Powering the A321neo

At Farnborough International Airshow, CFM International had it really good, bagging orders, commitments and longterm service agreements totalling 565 engines, valued at $8.2 billion. It was not a surprise as CFM International has some exceptional engines for the aviation industry which is looking at solutions that have economic benefits.

Of the exceptional engines, LEAP-1A (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) seems to be the preferred choice on some of the aircraft such as the A320/A321neo (new engine options) aircraft. Testimony to that was at Farnborough where South East Asian airline AirAsia made history when it ordered 200 LEAP-1A engines. Besides, Asiana Airlines ordered 50; TAP Portugal ordered 83 and WOW Air ordered three LEAP-1A engines to power A320/A321neo aircraft.

AirAsia has 730 LEAP engines

AirAsia’s order was worth $2.7 billion. The airline expands its LEAP engine fleet to nearly 730 engines. “This order for the larger A321neo is an important element in our long-term growth and expansion strategy,” said Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Group. “Choosing the right engine to power them is critical to the success of that strategy. For us, the LEAP-1A was the obvious choice. This engine has demonstrated the promised 15 per cent fuel efficiency and we are quite familiar with the reliability inherent in CFM products and the impact that this has on our operations.”

AirAsia, a pioneer in low-cost travel, has been a CFM customer for more than a decade. AirAsia was an early LEAP customer and placed its initial order for 400 LEAP-1A engines — the largest in aviation history at the time — to power A320neo aircraft in June 2011. The airline placed a follow-on order for 128 additional engines in 2013. AirAsia is the single largest Airbus A320 operator in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We believe there is no greater endorsement of the technology choices we have made for the LEAP engine than the continued confidence of an airline such as AirAsia,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, President and CEO of CFM International.

15 per cent fuel efficiency

The LEAP-1A engine powered the first flight of the Airbus A321neo in February 2016. The engine is on track for entry into service in mid-2016 on the initial A320neo and will provide operators with a 15 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO₂ emissions; a 50 per cent margin to new emissions regulations; a dramatically lower noise signature; and CFM’s industryleading reliability and low overall operating costs.

Similarly, the President of Asiana Airlines, Soo Cheon Kim, said: “I believe that LEAP engine will deliver significant benefits to Asiana‘s A321neo fleet with its efficient and reliable operation. Also, our selection of the LEAP engine will be another great milestone to strengthen our important relationship with CFM International.” Also TAP Portugal CEO Fernando Pinto said: “The success of our relationship with CFM International is demonstrated by the length of our partnership. For more than 25 years, CFM has provided high quality, reliable engines and good support for our fleet. We expect nothing less from the LEAP engine and look forward to introducing it into our fleet.” Jean-Paul Ebanga added: “The LEAP engine is a phenomenal product and we are confident that it will prove to be an important element in TAP’s long-term growth strategy.”

Final assembly at Snecma facility

It was on April 2 this year that CFM International delivered the first two production engines (a shipset) for Airbus. This delivery paved the way for installation on the first customer aircraft and for entry into service by mid-year. The engines completed final assembly at the Snecma (Safran)’s facility in Villaroche, France.

“It is a very proud day for us,” said Francois Bastin, Executive Vice President of CFM International. “The team has done an incredible job to keep this programme on track. The engine continues to perform exceptionally well in flight tests and we can’t wait for our airline customers to introduce it into their fleets.”

The LEAP-1A flew for the first time on the Airbus A320neo on May 19, 2015. A second A320neo was added to the test programme in September of last year and, in February 2016, the LEAP engine was the first to power the new A321neo. The three aircraft have logged a combined total of more than 285 flights and more than 800 hours of flight testing.

THE LEAP ENGINE IS THE FIRST ENGINE TO USE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TO ‘GROW’ COMPLEX, FULLY DENSE YET LIGHTER ENGINES

“The next challenge is entry into service,” said Allen Paxson, Executive Vice President for CFM. “We have been working close with our customers on tooling and training and have been stresstesting our support infrastructure for several months. We expect the LEAP-1A commercial introduction to be one of the smoothest we have ever had.”

Most advanced technology

The LEAP-1A, which powers the Airbus A319neo, A320neo, and the A321neo aircraft, features some of the industry’s most advanced technology, including 3D woven carbon fiber composite fan blades and fan case; a unique debris rejection system; fourth-generation three-dimensional aerodynamic designs; the twin-annular, pre-swirl (TAPS) combustor featuring additively manufactured fuel nozzles; ceramics matrix composite shrouds in the high-pressure turbine; and titanium aluminide (Ti-Al) blades in the low-pressure turbine.

Airbus had selected the LEAP-1A as an option for the A320neo in 2010 and the engine flew for the first time on the A320neo on May 19, 2015. The LEAP-powered A320neo received its Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on May 31, 2016.

The industry-leading efficiency of Airbus’ A320 Family – of which the A321 is a member – is being further enhanced with its new engine option jetliner versions. Incorporating Airbus’ ‘Sharklets’ and two new engine choices, the A320neo family offers maximum benefit with minimal changes from baseline A319s, A320s and A321s – delivering per seat fuel improvements of 20 per cent, along with additional range of up to 500 nautical miles/900 km. or 2 tonnes of extra payload.

Pushing to the limit

On its way to engine certification, CFM pushed its LEAP test programme to the limit. To meet the performance and reliability expectations made to its customers, a total of 60 LEAP engines were built to execute the most extensive ground and flight test certification programme in the company’s history. To date, the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines have been jointly certified by EASA and FAA.

Leveraging the successes and unrivalled experience of the CFM56 programme, the LEAP engine is built for 99.98 per cent dispatch reliability – which means more time in the air and less maintenance time. The LEAP 1A powers the Airbus A321neo that has 24,500-35,000 pounds thrust (at altitude). The LEAP engine’s fan blades are manufactured from 3D woven RTM (resin transfer molding) carbon fiber composite, an industry first for CFM. This technology results in fan blades that are not only lightweight but so durable that each individual blade is strong enough to support the weight of a wide-body airplane like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 787.

Lighter yet stronger

The LEAP engine is the first engine to use additive manufacturing to ‘grow’ complex, fully dense yet lighter engines. Its fuel nozzles are 25 per cent lighter than previous models and five times more durable than parts manufactured conventionally.

The LEAP engine features the second generation twin-annular, pre-mixing swirler combustor (TAPS II). TAPS II reduces NOx emissions by 50 per cent versus CAEP/6 standards. Unlike traditional combustors that mix fuel and air inside the combustion chamber, the LEAP nozzle pre-mixes these elements to provide what our engineers call lean burn combustion. CFM calls it revolutionary. The LEAP-1A should win about a 50 per cent market share as one of two engine types (along with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM) available to power the A320neo family.