Case study: Incremental encoders help optimise the fuel efficiency of aero-engines (docx)

How fuel efficient is a commercial airliner? A Boeing 747 burns approximately 5 gallons of fuel per mile or a total of 30,000 gallons (98 tonnes) on a flight between London and Hong Kong - a significant cost for an airline. The honeycomb seal-ring is an extensively used component, which has been proven to optimise the fuel efficiency of aero-engines, but the measurement of these seals present difficult engineering challenges. Now, HAESL believes that it has successfully solved this challenge by incorporating Renishaw’s TONiC™ incremental linear and rotary (angle) encoders within its new optical Seal Ring Measurement System (SRMS).