight ops manual that some will find interesting.

http://www.smartcockpit.com/docs/CFM_Flight_Ops_Support_B737.pdf

 

[ElAzul]

I have been obsessed with learning anything I can on turbine power. The technology, power and efficiency with the high bypass stuff is mind boggling. The GE Gen X is a larger diameter than the fuselage of some passenger airplanes that's crazy. GE, P&W, and RR have some really cool videos on YouTube from construction to service work.

 

[MeCasa16]

I have been obsessed with learning anything I can on turbine power. The technology, power and efficiency with the high bypass stuff is mind boggling. The GE Gen X is a larger diameter than the fuselage of some passenger airplanes that's crazy. GE, P&W, and RR have some really cool videos on YouTube from construction to service work.

That small section behind the first set of Fan blades (between the arrows)is the actual “turbine”. The rest is bypass air. It gets about 20% of the airflow into the turbine.

 

[Buggydave]

One of my best friends since HS is a supervisor in the engine shop for Delta in Atlanta. Always telling me to some visit and I can get a VIP tour. One of these days I will get out there.

 

[Shlbyntro]

Not the engine shop I pictured reading the title! Very cool, thank you for the pics. I had read about the turbine blades being titanium, but never heard about the carbon/titanium composite setup.

I'm more "trailing edge" of technology...like point gaps, or jet sizes...totally different "jets"

Hey I still use a match booklet to set points.... And they haven't used points since before I was born! The feeler gauge just never seams to come out as perfect as a good old fashioned piece of cardboard.

One of my best friends since HS is a supervisor in the engine shop for Delta in Atlanta. Always telling me to some visit and I can get a VIP tour. One of these days I will get out there.

you should get on that. I'd probably be one to take that offer up in a heart beat if it came my way

 

[DaveH]

View attachment 831534

That small section behind the first set of Fan blades (between the arrows)is the actual “turbine”. The rest is bypass air. It gets about 20% of the airflow into the turbine.

i was reading that ideally they would by pass even more air with larger fans up front. however, the shaft speed through the turbine that the fan also spins on limits this diameter. But someone has now engineered a gear reduction system reliable enough to be used in an aircraft engine and we should be seeing future engine with considerably larger fans.

 

[ElAzul]

View attachment 831534

That small section behind the first set of Fan blades (between the arrows)is the actual “turbine”. The rest is bypass air. It gets about 20% of the airflow into the turbine.

Yes sir hence my obsession with the high bypass power/efficiency

 

[monkeyswrench]

For us piston people...
What is the purpose of the "bypass air" and fan? Is it to cool the turbine assembly? As a side effect, does the "bypass" deal help pull the engine, as opposed to generating thrust?

 

[DaveH]

For us piston people...
What is the purpose of the "bypass air" and fan? Is it to cool the turbine assembly? As a side effect, does the "bypass" deal help pull the engine, as opposed to generating thrust?

its all about efficiency. in the early day of jet engines, all air went through the compressor.

however, newer designs are moving more air through the fan and not through the compressor has created more thrust and greater fuel efficiency.

as i mentioned in a previous post, the size of the fan is limited due to the very high shaft speed that the compressor and fan share. apparently a gear box is in the works for these engines to slow the fans so they can now become significantly larger.

 

[Yellowboat]

The ge x motors have like an 11' fan. Thats just nuts

 

[ElAzul]

i was reading that ideally they would by pass even more air with larger fans up front. however, the shaft speed through the turbine that the fan also spins on limits this diameter. But someone has now engineered a gear reduction system reliable enough to be used in an aircraft engine and we should be seeing future engine with considerably larger fans.

Pratt&Whitney developed a gear box but ran into something wearing faster than anticipated just don't remember what. It was either something in the gearbox or fan assembly. Either way it's an awesome piece of engineering