Engine giant Pratt & Whitney has launched a technology demonstration program designed to bring geared turbofan engines to the next generation of business and regional aircraft.

P&W's Advanced Technology Fan Demonstrator (AFTI) will form the basis for a family of engines in the 10,000­19,000 lbs thrust range that could be available within three years of a formal product launch, the company says.

"Geared turbofans are the next big step in engine performance, efficiency and economy," said Louis Chenevert, Pratt & Whitney's president. "They will burn less fuel, be quieter and require far fewer parts. Over the past ten years, we have spent upwards of $700 million to develop the technologies needed to accomplish this."

Hartford, Connecticut-based P&W says it has studied "key fan drive gear system technologies" since the late 1980s, but had resisted going forward with a marketable design, at least until now.

Using the latest gearboxes, swept fan blades and other new technology, P&W believes it can provide "double-digit" improvements in engine operating costs, as well as noise and emission levels below any projected worldwide standards.

The operating concept is relatively simple-involving the placement of a reduction gearbox between the engine's fan (N1) and its turbine (N2). As such, the turbine is able to maintain maximum efficiency while the fan turns at a relatively low speed, where it can produce peak thrust with a lower noise signature.

The result is an engine that needs fewer turbine and compressor stages, meaning fewer parts. Chenevert says this geared fan technology is "scaleable" across the entire P&W engine line, representing a "game-changer in the jet market in years to come."

P&W says the AFTI demonstrator combines Hartford-based engineering resources with those of Pratt & Whitney Canada, while also enlisting the help of MTU and Fiat for several key components.

First phase project goal is to validate the fan gear designs using an existing PW308 core, while Phase II will include the core design planned for the production engine.

The first run of the Phase I configuration is planned for the first quarter of 2001, with the first flight following before the end of the year. "In the meantime, you can be sure that we are busy discussing this exciting program with potential customers," Chenevert says.

By Paul Richfield