Altitude performance and operability testing of the General Electric Passport 20 engine, used in the Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000 business jets, was recently completed in an engine test cell at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC).
According to Ben Frisby, Passport 20 evaluation and test program leader for GE Aviation, the testing was successful and “helped drive improvements into the engine”.
Melissa Tate, AEDC test manager with the Aeropropulsion Ground Test Branch, said she and her test team were thankful for the opportunity to help meet the testing needs of GE Aviation. “We appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in this test to ensure a successful outcome,” she said.
Frisby commented that it is anticipated that GE Aviation will partner with AEDC again for future testing. “GE will continue to use AEDC, based on engine application and development needs,” he said. “It is a key testing resource for our engine development.”
He added that the GE engine is designed to operate durably and efficiently across a wide range of altitudes that only AEDC test cells can provide.
“GE needs AEDC’s altitude cell capability to perform various simulated tests to validate our designs and ultimately meet our customer requirements,” he said. “AEDC delivers a controlled testing environment for extreme engine operation scenarios that would otherwise require flight testing. There is no other facility with the capability we needed to complete the required testing for the Passport 20.”
The Passport 20 was also tested previously at AEDC during the winter of 2013 to 2014.
