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Sustainable aviation

Engines for a cleaner future

At MTU, we’re pursuing the clear course: cleaner, quieter, more economical. With our Claire (Clean Air Engine) technology agenda, we lay out innovative concepts for sustainable commercial aircraft engines. To do so, we take a two-pronged approach: one is evolutionary development of the gas turbine based on the geared turbofan (GTF), and the other is the development of completely new, revolutionary propulsion technologies, such as the Revolutionary Turbofan and the Flying Fuel CellTM (FFC). Sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen play a key role, and so we’re already working on an innovative liquid-hydrogen fuel system for the FFC, while also building two state-of-the-art test stands for it on our premises in Munich.

Technology agenda Claire

The highly efficient geared turbofan

Pratt & Whitney’s highly efficient GTFTM engine family has been in large-scale production since 2016. We contribute key technologies to these innovative engines, such as our high-speed low-pressure turbine. Compared to predecessor engines, the geared turbofan reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 20 percent per flight. In combination with sustainable aviation fuel, today’s GTF can already significantly reduce its impact on the climate. And that potential is far from exhausted: the GTF AdvantageTM, a more improved version, is coming onto the market. For this version, we optimized the design of the high-pressure compressor blades and gave them an innovative erosion protection layer. And work is already underway on the next and even better GTF generation. Compared to the current GTF engine, it will achieve further savings in energy consumption and carbon emissions.

GTF engine family

The Pratt & Whitney GTFTM engine family jointly developed and built by Pratt & Whitney and MTU powers the Airbus A220 and A320neo family and Embraer's E-Jets. The engines offer double-digit improvements in fuel burn, pollutant and noise emissions, and operating costs. They feature a Fan Drive Gear System which uncouples the fan from the low-pressure compressor as well as the low-pressure turbine, which drives the fan. This allows the fan to rotate at a lower speed and the low-pressure compressor and turbine much faster. As a result, the fan pressure ratios are lower and the bypass ratios much higher and all components can achieve their respective optimum speeds, which greatly boosts overall efficiency. 

  • Thrust range

    14 k to 33 k (increasable)

  • Reduction in fuel consumption

    25% fuel savings possible per seat with GTF-powered aircraft

  • Noise reduction

    20dB noise reduction over ICAO Stage 4 requirements

  • Reduction in NOx emissions

    50% reduction in NOx emissions over 2009 standard (CAEP6)

The parameters for success:
  • up to
    75%
    reduction in noise
  • up to
    50%
    reduction in NOx emissions
  • per trip
    20%
    reduction in carbon dioxide emissions possible
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The Revolutionary Turbofan

To reach the ambitious targets of the Paris Agreement, we’re also hard at work on revolutionary propulsion concepts. Our efforts focus especially on utilizing exhaust heat to improve overall efficiency. Building on a Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan, the SWITCH consortium is combining the Revolutionary Turbofan concept with hybrid-electric propulsion elements for future engines. These new technologies are also suitable for operation with sustainable aviation fuel. The future use of hydrogen as an energy source is being evaluated as well. SWITCH is a research project funded by the EU’s Clean Aviation research program. The project partners include MTU, Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, Airbus, and other players in the aviation industry.

The Flying Fuel Cell

Among the revolutionary propulsion concepts to emerge from MTU is an electric propulsion system: the Flying Fuel CellTM (FFC). The FFC is set to be deployed initially on short-haul routes in regional air traffic. As its efficiency improves, the Flying Fuel Cell will expand to short- and medium-haul routes as of 2050, further reducing the climate impact of commercial aviation. In the FFC, hydrogen and oxygen react to form water, thereby releasing electrical energy. A highly efficient electric motor then uses this energy to drive the propellor via a gearbox. The FFC does not produce any emissions of CO2 or NOx or particulates—its only emission is water.

HEROPS

Since early 2024, the Clean Aviation program HEROPS (Hydrogen-Electric Zero Emission Propulsion System) has been working under the leadership of MTU on a hydrogen-powered electric powertrain based on the Flying Fuel Cell™. The first step is to develop a 1.2-megawatt ground demonstrator. In addition, the feasibility of the new technologies will be demonstrated and their scalability to outputs between two and four megawatts based on a modular propulsion architecture will be shown. HEROPS industry partners are MT Aerospace, RTX's Collins Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik, and Eaton; research partners are the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR) and the Vienna University of Technology.

The potential of SAFs and hydrogen

One way to substantially reduce an aircraft’s climate impact is to use sustainable aviation fuels, or SAFs. Such fuels can already be used today—without any modifications to the aircraft or propulsion system. They lead to an almost closed carbon cycle. In the best-case scenario, the CO2 released in flight is fully recaptured from the atmosphere for use in fuel production. Hydrogen, too, will play a central role in environmentally friendly flight in the long term. At MTU, we see three ways in which it can be used: burned directly in a gas turbine engine, converted into SAF, or converted into electrical energy by means of a fuel cell.

Fabian Donus, Head of Technology Management at MTU, talks about the potential of SAFs in an interview.

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AEROREPORT

Video

Flying Fuel Cell: Potentially full electrification for virtually emissions-free flight

The FFC does not produce any emissions of CO2 or NOx or particulates. Since its only emission is water, this propulsion concept is virtually emissions-free.

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AEROREPORT

Good-to-know

How does a turbofan engine work? – The structure of an engine

Compressors, turbines and more: What goes into an advanced turbofan engine?

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