MTU has been impressively shaping aviation for decades and has always been a technology pacesetter.
Today, too, we remain committed to finding answers to the challenges of tomorrow: commercial engines must become even more fuel-efficient and environmentally sustainable—and ultimately emissions-free—and military engines even more powerful.
Never before have we had such forward-looking concepts as we do today.
Emissions-free flight is the ultimate goal for commercial aviation—and it is our vision, too.
This vision is guided by the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting the temperature increase to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. Whereas previous efforts focused on CO2 emissions, the scope has now been widened to include nitrogen oxides and contrails, because these factors together constitute the climate impact of aviation.
In our Clean Air Engine (Claire) technology agenda, we lay out potential solutions and concepts for sustainable commercial engines—and timelines: emissions-free flight will be achieved in three stages.
MTU secures its technological edge over the long term through its committed, dedicated research and development work within the framework of strong innovation and technology processes. Only in this way can we successfully launch new products and services on the market with shorter and shorter lead times to ensure our company’s success.
For us, close networking with industrial partners and the research community, as well as long-term funding from the public sector at both the national and European levels, play a key role, as they are essential to successful technology development.
Military engines have to meet extreme operational requirements and become even more powerful. One promising future concept is the variable cycle engine (VCE), which can facilitate optimum performance over the entire flight envelope. This concept can significantly improve a combat aircraft’s mission flexibility.
VCE technology could be a viable option for the New Generation Fighter Engine (NGFE). MTU is researching the concept. With our new technologies and innovative approaches to virtual design and additive manufacturing, we are ideally prepared for this project.
