Funding Approved For Hybrid-Electric Geared Turbofan Project

MTU, Pratt & Whitney, Collins, Airbus and GKN are working together on the Sustainable Water-Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-Electric project.

The Sustainable Water-Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-Electrics project aims to improve fuel efficiency on narrowbody airliners by 25 percent and cut emissions. (Image: MTU Aero Engines)

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

November 29, 2022

A group of leading aerospace companies has joined forces to develop hybrid-electric and water-enhanced turbofan engine technology for future airliner propulsion systems. In a November 29 announcement, MTU Aero Engines, Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, Airbus, and GKN Aerospace said that work backed by the European Union’s Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking aims to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from short- and medium-range aircraft by up to 25 percent.

The Sustainable Water-Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-Electrics (SWITCH) project will seek to combine the MTU-led Water-Enhanced Turbofan (WET) and hybrid-electric propulsion with the existing architecture of Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan (GTF). The planned powertrain will be able to run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and will also be developed to be ready use hydrogen fuel in the future.

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