High-tech made by MTU

The company—Germany’s MTU Aero Engines is Germany’s leading engine

manufacturer and a firmly established player
number one in the international aviation industry. The com-
pany, whose roots reach back to the dawn
of powered aviation, designs, develops, manu-
factures, markets and supports commercial
and military aircraft engines as well as station-
ary industrial gas turbines. MTU has its head-
quarters in Munich.

Its predecessor companies provided the en-

gines for the first powered airplanes as early
as at the beginning of the 20th century. Today,
the company has carved out leading positions
in essential engine technologies: High-pressure
compressors, low-pressure turbines, manufac-
turing and repair technologies made by MTU
are among the finest to be found in the global
marketplace. With its comprehensive and well-
balanced product portfolio MTU has content
in all thrust and power categories and in all
essential components and sub-assemblies
that make up an engine, boasting full system
integration capabilities.
MTU technology on board: The Eurofighter Typhoon
owes its remarkable power not least to its two EJ200
engines.
Among the showpieces in MTU’s commercial
engine portfolio are the V2500 for the Airbus
A320 family, the PW2000 for the Boeing 757
and C-17, the CF6-80 for the Boeing 747 and
Airbus A310 and A330, the GP7000 for the
Airbus A380 and the GEnx for the Boeing 787
Dreamliner and 747-8. With the Geared Turbo-
fan™ engine (GTF) PurePower® PW1000G
Pratt & Whitney and MTU are developing the
propulsion system of the future; its introduc-
tion will mark the debut of an entirely new
family of engines. The GTF bases on a new
engine architecture and stands out for its very
high efficiency and low noise levels. The con-
cept, which represents a major leap forward
in jet engine technology, is catching on with

Bombardier’s CSeries will be the first passenger aircraft to enter service with a Geared Turbofan™ engine of Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower® PW1000G family.

2
customers: Airbus is offering this game-
changing propulsion system for its re-engined
A320neo and Irkut for its MS-21. Bombardier
has selected it as the exclusive engine to
power its new CSeries; Mitsubishi will equip
its MRJ with the GTF, and Embraer has picked
it for its new E-Jets.

In the military arena, MTU is Germany’s indus-

trial lead company for practically all engines
flown by the German Armed Forces. The com-
pany provides the full range of system integra-
tion services, from maturing enabling tech-
nologies through developing and manufacturing
engines and engine components, to providing
maintenance and comprehensive customer
support services. Among the company’s cur-
rent major military engine programs are the
TP400-D6 engine to power the new A400M
military airlifter, the EJ200 for the Eurofighter
Typhoon, the RB199 for the Tornado and the
MTR390 for the French-German Tiger attack-
escort helicopter. The company also has stakes
in four military engines built by GE Aviation,
the F404, F414, F110 and GE38.
A heavy-weight: The GP7000 powers the A380, the
world’s biggest passenger aircraft.
As a renowned partner, MTU closely cooper-
ates with all of the big engine manufacturers
and actively drives the development of the in-
dustry. It has roles in all important national and
international technology programs. With its
partners from industry, research and academe,
MTU has for decades been developing ad-
vanced technologies to make engines quieter,
fuel-thriftier and cleaner.

One of the core competences of the company

is the maintenance and repair of engines. Its
maintenance segment is among the leading
service providers in this field and operates lo-
cations across the globe.

