1/2012

A test like no other

MTU Aero Engines Holding AG Dachauer Straße 665 Customers + Partners Technology + Science Products + Services 80995 Munich • Germany Tel. +49 89 1489-0 Fax +49 89 1489-5500 New structures, new The ultimate in precision Simple principle, [email protected] www.mtu.de opportunities great action Contents

Cover Story A test like no other 6 – 11

Customers + Partners New structures, new opportunities 12 – 15 Knights in red-and-white armor 16 – 19

Technology + Science Taking off with sustainable fuel 20 – 23 The ultimate in precision 24 – 27 New structures, new opportunities The ultimate in precision Germany’s Bundeswehr is to be completely revamped. REPORT inter- MTU Aero Engines has refined a manufacturing process that is vastly Products + Services viewed Michael Schreyögg, Senior Vice President, Defense Programs superior to conventional electrochemical machining: precise electro- Simple principle, great action 28 – 31 at MTU since 2008, about the implications of the reform and the chemical machining (PECM). Attention to detail that paid off 32 – 35 opportunities it might bring. Pages 24 - 27 Pages 12 - 15

Global On-site, on-wing support 36 – 39 A test like no other The PurePower® PW1524G engine is being subjected to stress test- ing in MTU Aero Engines’ large development test cell. These tests are required by the airworthiness authorities for engine certification. Pages 6 - 11 Report The silent giant 40 – 43

In Brief 44 Masthead 45 Simple principle, great action The silent giant They are reliable, durable and extremely effective, and advanced air- Arab airline Emirates is the largest A380 customer worldwide. The craft engines can hardly do without them: MTU’s brush seal are now giant aircraft is also a favorite amongst passengers—thanks in large being used also on the new PurePower® PW1100G-JM geared turbo- part to the quiet GP7000 engines, in which MTU has a significant share. More REPORT in digital form fan, which will power the Airbus A320neo. Pages 40 - 43 For multimedia features in the Pages 28 - 31 eMagazine and in the iPad app go to www.mtu.de/report

2 3 Editorial

Dear Readers:

No other engine program in MTU’s long history has met with such immediate success as the PurePower® PW1000G geared turbofan, which has amassed nearly 2,000 firm orders and options even before delivery of the first pro- duction engine. This success is not entirely surprising; together with our partner Pratt & Whitney, we have invested a great deal of money and know- how in this novel engine configuration over many years, for we had full con- fidence from the outset that it would be the ideal powerplant for the aircraft of the future.

The investment phase is not yet over: To deliver the necessary quantities of high-pressure compressors, we are constructing a new shop in Munich to accommodate the center of excellence for blisk production. We are also working on an innovative manufacturing process for these high-tech mod- ules. Precise electrochemical machining (PECM) will enable us to process even the hardest materials, such as those used for the rear stages of the high-pressure compressor, to an unprecedented degree of precision using a non-contact, wear-free process. We are currently maturing our PECM process for volume production, once again demonstrating MTU’s innovative clout. The geared turbofan stands out not only by virtue of its advanced technology but also as an example of funds put to good use. Both the high- pressure compressor we designed in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney and MTU’s unique high-speed low-pressure turbine are based on technologies developed under national and European research funding programs.

The GTF will form the basis of a new generation of aircraft engines capable of reducing fuel burn and the associated carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent in three successive stages by 2035. It represents a worthwhile and sustainable investment that will promote clean aviation and at the same time secure high-tech jobs. So MTU has written another memorable page in the annals of international aviation history, once again bearing witness to the excellence of German engineering. The message we wish to transmit is that MTU’s products, processes and services will continue to serve as a benchmark in the global aerospace industry.

Sincerely yours,

Egon Behle Chief Executive Officer

4 5 Cover Story A test like no other

By Patrick Hoeveler

In this extremely complex test environment, absolute preci- sion is the name of the game. Extensively instrumented for the test runs, the PurePower® PW1524G is surrounded by a maze of cables, with sensors and instruments all over the place. Only an expert can figure out where all the wiring goes. There are almost 1,000 measurement points on the engine to power the Bombardier CSeries. The high-tech tests are being conducted in MTU Aero Engines’ large develop- ment test cell in Munich. The telemetry tests—the biggest challenge in engine testing—are required by the airworthiness authorities for engine certification.

he so-called stress tests, which are among most demanding and complex engine tests, are car- T ried out only once in the life of any engine pro- gram. On Pratt & Whitney’s PW1524G geared turbofan engine, MTU conducts these tests to verify tempera- tures and stresses in the low-pressure turbine. From the sheer number of people in attendance in the con- trol room, you can tell that the tests are far from run- of-the-mill work. The third of the series of nine devel- opment engines is being used for telemetry testing to measure blade vibrations in the low-pressure turbine. “We’re using this engine to check the clearance con- trol system in the turbine, and to verify the thermody- namic design. This data is important for us to predict fuel consumption,” explains Dr. Christian Winkler, Director, Business Development and GTF Programs at MTU.

6 7 Cover Story

The Bombardier CSeries will be powered by PW1524G engines. Entry into service is slated for late 2013.

Munich is already the third place to which the engine has been sent MTU last conducted this kind of stress testing on the V2500 engine. for testing. Following first trials on Pratt & Whitney’s outdoor test But this time around, it is the very first time that the company is facility in sunny West Palm Beach, Florida, it was relocated to involved in these important engine runs as early as in the validation Manitoba, Canada, for cold weather evaluations and initial natural phase. “We’ve never carried out this type of tests at such an early icing tests. The engineers again and again inspected their test engine stage of a commercial program before. This shows just how much in every detail. Now, the experts are focusing their entire attention on faith Pratt & Whitney has in our capabilities,” says Dr. Anton Binder, the high-speed low-pressure turbine, which is developed and manu- Executive Vice President, Commercial Programs at MTU. Winkler factured by MTU. It is a key component of the geared turbofan, in adds: “These trials will allow us to expand our engineering and test- which a reduction gear decouples the fan from the turbine, allowing ing know-how and boost our reputation.” MTU’s experts in Munich both components to operate within their respective optimal speed are no strangers to engine testing, frequently conducting endurance ranges and thus reducing fuel consumption and noise emissions. and other tests. On its test beds, the company also runs the Inter- national Aero Engines V2500, and the Engine Alliance GP7200 for the Airbus A380. The German company is responsible for the low-pres- sure turbine and other components that go into these engines.

What makes the tests on the PW1524G so challenging is the highly sensitive instrumentation required. For the vibration measurements, for example, strain gages made of extremely fine wire—thinner than a human hair—are attached to the turbine blades. Kurt Scheidt, Senior Manager, Engine and Flight Testing, explains: “When the engine is running, the stresses cause the electrical resistance to change. Having calibrated the instruments beforehand, we’re able to tell exactly which current change corresponds to which strain. Moreover, we can also determine the frequency at which the blade is moving.”

The strain gages must be able to withstand the high temperatures and enormous centrifugal forces inside the engine; they are either cemented in place or embedded in ceramic material. On the blade, thin wires run from the strain gages to the center of the rotor; they too must be secured very carefully by the MTU engineers. These wires extend into the engine shaft and are connected to the rotating tele- The PW1524G engine is being prepared for test runs at MTU in metry transmission unit, which sends the data to the stationary Munich. receiver. “It takes several weeks to set up all the instrumentation. You The geared turbofan engine is undergoing last preparations before it is subjected to stress testing on MTU’s test cell.

