Awarded Propulsion System can deliver up to 20% better fuel consumption

SAFRAN Aero Engines, together with GKN Aerospace and GE Avio was receiving the award for best “Propulsion System” at the Aviation Week Laureates ceremony in Washington DC.

GKN Aerospace Engine Systems has during a number of years worked tightly together with partner SAFRAN Aero Engines and GE AVIO to develop the Open Rotor solution. This program has been run under the European collaborative project Clean Sky and during 2017 and 2018 the engine came to a full engine test in southern France.

We have shown that the propulsion system can deliver up to 20% better fuel consumption at acceptable noise and vibration levels.

Henrik Runnemalm, Director of Research and Technology represented GKN Aerospace Engine Systems at the ceremony and made some comments on the development program: 

“The program has brought a number of benefits for GKN Aerospace. Through the program we have developed and strengthened our relation to the SAFRAN organization. The program has also generated technology maturation ranging from design practices, new and novel material data, validated numerical approaches to aerodynamics and solid mechanics. In addition, we have introduced improvements to manufacturing process specifications for laser welding, machining, and more.

We have developed our processes for how to efficiently build demonstrator hardware and we have improved or technology maturation processes. The program has also been used to develop the knowledge in our supplier network of which now newly qualified suppliers are delivering to the GKN in our commercial programs. All internal work has been lead through our technology organization but without all excellent collaborative work from all parts of our organization this would not have been possible to achieve”.

“Thank you all”, says Runnemalm.