3
High-tech made by MTU Tomorrow’s engines call for innovative ideas.
The growing mobility needs of billions of peo-
ple, limited raw materials and acerbating eco-
logical problems leave little doubt that new
engine solutions must go beyond existing con-
cepts. Current projections assume that air
traffic will keep growing at a rate of around
five percent a year. To mitigate the impact on
the environment, therefore, tomorrow’s air-
craft must be fuel-thriftier, quieter and cleaner.
Advisory Council for Aviation Research and
Innovation in Europe (ACARE) has defined am-
bitious targets for future air traffic and pub-
lished them in its Strategic Research and
Innovation Agenda (SRIA). This new strategic
roadmap includes the ACARE 2020 and Flight-
path 2050 goals and introduces new medium-
term objectives to be achieved by the year
2035. These are the specific targets: By the
year 2020, aircraft are to burn 43 percent less
fuel per revenue passenger kilometer and emit
43 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) and 80
percent less oxide of nitrogen (NOX). The goals
for the year 2035 are even more challenging:
Plans are to cut the fuel burn per revenue
passenger kilometer and CO2 emissions by 60
percent and NOX emissions by 84 percent.
Moreover, the perceived noise is to be reduced
by 55 percent. And that’s not the end of it: By
the year 2050, the industry aims to reduce fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions by 75 percent,
NOX emissions by 90 percent and noise levels
by 65 percent, as compared with year-2000
values. A substantial contribution to the NOX
and noise reductions will have to come from
the engines. The targets for fuel burn and CO2
emissions are minus 20 percent by the year
The Geared Turbofan™ PW1100G-JM is the engine of the future. It was put through its paces in
MTU’s test cell.
4
MTU uses highly advanced manufacturing techniques,
such as additive manufacturing.
2020, minus 30 percent by 2035 and even
minus 40 percent and more by 2050. In addi-
tion to these environmental objectives, ACARE
has also defined targets to enhance the com-
petitiveness of the European aviation industry.
MTU Aero Engines has for decades been devel-
oping new technologies, thus actively shaping
the future of aviation. The company has carved
out a global leadership position in low-pres-
sure turbine and high-pressure compressor
technologies, high-tech manufacturing proces-
ses and repair techniques. With over 400
patent applications a year in Germany and
abroad, MTU aims to secure its technological
edge in these core competencies. Its technol-
ogy portfolio includes some 100 projects that
are tightly aligned with the company’s objec-
tives and pursued in accordance with strict
product development rules. Close meshing
with industrial partners, academe and research
institutes is the sine qua non for the success-
ful development of new technologies.
Airbus opted for Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower technology and offers the Geared Turbofan™ as an engine option for the A320neo.

Progress in engine construction essentially ceived noise level by 65 percent by the year
depends on whether manufacturers succeed in 2050. Plans are to achieve the CO2 and noise
improving two physical key parameters: pro- targets defined by ACARE in its Strategic Re-
pulsion efficiency and thermal efficiency. Each search and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) in three
efficiency enhancement reduces pollutant and stages.
noise emissions. MTU’s development efforts
are targeted at optimizing both parameters.
The company has already found solutions to
address the challenges of the future: Under
its Clean Air Engine technology initiative, or
Claire for short, MTU combines key technolo-
gies to build an advanced commercial engine
that will burn 40 percent less fuel, emit 40
percent less carbon dioxide and cut the per-

