NASA and GE Aerospace are developing the HyTEC project to create an ultra-efficient hybrid-electric jet engine, reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions
NASAwith GE Aerospace, is about to launch a new generation of hybrid-electric jet engines, capable of revolutionizing the way we fly. The heart of the project HyTECwhich promises to transform the future of air travel thanks to an engine that consumes less fuel, reduces carbon emissions and uses cutting-edge materials to achieve never-before-seen efficiency.
As part of NASA’s goal of make the aviation industry more sustainable, The agency is developing a small core for a hybrid-electric turbofan jet engine, which could reduce fuel consumption by 10% compared to current engines. The core of a jet engine is the part where compressed air is combined with fuel and ignited to generate power. By reducing the size of this core, fuel efficiency can be improved and carbon emissions can be reduced.
Project objectives and phases
The goal of the project, called Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC), is to demonstrate this compact core and make the technology ready for adoption in next-generation aircraft engines of the 2030s. HyTEC is a key component of the National Partnership for NASA Sustainable Flight.
To achieve this goal, HyTEC is structured in two phases:
- Phase 1: Once concluded, it focused on selecting the component technologies to be used in the demonstration core.
- Phase 2: Now underway, it will see researchers design, build and test a compact core in collaboration with GE Aerospace.
Anthony Neronehead of HyTEC at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, said:
We are concluding Phase 1 of HyTEC and initiating Phase 2. This phase will culminate in a core demonstration test that will prove the technology, enabling its transition to industry.
Before researchers could begin the process of designing and building the core, they had to explore innovative new materials for use in the engine. After three years of rapid progress, HyTEC researchers have found solutions, as Nerone explained:
We started the project with certain technical goals and success metrics and, so far, we have not had to change course.
To reduce the size of a core while maintaining the same level of thrust, heat and pressure must increase compared to standard jet engines used today. This means that the engine core must be made of stronger materials that can withstand higher temperatures. In addition to materials research, the project also explored advanced aerodynamics and other key technical elements. Phase 2 builds on Phase 1 to create a compact ground test core that demonstrates HyTEC’s capabilities, and as Nerone stated, it won’t be easy:
Phase 2 is very complex. This is not just a demonstration of the core. What we are creating has never been done before, and involves many different technologies coming together to form a new type of engine.
Technologies tested in the HyTEC program will help enable higher bypass ratio, hybridization and compatibility with sustainable aviation fuels. The bypass ratio describes the relationship between the amount of air that flows through the engine core versus the amount of air that bypasses the core to flow around it. By reducing the size of the core while simultaneously increasing the size of the turbofan it powers, while maintaining the same thrust, the HyTEC concept will use less fuel and reduce carbon emissions. The hybrid-electric functionality of HyTEC allows the core to also be powered by electric power, thus contributing to a greater reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
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Source: NASA
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