Innovative Europe in action TECH800 demonstration for future helicopter turboshaft engine

Brussels 26 April 2013 – The official celebration of the first rotation of TECH800 turboshaft demonstrator took place on Friday 26 April, in Pau (France), in the presence of Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport and Vice-President of the European Commission, Eric Dautriat, Executive Director of Clean Sky, Jean-Paul Herteman, Chairman and CEO of Safran and Olivier Andries, Chairman and CEO of Turbomeca.

TECH800 demonstrator has been developed in cooperation with 34 partners from ten European countries including 18 SMEs and 12 universities and research centres. The technologies to be demonstrated in TECH800 will deliver reduced emissions in-line with the goals of the Clean Sky programme.

An innovative core engine demonstrator has been designed, manufactured and tested by Turbomeca for future helicopter turboshaft applications in the 800kW power class. Key technologies are related to the compressor architecture and performance, the combustion chamber enabling lower emissions, the turbine operating at a very elevated temperature and a high efficiency power turbine. This demonstrator offers a double digit benefit in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to the year 2000 state of the art, as well as breakthrough in noise attenuation, weight (composite, Titanium Aluminide components), and control system (fuel pumps, electric actuators…).

This event paves the way to a series of demonstrators on engines, aircraft, and helicopters as well as on systems and eco-designed parts, scheduled between 2013 and 2015. If successful, these technologies will be integrated in future products beyond 2016, in line with the needs of the European aeronautics industry.

The Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative is Europe’s largest aeronautics research programme ever with a budget of Euro 1,600 millions (50% EU / 50% Industry) on 7 years. It is dedicated to the demonstration of new technologies of the civil aircraft market, aiming at a dramatic reduction of CO2, noise and NОx footprints. TECH800 is one of the six engine demonstrators dedicated to propulsion in Clean Sky.

Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, European Commission remarked “The public-private partnership of Clean Sky proves today that both sectors can produce the engines of the future; this partnership will bring research projects closer to their marketing and, through that, it will allow the European aircraft industry to maintain its position as a worldwide leader”

Jean-Paul Herteman, Chairman and CEO of Safran added “The first spooling up of the TECH800 engine represents a major milestone. I hope that this success is the first in a long series, and that it will further energize the European aviation industry’s efforts to spur innovation. Europe’s position in the world of 2050 will depend on how ambitious we are today in terms of research and innovation.”

Eric Dautriat, Executive Director of Clean Sky concluded “Clean Sky was set up to bring significant technology changes regarding the environment impact of aviation. Today’s demonstration shows that we are on track to meet our objectives.”