8 9 Cover Story can barely see the rotors for all the wires and cables,” says Scheidt. engine. However, turbine overspeed is not that easy to achieve, even During the tests, electric current is passed through the sensors at a when you increase the thrust.” The MTU engineers had to delve deep A bestseller “made in Germany” sampling rate of 100 kilohertz, or 100,000 times per second. into their bag of tricks to find a solution, and installed an array of vanes weighing almost 2.5 metric tons in front of the air inlet to the While final assembly of the PW1524G is taking The trials are scheduled to last a month, during which the actual engine geared turbofan. This inlet swirler, as it is called, deflects the air flow place in the Canadian city of Mirabel near running time will be around 30 hours. In order to analyze the blade by five degrees, making it stronger and relieving some of the stress Montreal, Europe, too, will boast a production vibrations, the engine has to be run up slowly and at a constant rate. on the fan. At the outlet, an enlarged nozzle area likewise relieves the line for the PW1100G-JM that will power the Scheidt describes the process: “We spend two minutes going from stress on the fan, and it is thus able to turn faster. Airbus A320neo—at MTU in Germany. To date, idle to 105 percent of the rated turbine speed. We then hold the engine orders have been received for almost 500 air- at that level for a few seconds before running it back down at the The data collection equipment on the test stand was upgraded specif- craft to be equipped with this geared turbofan same rate.” The sequence is repeated several times, and at the end ically for the current tests. While the stationary and transient values variant. “The decision to assemble the of each run, the engineers have to make sure that the test findings from the standard measurements are automatically transmitted to PW1100G-JM in Germany has already been are both plausible and analyzable. “If the results are all in order, we Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford in real time, the telemetry data is made,” states Dr. Anton Binder, Executive Vice can use them for the certification report. If not, we have to repeat the recorded in a data storage unit. It takes weeks to evaluate the infor- President, Commercial Programs at MTU. “We run.” For temperature measurements, on the other hand, the engine mation. In the process, MTU’s turbine module team compares the will be doing the work in Munich.” Production must be run up rapidly to various speeds, held at these speeds for findings with the design model and, by studying the deformation of could commence as early as mid-2015. This is some time, and then decelerated rapidly again. This is why these tests the blades, is able to draw conclusions regarding their all-important when MTU will be able to benefit from the expe- take correspondingly longer. clearance. Ultimately, what it boils down to is this: The smaller the rience it gained final assembling the PW6000. gap between the blade and the casing, the more efficient the turbine. The airworthiness authorities stipulate that turbines must run at over- Incidentally, a team from the United States travelled to Munich to wit- speed during stress testing. The design speed equates to 100 per- ness the tests. Winkler reports that “communication between Pratt & cent, and the engine will usually run at 90 to 100 percent of this dur- Whitney and MTU is extremely good.” Everyone knows each other. ing normal operation. “Test conditions must be as realistic as possi- Indeed, “the U.S. engineer on site previously worked over here with Even after stress testing has been completed, the third PW1524G ble, and should reflect the environment within a normal production us on the PW6000.” development engine will still have an important role to play. Once its work in Munich is done, it will be transported back to the United States for telemetry testing on the fan and low-pressure compressor. And then, the current plan is to return it to Canada for further icing tests as part of the certification process.

The MTU development test facility has a similarly busy schedule: A V2500 SelectTwo engine, the upgraded version of the original V2500, is already waiting to take the place of the PW1524G. Then, in the sec- ond quarter of the year, comes the turn of the next geared turbofan— the PW1217G for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. MTU’s experts in Munich will carry out stress tests on this engine’s low-pressure turbine too. Thereafter, in late 2012, endurance testing will commence on the geared turbofan, which is slated to undergo 3,000 simulated flight cycles. “All these tests serve to find out how the various parts of the engine change during operation, and whether or not their service life corresponds to predictions,” explains Binder, who is pleased to report that the partners are happy with the results to date: “By and large, the findings are proving extremely positive. They’re some of the best test results I’ve seen in my whole career. We’re incredibly close to match- ing the design values.”

“Increasing MTU’s share in the geared turbofan program has resulted in a significant rise in the company’s engine test work as well,” says Binder. MTU’s share in the PW1524G was increased from 15 to 17 per- cent, and now includes the first four stages of the high-pressure com- pressor in addition to the low-pressure turbine.

The PurePower® PW1524G geared turbofan. For additional information, contact Dr. Anton Binder +49 89 1489-2884 For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to www.mtu.de/report Highest precision is a must: Fitting of the instrumentation alone takes four weeks.

10 11 Customers + Partners New structures, new opportunities

By Martina Vollmuth

It’s a done deal: Germany’s Bundeswehr is to be completely restructured. Naturally, this will have an impact on the businesses involved in the defense industry—among them MTU Aero Engines, which is the German armed forces’ lead industrial partner for almost every type of aircraft engine operated by the services.

hanging realities, such as new global threat scenarios and ever- decreasing financial resources, have prompted the Federal Republic C of Germany to completely revamp its armed forces. Major elements of this structural reform include downsizing of the Bundeswehr and abolition of compulsory military service; new mission profiles for the army, air force and navy; base closures and unit disbandments. Army aviation units are to keep just three of their seven bases, while the air force will retain seven of its current twelve wings. Erding air force base, a traditional military installa- tion and home to an MTU facility, is to be drastically reduced in size. How- ever, there is some good news: MTU’s Erding facility will remain untouched and will continue to look after military engines as part of MTU’s cooperation with the German air force.

12 13 Customers + Partners

Despite the severe cuts, the reform of the Bundeswehr still affords certain opportunities for industry. The revised mission Mr. Schreyögg, to what extent will MTU be affected by the profiles, with operations extending far beyond Germany’s Bundeswehr reform? national borders, will give rise to new equipment require- As a result of the cuts in systems and flying hours, MTU ments such as transportation vehicles. Extremely harsh cli- will be doing less MRO work for the German armed forces, matic conditions, like the heat and aridity in Afghanistan, for so business will go down. We’re prepared for this down- example, will necessitate new military hardware and specially turn and have already reduced our capacities to the lower adapted support profiles. And it is also possible that industrial workload levels. Things will only become critical if we end partners take on responsibility for more extensive service Michael Schreyögg was appointed Senior up having to look after very small fleets for lengthy peri- packages than before, to relieve the burden on the troops ods of time. Take the Tiger combat helicopter, for example; and allow them to concentrate more on their core tasks. Vice President, Defense Programs at MTU the government is now mulling to procure only half of the The RB199 powering the Tornado is maintained in in 2008. REPORT asked him about the im- quantity originally planned. Such a significant reduction cooperation with the German air force. Faced with shrinking national markets, European industry is plications the reform of the German armed in volume would considerably increase the cost of spare now increasingly looking to other regions of the world. Major parts provisioning, as well as of the technical expertise to a strong position. More calls to tender are being issued export campaigns are under way to help sell high-tech prod- forces has for the company, and what op- support the engines, and would therefore push the oper- now than ever before, which is a good sign. The Euro- portunities it might bring for the future. ational costs per unit through the roof. fighter/Typhoon and its EJ200 engine are attracting the greatest interest; in that respect we’re ideally positioned. Another aspect to consider is new engine development. Arguments in favor of the Typhoon include good experi- To date we’ve been able to continuously expand our know- ence with its operational performance in the Libyan con- how thanks to the Eurofighter/Typhoon and A400M pro- flict. However, India’s combat jet tender provided ample grams, but now there are no new projects on the horizon proof that a technically outstanding aircraft is essential, and therefore there’s a lack of fresh impetus for military but not in itself sufficient to bag a contract—what’s also engines of the future, and hence also for commercial en- needed to convince the customer is strong political sup- gines. I believe there is a need for urgent action in this port. regard, and share the views expressed by the affected units. A military aviation technology program could close How will future engines differ from those of today, and the gap and safeguard and enhance expertise in this field. what implications will this have for MTU? The powerplant for the A400M is already a next-genera- Has MTU already begun to adapt to the new situation? tion engine: The TP400-D6 is the world’s most advanced We started making adjustments to our capacities two turboprop engine. What makes it stand out are its ex- years ago, in close consultation with the customer. We tremely high power density and highly complex control looked at both direct and indirect functions, and the and monitoring system—two features that every future measures we took included reductions through natural engine will boast. For MTU, this means that in future we’ll attrition and transfer of personnel to other positions. That be required to master not only all the mechanics, but also process is now complete. We also launched our Knowl- a ‘flying Internet’, such as the A400M with its highly inte- edge Management project to make sure our expertise is grated, extremely complex digital control systems. retained: All the experience we’ve gained working on the various military engines we’ve handled over the past few To build and support military engines, we need a compre- decades is currently being captured in a database. hensive technology program. Not only to ensure that we’re technologically prepared for the engines beyond the year The A400M airlifter is powered by four TP400-D6 engines, the Western world’s Do you see any new opportunities for MTU? 2025, but also see to it that our engineers and experts most powerful turboprop. Given the massive organizational changes, if we’re to find have the necessary know-how to continue looking after a cost-effective way of looking after the systems operated and further developing today’s systems. by the German armed forces, we’re going to have to work ucts, such as the Eurofighter/Typhoon and the Airbus even more closely with the customer to further optimize Do you believe that MTU’s military engine business has a A400M military transport aircraft, to other nations. MTU fully our processes. We’re already developing ideas and our secure future for the long term? supports these endeavors, but is also taking initiatives on its joint work is progressing well. The feedback has been ex- Of course! And I say that not just because I’m an optimist, own—and successfully, at that: The company has already bro- tremely positive, encouraging us to keep going along but because I know precisely what we’re doing and what ken into the U.S. military market, and has gained a foothold Michael Schreyögg, Senior Vice President, Defense Programs these lines. we have to offer: decades of experience, top-notch prod- in Saudi Arabia. ucts and services, and an extremely competent, motivated The armed forces in other countries are also facing budget team in all areas of our organization—engineering, pro- cuts. Where do you still see growth areas for your business duction, MRO and program management. It’s a compell- in the short and medium term? ing mix, not only for the German armed forces, but also The future of our military programs lies in the export mar- for our export customers. I’m firmly convinced we can For additional information, contact ket. The Eurofighter/Typhoon, Tiger, Sikorsky CH-53K and continue to build on our current position, and that’s exact- Michael Schreyögg A400M are all highly advanced systems that place us in ly what we intend to do. +49 89 1489-4766 For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to www.mtu.de/report