5
Technology fields
Technology of the future: compressors with
active clearance control.
Technology already used in production: com-
pressors in blisk design.
6
The name MTU Aero Engines stands for lead-
ing-edge military and commercial engine tech-
nologies and superior quality. High-pressure
compressors and low-pressure turbines made
by MTU rank among the most advanced in
their class. Apart from these, MTU’s product
spectrum also encompasses integrated engine
control and monitoring systems. The company
is building on long experience in the military
field here. These three product development
domains are complemented by the manufac-
turing and repair technology fields. MTU’s pri-
mary objective is to secure its technical, opera-
tional and logistics competitiveness.
Efficient compressors
MTU’s high-pressure compressors are among
the best to be found in the market. For more
than 30 years, the German company has been
developing, manufacturing, repairing and over-
hauling this component, the centerpiece of
an aircraft engine. Current flagship products
developed by MTU’s experts are the compres-
sor for the EJ200 powering the Eurofighter
Typhoon and that for the TP400-D6 for the new
A400M military airlifter. The high-pressure
compressor currently being developed in part-
nership with Pratt & Whitney is one of the core
components of a new family of Geared Turbo-
fan™ engines targeted at regional and busi-
ness jets and short- to medium-haul airliners.
The technologies are continuously being re-
fined and tailored to suit the various engine
types. The focus of MTU’s development efforts
is on improvements in efficiency and on weight
reduction. Both factors directly affect fuel
consumption and hence also the emission of
carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Further
cost reductions, too, are on the wish list.
The latest generation of MTU high-pressure compressors.
Because approximately one third of the total
flow losses are caused by leakage, the design
of the transitional zones between rotor and
stator stages must be given particular atten-
tion. Brush seals here permit technical solu-
tions that would not be possible with conven-
tional labyrinth seals. Moreover, innovative
technologies have been developed that influ-
ence the action of the flow, such as the so-
called casing treatment that involves structural
modifications to the rotor casing inner surfaces
for increased aerodynamic loading of the
compressor. Active systems, too, will play an
increasingly important role. These are assem-
blies that respond to variations in operating
conditions, for example by minimizing clear-
ances or injecting air to improve compressor
stability.
Integral constructions and novel materials are
key to significant weight reductions. Today’s
advanced compressors, for example, feature
rotors in blisk design, where disk and blades
form an integral part. This concept should
equally be applicable also to whole successive
stages in line—a configuration that would
markedly reduce the length and weight of the
component.
Comparable saving potentials are afforded by
advanced disk and blisk materials in titanium
and nickel-base alloys. They outperform con-
ventional materials by their greater specific
strength that makes for “leaner” component
designs. To protect high-value components,
such as compressor blisks, against erosion by
sand and dirt particles, MTU has developed
a novel multilayer coating: Dubbed ERCoatnt,
this coating combines the hardness of ceramic
materials with the high ductility of metals. The
coating is thin enough to be deposited also
on engine-run components without interfering
with their aerodynamic or structural-mechani-
cal properties.
Award-winning turbines
Low-pressure turbines for aircraft engines are
a core competency of MTU. The company has
been a global technology leader in this field
for decades. Its technological bandwidth is
enormous, extending from conventional low-
pressure turbines for business jet engines to
highly efficient low-pressure turbines for tur-
bofan engines powering medium- to long-haul
airliners and all the way to power turbines for
heavy-lift helicopters. MTU’s masterpiece is
the high-speed low-pressure turbine it devel-
oped for the GTF, a key component of this new Simulation of a turbine disk with blades: advanced
propulsion system. The company is the world’s computing methods markedly reduce development
times.
leading manufacturer of this engine component
and was honored with two German innovation
awards for this outstanding technological aluminum, which weigh only half as much as
achievement. blades in conventional nickel alloys.

The technology behind the high-speed low-
pressure turbine is unique: Compared with
conventional models, it permits higher stage
efficiencies by lower aerodynamic loads. As
a result, the number of stages can almost be
halved, which reduces the module’s overall
length and weight and substantially cuts the
costs of maintenance. In addition, this turbine
is much quieter than today’s low-pressure
turbines, as the high-frequency noise emitted
is attenuated by propagation through the at-
mosphere and, as a result, almost inaudible
to the human ear.
For all new low-pressure turbine concepts, the
overall goal is to find a well-balanced design
in terms of efficiency, weight, noise, costs
and service life. To reduce the manufacturing
costs, MTU is exploring novel constructions
and looking at less expensive materials for
use at elevated temperatures. Materials play
an important part in such new designs, as
light-weight materials hold promise of saving
up to ten percent of the overall turbine weight.
A case in point are rotor blades in titanium
In the years ahead, advanced computer simu-
lations will permit the three-dimensional design
of the blade ducts, including side walls and
fillet radii. In the process, numerical optimiza-
tion methods are used in the aerodynamic
design. For operation at the high altitudes at
which long-haul airliners and business jets
normally fly, improved airfoil designs and
measures to selectively influence the boundary
layer are being explored. To keep the noise the
low-pressure turbine contributes to overall
engine noise low under certain operating con- Award-winner: the high-speed low-pressure
ditions, for example during landing approach, turbine for the PW1000G Geared Turbofan™
engine.
a number of noise abatement measures, such
as the 3D contouring of turbine blades, are
being investigated using an experimental tur-
bine specifically built for the purpose.

