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While the technology is still being tested, should GE be
successful, it could produce hybrid-engine jets - like a Toyota
Prius of the skies - that would go a long way toward cutting the
aviation industry's carbon emissions worldwide, half of which
come from single-aisle jets.
Hybrid cars are common on the roads, but decarburizing the
aerospace industry is considered much more difficult. In hybrid
engines, an aircraft uses several energy sources while in
flight. Airbus estimates the mix of energy sources - jet fuel or
sustainable aviation fuels combined with electricity – reduces
fuel consumption by up to 5% compared to a standard flight.
GE Aerospace is working with NASA on a project that will embed
electric motors or generators in a high-bypass turbofan to
supplement power during different phases of operation, company
executives said.
On Wednesday, the company said it has completed the initial
tests of the hybrid components and a baseline test of the
engine. It next plans to test the components and the engine
together.
The global aviation industry has set a goal of net-zero
emissions by 2050. But technologies such as electric and
hydrogen-powered aircraft are still unproven, making
decarbonization a formidable challenge for the industry, which
generates about 2% of global emissions.
Developing more fuel-efficient engines to cut emissions is a new
challenge for the aviation industry. Environmental critics have
said the industry's net-zero targets are unrealistic, and argued
that the only way to reach them is to substantially reduce
flying globally.
The hybrid engine program is one of several projects GE
Aerospace has been pursuing to develop more fuel efficient
technology.
In partnership with France's Safran, GE is testing the building
blocks for an open-bladed jet engine for the next generation of
medium-haul jets that will be able to reduce fuel use and
emissions by 20% from the middle of the next decade.
GE's rival RTX is also working on a hybrid-electric technology
demonstrator that combines a thermal engine with electric motor,
with a goal to improve fuel efficiency by 30%.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Will Dunham)
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