Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SWITCH (Sustainable Water-Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-electrics)
Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2023-12-31
SWITCH aims to answer the challenge of climate-neutral short-medium range air transport by developing a revolutionary sustainable gas turbine propulsion system – the hybrid Water-Enhanced Turbofan (hybrid WET). It boosts WET technology with hybridization to improve energy efficiency by 25% and reduce climate impact by 75% (using net zero-CO2 sustainable aviation fuel, 50% with conventional Jet-A kerosene) compared to a state-of-the-art engine. It is the only concept to significantly reduce all three major warming effects on our climate: CO2 through unmatched efficiency, NOx through water injection in the combustor, and contrails through particle removal and water recovery. Local air quality and noise levels around airports are improved through electric taxiing. The hybrid WET is fully compatible with drop-in SAF and could also be adapted to burn hydrogen. It addresses all climate-notable market segments: Short-, medium- and long-range.
The SWITCH project will meet this challenge with a global consortium, through an unprecedented programmatic effort between airframer, engine and system OEMs, key tier 1 suppliers and leading researchers in combustion and propulsion, leveraging relevant and effective synergies between European and national programs. SWITCH will mature the hybrid WET’s two key innovation concepts by 2025: The WET engine to technology readiness level (TRL) 4 through validation of its key enabling technologies and the Electrical Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) system to TRL 5 through flight-ready engine ground demonstration of the full propulsion system.
Results from SWITCH will reinforce confidence in the climate reduction potential of the hybrid WET propulsion system and form the technological foundation to achieve TRL 6 by 2030. This will enable the innovation to enter into the market by 2035 on a new short-medium range aircraft to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact towards the European Green Deal’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
The SWITCH project will meet this challenge with a global consortium, through an unprecedented programmatic effort between airframer, engine and system OEMs, key tier 1 suppliers and leading researchers in combustion and propulsion, leveraging relevant and effective synergies between European and national programs. SWITCH will mature the hybrid WET’s two key innovation concepts by 2025: The WET engine to technology readiness level (TRL) 4 through validation of its key enabling technologies and the Electrical Aircraft Propulsion (EAP) system to TRL 5 through flight-ready engine ground demonstration of the full propulsion system.
Results from SWITCH will reinforce confidence in the climate reduction potential of the hybrid WET propulsion system and form the technological foundation to achieve TRL 6 by 2030. This will enable the innovation to enter into the market by 2035 on a new short-medium range aircraft to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact towards the European Green Deal’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
In the reporting period, the core of the work performed in SWITCH covered:
Hybrid-Electric Propulsion & WET Concept Elaboration: Work continued in the investigation into different WET configurations with focus on the upcoming Concept Review milestone. Vaporizer and turbine exhaust case (TEC) requirements were defined. The strategy for the elaboration of a validation plan was defined, and the first step is in progress. For analysis on aircraft level, discussions have started on requirements and synergies of a combined hybrid-electric and WET concept. The hybrid-electric and WET concept work packages have provided sub-system level KPIs for impact monitoring and have contributed to the proposal of how to assess propulsion system climate impact (covering CO2 and non-CO2 effects).
Hybrid-Electric Engine Demonstrator: For the Motor Drive System (MDS) the requirements were developed and baselined, System Interface Documents (SID) are being agreed with the interfacing components. Vibration studies were conducted. Component level Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) were passed. GRID Lab test objectives being discussed with partners on weekly calls. GRID Tech-nical System Requirement Document (TSRD) document was generated. The engine integration tasks, loads and structures analysis are in progress. The hybrid-electric propulsion system controls interfac-es and functional allocations are progressing. A ground test cell was selected.
WET Technology Maturation: Activities are progressing to achieve WET TRL4 through a combina-tion of full system modelling and component validation testing towards the end of the project. For combustor tests, first campaign of experiment was prepared and has started at the beginning of 2024. The vaporizer Hot Demonstrator Concept Review was completed. The manufacture and assem-bly of the first and second heat exchanger samples for the condenser are in progress. The rig is ex-pected to be commissioned in January 2024. For the water recovery, the Test Readiness Review (TRR) was passed, and first tests have started in January 2024. A thrust reverser concept has been selected.
Hybrid-Electric Propulsion & WET Concept Elaboration: Work continued in the investigation into different WET configurations with focus on the upcoming Concept Review milestone. Vaporizer and turbine exhaust case (TEC) requirements were defined. The strategy for the elaboration of a validation plan was defined, and the first step is in progress. For analysis on aircraft level, discussions have started on requirements and synergies of a combined hybrid-electric and WET concept. The hybrid-electric and WET concept work packages have provided sub-system level KPIs for impact monitoring and have contributed to the proposal of how to assess propulsion system climate impact (covering CO2 and non-CO2 effects).
Hybrid-Electric Engine Demonstrator: For the Motor Drive System (MDS) the requirements were developed and baselined, System Interface Documents (SID) are being agreed with the interfacing components. Vibration studies were conducted. Component level Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) were passed. GRID Lab test objectives being discussed with partners on weekly calls. GRID Tech-nical System Requirement Document (TSRD) document was generated. The engine integration tasks, loads and structures analysis are in progress. The hybrid-electric propulsion system controls interfac-es and functional allocations are progressing. A ground test cell was selected.
WET Technology Maturation: Activities are progressing to achieve WET TRL4 through a combina-tion of full system modelling and component validation testing towards the end of the project. For combustor tests, first campaign of experiment was prepared and has started at the beginning of 2024. The vaporizer Hot Demonstrator Concept Review was completed. The manufacture and assem-bly of the first and second heat exchanger samples for the condenser are in progress. The rig is ex-pected to be commissioned in January 2024. For the water recovery, the Test Readiness Review (TRR) was passed, and first tests have started in January 2024. A thrust reverser concept has been selected.
SWITCH’s overall objective is to demonstrate at TRL4/5 the disruptive ultra-efficient next generation SMR propulsion concept of the hybrid WET engine, resulting in 25% lower fuel burn and more than 60% reduction of non-CO2 related climate impact compared to a 2020 market available state of the art aero engine. The concept will be compatible with SR/SMR aircraft architectures and is even scalable to all other relevant thrust classes. .Key enablers and actions needed for the engine architecture to allow the adoption of hydrogen as fuel / energy source will be defined, including compatibility with future hydrogen-powered aircraft concept. The demonstration plan will be detailed to reach TRL4 for the WET engine concept at project completion. The electric aircraft propulsion will be matured to TRL4 through the development and testing of its sub-systems components in the laboratory environment and to TRL5 in 2025 through integration and testing of the full system in an engine ground demonstrator. The engine ground demonstrator will be designed and fabricated to be flight worthy to enable flight testing early in Phase 2. A roadmap towards full-scale demonstration of the propulsion system compatible with TRL6 at aircraft level before the end of the Clean Aviation programme and compatible with an EIS by 2035 will be delivered.