New cowlings help the Air Force protect the B-52 from ice, saving time and millions
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New cowlings help the Air Force protect the B-52 from ice, saving time and millions

The new $1.2 million engine pod covers will help prevent damage to the B-52 engines.

Pilots and maintainers at the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) now have new engine cowlings designed to stop icing in freezing temperatures, thanks to help from STRIKEWERX, an innovation arm of the AFGSC Office of the Chief Scientist that connects people and resources across government, industry and academia to solve Air Force Global Strike Command’s toughest problems.

Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota received $1.2 million from the Air Force Operational Energy Savings Account to purchase special engine pods for their B-52 Stratofortress fleet. These guards are intended to prevent ice from forming, which can cause engine damage, delay takeoffs, and require hours of de-icing work by pilots.

In the past two years, 10 engines were damaged by ice, said Master Sgt. Adam Vasas, AFGSC project manager.

“We found that 10 engines were damaged in 2021-2023 due to ice debris, resulting in $17 million in damage and 160-plus man-hours lost.”

STRIKEWERX, AFGSC/ST’s innovation hub, purchased and tested 12 Transhield Pod Covers. These heavy-duty, weatherproof housings completely seal the engines and block ice from forming in ducts, intakes or exhausts. They are easy to put on and take off and can also be used to warm engines manually if needed.

“With these protections, maintainers can work more efficiently in extreme cold and free up resources and personnel for other tasks,” Vasas said.

The funding will cover the entire B-52 fleet at Minot AFB, saving approximately 7,500 man hours and providing significant cost savings over time.

Work to protect engines from icing originally began during a Design Sprint hosted by STRIKEWERX at the Cyber ​​Innovation Center (CIC) in Bossier City, Louisiana, back in July 2022. The CIC in Bossier City, Louisiana, is part of the 3,000 hectare area. National Cyber ​​Research Park. As a non-profit organization, CIC drives technology growth and workforce development in the region, and supports government, industry and academic initiatives.

A prototype based on an earlier design was built in October 2022 to provide heat to the engine cowling, but tests at Minot showed it did not meet maintainers’ needs. This prompted Vasas and other experts to explore better options and eventually landed on Transhield Pod Covers for further evaluation.

The official press release does not specify, therefore it is not clear whether the new covers will also be compatible with the new engines that will power the upgraded B-52 Stratofortress bomber, which will be similar, although larger than the current ones.

The Air Force Global Strike Command Office of the Chief Scientist supported tests of engine cowlings for a B-52 Stratofortress at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, July 11, 2023. The tests resulted in $1.2 million in funding from the Air Force Operational Energy Savings Account for to equip the entire Minot AFB fleet with cowlings. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Photo by Master Sgt. Adam Vasas)

The B-52J and its new engines

As we have reported here at The aviatorThe bomber’s current Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW-103, in use since the 1960s, will no longer be supportable after 2030, so the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program began in 2018, with GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce competing about the contract. The winning offering from Rolls-Royce is the military version of the BR725 engine used by the Gulfstream G650 business jet, which already powers both the C-37 and E-11 BACN in service with the US Air Force.

Rolls-Royce announced it launched F130 engine testing on 1 March 2023. The RR F130 engines were selected in 2021 to replace the bomber’s Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW-103, used on the Stratofortress fleet since the 1960s.

As happened to the B-52Gwhen new engines were the main reason The B-52G was redesignated the B-52H in 1962, with the new F130 engines, the Stratofortress will be designated the B-52J.

The Air Force plans to complete integration activities and deliver the first batch of B-52Js in the 2026-2027 timeframe, with initial operational capability expected in 2030. new engines are expected to remain on the B-52 until at least 2050increasing fuel efficiency, increasing range, reducing unburned hydrocarbon emissions and significantly reducing maintenance costs.

F130 B-52
Rolls-Royce F130 engines for the B-52 aircraft at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. (Image credit: Rolls-Royce)

While their overall shape remains the same, the new nacelles in the F130 engine are larger than the original ones, while the new struts are shorter and bring the nacelles closer to the wing. The new nacelles will be supplied by Spirit AeroSystems, which was awarded a contract by Boeing in 2023 to provide both struts and nacelles for the CERP program. The new nacelles will benefit from the experience of one of the world’s largest suppliers of struts and nacelles, with the latest advances in this sector.

Some observers wondered why the US Air Force didn’t go with four larger turbofans instead of sticking with eight smaller ones. The main problems with that idea were that it would have left less clearance during takeoff and required extensive overhaul of the engine, wing and pylon, making the upgrade more complicated and risky.

Anyway, the new F130 engines are a big step up from the old TF-33s. They will be much quieter and produce hardly any smoke, which means the B-52J will not have the long, dark smoky trail that everyone is used to seeing behind the classic bomber.