SWITCH - Sustainable Water-Injecting Turbofan Comprising Hybrid-electrics
Research Project, 2023 – 2025

SWITCH aims to answer the challenge of climate-neutral short-medium range air transport by developing a revolutionary sustainable gas turbine propulsion system – the hybrid Water-Enhanced Turbofan (hybrid WET). It boosts WET technology with hybridization (Electrical Aircraft Propulsion – EAP) to improve energy efficiency by 25% and reduce climate impact by 75% (using net zero-CO2 sustainable aviation fuel, 50% with conventional Jet-A kerosene) compared to a state-of-the-art engine. It is the only concept to significantly reduce all three major warming effects on our climate: CO2 through unmatched efficiency, NOx through water injection in the combustor, and contrails through particle removal and water recovery. Local air quality and noise levels around airports are improved through electric taxiing. The hybrid WET is fully compatible with drop-in SAF and could also be adapted to burn hydrogen. It addresses all climate-notable market segments: Short-, medium- and long-range.
The SWITCH project will meet this challenge with a global consortium, through an unprecedented programmatic effort between airframer, engine and system OEMs, key tier 1 suppliers and leading researchers in combustion and propulsion, leveraging relevant and effective synergies between European and national programs.
SWITCH will mature the hybrid WET’s two key innovation concepts by 2025: The WET engine to technology readiness level (TRL) 4 through validation of its key enabling technologies and the EAP system to TRL 5 through flight-ready engine ground demonstration of the full propulsion system.
Results from SWITCH will reinforce confidence in the climate reduction potential of the hybrid WET propulsion system and form the technological foundation to achieve TRL 6 by 2030. This will enable the innovation to enter into the market by 2035 on a new short-medium range aircraft to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact towards the European Green Deal’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

Participants

Valery Chernoray (contact)

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Isak Jonsson

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Fluid Dynamics

Collaborations

ADVANCED LABORATORY ON EMBEDDED SYSTEMS SRL

Rome, Italy

Airbus Group

Leiden, Netherlands

Airbus Group

Leiden, Netherlands

Airbus Group

Leiden, Netherlands

Airbus Group

Leiden, Netherlands

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, Greece

COLLINS AEROSPACE IRELAND

Shannon, Ireland

Fokker Elmo

Hoogerheide, Netherlands

GKN Aerospace Sweden

Trollhättan, Sweden

GOODRICH AEROSPACE EUROPE SAS

Colomiers, France

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Köln, Germany

Goodrich Control Systems

Solihull, United Kingdom

HS ELEKTRONIK SYSTEME

Nördlingen, Germany

HS MARSTON AEROSPACE

Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Windsor Locks, CT., USA

MTU Aero Engines

Munchen, Germany

PRATT & WHITNEY RZESZOW SPOLKA AKCYJNA

Rzeszow, Poland

Pratt & Whitney

East Hartford, USA

University of Stuttgart

Stuttgart, Germany

Funding

European Commission (EC)

Project ID: 101102006SWITCH
Funding Chalmers participation during 2023–2025

Related Areas of Advance and Infrastructure

Transport

Areas of Advance

Chalmers Laboratory of Fluids and Thermal Sciences

Infrastructure

More information

Latest update

12/12/2023