Gears Galore!

Abstract

This paper presents a review of gas turbines and Honeywell, a company based in Phoenix, history. The article through the review and historical analysis intends to provide perspective on the status of geared fan engines. The addition of a fan to a jet engine, first proposed by Frank Whittle, one of the inventors of the jet engine, increases thrust and reduces fuel consumption. Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce were the first to develop a dual spool engine for more efficient operation over a range of flight conditions. Work started on the geared fan TFE731 at the Garrett AiResearch Phoenix Division in 1968. The TFE731 gearbox resulted in a gear reduction of 1.8:1, to power the fan for a 2.5 bypass ratio, which was very high for the 1960s. Honeywell also has another geared turbofan engine, the ALF502. It was developed by AVCO Lycoming in Stratford, Connecticut, and has a 6000–7000 lbt thrust range. Honeywell’s successful 45-year record of producing geared fan small gas turbines gives promise of a bright future for geared fans on large commercial jet engines, providing lower fuel consumption and less noise.