More-electric small turbofan engines

The aerospace industry demands continuous improvement of propulsion engines as well as timely response to the new and changing requirements for them.

To remain competitive, aircraft-propulsion manufacturers need to strive for continuous improvements in new engines and to adapt to new and ever-changing aircraft requirements.

Continuous improvement of the engine implies a number of rather conflicting requirements including lower specific fuel consumption, better operability, lower noise levels, less climate-changing emissions, lower weight, lower first cost, and lower life-cycle cost. Current-design turbofan engines are a sophisticated, optimized, relatively mature technology that is well advanced. Achieving even small, incremental advances is technically challenging, costly, and time-consuming. Using existing and/or emerging technologies from outside the gas-turbine industry is one way of obtaining the advancements demanded by the market, according to researchers from Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC).