Boeing advises about engine icing problems

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

WASHINGTON (AP) - Boeing is alerting airlines about possible engine icing problems on some of its new planes. It is recommending that planes with a specific General Electric engine avoid flying near thunderstorms that might contain ice crystals.

Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said Saturday that Boeing issued the advisory after ice crystal formation in some instances diminished engine performance. Airlines with planes affected include United, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa and Air India. Models affected are the 747-8 and the 787, which Boeing Co. (BA) calls the Dreamliner.

"To reduce chances of ice crystal conditions, Boeing recommends that operators fly at least 50 nautical miles from thunderstorms that may contain ice crystals," Boeing said in its statement.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20131123/DAA8HSFO2.html

[lostincalifornia]

1. How about fixing the problem instead of a half-assed work around, better yet ground the affected

Planes until they are fixed

[sakabatou]

2. That may take a lot of time

[lostincalifornia]

5. just like the cargo doors on the DC10?

[Major Nikon]

7. They said a fix should be available in the 1st quarter of next year

It will be a software fix.

[sakabatou]

9. Oh

[YOHABLO]

3. That ''Dream Liner" is more of a nightmare .. I'm not getting on one.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. This doesn't impact the Dreamliners equipped with Trent 1000 engines.

Only the GEnx engines are affected.

The de-icing system is all-electrical, as they reduce bleed off, to increase fuel efficiency. Apparently the GEnx engines have a software glitch.

No biggie.

[DRoseDARs]

4. "thunderstorms that might contain ice crystals" ... wouldn't that be all of them?

Erm, duh?

[Major Nikon]

6. Not if the tops are lower than the freezing level

However, I think Boeing's actual recommendation was to avoid all thunderstorms by 50nm.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-23/boeing-warns-of-ice-risks-for-ge-powered-dreamliners-in-storms.html

[Gore1FL]

8. They should put the batteries on the engines as a simple fix.

Last edited Sun Nov 24, 2013, 09:55 AM - Edit history (1)

The fires should sufficiently de-ice the engines.

[bahrbearian]

11. so the newer planes are more fuel efficient, so they have more fuel to waste.

May as well just buy an Airbus.

[BlueEye]

12. An engineer friend told me this might be a problem with a lot of the future engines...

as a consequence of their better fuel efficiency. They have bigger fans (a higher "bypass ratio&quot which allows them to move more air but not spin as fast, which is what burns fuel. This makes them more efficient but they don't run as hot, so ice is able to form in the compressor of the turbine. Apparently GE's "software fix" is just going to program the compressor to turn faster so it's warmer. I'm skeptical, personally.