The aerospace and defense industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by environmental concerns, supply chain diversification, geopolitical competition, and the growing importance of technologies such as advanced materials, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and alternative propulsion research. In the last three years alone, there have been over 237,000 patents filed and granted in the aerospace and defense industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Advanced materials in defense: CMC turbines. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 206,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the aerospace and defense industry, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
CMC turbines is a key innovation area in advanced materials
CMC turbines refer to turbines that incorporate ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials in their construction. CMCs combine ceramic fibers with a ceramic matrix, using methods such as filament winding, braiding or knotting. They provide significant durability and heat resistance capabilities, all while having on average one-third of the material density of metal alloys traditionally used in turbine design. These newer types of turbines utilize CMC components such as brake components, flow passages, joint structures, and blade tracks to improve performance and durability. They also require less cooling, which has helped companies such as General Electric and Rolls-Royce to simplify some aspects of engine design.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 50+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defense companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of CMC turbines.
Key players in CMC turbines – a disruptive innovation in the aerospace and defense industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to CMC turbines
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
RTX (formerly Raytheon) is the leader in patent filings for CMC turbines, which have been used extensively by its subsidiary business Pratt & Whitney for engine design. The company filed 255 CMC turbine-related patents from 2015 to 2023. Pratt and Whitney’s CMC designs primarily use silicon carbide, making use of two abundant elements for scaled production.
In terms of application diversity, Snecma (Safran) is ranked the highest, particularly as a manufacturer of spare parts for commercial aviation engines. By geographic reach, Elbit Systems from Israel is ranked first, followed by MBDA France and General Atomics.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the aerospace and defense industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Advanced Materials (AdMs) in Defense.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
