Safran hopes new fuel-efficient jet engine can reshape air travel

By Tim Hepher

ISTRES, France (Reuters) - French aero engine maker Safran (SAF.PA) unveiled a new engine prototype on Tuesday that would radically cut fuel consumption, potentially reshaping air travel from 2030.

The Open Rotor engine, which places previously hiddenwhirring parts on the outside to capture more air, was developedwith European Union backing and is being tested in speciallybuilt facilities at a French military base near Marseille.

Shaped like an elongated egg with two rows ofblades at the back, the engine aims to burn 15 percent less fuel than current conventional turbofan engines, which have also improved significantly in recent years.

Clara de la Torre, a top European Union research official, said the new type of engine could help airlines cut air fares because it requires less fuel.

Whether the engine enters service, however, depends on the strategies of airplane makers such as Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N), whose best-selling single-aisle planes are expected to be renewed in around 2030.

Such engines would most likely be placed at the back of theairplane instead of under the wing, leaving room for the tworows of scimitar-shaped carbon blades to swirl in oppositedirections.

It is not the first time engine makers have looked atrevisiting the design of the traditional jet engine.

U.S. engine makers looked at so-called unducted fans in the1980s before dropping the idea when oil prices fell. At thetime, such engines were also considered too noisy.

But the completely fresh design could become attractive as energy costs rise and regulations require fewer emissions, said Safran Chief Executive Philippe Petitcolin.

"If we want to be ready in 2030 we have to start now," hetold reporters. "If oil prices return above $100 (75.48 pounds) I thinkthere will be much stronger interest."

SHORTER-TERM SOLUTION

Rolls-Royce (RR.L) has also looked at the technology. One of the unknowns is the reaction of passengers to seeinga double row of fast-spinning blades, rather than an enginewhose moving parts are concealed. "It is a question to which we don't yet know the answer,"Petitcolin said.

Regulators would also have to work out how to certify theengine, using existing rules for failed parts and bird strikes.

Safran is also looking at a shorter-term solution to cutting emissions and fuel consumption based on traditional engine architecture. Its "Ultra-High Bypass Ratio" engine would cut fuel consumption by 5-10 percent and would be ready for service by 2025. That could coincide with Boeing's tentative plans to produce a new mid-market jet in the middle of the next decade. Any decision to offer either engine to planemakers would bemade through CFM International, Safran's joint venture withGeneral Electric (GE.N). Beyond these ideas, Safran and others are already thinkingabout bolder schemes, such as hybrid electric technology and distributed power, which could usher in futuristic plane designs from 2040. "Instead of one engine, there could be 10 or 20," said Safran's research chief Stephane Cueille.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Susan Fenton)