14 15 Customers + Partners Knights in red-and-white armor

By Daniel Hautmann

The air rescue teams of DRF Luftrettung have total confi- dence in their “battle horse”: the EC135 helicopter equipped with robust, powerful Pratt & Whitney PW200 engines. The perfect combination for the job, say experts. And that’s just as well, given that in an emergency help must arrive as quick- ly as possible. It sounds simple, but in fact demands a huge logistics effort—and above all engines capable of standing up to the strain.

t is often a matter of seconds. To save victims of road accidents or heart attacks, especially in remote or rural I locations, both the patient and the rescuers have to fight against time. One notable tragic case was that of eight-year-old Björn Steiger, who died in 1969 as the result of a road accident—because it took too long for the ambulance to arrive. His parents set up a foundation in his name that has revolutionized rescue services in Germany. Thanks to their initiative, rescue operations have been ac- celerated, emergency call stations have been installed, and the overall quality of rescue services has been im- proved. The first ADAC rescue helicopter took off in 1972, and in the same year the predecessor to today’s DRF Luftrettung, Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht e.V., was founded. One year later, the new air rescue organization started operations in the Stuttgart region, with a single helicopter.

The ADAC automobile association and DRF Luftrettung are the largest air rescue operators in Germany to this day. DRF Luftrettung alone operates more than 50 heli- copters. In 2011, the distinctive red-and-white helicop- ters clocked up more than 38,000 missions. “The EC135 is the rescue helicopter par excellence, enabling us to transport emergency physicians to the scene of an acci- dent as fast as possible,” says Jürgen Zoller, DRF Luftret- tung’s Director Technical Operations.

16 17 Customers + Partners

The DRF Luftrettung helicopters are stationed at 28 bases in Ludwigsfelde, near Berlin. CSC, a joint venture of MTU in Germany, plus two in Austria and one in Denmark. Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg and Pratt & Whitney Each crew consists of one or two pilots, one paramedic Canada, is responsible for the fleet management pro- and one emergency physician. Most of the physicians are gram (FMP) and the maintenance of the operator’s 34 regular hospital doctors, while the pilots, paramedics and engines. CSC also decides when each engine is to under- technicians form part of the permanent DRF Luftrettung go overhaul. Says Linden: “It is part of our job to ensure workforce. In total, some 1,000 specialists work for the that there is never more than one engine in the shop for organization. And their number is steadily rising to meet repairs, maintenance or overhaul.” the growing demand for air ambulance services—not be- cause the number of road accidents is increasing (on the MTU has been working for DRF Luftrettung since 1999 on contrary, it is declining), but mainly as a result of struc- the basis of power-by-the-hour contracts, in other words tural reforms in the German health care system. Zoller agreements in which the customer pays for a fixed vol- explains: “There is a growing tendency to concentrate ume of maintenance services on the basis of the number facilities for specific medical conditions in a limited num- of hours flown. The composition of these services is ber of clinics. Consequently, we have to transfer inten- decided at the discretion of the customer. This results in sive-care patients from one hospital to another more fre- greater cost transparency, and as Linden explains: “We try quently.” to work out the best possible solution in collaboration with our customers. The longer a helicopter engine remains in As a result, high demands are placed on the means of service, the better.” This approach has enabled the time transportation. That is why DRF Luftrettung has chosen between overhauls (TBO) to be increased from 3,500 to Pratt & Whitney engines for its helicopters. “The combi- 4,000 cycles. As a result, the customer can fly the engine nation of PW206B2 engines and the EC135, in our esti- for an additional 500 cycles before its next scheduled mation, is a very reliable, ideally suited solution,” accord- shop visit, extending the helicopter’s mission availability. Air ambulances can reach the scene of road accidents quickly and thus help save lives. ing to Clemens Linden, General Manager of Pratt & The two companies have signed a contract renewing their Whitney Canada Customer Service Centre Europe (CSC) cooperation agreement through to 2024.

“Air rescue operations as a rule involve repetitive short Ludwigsfelde, where Jan Bierkamp is in charge of the flights,” says Zoller. A helicopter clocks up an average of maintenance work: “We disassemble the engines, clean 4.5 cycles per flight hour. This considerably increases the them, and carry out visual inspection followed by crack thermodynamic load, and takes its toll on airframe and inspection. We then decide which parts can be repaired engines. Zoller explains: “The repeated heating and cool- and which have to be replaced.” During visual inspection ing accelerates material fatigue.” Line maintenance, which at the latest, the MTU employees can tell in which envi- includes minor inspections after specific number of flight ronment the engine has been operated. Air rescue heli- hours and the correction of minor helicopter malfunctions, copters often take off and land on meadows, ploughed takes place directly at the bases. In the operations center fields or dusty roads. This is evidenced by foreign-object at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport, 60 DRF Luftrettung damage (FOD) to the blades—caused by tiny stones that technicians take care of the helicopters in eleven docks, have been ingested into the engine from the ground. The performing 400- and 800-hour inspections, replacing MTU technicians are rarely able to restore these parts by components or engines, and carrying out other mainte- means of buildup welding or blending. “The high levels of nance work. stress to which these engines are subjected cause wear- related damage relatively quickly,” says Bierkamp. When the 109-kilogram engines need to be overhauled, they are sent to MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg in Rescue helicopters frequently suffer a loss of power due to elevated engine temperatures. If certain operating lim- its are exceeded, the engines must be overhauled to recover lost performance. To extend the interval between PW200 such interventions, the overhaul teams rely on the local services of the DRF Luftrettung technicians. Linden The PW200 engine family was introduced in 1990 for explains: “There are a lot of maintenance tasks that the helicopter applications. More than 2,600 engines in customer’s staff can handle on their own. We provide as different power classes have been produced since this much support as we can, and everyone is happy with this family entered service. The engine is frequently cho- arrangement, which works very well.” Both DRF Luftret- sen to power EC135 helicopters. This Eurocopter tung and MTU benefit from the partnership, as do the model is in service in Germany with DRF Luftrettung, patients—which is even more important because every ADAC, the federal police forces, the armed forces, and second counts when there’s a life to save. with numerous air rescue organizations in other coun- tries. For additional information, contact Clemens Linden The specialists at MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg make sure the PW200 engines are in perfect working condition at all times. +49 3378 824-801

18 19 Technology + Science

Taking off with sustainable fuel

By Andreas Spaeth

At first glance, the Lufthansa A321 with registration D-AIDG did not appear to be anything out of the ordinary. Only the stickers next to its cabin doors, reading “Powered by Pure Sky sky friendly energy”, and the slogan on the nacelles of its V2500 engines gave an indication of its special mission: Between July and December 2011, the aircraft, whose call sign is Delta Golf, was the most important test vehicle ever used for investigations into the suitability of biosynthetic kerosene on regular flight operations. And MTU lent a helping hand in the evalua- tion of the test results.

roject Manager Joachim Buse, Vice President, Aviation Bio- fuel, at Lufthansa was pleased with the results: “The trials P went extremely well.” Over the test period, the almost brand-new Airbus A321 served the Hamburg-Frankfurt route up to four times daily. In all, the aircraft accumulated 1,187 flights, sometimes completing as many as eight trips a day. One of the aircraft’s two engines—engine number 2, on the right-hand side— was powered by a mix of biosynthetic kerosene and standard jet fuel. “Previously, biofuel had only been used for ground runs by engine manufacturers and on a handful of test flights,” says Buse. According to initial calculations, emissions of the green-

house gas carbon dioxide (CO2) were reduced by 1,471 metric tons. The total consumption of the biokerosene mix amounted to 1,556 metric tons. So far, biofuel has been approved for use on aircraft only if mixed half and half with regular Jet A-1 fuel. The fuels can be blended without any problems; technical modifica- tions to the aircraft, engine or to the ground infrastructure are not required.

