Volvo Aero: Environmentally Friendly Jet Engine

GOTEBORG, Sweden, June 14, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The first optimised fabricated turbine rear frame for the new ANTLE technology engine has been delivered from Volvo Aero. The aim is to cut costs by 30% and weight by 10% for the new rear frame. Volvo Aero is a partner in the European engine demonstrator program, EEFAE, Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Aero Engine, costing a total of over 100 million euros. The purpose of the EEFAE is to develop the advanced technologies needed to maintain European industry's competitive position as a supplier of advanced turbofan engines and engine components for the next generation of commercial jet aircraft.

ANTLE

Rolls-Royce is leading the short to medium term development. The ANTLE (Affordable Near Term Low Emission) engine has a target of a 10 % reduction in CO2 emissions and a reductiuon of NOx by 60%.

Volvo Aero is designing and developing the turbine rear frame. We have developed an optimised fabrication concept with a potential of cutting cost by 30% and weight by 10% for this component. A very important tool in the optimisation is the extensive use of weld process modeling. Weld sequence and parameters were computer opimised to minimise distorsion and residual stresses.

The first rear frame hardware from Volvo Aero was delivered in May 2003 to Rolls-Royce for aero testing.

CLEAN

The narrow-body group CLEAN (Component validator for Environmentally friendly Aero eNgine), headed by Snecma Moteurs and MTU also include several of the ANTLE members. The overall goal of the CLEAN engine is to cut emissions by 20% for CO2 and a remarkable 80% for Nox. Volvo Aero is designing, developing and producing the turbine rear frame and LPT-case for CLEAN.