GE Testing Unusual Airplane Engine That Saves Fuel

GE is testing a new flight engine which could save fuel while delivering more power. The thought behind the engine, first conceived in the 1980s, was to have the engine without an external casing which causes increased airflow through the blades, resulting in more power. The plan was shelved off but is now being revived in the wake of increasing fuel costs.

Last year, GE began the testing at NASA’s Glenn Research Center with a redesigned version of the original blades. Theresa Zeug, the project’s lead engineer, says that the system more than triples the airflow. More importantly, she says that the engine also saves fuel by tilting the blades to control speed. However, the engine is expected to be commercially available only after 2020.

[via Popsci]