Two NASA-industry partnerships could produce tangible benefits for aircraft operators in the near term. The turbofan engine research is being conducted by NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland as part of its aerospace propulsion and power program, the same division that Williams International teamed up with to develop the 700-lb-thrust FJX2 turbofan. A variant of that Williams engine, the EJ22, will power the Eclipse 500, which is expected to take its maiden flight this summer.
Under the aerospace propulsion and power program umbrella are eight projects: oil-free turbine engine technology; ultra-safe propulsion; smart efficient components; higher-operating-temperature components; pulsed-detonation engine technology; zero CO2 research; revolutionary aeropropulsion concepts; and fundamental noise. While most of those projects won’t produce benefits for at least 10 years, two–oil-free turbine engine technology and higher-operating-temperature components–are close to developing commercial products.
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