Engines
Study targets quieter and cleaner engines
Researchers across Europe have made substantial progress in their pursuit of the cleaner, more fuel efficient engines that will be needed if air traffic is

Researchers across Europe have made substantial progress in their pursuit of the cleaner, more fuel efficient engines that will be needed if air traffic is to continue growing without its environmental impact becoming unacceptable.

The four-year, ?91 million ($118 million) VITAL research program looking at environmentally friendly aircraft engines is part of a continent-wide effort to meet the demanding goals set at the beginning of the decade by the Advisory Council on Aeronautical Research in Europe (ACARE). They include reductions of 50 percent in carbon dioxide (CO2) and 80 percent in oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and other emissions, along with a halving of perceived noise. Engine targets are a 10 dB reduction in noise per operation, a 60- to 80-percent cut in NOX and a 20-percent reduction in fuel consumption.