MTU and Partners Developing Cleaner, Quieter Engine

MTU Aero Engines and several partners are undertaking an aircraft engine program designed to reduce their emissions and make them quieter.

While the goal of project, known as Claire (clean air engine), is to lower CO2 emissions by as much as 30 percent by 2035, it might reach a 20 percent reduction by as soon as 2025, according to Dr. Rainer Martens, MTU Aero Engines' executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Geared-turbofan technology will be used for Claire, which MTU believes should reach production maturity over the project's life.  The company intends to reduce CO2 emissions by about 15 percent in its first stage, using the geared-turbofan's key components that include a high-speed low-pressure turbine, made by MTU; a high-pressure compressor built in partnership between MTU and Pratt & Whitney, and a gearbox specifically developed for the project by Avio.

During the second stage, ending in 2025, MTU plans to diminish emissions further to 20 percent, through the use of a novel counter-rotating fan it already developed and tested in the eighties.  MTU expects to achieve the targeted 30 percent reduction in the last stage by equipping the counter-rotating geared turbofan with a recuperator.

Noise reduction, which could be as great as 50 percent, will be accomplished by optimizing the geared turbofan, MTU says.

All of the key components for Claire are already available, and have met MTU's expectations in terms of energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness during testing, Dr. Martens says: "I'm not talking visions here but projects that we've launched internally and that we can bring to market at the scheduled dates."

MTU expects further improvements in aviation's environmental performance to come from new aircraft concepts, such as better ways of integrating engines into aircraft platforms to optimize aerodynamics.  07-22-2007.

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