Pratt & Whitney developing next-gen aerospace propulsion technologies

Company’s geared turbofan engine is already providing fuel economics and environmental performance for the aviation sector

Hyderabad: Aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, realising India’s potential to contribute towards next-gen aerospace propulsion technologies, has established R&D capabilities, with a focus on advanced materials, combustion, and mechanical design, besides adding capabilities to include research in advanced gas turbine technologies.

The team also has been identifying and monitoring new collaborations and projects with leading universities in India, including University of Hyderabad and IIT-Bombay. The company operates its India Customer Training Center (CTC) in Hyderabad.

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Amit Pathak, GM, Pratt & Whitney India told Telangana Today, “We are deploying the use of advanced robotics, automation, and additive manufacturing technologies to further enhance the level of operational effectiveness in our facilities. For example, at our Component Aerospace facility at Singapore, we are making strong progress in additive manufacturing with the first-in-MRO application of 3D printing for aero-engine component detail.”

Advanced engines

The Pratt & Whitney GTF (geared turbofan) engine is already delivering next-generation technology, fuel economics and environmental performance, today. As the quietest, greenest, most efficient engine family available for single-aisle aircraft, GTF engines are delivering up to 20 per cent lower fuel burn and carbon emissions, 50 per cent lower regulated emissions and 75 per cent lesser noise.

“But we are not stopping there. Our GTF engines have a long runway for growth, and we continue to invest in R&D in digital technologies, additive manufacturing, advanced high-temperature materials, and hybrid-electric propulsion,” Pathak said.

The company has a new 60,000 square-foot facility in Carlsbad, California, that will be dedicated to the design, development, and production of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) for aerospace applications.

CMC materials are lightweight and can be used to manufacture engine parts that are one-third the weight of traditional metallic parts and have temperature capabilities that are several hundred degrees higher. CMC parts will enhance and build upon the sustainability and efficiency benefits the GTF engine already provides to customers, he noted.

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