MTU has been a technology leader in the field of low-pressure turbines for years. Its masterpiece is the high-speed version (left). At the right: the low-pressure turbine for the
V2500.

7
Technology fields
New system: The control unit of the EJ200
controls and monitors the engines powering
the Eurofighter Typhoon.
8
Overall system
MTU’s diverse portfolio of products and serv-
ices also includes complete control and moni-
toring systems, as well as subsystem and
equipment integration, plus the associated
software. The company’s competences span
the gamut from equipment, software and sys-
tem development through to system validation,
production support and maintenance.
More Electric Engine
On the next generation of aircraft, experts antic-
ipate electric power requirements to quintuple,
not least because the air conditioning system,
for example, will no longer operate on engine
air but on electricity. On the engine proper,
too, mechanical and hydraulic components
will advantageously be replaced with electric
units because these are smaller and lighter in
weight, more flexible to accommodate and
smarter. An electric fuel pump, for example,
would reduce fuel consumption since it would
permit fuel to be fed only in the amounts actu-
ally needed, obviating the present need for
scavenging excess fuel back into the tank. The
More Electric Engine of the future will come
with a plurality of sensors, electric motors and
control elements, posing new power manage-
ment, control engineering and engine monitor-
ing challenges.
Control units
Advanced engine control and monitoring sys-
tems are playing an increasingly important role
for the safe operation of aircraft. MTU has
been working in this area for more than 30
years and possesses unique expertise in the
field of control systems for military propulsion
systems. The company has a major role in
Highly advanced technology is found also in MTU's test facilities—shown here is the test cell at MTU
Maintenance Hannover.
the control and monitoring system of the
TP400-D6 engine powering the A400M military
airlifter and is responsible for the digital engine
control and monitoring unit (DECMU) of the
EJ200 engine for the Eurofighter Typhoon. To
be able to maintain its expertise long-term,
MTU Aero Engines joined forces with Sagem
(Safran Group) and set up AES (Aerospace
Embedded Solutions GmbH), a Munich-based
50/50 joint venture. AES offers the full range
of services, from design and testing to certifi-
cation of safety-critical software and electron-
ics. MTU will continue to draw up the specifi-
cations for the control and monitoring systems
and to produce and repair the electronic equip-
ment.
Monitoring and diagnosis
For the Eurofighter’s EJ200 engine, MTU has
developed a new generation of control units
that control the engine and concurrently mon-
itor it. The primary task of such control and
monitoring systems is to immediately alert
to defects, while their number two job is to
prevent defects through earliest possible de-
tection of deviations. These technological
capabilities are gradually being transitioned
also to other engines. An engine trend moni-
toring system, for instance, has been devel-
oped for use by MTU’s maintenance shops.
This system captures essential operating data
such as pressure, temperature and vibrations
through the onboard computer and radios or
emails it to a ground-based network for con-
tinuous comparison with ideal engine data.
When deviations from nominal are noted, ap-
propriate corrective action can be taken to
prevent major consequential damage and cost-
ly repairs.
Airfoils can be repaired by patching. Additive manufacturing techniques are playing an increas-
ingly important role—also at MTU.

Manufacture and maintenance In the field of commercial engine and industrial

Engines are high-tech products the manufac-
ture of which calls for innovative techniques.
With their aid, just about any product can be
manufactured today, except that to be sale-
able, it also needs to be affordable. MTU’s
manufacturing shops have to organize the
entire process chain in a manner that secures
the company’s international competitiveness.
In the area of manufacturing technology, there-
fore, the company is pursuing activities ex-
tending across the whole gamut from process
development, testing and measuring methods
all the way to automation and factory planning.
Among the most important high-tech processes
used by Germany’s leading manufacturer are
laser caving to produce cooling air holes in
high-pressure turbines, as well as adaptive
milling, friction welding and precise electro-
chemical machining (PECM) to manufacture
blisks. Blisks (blade integrated disks) are high-
tech components where disks and airfoils
come as one piece, which reduces weight.
Blisks are used in low-pressure and high-pres-
sure compressors for military and commercial
applications. MTU is one of the world’s leading
manufacturers of such blisks and keeps ex-
panding its capabilities: At its Munich location,
the company has built a new shop which
houses its center of excellence for blisk pro-
duction.
gas turbine maintenance MTU has established
itself as one of the world’s largest service pro-
viders. All activities have been pooled under
the roof of MTU Maintenance. The company’s
strategy is “Repair beats replacement.” MTU
Maintenance provides service support mainly
for engines in which its parent has a stake
as risk-and-revenue-sharing partner. MTU is
renowned across the globe for the high-tech
repairs it uses. Most of them are patented
and marketed under the trade name MTUPlus
repairs. The portfolio of the maintenance spe-
cialist comprises more than 15,000 different
repair processes. In the development of new
repair techniques, MTU can draw on its unique
expertise derived from the development and
production in numerous engine programs. With
techniques such as patching of blisk airfoils,
or blade tip repair by laser powder cladding,
the company achieves levels of restoration
that are unique worldwide.

Novel techniques that are gaining in impor-

tance are additive manufacturing processes,
such as selective laser melting. In a first step,
a 3D CAD model of the component to be pro-
duced is sliced up. A laser then builds up the
solid equivalent of the model layer by layer
from a powdery material. This process allows
complex components to be produced almost
without the need for conventional tooling.
Further advantages afforded by additive pro-
cesses are nearly unlimited freedom of design,
shorter production times, faster innovation
cycles, lighter components with added func-
tionality and lower development costs. MTU is
already using such processes in the manufac-
ture of production parts for the GTF engine to
power the A320neo.

High-tech production facilities: A new shop was built at MTU in Munich which houses the center of excellence
for blisks.

9
Technology programs
Advanced technologies for low-pressure tur-
bines are tested on the high-altitude test
facility of the Institute for Aircraft Propulsion
Systems at Stuttgart University.
The most advanced compressors can be validated on MTU’s compressor test rig.
10
MTU Aero Engines has for decades been work-
ing on new technologies to further lessen the
environmental impact of future aircraft en-
gines. In close cooperation with the big players
in the industry, Germany’s leading engine
manufacturer develops innovative propulsion
systems and technologies in all thrust and
power categories. In engine development pro-
grams plagued by time and cost pressures,
there is little room for experiments. Therefore,
innovations must be developed, tested and
matured for production in good time. For the
purpose, technology projects are launched
under which demonstrator engines are built
to verify the feasibility and capability of new
technologies. These are normally funded under
national and international cooperative ventures
or sponsored programs. MTU has roles in all
major technology programs, be it at a national
or international level, and has launched its own
long-term technology initiative, dubbed Claire
(Clean Air Engine).
Claire
15 percent, 25 percent, 40 percent less carbon
dioxide—these are the staged goals of MTU’s
Claire technology initiative, under which the
company has pooled all activities aimed at
developing environmentally compatible en-
gines. MTU plans to achieve the CO2 and noise
targets defined in ACARE’s Strategic Research
and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) in three stages.
In the first stage, the Geared Turbofan™ (GTF)
engine alone already provides a reduction in
fuel consumption and, hence, carbon dioxide
emissions by up to 15 percent and appreciably
cuts noise levels. This game-changing propul-
sion system is being developed and built jointly
by Pratt & Whitney and MTU and is scheduled
to enter into service as from 2015. Concept
studies conducted as part of the second stage
of Claire indicate that the geared turbofan con-
figuration lends itself as a platform for further
development and improvement. For example,
it is quite conceivable that the bypass ratio
can be further increased by the year 2030.
Moreover, the thermal efficiency of the core
engine can be enhanced by higher pressure
ratios and temperatures, the objective being
to improve the fuel-burn and CO2 reduction to
25 percent.
The third and last stage of Claire is aimed at
further optimizing the propulsion efficiency. In
addition, plans are to use a highly-efficient
heat engine for enhanced power generation,
possibly based on recuperative technologies.
All these developments are hoped to reduce
CO2 emissions by 40 percent and cut noise
levels by fully 65 percent by the year 2050.
German Aviation Research Program
MTU is one of the leading industrial partners
on the German Aviation Research Program
launched by the German government. The
company cooperates closely with universities
and research institutes, focusing on the devel-
opment of new high-pressure compressor and
low-pressure turbine technologies to further
improve efficiencies. The development of the
successful GTF technologies is owed to no
small extent also to the funding granted under
this national program. Part of the program,
moreover, is devoted to optimizing blisk manu-
facturing techniques. MTU has carved out a
globally unique position in blisk technology.
New solutions that help reduce manufacturing
costs accentuate the company’s industry lead-
ership.
Clean Sky
Clean Sky is the technology program the Euro-
pean aviation industry hopes will help achieve
the ambitious SRIA standards. It forms part of
the Joint Technology Initiative of the European
Union’s 7th Framework Program. From the
very beginning, the project drew a large num-
ber of participants from the European aviation
industry and from science and research. In all,
more than 200 partners are currently involved
in the research work, and further partners can
be invited to join in through calls for proposals.
With an overall budget of 1.6 billion euros, 800
million of which are funded by the EU, Clean
Sky is the biggest research program ever
undertaken by the European Union. Clean Sky Under the Clean Sky technology program MTU is developing a seal carrier manufactured
encompasses six so-called Integrated Techno- using additive techniques.
logy Demonstrators (ITDs) and one Technology
Evaluator. Within the SAGE (Sustainable and
Green Engine) ITD of Clean Sky five engine LEMCOTEC
demonstrators in different thrust classes and Under the LEMCOTEC project, which will run
for different market segments will be built until 2015, 35 European partners are exploring
and tested by 2015. One of the sub-projects options to increase the overall pressure ratio
(SAGE 4) is led by MTU. It is pursued with the (OPR) to further enhance the thermal efficiency
aim to further develop the geared turbofan of future engines. MTU is responsible for two
technology, in particular the low-pressure sec- work packages involving the design, construc-
tion, in cooperation with other European part- tion and testing of a new high-pressure com-
ners, and test and validate it. The project was pressor with an unprecedented pressure ratio,
officially launched in 2008 and will run through which will feature lighter high-temperature
to 2017. The successor project Clean Sky 2 materials and an advanced secondary air sys-
will build on the results achieved so far. MTU tem.
plans to take a major role also in the new pro-
gram, hoping to be again entrusted with the E-BREAK
design of an engine demonstrator. The EU’s E-BREAK technology program is
aimed at further reducing the fuel consumption
ENOVAL and CO2 emissions of future propulsion sys-
MTU’s most recent European technology pro- tems and to extend their service lives. In a
gram is ENOVAL (ENgine mOdule VALidators). joint effort, 42 partners are working to improve
Launched as part of the last call for proposals components and engine systems by further
under the EU’s 7th Framework Program in developing sealing, material and condition
2013, the MTU-led project will run for four monitoring technologies. The four-year pro-
years. 35 European partners from industry, gram, which is funded under the EU’s 7th
research and academe are developing new Framework Program, was launched in 2012
technologies for low-pressure components for and will run until 2016. MTU is involved in
medium-sized, large and very large turbofans, several sub-projects and investigates new
the aim being to reduce CO2 emissions by up abradable systems, simulation methods, the
to five percent and cut noise levels by 1.3 dB. light-weight material titanium aluminide as
These improvements will be achieved by in- well engine monitoring systems.
creasing bypass ratios to between 12:1 and
20:1 and overall pressure ratios to between
50:1 and 70:1. MTU is focusing on the inte-
gration and optimization of the expansion sys-
tem, which consists of the inter-turbine case,
low-pressure turbine and turbine exit case.

