NASA, in collaboration with GE Aerospace, is advancing the development of a revolutionary hybrid-electric jet engine as part of the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project. This innovative engine, a “mild hybrid-electric” design, incorporates electric motors that assist the fuel-burning core to reduce fuel consumption. Unlike current jet engines, which use electricity for non-engine functions like lights and radios, this new engine would integrate electric power directly into the propulsion system.
The project aims to demonstrate the hybrid engine by 2028, with hopes of integrating it into commercial airliners by the 2030s. According to Anthony Nerone, the HyTEC project leader from NASA’s Glenn Research Center, this would be the first-ever hybrid-electric engine designed for narrow-body aircraft, opening new avenues for more sustainable aviation.
The hybrid-electric system is expected to reduce fuel burn and emissions by 5 to 10%, thanks to a smaller core that still produces the same thrust as today’s engines. NASA and GE are testing a modified GE Passport engine equipped with hybrid-electric components to optimize fuel savings across different phases of flight. The goal is to develop a system that can work with or without energy storage solutions like batteries, expediting the deployment of hybrid-electric technology even before battery systems are fully matured.
The HyTEC project is also part of NASA’s broader Sustainable Flight National Partnership, which aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in aviation by 2050. GE Aerospace is further advancing these technologies under CFM International’s RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program, which focuses on hybrid-electric systems and compatibility with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
IMAGE: An artist concept showing a NASA-developed small-core jet engine installed in GE Aerospace’s CFM RISE jet engine design. CREDIT: Nasa development
SOURCE: NASA & GE AEROSPACE
