VITAL

EnVIronmenTALly Friendly Aero Engine

Action Line: AERO-2003-1.3.2.6 Systems approach to the future efficient, low-noise aeroengine

VITAL will provide a breakthrough in low noise and low emission engine architectures. This breakthrough will be achieved by developing and validating novel lightweight and low noise technologies for commercial aircraft engines and thus provides a key step towards achieving the ACARE environmental goals in terms of CO2 and noise. VITAL will design, manufacture and rig test the critical technologies required to achieve this goal: low noise and low weight fan technologies and architectures (direct drive turbo fan and contra-rotating turbo fan), low weight structures for very high bypass ratio engines, more efficient low pressure turbo machinery, advanced low pressure torque shaft and overall engine installation.

To complement these technological advances VITAL will provide a techno-economic and environmental risk assessment and accompanying optimiser tool for measuring the impact of engines on the environment as well as their economic impact and make this tool available to all stakeholders via a dissemination activity. VITAL will also take-up the results of on-going research programmes in the field of noise and emissions and will deliver a fully validated, novel technology base together with the roadmap to enable a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 6dB reduction in aircraft engine noise (per certification point) and hence contribute to the full realisation of the ACARE goals by 2020.VITAL will achieve this technology breakthrough by bringing together 53 actors from the European aero-engine industry made up of the leading engine manufacturers, the engine-industry supply chain, key European research institutes and SMEs with specific expertise.
The advance and benefits that VITAL will bring to Europe at large in terms of more efficient and environmental-friendly air transport will be disseminated throughout the project to all stakeholders.

RCN: 72791
Last updated: 2009-01-07 14:10:49.0

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