When the Wright Brothers flew The Flyer, they did so with a 12-horsepower engine. We've come a long way since then, and it's not uncommon for modern jet engines to produce upwards of 30,000 horsepower.
With all the different airplane parts that make up an aircraft, it's impossible to say which is the most important. There are several components that are essential for flight, and one of those is the engine.
From small single-person aircraft to oversized cargo planes, there are all different aircraft engine types in use. An aircraft engine is a complicated piece of equipment, so there's plenty to understand.
In this guide, we'll take a look at the GE CF34-3 to see how it works and how MIAVIA can support your aircraft by arranging this type of engine repairs management. Keep reading for more.
Turbofan Engines
Turbofan engines are among the most popular types and are seen on most modern airliners. They're essentially a modern variation of the more simple gas turbine engine which powered many aircraft in the past but has now become less common. There are four main steps to the process of a turbofan engine.
1. Ingestion
There's a large fan at the front of the engine that sucks in air. Some of this air goes through the compression blades and into the combustion chamber. The rest (known as the sheath flow) bypasses the interior assemblies.
The sheath flow then expands in a separate nozzle. This part of the process generates up to about 80% of the thrust from the engine. It's called the sheath flow as it surrounds the hot gases coming from the engine core like a sheath, helping to reduce noise emissions.
2. Compression
The air that flows into the engine core goes through both the low and high-pressure compressors. The former handles precompression and the latter deals with the main compression. This makes the engine highly efficient, which is one of the main characteristics that make it a better choice than other engine types.
3. Combustion
The compressed air flows into the combustor, where the fuel injection nozzle mixes it with fuel. This mixture is then combusted at around 1,700°C, causing the gas to rapidly expand to several times its original volume. This makes it escape from the combustor with a huge amount of energy.
4. Expulsion
The gas moves quickly through the low and high-pressure turbines, rotating the multiple blades and turbine wheels within. More than half of the energy from the gas stream is expended driving the booster, compressor, and fan. The combustion gases are then expelled through the thrust nozzle, creating more thrust.
Benefits of Turbofan Engines
Turbojets are another very popular type of engine, but in many cases, turbofans are superior. The sheath flow system helps reduce noise output, which can be a major factor when landing and taking off from certain airfields.
The fan also keeps the temperature down, and turbofans are generally considered to be superior to turboprops and turbojets, hence why they're so popular. Many people even prefer their appearance.
Perhaps the biggest benefit is that they're very fuel-efficient. Aircraft use a lot of fuel, and it can be a major expense. Being able to keep fuel consumption down is always ideal.
GE CF34-3
The GE CF34-3 is an excellent example of a quality turbofan engine. Manufactured by GE Aerospace, it's used on popular aircraft such as the Challenger 650 business jet and the Bombardier CRJ200 regional airliner.
This engine is well known for being reliable and durable. These are some of the most important characteristics of aircraft parts, making this arguably one of the best models available. This engine is capable of producing up to 8,729 lbs of thrust and has a 99.99% on-time departure rating.
The original model (the TF34) was used by the military on the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in the 1970s. The more modern version (the CF34-3 as we know it) was put into service on the Challenger 601 in the early 1990s. Over the years, it has earned a reputation as one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient engines in its class.
Today, there are more than 6,000 CF34 engines in service around the world, boasting over 2.7 million cycles per year. GE is still working on new technologies to further improve its CF34 line of engines.
MIAVIA repairs management services
At EFTEC, we provide aircraft engine and APU (auxiliary power unit) repairs to help keep you in the skies. We have a brand new GE CF34-3 Engine Shop that operates under the EASA Part 145 organization Airline Support Baltic. This is our sister company that has been delivering excellent service for years.
If you have any aircraft that use these engines, we can ensure they stay in top operational shape. Over the course of 5 years, we've managed over 50 engines and 20 APU repairs, so we're prepared to take on any challenge and make sure your engines are fit for flight.
The EFTEC engine shop offers a full range of overhaul services for GE CF34-3 engines. As time goes by and the CF34 engine is updated further, we'll continue to improve our services to meet the needs of our clients. We also have plans in place to expand our capabilities to other engines in the future.
Our team has gained plenty of experience managing engine and APU repairs in external repair shops. We've now opened our own so that we can handle all projects in-house and offer better service to our customers.
This allows us greater control over the repair work we do. Handling everything in-house allows us to significantly reduce lead time so your aircraft will be operational sooner. We're also now able to complete repairs at a lower cost, which benefits all of our customers.
Aircraft Engine Types and Repairs
Aircraft engine types vary greatly, and keeping them in good shape is no small task. At MIAVIA, we can offer support with engine repairs, among various other services such as component repairs, parts purchasing, aircraft teardown, and MRO services.
We're always expanding, allowing us to provide better service to our customers in the USA, UK, and Europe.
