The U.S. Department of Energy announced it’s doling out $175 million for 68 clean energy research and development projects, including tasking Pratt & Whitney with making new hydrogen propulsion technology.
The East Hartford-based aerospace manufacturer was selected by the DOE to develop novel, high-efficiency hydrogen-fueled propulsion technology for commercial aviation, according to the company. The project is part of the department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, ARPA-E.
“Pratt & Whitney has a long legacy with hydrogen-fueled propulsion, and we are excited to advance this emerging technology as part of our comprehensive strategy to support the aviation industry’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero aircraft CO2 emissions by 2050,” said Graham Webb, chief sustainability officer at Pratt & Whitney.
Pratt & Whitney’s Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology Geoff Hunt said the development of key technologies as part of the project “could bring the industry’s first hydrogen steam injected, inter-cooled engine from concept to reality.”
According to Pratt officials, its hydrogen steam injected, inter‐cooled turbine engine, or HySIITE, will use liquid hydrogen combustion and water vapor recovery to achieve zero in-flight CO2 emissions. That process will reduce nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 80% and reduce fuel consumption by up to 35 percent for next generation single-aisle aircraft.
The HySIITE engine will burn hydrogen in a thermodynamic engine cycle that incorporates steam injection to reduce emissions of NOx, Pratt said.
HySIITE will have better thermal efficiency than fuel cells and reduce total operating costs, Pratt said.
The project is the first direct collaboration between Pratt & Whitney and ARPA-E.
