Image via Gizmodo
Originally stemming from NASA’s Energy Efficient Engine in the 1970s, GE90 technology was sure to work phenomenally. GE90 technology from GE Aviation is now specially designed for Boeing’s models of 777 aircraft.
The engine first appeared on board a British Airways’ 777 in 1995. The initial models of the GE90 had outputs ranging from 74,000 to 115,000 lbf of thrust. The GE90 series has drastically improved since its early days, and larger models like -110B1 and -115B variations have emerged that can manage 125,000 lbf of thrust. These models are customized for Boeing’s newest 777 models, including the 777-200LR, 777-300LR, 777-300ER, and 777-200F.
The largest version of this engine is the GE90-115B, measuring 216 inches long and 135 inches wide with a 128-in-diameter fan. The -115B weighs out at 18,260 pounds. The engine uses a 10-stage air compressor that is driven by the engine’s two-stage turbine, generating a pressure ratio turbocharger of 23:1.
The GE90 is constructed from a ceramic composite material that can last at much higher operating temperatures of up to 2,400ºF. Compared to other machines of similar proportions, this engine saves as much as 10% more fuel per long-distance flight than ever before.
To put the icing on the cake, the GE90 is the proud bearer of the most powerful jet engine in the world. While preliminary tests were being run on the engine at the facility in Peebles, OH, the -115B totally crushed the previous record at 127,900 pounds, which was 5,000 lbf higher than the previous record. The GE90-115B also stole the title of having the longest commercial flight of 22 hours and 42 minutes in 1995 from Hong Kong to London. That flight took the long route over the Pacific, across North America, then over the Atlantic Ocean, finally arriving at London's Heathrow Airport.
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