Pratt & Whitney, the once dominate commercial aircraft engine-maker, has developed a new engine design – the first geared turbofan for commercial aircraft – which it says will run more quietly and use less fuel than those offered by rivals General Electric Co. and RollsRoyce Group.
Unlike typical turbofans, a geared turbofan has a gear box that allows the engine intake fan to turn independently of the low-pressure compressor and turbine, producing the same thrust with 1,500 fewer airfoils, which makes for a quieter ride and could reduce fuel burnby 12 per cent it says.
"The next-generation single-aisle aircraft demands something different to meet the higher operating costs the world is experiencing," said Tom Pelland, Pratt& Whitney’s director of next generationproducts. "Th is is our game-changingengine."
Pratt & Whitney forecasts demand of more than 48,000 such engines over a 20-year period beginning in 2013.