Mission optimization of the geared turbofan engine

This paper carries out an optimization study for a conventional and a geared turbofan engine by minimizing CO2 emissions for a given aircraft mission. Aircraft performance and nacelle design data have been generated with a preliminary design and analysis tool for aircraft. Engine gas path design, mechanical layout and weight estimation as well as performance were modeled using a generic tool for gas turbine design, analysis and optimization. Although earlier studies have been made where the specific fuel consumption for the different engine configurations have been compared [1] there is a need for a study where the relative merits of a geared and a conventional turbofan are compared for a given mission. Results show that the geared turbofan can reach a 3% lower fuel consumption for the calculated mission.