Pratt & Whitney develops new technology

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EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has charged Pratt & Whitney to develop Constant Volume Combustion engine technology.

CVC technology has the potential to significantly decrease the fuel consumption of U.S. Navy surface combatant vessels.

The company said the $33.8 million award was given under DARPA's Phase II of the Vulcan advanced propulsion program.

"This program leverages Pratt & Whitney's CVC intellectual property and previous test experience as well as the company's long heritage of gas turbine engine development," said Bill Gostic, vice president, Advanced Programs & Technology, Pratt & Whitney. "Under Phase II, DARPA is striving to develop engine technologies that will bring new efficiencies to ships."

The goal of the Vulcan demonstration program is to design, build and ground test a CVC technology system that demonstrates a 20 percent fuel burn reduction for a ship-based power generation turbine. CVC, when combined with jet turbine engines, offers the ability to design a new class of hybrid turbine power generation engines for naval ships and air-breathing aircraft engines.

During Phase II, the CVC module will be developed, fabricated, tested and fully characterized through analytical models as well as component and subsystem testing prior to the final integration into the turbine engine for U.S. naval surface vessels.