20 21 Technology + Science

Under the burnFAIR project, MTU analyzed the in-flight be- havior of the engines, the aim being to identify any potential problems early on. “Many of our customers already rely on MTU Future Development of Air Traffic and CO2 Emissions our monitoring system,” says Dr. Jörg Sieber, Senior Consul- New Aircraft Concepts tant, Innovation Management at MTU in Munich. “It works like 5 30% efficiency improvement* this: We input an engine’s in-flight operating condition data, test beds Air traffic CO2 emissions, such as flight velocity and pressure ratio, into a theoretical 4 (+5% p.a.) business as usual engine model and then compare the parameters calculated (2% p.a.) New Engines 50% efficiency improvement* using this model with actual measurement values. This way, ready for 3 we quickly see if things start to go wrong.” In the case of the Delta Golf test Airbus, both engines were calibrated before CO2 emissions, innovative 2 Advanced Air Traffic the trials started so that even minimum differences in engine technologies Management

Relative Change Relative biokerosene behavior would be detectable during the tests. “But there 20% efficiency improvement* weren’t any differences,” reports Sieber, “except for one: 1 Biofuel has a higher energy density, so consumption was one By the middle of this year, MTU Maintenance Alternative Fuels percent lower. That’s a very important finding for the aviation Hannover will be one of the first engine maintenance 80% carbon-free fuel* 0 industry.” providers in the world to have the technical capabil- 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 ity to conduct acceptance tests using biokerosene. * by 2050 as compared with 2000 levels Getting hold of the 800 metric tons of biofuel needed for the “We are among the pioneers in this field,” says Peter tests—“the largest quantity ever produced anywhere in the Harster, Director, Industrial Engineering at MTU Main- world,” according to Buse—was a challenge in itself. A Finnish tenance Hannover. “By then, our two test cells in refinery produced the fuel, using hydrotreated vegetable oil Hannover will be ready to run on biofuel.” Every year, (HVO) made from 80 percent camelina oil from the United some 500 engines are subjected to test runs of sev- The six-month test of biofuel on regular domestic flights was are electric engines. The use of biosynthetic fuel promises to States and 15 percent jatropha oil from Indonesia, plus five eral hours at this MTU location: “So we’re ready conducted under Germany’s aviation research program. For make a substantial contribution towards achieving the ambi- percent slaughterhouse waste from Finland. “Our fuel is sus- when our customers are. We expect to offer engine the tests, the German government provided funds to the tune tious target set by the International Air Transport Association tainably sourced; no rainforests are being destroyed to pro- tests with biofuel once 30 percent of our customers

of 2.5 million euros, and Lufthansa contributed around four (IATA), which is to halve CO2 emission levels caused by air duce it, and our licensed suppliers have to demonstrate that have opted to use it to power engines. We need to million euros. The burnFAIR tests, as they were called, were traffic by 2050, compared with 2005 levels. The primary aim their operations are sustainable,” explains the Lufthansa pro- test these engines, too, under conditions that reflect carried out as part of the FAIR (Future Aircraft Research) of burnFAIR is to gain experience in the use of biofuel on air- ject manager. Compliance with requirements like these will actual operations as accurately as possible.” An- project, which involves EADS, Airbus, MTU Aero Engines and craft and engines and collect long-term data. Biofuels reduce be a prerequisite for the introduction of biofuels into flight other reason for using biokerosene is that it cuts

numerous research institutes alongside Lufthansa. FAIR was harmful emissions because the CO2 released when the fuel is operations on a permanent basis. For now, the Lufthansa tri- CO2 emissions; for plans are to also include test bed launched to examine alternative solutions to replace standard burnt has previously been extracted from the atmosphere als have shown that, from a technical point of view, biofuels runs in the Emissions Trading Scheme in future. aviation fuel long-term. Among the options investigated also through photosynthesis during biomass growth. are a viable option.

Although biokerosene is currently more expensive than fossil fuels, the industry anticipates that this will change in the medium term as production volumes increase, and assuming that the cost of kerosene remains at its current high level. One thing is for sure: The demand for biofuels will grow, not least because aviation was included in the European Union’s Emissions Trading System at the beginning of 2012. By 2050, biofuels are expected to play a significant role, their share in overall global air transport fuels being estimated at between 30 and 85 percent by that time. Many questions are still un- answered, the most important one being how to produce enough biomass from sustainable sources without compet- ing with the production of food, and without damaging or destroying vast stretches of land. This much is clear: “We want to introduce biokerosene on scheduled flights as soon as possible. But we’ll have to wait at least three to four years—that’s the time the plants will take to grow,” says Buse.

For additional information, contact Dr. Jörg Sieber +49 89 1489-2513

For interesting multimedia services associated with this MTU’s Hannover facility is prepared to offer engine tests run Biofuels can do the job: The V2500s powering the Lufthansa A321 performed without a hiccup during the biofuel test phase. article, go to on biofuel. www.mtu.de/report

22 23 Technology + Science

The ultimate in precision

By Denis Dilba

Precise electrochemical machining (PECM) saves costs and improves product quality. MTU Aero Engines has refined a manufacturing process that is vastly superior to conventional electrochemical machining (ECM). PECM is used to produce very thin, highly twisted high-pressure compressor airfoils. The experts at Germany’s leading engine manufacturer are already planning to extend the use of PECM to other applications.

t every stage of their evolution, engines are expected to become a good deal more efficient and at the same time A cleaner and quieter. Key to achieving this goal is the com- pressor, which has to withstand increasingly higher tempera- tures and mechanical loads. To make sure the component can cope with the extreme stresses, today’s high-pressure compres- sors are manufactured in blisk construction from high-tempera- ture nickel-base alloys. The drawback of these materials: “Unfor- tunately, high-temperature alloys can no longer be machined and processed in a cost-effective manner,” explains Martin Bußmann, Senior Manager, Production Engineering/Process Chains at MTU Aero Engines in Munich. “As these materials are difficult to machine and, above all, to mill, they cause the tools used to wear down rapidly. This runs up costs tremendously. The fact that there is a marked trend towards the increased use of integrally bladed compressor disks, which permit higher pres- sure ratios to be achieved with fewer stages, does not make things easier. Increased performance combined with reduced weight is the name of the game.”

24 25 Technology + Science

The experts at MTU are rising to this chal- lenge. “To be able to manufacture high-pres- ECMContinuous feed PECM sure compressor blisks from nickel-base al- loys, we had to find a viable, cost-effective Pulsed feed Cathode alternative to milling,” says Bußmann. So Electrolyte Stream lines MTU’s team came up with the idea of using Electrolyte Stream lines Cathode the precise electrochemical machining pro- cess, which is now being matured for pro- duction. The advantage it affords over con- ventional machining: The tools do not actual- Workpiece Workpiece ly touch the workpiece, so they do not suffer wear in the process. DC voltage Pulsed DC voltage 10-25 V 10-25 V “The basic principle underlying ECM and PECM is the selective removal of metallic materials by anodic dissolution using electric current and an electrolyte,” explains Albin More precise than ECM: The PECM process ensures markedly higher accuracies, since the working The PECM prototype facility in Munich. A glance into the machine interior: the working zone with shaped Platz, MTU expert for electrochemical pro- gaps are extremely narrow. electrodes.

