Title:

Challenges and Opportunities for Future Aerospace Propulsion Systems

Speaker:

Paul Adams

Affiliation:

Pratt & Whitney

When:

Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 3:30:00 PM   Add to Calendar

Where:

Guggenheim Building, Room G442

Host:

Vigor Yang
vigor.yang@ae.gatech.edu
404- 894-3002

Abstract

Economic demand and concern for the environment has stimulated innovations in the gas turbine engine industry. Aircraft performance improvements depend largely on the engines. Historically, engine fuel burn has improved at rate of about 1% per year. However, with the cost of petroleum based fuels rising and no end in sight, the engine manufacturers must innovate to realize step change improvements to fuel burn, noise, and emissions. Pratt & Whitney’s innovative high bypass ratio Geared Turbofan™ engine architecture provides double-digit percentage improvements in fuel efficiency and reductions in noise and emissions. To fully leverage the high bypass Geared Turbofan™ engine architecture in the future, we must consider advances in aircraft propulsion system integration to enable larger fan diameters and higher overall pressure ratio cycles for improved cycle efficiency. Innovations in aerodynamic systems, material advancement, and manufacturing methods are important. However, the challenge becomes the speed to develop and integrate new technologies into the product as well as practicality and cost effectiveness of the technologies. An overview of the recent advances in propulsion system design will be presented along with a review of how engine integration, materials advancement, and manufacturing methods are playing a critical role in the development, realization and deployment of new systems with unprecedented performance and durability.

Biography

Paul Adams is Senior Vice President, Operations & Engineering, at Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines and a unit of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX). He joined Pratt & Whitney from Williams International in 1999 and was appointed to his current position in October 2011. Adams has more than 29 years of leadership in program management and engineering with extensive, global experience in the aircraft engine industry. In his current position, he leads Pratt & Whitney’s global Operations & Engineering organization. His responsibilities include new product development, technology strategy, manufacturing operations, and supply chain management. The results of his efforts and leadership have contributed significantly to the company’s improved productivity and overall product competitiveness. Previously, he served as P&W’s Senior Vice President of Engineering and Vice President of Engineering Module Centers, where he has been instrumental in the development of the F135 engines to power the F-35 Lightning II and the PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ Next Generation Product Family of commercial engines. Adams serves on the advisory boards of the University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering Department and the University of Connecticut School Of Engineering. He is also a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. Adams completed the Stanford Executive Program through the Stanford Graduate Business School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan.