The Engine Alliance GP7200 is a high-bypass turbofan developed for the Airbus A380 by the joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. It entered revenue service with Emirates in August 2008. The design combines technology from the GE90 and PW4000 engine programmes.[1]
Combined heritage
The GE90 contributed to the high-pressure-system design, while the low-pressure system drew on Pratt & Whitney experience. GE assembled the core in Durham, North Carolina, and final assembly took place at Pratt & Whitney's Middletown, Connecticut facility. The production arrangement brought major engine manufacturers together to serve one large-airliner programme.[1]
Gas-path architecture
The GP7200 has a 116-inch fan and a published bypass ratio of 8.8. Its principal stage arrangement comprises one fan stage, five low-pressure compressor stages, nine high-pressure compressor stages, two high-pressure turbine stages and six low-pressure turbine stages. Engine Alliance identifies a pressure ratio above 36:1 and a family thrust range extending from 70,000 to 81,500 pounds.[2]
Fan and compressors
The fan module uses twenty-four swept, wide-chord hollow titanium blades. Individual blades can be repaired or replaced on the aircraft. The five-stage booster is based on PW4000 technology, while the nine-stage high-pressure compressor follows the GE90 lineage and includes an integrally bladed first-stage rotor. These choices joined proven design families with aerodynamic refinements for the A380 application.[2]
Airline introduction
Following Emirates, the engine was selected for A380 aircraft operated by Air France and Korean Air. GE's early service account distinguished the then-certified 76,500-pound rating from the design's capability above 81,500 pounds. The engine's development therefore provided both the output needed at introduction and room for higher-thrust applications within the same large-aircraft programme.[1]