cesses in blisk production. “The material to electric current reaches its maximum. The even wider potential. While it is true that the be processed is charged positively (anode), result is a self-adjusting material dissolution electrochemical removal process is currently while the three-dimensional tool (electrode), process that produces the desired shape no faster than milling, Platz believes that it which determines the desired shape, is more or less automatically,” says Platz. The can be further improved for greater economic charged negatively (cathode). In the PECM removed material is largely converted into benefits in future. MTU is already exploring process, the shape of the cathode is an metal hydroxide, which is separated from the other applications for PECM, as for example almost exact mirror image of the blisk airfoil electrolyte using filters. In electrochemical machining of blades in titanium aluminide. In to be produced.” An aqueous sodium nitrate machining, the material removal rate de- this effort, the company cooperates with solution is used as the electrolyte, which pends on the machining angle, so that the Professor Ewald Werner, who chairs the flows between the anode and cathode. The machining results obtained for the airfoil lead- Institute of Materials Science and Mechanics electrolyte serves three functions: It estab- ing and trailing edges are less satisfactory. of Materials at the Technical University of lishes an electrically conductive connection, The bigger the working gap used, the greater Munich. Says Werner: “Presently we are carries away the removed material and the the differences along the machined contour. working, for instance, on the automated cal- hydrogen produced by the process, and With PECM, these differences are minimized culation of process parameters for various ensures the necessary cooling. As compared through extremely small working gaps. As a materials, and on a robust control system for with the conventional ECM process, PECM result, the PECM process on the whole per- the PECM process.” The necessary testing achieves significantly higher dimensional mits the delicate edge geometry of compres- can be performed on a PECM test facility accuracies, since the working gaps are ex- sor airfoils to be machined very precisely and financed by MTU, he adds. “In the long term, tremely narrow. As the electrolyte flow is produces a mirror surface finish. we plan to use PECM more widely as a man- interrupted at gap widths in the micrometer ufacturing process in engine construction,” range, the gap has to be mechanically open- “The results obtained with PECM on integrally explains Bußmann. “MTU is the only company ed after each short voltage pulse applied to bladed compressor disks made from nickel- in the industry that is exploring the use of dissolve the material. This happens at a fre- base alloys are outstanding,” according to PECM in the manufacture of engine parts on quency of up to 50 hertz. Paul Bünger, Senior Manager, Electrochemi- a large scale. Given the complexity of the cal Processes at MTU. The findings have technology, this means that we are well Rough machining of a turned disk geometry meanwhile been presented to industry pro- ahead of the field—and likely to remain so for to cut out the spaces between what will be- fessionals and have drawn considerable at- quite some time.” come the airfoils is performed using the tention—not least thanks to the economic established ECM process. In a purpose-built advantages the technique affords over con- PECM machine, the airfoil-shaped tools (cath- ventional machining: shorter machining times, odes) are positioned close to their rough- significantly lower tool costs, and minimum For additional information, contact machined counterparts to produce the airfoil post-processing of the surfaces. Martin Bußmann contour including the annulus surfaces. “As +49 89 1489-4703 the gap between the cathode and the work- But that’s not the end of it: The process, For interesting multimedia services piece is narrowing, the electrical resistance which will be used in the production of blisks associated with this article, go to One of the first components manufactured using PECM was a high-pressure compressor test blisk. decreases to its minimum while the flow of for the engine to power the A320neo, offers www.mtu.de/report

26 27 Products + Services

Simple principle, great action

By Bernd Bundschu

They are reliable, durable and extremely effective, and advanced aircraft engines can hardly do without them. The benefits afforded by MTU’s brush seals have also won over U.S. manufacturer Pratt & Whitney who uses them in its new PurePower® PW1100G-JM geared turbofan engine, which will power the Airbus A320neo. Germany’s leading engine manufacturer first developed and patented its unique in-house manufacturing process for these parts back in the early 1980s.

s things stand now, the PW1100G-JM will fea- ture our brush seals at four different loca- A tions,” says Project Manager Dr. Stephan Pröstler, who is responsible for the development and design of brush seals for commercial engine programs at MTU in Munich. “Two seals are fitted in the compressor, and two in the turbine. The PW1217G for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the PW1524G for the Bombardier CSeries—another two members of the PurePower engine family—both have three brush seals.”

On the PW1100G-JM, MTU’s products replace con- ventional labyrinth seals. These are contactless shaft seals which make use of fluid dynamic effects. To seal a gap, say, in the compressor, the shaft and casing are provided with radial fins which engage into one another, thus creating an intricate pathway with abrupt directional changes. This increases the flow resistance, but does not fully seal the gap. “By contrast, brush seals provide a sealing system that is as effective as it is simple,” explains Benjamin Großkurth, Senior Manager, Brush Seals at MTU. i

28 29 Products + Services

“We wrap the individual bristles around the core wire and positively Versatile seals fix them in place using the clamping tube. This process ensures they Brush seals are not only suitable for use in engines, are held securely so that wire losses in operation can virtually be pre- they have also found homes in power stations, cluded.” machine tools and pumps. They reduce leakages of various media, including air, gas, oil, and water. MTU And that is how the brush seal works: to put it in a nutshell, the wire first tested brush seals in industrial compressors tips that are in contact with the surface compel the incident gas to and gas turbines back in 1996. Meanwhile, these flow through the roughly two-millimeter thick wire bristle pack. The seals have become increasingly common also in gas stream urges the wires against the support plate and causes the more advanced gas and steam turbines, as well as in wire pack to compact, closing the voids between wires and minimiz- pumps and on spindles. Brush seals can be used to ing the flow through the brush seal. For the various applications, MTU seal pressure balancing pistons and shroud seg- uses different materials to make the bristle pack—even aramid fibers. ments, as well as shafts and bearing chambers in The pack density depends on the diameter of the wire or fiber select- gas turbines. They are readily removable for mainte- ed; it varies between 50 and 200 Bpmm (bristles per millimeter of cir- nance purposes and are generally easy to retrofit in cumferential length) for wires in Haynes alloys, while aramid fibers place of existing labyrinth seals. MTU’s customers have a density of either 4,000 or 6,350 Fpmm (fibers per millimeter). include major manufacturers of thermal power sta- What makes aramid fibers stand out is their low weight and superb tions all over the world. sealing action. Thanks to their elasticity, the wires or fibers—regard- less of the material used—adjust to accommodate radial as well as axial rotor excursions, yielding to pressure and returning to their ini- tial position, suffering virtually no wear.

“Depending on where a brush seal is installed in an engine, a one-per- cent saving in cooling air can reduce fuel burn by half a percent or more,” says Pröstler. “For a medium-haul aircraft, that equates to many tons of fuel each year.” According to measurement and analysis results brush seals have already proven their worth during testing of the PW1217G and PW1524G engines, and they have so far met all expectations in flight trials as well. On the PW1524G, the two brush seals that replace the labyrinth seals in the turbine will help cut fuel consumption by up to 0.1 percent. As regards the PW1100-JM, no pre- MTU has developed a unique manufacturing method for brush seals. Brush seals also lend themselves for industrial gas turbine cise assessment can be made to date, as the test program will not applications. commence before the third quarter of 2012. Pröstler is pleased to report that “Pratt & Whitney is obviously satisfied with our seals. Our cooperation is excellent and based on mutual trust and benefit.”

“Thousands of very thin wires form a highly flexible seal element MTU’s experts in Munich are working relentlessly to further develop which continuously adapts to the moving surface to be sealed. As a the brush seal technology. “We’re using our in-house test facility and result, the gap between the rotor and stator can be reduced to a min- are cooperating with a number of universities, among them the Karls- imum. The leakage rate of brush seals is up to 80 percent lower than ruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),” says Großkurth. Under national that of labyrinth seals, and their compact design has the added and international research projects, MTU is currently investigating advantage that these seals need less space.” Their effectiveness has alternative designs, as well as potential new bristle materials and already been demonstrated on the geared turbofan engine for the fibers. “Our aim is to replace as many labyrinth seals in engines and A320neo: Compared with labyrinth seals, MTU’s seals have halved industrial gas turbines with MTU brush seals as possible,” says the the cooling-air losses at all installation positions. This results in in- MTU expert. creased efficiency and, hence, reduced fuel consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions.