0 1 2 3 km ©Wyle 0 1 2 3 km
©Wyle

SEL contour (dB) The “noise footprint” of an aircraft powered by Geared

75 80 85 90 95 Turbofan™ engines is 75 percent smaller than that of
Runway Flight track today’s aircraft.

11
Technology network
Strategic alliances: MTU closely cooperates
with universities and research institues.
12
MTU Aero Engines is closely cooperating with
research institutes and universities. Pursued
are long-term, cross-system engine develop-
ment activities in a concerted win-win effort,
where the institutes’ more or less fundamental
research propensity takes on a more practi-
cally oriented tilt and MTU, in turn, draws on
the scientists’ excellent expertise. MTU’s net-
work strategy relies on the three pillars of
trend analysis and development of visionary
engine concepts at Bauhaus Luftfahrt, con-
centration of basic research at just a few top-
notch institutes and universities, and regular
exchange of experience with experts within
and outside the aviation industry.
Bauhaus Luftfahrt
An internationally oriented think tank, Bauhaus
Luftfahrt aims to develop innovative approach-
es for future air transport systems. Within the
framework of the research activities pursued
by Bauhaus Luftfahrt, the complex system of
air transport is reviewed from various aspects:
First and foremost, the Bauhaus researchers
aim to develop visionary aircraft concepts. As
part of these efforts, they also investigate eco-
logical aspects, such as alternative fuels, revo-
lutionary technologies, and sociopolitical fac-
tors. Key in the Bauhaus Luftfahrt roadmap to
success is the interaction between its in-house
disciplines and cooperation with industry and
research in a global network. Bauhaus Luftfahrt
was founded in 2005 by four partners—EADS,
Liebherr-Aerospace, MTU Aero Engines and
the State of Bavaria. Meanwhile, IABG has
become the fifth member of the association.
Centers of competence (CoC)
Cooperation with universities and research
institutes forms an essential part of MTU’s
research and development work. Strategic alli-
ances have been established with world-class
research partners, the aim being to secure
Cooperation with universities and centers of competence
Centers of competence
RWTH Aachen
Compressor technology
Uni & LZ Hannover
Maintenance Repair Overhaul
DLR Cologne
engine 2020+
TU Munich
Structural design and
production
UniBW Munich
More Electric Engine
University of Stuttgart
Turbine technology
Concept study of a potentially emission-free aircraft of
the future: Bauhaus Luftfahrt’s Ce-Liner.
MTU’s innovative clout long-term and foster
the meshing between academe and industry.
Getting students in touch with industrial reality
early in their academic careers, MTU hopes to
produce a continuous pool of young talent.
Jointly with leading German universities and
research institutes, MTU has launched six dif-
ferent centers of competence (CoC) to perform
specific research tasks. Criteria for the selec-
tion of partners were outstanding technical
qualification and long experience. The centers
of competence do research in the following
fields: compressors, turbines, More Electric
Engine, constructions and production, mainte-
nance, repair and overhaul, and engine 2020+.
Expert working groups
Expert working groups convene at regular inter-
vals. Specialists in a particular technical disci-
pline meet two or three times a year to trade
insights gained into new trends and develop-
ments. Discussed are specific technical issues
for which likely solutions are sought and hope-
fully found. These working groups benefit from
the broad, cross-industry networking of experts
from science and industry.
Cooperation with
universities
BAM Berlin
DLR Berlin
TU Berlin
TU Braunschweig
BTU Cottbus
TU Darmstadt
TU Dresden
Uni Erlangen
FHG Fürth
TU Göttingen
TU Hannover
TU Heidelberg
KFA Jülich
TH Karlsruhe
Uni GH Kassel
DLR Stuttgart
MPA Stuttgart
Close cooperation between MTU and universities and research institutes is a win-win proposition for all involved, including young academics.

