The high-speed low-pressure turbine for Pratt & Whitney's PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine to power the A320neo has passed the mandatory stress tests with flying colors. These extremely complex telemetry runs, an official certification requirement for this module made by MTU, are considered one of the biggest challenges in engine testing. They serve to measure the vibrational stresses acting on the blades, along with the thermal load and temperature distribution. In a laborious manual process that took a couple of months, MTU's high-speed low-pressure turbine was fitted with some 400 special measurement sensors. During 20 hours of testing, the propulsion system was put through its paces, also at overspeed conditions.

The German engine experts are pleased with their turbine. Oskar Schnell, Director, Program Management, PurePower PW1100G-JM, said: “The stress test went well. All the test results have matched our predictions, and in fact we finished ahead of schedule.” With the stress tests successfully completed, the engine has passed another important milestone on its way to certification, which is scheduled to take place this year.

This was not the first time that the engine specialists in Munich conducted this type of test: They had put the GTF engine cousins of the PW1100G-JM engine that power the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and Bombardier's CSeries to the acid test in the test cell in Munich earlier, so that this test was the third of its kind. All tests were witnessed by colleagues from Pratt & Whitney. Cooperation is excellent. “The team did a perfect job conducting the test runs. It's very important for the engineers to be here with us on site, so we can reach decisions quickly if need be,” adds Kurt Scheidt, Senior Manager, Engine and Flight Test at MTU.

The PW1100G-JM will enter into service on the Airbus A320neo next year. To date the PurePower engine family has completed more than 9,000 hours of testing, including more than 1,200 hours of flight test hours. Pratt & Whitney has more than 5,500 PurePower engine orders and commitments, including options.