What makes MTU’s brush seals so special is that they are made up of two distinct components—the seal element and the seal housing. Depending on the intended application, any form of housing can be combined with a variety of seal elements. The seal element is made up of the core wire, the bristle pack and a clamping tube, while the brush seal housing includes a support plate and a cover plate. The lat- ter shields the bristles from the incident gas stream, while the former For additional information, contact holds them firmly in place when under pressure. The Munich-based Benjamin Großkurth +49 89 1489-2709 engine experts devised a unique manufacturing process for their seals, To make sure the seal functions perfectly the resilience of the bristle which involves a wire looping and clamping method, and have gradu- The wire tips are given the final touches. For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to pack is checked prior to installation. ally perfected it over more than two decades. Großkurth explains: www.mtu.de/report

30 31 Products + Services

Attention to detail that paid off

By Nicole Geffert

Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) is, quite literally, a hot topic for MTU Maintenance and its customers. MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has succeeded in improving the EGT margin of the CFM56-3C1 engine. “The tremendous amount of time and effort we invested has paid off, for us and especially for our CFM56-3C1 customers,” said Holger Sindemann. “We’ve managed to raise the average EGT margin for this engine type by almost ten percent.”

indemann, who was MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s President and CEO until April before he became S Managing Director and Senior Vice President of MTU Maintenance Hannover, had even more good news to announce: “What’s also very important to us is that we’ve been able to improve our EGT margin first pass yield (FPY)—that’s the yardstick, or performance indica- tor, by which we measure customer satisfaction. We’ve increased our FPY by more than 20 percent, and we’ve also shortened our turnaround times.” A quick word of explanation: An engine’s EGT limit is the maximum tem- perature at which it can operate for a limited period of time without suffering damage, and the EGT margin is the tolerance range between this limit and the actual temper- ature reached in operation. In service, engine perform- ance decreases with age because certain components are subject to extreme stresses. In a high-pressure turbine, the blades and seal segments are particularly badly affected by wear and tear.

32 33 Products + Services Flying high

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, a joint venture of MTU Aero Engines and China Southern Airlines, the country’s largest carrier, is the biggest MRO company for aircraft engines and also the market leader in this segment in China.

While the Zhuhai-based maintenance facility initially only repaired and overhauled en- gines in service with China Southern, today almost half the powerplants it takes care of are operated by other airlines, be they based in China, South-East Asia or elsewhere in the world. Demand is on the rise. Holger Sindemann was pleased to report: “We’re currently increasing our capacities by 50 percent, from 200 to 300 shop visits a year.” A satisfied MTU customer: China Postal Airlines In order to further optimize work processes, the maintenance shop is being expanded by an additional 4,500 square meters. The work is already in full swing and it is anticipated erosion of component surfaces, also have an adverse effect that the new extension will be inaugurated in on performance. mid-2012. “We carried out almost 40 different tests as part of our engine Sindemann added: “These developments put analysis. For each test we changed just one detail—for exam- MTU Maintenance Zhuhai in the best possi- ple a setting of the fuel injection nozzles—and then checked ble position to continue benefiting from what effect it had,” said Landes. This way, the team gradually A high-pressure compressor is being prepared for high-speed grinding. China’s anticipated growth rate of roughly accumulated a store of new and specific information regard- ing which repair measures have a bearing on the EGT margin, and how. Landes believes it should be relatively easy to intro- duce these measures on the shop floor and ensure conform- As time goes by, the engine gradually becomes less efficient as long as possible in service. So we looked into options to ity with the relevant documentation. “In our back-to-back test and its combustion temperature rises, so it burns more fuel do still better than we do today.” The team began to collect program, one of the things we looked at was how the different to produce the same thrust. Its exhaust gas temperature, all the information available on EGT margins within MTU, which grinding techniques used on the abradable linings of the high- which is constantly monitored by sensors in the turbine and proved to be no mean feat in itself. “Even after we’d sifted pressure turbine affect engine performance.” Essentially, displayed in the cockpit, rises, progressively edging closer to through it all, we still ended up with a long list of around 60 there are three different grinding methods: center grinding, its limit. Eventually, when the EGT margin becomes too small, points, some of which were contradictory,” recalled Michael offset grinding and lobe grinding. Landes goes on: “Experts the engine must be returned to the shop for overhaul. If it is Landes, Senior Manager, Engineering, at MTU Maintenance tend to disagree on which of the three grinding techniques not, there is an increasing risk that the engine—if subjected Zhuhai. ensures the best engine performance. But thanks to our tests, to unfavorable operating conditions—will exceed the limit. we were able to determine their various effects and pick the Should that happen, the pilot would have to reduce thrust, The team then drew up a best-practice list and decided to one producing the best performance.” The shop’s internal which would in turn have a detrimental effect on the aircraft’s verify each individual point before changing any processes in processes were then modified so the proven technique is performance, that is on its take-off power—and that is simply the shop or introducing new ones. It was at this point that the now standard practice at MTU Maintenance Zhuhai—to the not acceptable. team came up with a rather unusual idea. Bodenhage ex- benefit of all its customers. The feedback received so far is plained: “We bought a used CFM56-3C1 in good condition positive. As China Postal Airlines confirmed, the EGT margin “Since the EGT margin is greatest when an engine is new or and—alongside our day-to-day work—carried out a series of of the CFM56-3C1s in service with the Chinese cargo carrier has recently been overhauled, and becomes smaller the longer tests and analyses on it over a period of several months in A jewel in the MTU Group: MTU Maintenance Zhuhai was appreciably higher after the shop visit. China Postal cur- an engine is in operation, it is a key factor in determining order to establish precisely which factors affect the EGT mar- rently operates 17 Boeing 737s and is a regular customer of expected time on wing,” explained Frank Bodenhage, previ- gin for this engine type, how they do so, and how we might ten percent a year. If our plans work out as the Zhuhai shop. ously Chief Operating Officer and now the new man at the improve the margin for the benefit of our customers.” They intended, our expanded facilities will be ready helm of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai. The Chinese shop special- also made sure they studied what was going on outside the at just the right time to allow us to handle izes in the maintenance of V2500 and CFM56 engines, and engine proper, as, for instance, environmental factors. After more than 200 shop visits for the very first in 2011 it handled almost 50 CFM56-3C1 units. Bodenhage all, it is not only frequent take-offs and landings that stress time in 2013. In the medium term, our aim is For additional information, contact continued: “What our customers expect and what we want to engine components: Poor environmental conditions such as to make the transition from China’s No. 1 for Frank Bodenhage achieve is an excellent EGT margin that will remain stable for stirred-up sand, which is ingested into the engine and causes maintenance to Asia’s No. 1.” +86 1382 3050 680

34 35 Global On-site, on-wing support

By Silke Hansen

Last year, MTU took a majority stake in U.S.-based on-site service provider Retan Aerospace, thus adding another rep- utable facility to its network of maintenance shops. Through its newest subsidiary, which has since been renamed MTU Maintenance Dallas, the German engine manufacturer is looking to expand its position in the on-site market by offer- ing an exceptional service. In a next step, MTU is planning to set up a global on-site service network. With this move, MTU underscores its commitment: To provide its customers around the globe with fast and flexible solutions.

TU’s service approach is much appreci- ated by customers. Many airlines, espe- M cially in the U.S., are already making use of the new service, among them JetBlue. The successful New York-based carrier has for years entrusted MTU Maintenance Hannover with the maintenance, repair and overhaul of its entire fleet of V2500s. “We greatly welcome MTU’s move, since it will make on-wing maintenance available faster, and hence easier to plan,” says Dave Ramage, Vice President, Technical Oper- ations at JetBlue. “This way, we can take advan- tage of MTU’s dependable, high-quality services as part of a truly comprehensive service pack- age.” MTU Maintenance Dallas engine mechanics have already come to the carrier’s base at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York a number of times to work on some of the over 250 V2500 engines operated by JetBlue. Needless to say that they successfully completed their tasks each time.

36 37 Global

MTU Maintenance Dallas has a very strong service portfolio to offer: from borescope in- spections, to top case repairs and the re- placement of damaged fan blades, through to the replacement of complete modules or engines on wing. “Our goal is always to help the customer quickly and efficiently, directly on site on the apron or in the hangar if we can, in order to keep downtimes as short as possible,” explains Christoph Heck, Vice Pres- ident, Marketing and Sales, The Americas at MTU Maintenance. This holds true both for emergency AOG (aircraft-on-ground) situa- tions and for scheduled maintenance work.

The new facility in Dallas adds a powerful service unit to MTU’s worldwide network, one which has specialized in AOG and on-site service for many years and has earned an excellent reputation in the aviation commu- nity. Last year alone, the team was called out 150 times. And this number is expected to rise even further as airlines are increasingly asking for engines to be maintained or re- paired on wing. That saves them time and money, since grounded aircraft are extremely costly. “MTU Maintenance Dallas allows us to Borescopes permit an engine’s interior to be inspected from outside. provide this much sought-after on-site sup- port service for all of our product lines, which further improves on-wing times for our cus- tomers,” explains Christine Schweikl, Direc- tor, On-Site Service at MTU Maintenance.

