Pratt receives $25M from FAA for work on quieter, cleaner engines

pratt & whitney east hartford manufacturing

Photo | Pratt & Whitney A Pratt & Whitney engine.

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By Zachary Vasile

East Hartford-based jet engine-maker Pratt & Whitney will get $25 million from the Federal Aviation Administration — and invest another $25 million of its own money — to help develop quieter, cleaner-burning aircraft propulsion technology.

In a statement, the manufacturer said the combined $50 million will be used to design an “ultra-quiet” engine fan and advanced combustion systems that will increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

The funding represents the third phase of the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise initiative, which has been working to develop and implement improved jet engine technology in collaboration with major industry players such as Pratt, General Electric, Honeywell and Rolls-Royce since 2010.

Pratt & Whitney received prior CLEEN awards in 2010 and 2015, which supported the development of new compressor and turbine technology.

“We are honored to continue to partner with the FAA to explore advanced engine technologies and deliver additional significant fuel savings and environmental benefits,” said Frank Preli, who serves as vice president of propulsion and materials technologies at Pratt. “This third award is a result of our proven track record over the last 11 years, working on FAA CLEEN I and II strategies and deliverables.”

Pratt & Whitney is a subsidiary of Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon Technologies Corp.