The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $100 million in contracts to eight companies to develop and demonstrate techn...
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $100 million in contracts to eight companies to develop and demonstrate technologies that reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise under the second phase of its Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN II) program.
The five-year CLEEN II program will build on the success of the original CLEEN program, a public-private partnership that began in 2010 and is a key part of the FAA’s NextGen efforts to make aviation more environmentally friendly. The CLEEN team focused on nine projects in the area of energy efficient aircraft technologies and sustainable alternative jet fuels. The first of these technologies will enter service in 2016.
Under CLEEN II, the FAA selected eight companies: Aurora Flight Sciences; The Boeing Co.; General Electric (GE) Aviation; Delta TechOps/MDS Coating Technologies/America’s Phenix; Honeywell Aerospace; Pratt & Whitney; Rolls-Royce-Corp.; and Rohr, Inc./UTC Aerospace Systems.
The companies will match or exceed the FAA’s investment, bringing the total to at least $200 million. The eight awardees will work to develop a variety of airframe and engine technologies. Each effort will culminate in a demonstration aimed at bringing the product to market. CLEEN II will nurture these technologies through crucial phases in their maturation. This will include full scale ground and flight test demonstrations.
The CLEEN II goals include:
- Reducing fuel burn by 40 percent relative to the most efficient aircraft in service during the year 2000;
- Cutting nitrogen oxide emissions during takeoff and landing by 70 percent over the 2011 International Civil Aviation Organization standard without increasing other emissions;
- Lowering noise levels by 32 decibels (dBs) relative to the FAA Stage 4 noise standard; and
- Expediting the commercialization of “drop-in” sustainable jet fuels through support for the fuel approval process.
Among the GE Aviation technology programs to receive CLEEN II funding are:
- TAPS III combustor: GE is developing the TAPS III combustor for its new GE9X engine that will power the Boeing 777X aircraft. The TAPS III combustor will incorporate additive manufactured fuel nozzles and ceramic matrix composite inner and outer liners for high efficiency, durability and reduced NOx emissions. GE9X combustor tests have been conducted with positive results. CLEEN II funding will help advance dynamic modeling and fuel injector durability and enable further reductions in NOx emissions.
- Optimized Electric Aircraft: GE continues its research into more electric aircraft power systems, generators and electric starters along with high power conditioning and power distribution and control. Electric aircraft research can improve fuel burn and reduce emissions.
- Flight Management System: CLEEN II funding will assist in efforts to optimize cruise/descent performance as well as wind-optimized cruise efforts to improve fuel burn and reduce NOx emissions and noise.
- Alternative Fuels: GE and the FAA will work together to evaluate alternative fuels to achieve ASTM approval for “drop-in” fuel for aircraft engines that help reduce emissions.
During this phase of the program, Pratt & Whitney will continue to pursue advanced technologies that are applicable to ultra-high bypass ratio PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engines, particularly aimed at enhancing the thermal efficiency of the engine core. These activities are complementary to the company's CLEEN-related project announced in 2010.
UTC Aerospace Systems' Aerostructures business will develop new enabling nacelle technologies to reduce engine fuel burn and noise. UTC Aerospace Systems, in conjunction with Pratt & Whitney, will integrate and produce a ground test demonstration unit that will mature and validate the advanced nacelle technologies of the ecoIPS. The demonstration unit will be tested on a Pratt & Whitney PW1000G Geared Turbofan engine.
The ground test unit will feature an advanced, short fan duct integrated thrust reverser with lower drag and improved acoustic treatment for community noise reduction.