MTU’s broad engine portfolio, which includes the CF34, CFM56, V2500, PW2000, CF6 and GE90, covers every type of aircraft from busi- ness jets to long-haul aircraft. The rapid-res- ponse team in Dallas is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to serve the needs of customers wherever in the world they may be. Before mechanics are allowed to perform work and issue certificates covering the work For module replacement, the engine is removed from the wing. performed on a customer’s engine they nor- mally need the approval of the local aviation authorities. Since MTU Maintenance is in the fortunate position of holding all the neces- be returned to service quickly.” If an acciden- able solutions. This all-round carefree serv- we’ve gained with MTU Maintenance Dallas, sary certificates worldwide, the company can tal collision with a bird causes major damage ice package is called Total Engine Care. we can offer this package of services also to respond quickly and flexibly also in cases the engine must be disassembled. MTU’s other customers,” explains Schweikl. But where ad-hoc repair services are needed. repair specialists will then remove the engine In the North American market, MTU Mainte- that’s not the end of the story: “We’re plan- from the aircraft and send it to the nearest nance is now ideally placed to provide on-site ning to expand the on-site service step-by- “We’re now a one-stop shop for the cus- MTU shop as quickly as possible. The mainte- services to its customer base. It makes good step to Europe, Asia and the Middle East by tomer,” says Heck. Take damage caused by nance group has set up a worldwide network, sense to have a strong presence there, given the end of 2013.” bird strike, for example. In that case, the operating shops in Hannover, Ludwigsfelde that most of its customers are based in this engine will be subjected to borescope in- (near Berlin), Vancouver and Zhuhai. A further part of the world. “For some years now, The experts of MTU Maintenance Dallas ensure prompt and flexible service worldwide. spection on site. “If necessary, MTU’s experts advantage is that the customer can be provid- we’ve been operating a repair station in can now rework minor local damage on fan ed with a replacement engine from the com- Appleton, Wisconsin, which primarily serves and compressor airfoils using the so-called pany’s engine lease pool. And the MTUPlus our major CF34 customer, Air Wisconsin. This For additional information, contact boroblending process, which obviates the repairs, a number of high-tech repair tech- collaboration has proved to be a success. Christoph Heck need for disassembly so that the engine can niques developed in-house, ensure afford- Now, thanks to the additional resources +49 511 7806 - 2621

38 39 Report

The silent giant

By Andreas Spaeth

Tim Clark can’t stop raving about his “baby”, the Emirates A380. The Dubai-based mega airline’s Pres- ident put his own personal stamp on the aircraft by introducing some entirely new inflight amenities. Unique to Emirates, for example, are the two onboard shower spas in the First Class cabin. Clark had first to convince Airbus that the idea was a practicable one. Emirates is the largest A380 customer world- wide. The giant aircraft is also a favorite amongst passengers—thanks in large part to the quiet GP7000 engines, in which MTU has a significant share.

he Arab airline has ordered a total of 90 super jumbos. It would like to add another T 30 of the airliners, but its home base is too small to accommodate this large number of A380s. The carrier currently has over 20 A380s in operation—and is enjoying great success with them. “It’s a wonderful aircraft, everybody wants to fly her. And it wasn’t just a short honeymoon at the beginning: Three years after the first flight, demand is still robust,” Clark is pleased to report. He had never doubted that the A380 would be a popular aircraft, which is why his airline spent so much time designing the interior, for example. What strikes many passengers on board the A380 most is how surprisingly quiet the cabin is. The Emirates pilots, whose resting area is situated at the back of the economy cabin on the main deck, weren’t quite so happy with the situation to begin with. Clark recalls the problem: The GP7000 en- gines were so quiet that the pilots, who sleep with earplugs, were being disturbed by noise coming through from the cabin. The issue has since been resolved by making some changes to the flight crew rest compartment.

40 41 Report

the development and assembly of the low-pressure tur- bine and the turbine center frame, and also manufac- Quiet engines thanks to tures components for the high-pressure turbine. “Almost a third of the metal that goes into a GP7000 passes innovative technology through our hands,” says Gärtner. Even though the A380 is some 180 metric tons heavier than June 2011 saw the GP7000 reach an important mile- the Boeing 747, and the GP7000 has to provide the extra stone: 500,000 flight hours on commercial A380 flights; thrust needed to lift that additional weight, the A380 gener- August 1, 2011 marked the third anniversary of its inau- ates at least 50 percent less noise on take-off and landing gural flight with Emirates. At the time, the carrier already than the jumbo jet. The A380 has to meet such strict noise had 15 of the double-deck aircraft in its fleet. The GP7000 emission requirements to be allowed, for example, to take engines had proven to be highly fuel efficient and ex- off and land at certain times of the day at London Heathrow. tremely quiet, said Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Emirates Airline Group. In its first three years, the Emirates A380 fleet clocked up 117,786 flight hours carrying 5.92 million passengers over 91.96 million kilometers—an impressive set of statistics. Emirates is not the only airline to have opted for the GP7000; Air France and Korean Air also power their A380 fleets with these engines.

The Emirates fleet is expanding at a fast pace: “By March 2013, we will have 53 aircraft in service, and the last of The worlds biggest passenger aircraft stops over in Munich: An A380 operated by Emirates at Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport. the 90 aircraft we’ve ordered comes in November 2017,” announces Clark. All of them will be powered by GP7000 engines, which spells a lot of work for MTU and its part- Before: The sound waves can propagate freely. ners. Emirates has been operating daily A380 flights to Munich since late 2011. The Munich airport is very close to On the ground, too, an A380 only generates about half as the biggest customer for the Engine Alliance GP7000, in the MTU factory that produces important components of much noise as a Boeing 747 on average. This is particu- which MTU Aero Engines holds a stake of 22.5 percent. the super jumbo’s engines. As Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ larly important for airports served by large numbers of “The requirements Airbus set for noise emission levels in Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales Worldwide, A380s, as, for example, London Heathrow, Dubai, Sin- particular were incredibly tough,” recalls Wolfgang made sure to point out during celebrations for the first gapore and, more recently, Frankfurt. This low noise level Gärtner, GP7000 Program Director at Germany’s leading flight on the Munich route, Emirates made a deliberate is largely attributable to the quiet engines. Emirates is engine manufacturer in Munich. MTU is responsible for decision to choose an MTU engine.

Emirates now has plans to fly the A380 on routes to almost all continents. ”Just to serve twelve destinations like Sydney, New York, San Francisco and São Paulo double daily I’ve got 20 aircraft taken out straight away, then 60 After: The cut-off design effectively minimizes sound waves propagation. for Australia/New Zealand and North and South America. But I only have 90 aircraft on order. What does this tell you? I need more!” The only constraint is a shortage of Meeting the specifications presented a huge challenge to its space at Dubai airport to park these extra aircraft. The designers, among them Paul Traub, physicist and aeroa- airline would also be interested in the A380-900, which coustics expert at MTU in Munich. The low-pressure turbine would have a seating capacity of more than 489 people (LPT) developed by MTU must satisfy exacting demands: in a three-class configuration. “I would need it today “The LPT has to perform equally well at both high and low serving Paris or Heathrow, fitting in 750 passengers in a engine speeds; yet any acoustic design measures taken may two-class cabin,” says Clark. The engines themselves not compromise aerodynamic efficiency.” The key acoustic wouldn’t be the problem: ”The GP7000 can meet the feature of the low-pressure turbine is the cut-off design in requirements of an A380-900 just as easily,” confirms the rear three of six turbine stages, which is effective at high Gärtner. and low speeds. As a result of the rotor-stator interaction in the aft stages the sound waves produced cannot propagate, that is, they are cut off. “The sound wave thus peters out in the flow duct and fades away substantially,” Traub explains. For additional information, contact This effect is attributable also to the low flow velocity of the Wolfgang Gärtner +49 89 1489-2803 air exiting the turbine. “Overall, the contribution of the turbine to the total noise produced must be kept at a minimum.” For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to The low-pressure turbines of the GP7000 are assembled at MTU in Munich. www.mtu.de/report

