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Newac and Vital
After several years of research, the Newac (New Aero Engine Core concepts) and Vital (Environmentally Friendly Aero Engine) technology programs were successfully completed in late 2010/early 2011. Newac and Vital, both sponsored by the European Union under its Sixth Research Framework Program, complement one another ideally, one focusing on core engine technology developments and the other on the low-pressure system. Taken together, they cover the entire propulsion system.
Newac
The MTU-led Newac project was aimed at improving the core engine. Apart from MTU, 40 partners - Rolls-Royce, Snecma and Avio being the largest among them - were working to
- accelerate the development of smart compressors,
- optimize the combustion chamber, and
- integrate heat exchangers for novel, highly-efficient core engine concepts.
In the process, MTU explored options to economize fuel by actively controlling the high-pressure compressor.
Vital
MTU’s focus under the Vital project was on the low-pressure turbine. The research work performed was aimed at
- increasing stage load,
- reducing the turbine rotor weight, and
- cutting turbine noise.
It was specifically for noise measurements that Graz Technical University set up its own demonstrator, a turbine rig, which provides an ideal environment to verify follow-on noise abatement activities also after completion of the project. How the increase in stage load can be achieved without efficiency penalties was investigated at Stuttgart Technical University using a twostage low-pressure turbine rig.
Newac and Vital: promising technologies for the future
Under the Newac and Vital projects, promising new technologies were identified and validated in rig tests. Taken together, these technologies will make a substantial contribution towards achieving the ambitious ACARE targets of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 80 percent.