13
Engines of the future
What sets the Geared Turbofan™ engine
apart is a reduction gearbox the decouples
fan and low-pressure turbine.
14
Ever since the 1950s the fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions of aircraft engines have been
reduced by double-digit percentage points in
each decade. With its innovative technologies
MTU has played a major role in this develop-
ment and plans to keep it that way also in
future.
With the Geared Turbofan™ engine, Pratt &
Whitney and MTU are building the commercial
propulsion system of the future. The GTF bases
on an entirely new engine architecture and
holds promise of reducing fuel consumption
and CO2 emissions by 15 percent each, and of
halving the perceived noise level. This is a
major leap forward in jet engine technology.
What sets the GTF engine apart is that it fea-
tures a reduction gearbox between the fan and
low-pressure turbine. In conventional turbofans
the two components sit on a common shaft,
with the fan driving the turbine. The gearbox
allows the fan with its large diameter to rotate
more slowly and the turbine to rotate much
faster. This lets the individual components
achieve their respective optimum speed, which
greatly boosts the engine’s overall efficiency.
The result: Fuel burn, carbon dioxide emissions
and noise are substantially reduced. In addition,
the engine weighs less as it requires fewer
parts and stages.
The trends: New commercial engines will have
higher bypass ratios and, hence, larger fans
than today’s models. This calls for an increased
use of light-weight materials and an airframe
design capable of accommodating the larger-
sized propulsion systems. In the engine interior,
pressures and temperatures will increase for
even higher efficiencies. As a result, improved
materials and coating systems will be needed.
Further improvements in the propulsion effi-
ciency require even higher mass flows. For
enhanced power generation highly efficient
heat engines will be needed, which are based,
for example, on variable-cycle, recuperative,
combined-cycle or hybrid technologies. To-
gether with its partners, MTU is already explor-
ing these concepts for the year 2050. First
estimates suggest a reduction in fuel burn by
40 percent and in noise levels by 65 percent.
Military engines
MTU’s military portfolio comprises engines for
various applications which will determine the
product range of the future. These propulsion
systems include conventional low-bypass
turbofan engines to power combat aircraft and
advanced turboshaft engines to power heli-
copters and turboprop aircraft, such as the
A400M military airlifter.
In the EU, engines for unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) are presently taking center stage in mil-
itary technology development. For long-range
cruise applications, they need to be fuel-
thrifty, but for low-altitude operations also
should generate substantial thrust. MTU brings
Airbus concept aircraft.

its comprehensive experience in the military

business to the table and is a reliable partner
that has major roles in national and internatio-
nal research projects, such as the European
Technology Acquisition Programme (ETAP).

A combat aircraft system is designed for max-

imum performance in extreme situations. The
variable-cycle engine concept uses so-called
active systems to individually adapt the engine
to suit changing operating modes. What needs
to be developed for such engines are variable
modules (bypass duct, fan or exhaust nozzle)
or variable components (stator vanes). The
technological challenge here is to reliably inte-
grate these systems into the engine mechani-
cally and electronically.

Shaping the future

The name MTU stands for leading-edge engine
technologies, and has been doing so for dec-
ades. With its unique expertise and its inno-
vative clout, the company has established itself
as a technology leader in many fields and
comes recommended as a reliable partner in
the industry. To keep it that way, MTU is in-
vesting heavily in a variety of technological
activities, new products and services, thus
setting the course for the future. Germany’s
leading engine manufacturer remains commit-
ted to its tradition as a company that drives
innovation and actively shapes the future of
aviation.

With a maximum power output of 11,000 shaft horsepower the TP400-D6 powering the
A400M military airlifter is the most powerful turboprop engine of the Western world.

15
 GER 04/14/MUC/02000/DE/EB/E

MTU Aero Engines AG

Dachauer Straße 665
80995 Munich • Germany
Tel. +49 89 1489-0
Fax +49 89 1489-5500
info@mtu.de
www.mtu.de