CFM International and the CFM56

CFM International is a joint company between Snecma of France and General Electric, USA. CFM produces the CFM56 engine of which 17,000 are currently in service. The CFM56 has over 350 million engine flight hours and powers the Boeing 737-300 to 900, and the Airbus A318 to A321, A340-200/-300.

Did you know?

• Aircraft engine emissions are mostly constituted of nitrogen oxides (NO_X) produced at high power, unburnt hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) produced at low power. Engines also produce CO₂ as a combustion by-product.
• NO_X has mainly a local effect, but could also participate to ozone layer depletion and contribute to global warming. HC and CO are produced in very small quantities, with a local effect. CO₂ is a green house gas with an impact on climate change. 
• CFM has worked for years to reduce pollutants and CO₂ emissions. NO_X, CO₂, Noise, reduction results from a design trade-off, involving also maintenance costs

What are we doing?

• CFM was a pioneer in proposing an ultra-low NO_X combustor in the 1990s, reducing NO_X emissions by up to 40%. 
• CFM developed recently, within its Tech Insertion Program, kits for medium range aircraft engines that reduce NO_X and CO₂ emissions

What is the result?

• Significant improvements have been achieved. NO_X emissions have been reduced by 20 to 30%. 
• CO₂ emissions are reduced by up to 1%. 
• Further technology improvements are being researched to meet future environmental challenges

For more information, please see http://www.cfm56.com/index.php?level2=advertisements&level3=1075