Story ID: 
Contracts Awarded To Accelerate ‘Cleen’ Environment 
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: The FAA has awarded contracts valued at $125 million to several manufacturers to develop and demonstrate technologies that will reduce jet aircraft fuel co
Word Count: 159
The FAA has awarded contracts valued at $125 million to several manufacturers to develop and demonstrate technologies that will reduce jet aircraft fuel consumption, emissions and noise. The contracts–awarded to Boeing, General Electric, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce North America–are part of the agency’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (Cleen) program. The five companies will research and demonstrate a variety of technologies, including sustainable alternative aviation fuels; lighter and more efficient engine components; noise-reducing engine nozzles; advanced wing trailing edges; optimized flight trajectories using onboard flight management systems; and open-rotor and geared turbofan engines. The goals of this research include a reduction in fuel burn by 33 percent; a 60-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions; and a reduction in cumulative aircraft noise levels by 32 decibels. The agency anticipates that environmentally friendly and energy-efficient aircraft and engine technology could be introduced into the commercial jet fleet beginning in 2015, according to a fact sheet on the Cleen program.