42 43 In Brief

Masthead MTU sponsors Editor TP400-D6 deliveries started MTU on track for MTU Aero Engines Holding AG Eckhard Zanger new professorship Senior Vice President Corporate Communications EPI Europrop International started deliveries of TP400-D6 production engines final assembled and Public Affairs at MTU in Munich in mid-April. The first units will power the French Air Force’s first A400M An endowed professorship at the continued growth Managing editor military airlifter, which is slated to enter service early next year. All production engines are University of Stuttgart has been set Torunn Siegler assembled at MTU Aero Engines in Munich from modules produced by MTU and the other up to conduct research work into new MTU Aero Engines Holding fully achieved its Behle was pleased with the results: “In 2011, Tel. +49 89 1489-6626 three partners in the EPI consortium ITP, Rolls-Royce, and Snecma. The engines are then sub- aircraft engine designs, the aim being forecast for the financial year 2011: In late we achieved all our quantitative targets—even Fax +49 89 1489-4303 [email protected] jected to acceptance testing at MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg before they are shipped to improve structural reliability. MTU February, the company announced that rev- those that we had revised upward in the course to the Airbus A400M final assembly line in Seville. will fund the new professorship for enues had increased eight percent, to over 2.9 of the year—thus establishing a sound basis for Editor in chief Martina Vollmuth structural mechanics in aircraft en- billion euros; adjusted for the effects of the sustainable and profitable growth,“ he said. His U.S. dollar exchange rate, revenues even rose goals for the future are ambitious: “By 2020, Tel. +49 89 1489-5333 gines at the university’s Institute of Fax +49 89 1489-8757 13 percent. MTU improved its operating profit we intend to double our annual revenues to six Aeronautical Propulsion Systems for a [email protected] to 328.0 million euros, the EBIT margin was billion euros and achieve an EBIT margin of at maximum of 20 years, making a total 11.2 percent and the net income (adjusted) least 12 percent.” Address contribution of over 2.8 million euros. MTU Aero Engines Holding AG grew to 196.6 million euros. MTU CEO Egon Dachauer Straße 665 MTU COO Dr. Rainer Martens said: 80995 Munich • Germany “The creation of this professorship will www.mtu.de help us find solutions to current prob- (Figures quoted in million €, calculated on a comparable MTU Aero Engines— basis. Statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. Fig- Realization lems in the fields of mechanical engi- ures calculated on a comparable basis apply adjustments Heidrun Moll neering and new materials for future key financial data to the IFRS consolidated results to exclude the effects of Editorial staff IFRS purchase accounting) aircraft engines. Students and young for 2011 Bernd Bundschu, Denis Dilba, Nicole Geffert, professionals will be optimally pre- Silke Hansen, Daniel Hautmann, Patrick Hoeveler, Odilo Mühling, Andreas Spaeth, Martina Vollmuth pared for the challenges they will have MTU Aero Engines 2010 2011 Change to tackle in their future professional Revenues 2,707.4 2,932.1 + 8.3 % Layout occupations.” of which OEM business 1,663.5 1,846.6 + 11.0 % Manfred Deckert Sollnerstraße 73 Dr. Ottmar Pfänder (EPI), Michael Schreyögg (MTU), Herbert Neumeier (MTU), EPI President Simon Henley, of which commercial engine business 1,177.6 1,401.1 + 19.0 % 81479 Munich • Germany Gerhard Bähr (MTU), MTU CEO Egon Behle, Martin Maltby (EPI), Ian Fitzgerald (MTU), Martin Schäffner (MTU) of which military engine business 485.9 445.5 - 8.3 % and Stephanie Gantke-Eiringhaus (MTU) (from left) gave the green light for TP400 production deliveries at Photo credits MTU Aero Engines in Munich. of which commercial MRO business 1,074.0 1,116.6 + 4.0 % Cover Page: MTU Aero Engines EBIT (calculated on a comparable basis)* 310.7 328.0 + 5.6 % Pages 2–3 Andreas Spaeth; Eurofighter; of which OEM business* 231.1 237.9 + 2.9 % MTU Aero Engines Pages 4–5 Airbus; MTU Aero Engines CF6: New MRO contracts of which commercial MRO business* 78.2 93.1 + 19.1 % Pages 6–9 Bombardier; Airbus; EBIT margin (calculated on a comparable basis) 11.5 % 11.2 % MTU Aero Engines Pages 12–15 Eurofighter; EADS; South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines and US for OEM business* 13.9 % 12.9 % MTU Aero Engines Airways have both selected MTU Maintenance for commercial MRO business* 7.3 % 8.3 % Pages 16–19 DRF Luftrettung; MTU Aero Engines Hannover to provide maintenance, repair and MTU COO Dr. Rainer Martens and the Rector Net income (calculated on a comparable 182.3 184.1 + 1.0 % Pages 20–23 Lufthansa; Airbus; of the University of Stuttgart, Professor Wolf- MTU Aero Engines overhaul (MRO) services for their CF6-80C2 ram Ressel, signed the cooperation agreement. basis), old definition Pages 24–27 MTU Aero Engines engines. By winning the contract from Asiana Net income (calculated on a comparable 183.8 196.6 + 7.0 % Pages 28–31 Siemens press picture; MTU Aero Engines MTU Maintenance has succeeded in entering the basis), new definition** Pages 32–35 China Postal Airlines; South Korean market. Asiana is among the lead- Earnings per share (undiluted), reported 2.91 3.24 + 11.3 % MTU Aero Engines ing airlines in Asia and currently operates a mixed Free cash flow 144.8 129.0 - 10.9 % Pages 36–39 JetBlue Airways; MTU Aero Engines Cooperation with Avio Pages 40–43 Andreas Spaeth; Flughafen München fleet of 72 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. US Air- Research and development expenditure 238.7 261.9 + 9.7 % GmbH; MTU Aero Engines Pages 44–45 Asiana Airlines; MTU Aero Engines MTU provides MRO services for the CF6 engines ways has entrusted the Hannover shop with the MTU Aero Engines and Italian engine manu- of which company-funded 148.1 165.8 + 12.0 % powering Asiana Airlines’ Boeing 747 aircraft. 96.1 + 6.1 % maintenance of its engines since 1993—then still facturer Avio S.p.A. will jointly explore the of which outside-funded 90.6 Printed by operating as America West Airlines. market potential of propulsion systems for Capital expenditure on property, plant and 84.8 113.7 + 34.1 % EBERL PRINT GmbH unmanned aerial vehicles. The investigations equipment Kirchplatz 6 87509 Immenstadt • Germany New men at the helm of MTU Maintenance Hannover will focus on medium-altitude long-haul un- Dec. 31, 2010 Dec. 31, 2011 Change manned aerial systems and unmanned com- Contributions credited to authors do not neces- and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai sarily reflect the opinion of the editors. We will bat aerial vehicles (UCAV). A Letter of Intent Order volume (order backlog plus value of 9,699.1 10,537.1 + 8.6 % not be held responsible for unsolicited material. Holger Sindemann has been appointed Managing Director to this effect was signed in mid-March. MTU MRO contracts) Reprinting of contributions is subject to the and Senior Vice President of MTU Maintenance Hannover CEO Egon Behle said: “This LoI marks a sig- of which OEM business 4,331.5 4,776.6 + 10.3 % editors’ approval. in Langenhagen, effective May 1. Sindemann, who had led nificant step forward towards our goal of of which commercial MRO business 5,367.6 5,760.5 + 7.3 % MTU’s Chinese location for four years before, takes over keeping our military sector competitive in the Employees 7,907 8,202 + 3.7 % from Dr. Martin Funk. His successor as President and CEO face of declining defense budgets and chang- of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is Frank Bodenhage, who had ing requirements regarding the future equip- been the shop’s Chief Operating Officer for six years. MTU ment of the armed forces. UAS will play an * In the consolidated financial statements, the profit/loss of companies accounted for using the equity method and the profit/loss of companies accounted for at cost are no longer included in the financial result. Instead, for the sake of clarity, these two items are now recognized in EBIT. Maintenance Hannover is the centerpiece of the MTU Holger Frank increasingly significant role moving forwards, ** As in the past, net income adjusted reflects adjustments made to eliminate the effects of the purchase price allocation and the effects of the financial result that have no impact on the company’s operating performance. These effects include measurements at the balance sheet date, Maintenance group, and the Chinese location is the com- Sindemann Bodenhage and we want to have an equitable share in this such as the value of U.S. dollar cash holdings and fair value measurements of derivatives and nickel holdings. The standardized tax rate pany’s largest operation outside Germany. market segment.” applied is unchanged at 32.6 %.

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