Invited Talk: Sustainable Propulsion at Pratt & Whitney

Speakers:

• Frank Preli, VP Technology, Pratt & Whitney
• Vince Sidwell, Director, Advanced Concepts & Technology, Pratt & Whitney

The aviation industry, which accounts for approximately 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, may contribute a greater fraction of global emissions due, in part, to the estimated increase in customer demand for global air travel over the next three decades. Moreover, persistent contrails and aviation induced cloudiness may contribute an additional 1% of CO2-equivalent climate impacts. Bio-derived and electricity-derived sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are key levers for achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Advanced aircraft engine technologies, new engine configurations implementing thermal energy recovery, and the use of alternative fuels including hydrogen may provide, in addition to CO2 reduction, mitigation to the effect of non-CO2 emissions on climate change. The cross-sectoral demands for low carbon intensity electricity in the future must be accounted for.

Biographies

Vince Sidwell is the Director of Advanced Concepts and Technologies at Pratt & Whitney. He is responsible for conceptual engine design, technology portfolio management, and technology collaboration, including recent designs and technology options aimed at reduced climate impact.

Vince joined Pratt & Whitney in 1996 and has served in a variety of positions within Engineering at Pratt & Whitney, supporting both commercial and military products. He holds a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT.

Frank Preli is currently Vice President of Propulsion and Materials Technologies at Pratt & Whitney. He has spent over 40 years at United Technologies Corporation leading the development of technologies for aerospace and energy markets.

Preli joined UTC in 1978 as an assistant materials engineer at Pratt & Whitney. He held positions of increasing responsibility at Pratt, including manager of quality and business process effectiveness, manager of technology and production readiness, and manager of materials and mechanics engineering. In 1998, Preli joined UTC Power Corporation, a world leader in fuel cell production and development for commercial, transportation, residential and space applications, where he was Vice President of Engineering until his return to Pratt & Whitney in 2008 as the Chief Engineer for Materials and Processes.

Preli earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemistry from the University of Connecticut. He also earned an MBA at the university. Preli is an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.