Rolls-Royce has officially begun construction of the world’s largest aviation engine, the UltraFan, which will help redefine sustainable air travel for decades to come, the British automaker announced Monday.
Work on the first module is underway at its DemoWorks facility in Derby, UK, and the demonstration motor, which has a three-and-a-half meter fan diameter, it will be finished by the end of the year.
The engine is the foundation of a potential new family of UltraFan engines capable of powering narrow-body and wide-body aircraft and offering a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared to the first generation of Trent engines.
Such improved performance is critical to achieving aviation sustainability. Gas turbines will remain the foundation of long-range aviation for many years and UltraFan’s efficiency will help improve the economics of an industry transition to more sustainable fuels, which are likely to be more expensive in the short term than traditional jet fuel. The first test run of the engine will be carried out with 100% sustainable aviation fuel.
Rolls-Royce and a variety of funding agencies have made significant investment to develop the UltraFan demonstrator and associated technologies, including Institute of Aerospace Technology and Innovate UK (United Kingdom), LuFo (Germany) and Clean Sky Joint Undertaking (Union European).
UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that “the UltraFan project is a perfect example of how we are working with the industry to deliver green and sustainable flights for decades to come. Backed with significant government support, this project represents the scale of ambition for Britain’s crucial aerospace sector. Companies like Rolls-Royce are playing a critical role as we rebuild greener from the pandemic and are committed to providing the entire aerospace industry with the support it needs to innovate and reach new heights. “
Chris Cholerton, President of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, said that “this is an exciting time for all of us at Rolls-Royce. Our first motor demonstrator, the UF001, is being put together and I am looking forward to seeing it built and ready for testing. It comes at a time when the world seeks increasingly sustainable ways to travel in a post-Covid-19 world and it makes me and our entire team proud to know that we are part of the solution.
“I am delighted that the governments of the UK and Germany have supported us in making these important and revolutionary investments in technology. The programs of the Institute of Aerospace Technology and LuFo, as well as the Clean Sky of the EU, have helped us take another step towards realizing the enormous environmental and economic benefits of UltraFan ”.
As construction of the engine begins, other key parts are already being brought in for delivery at Derby. Work is underway on UltraFan’s carbon titanium fan system in Bristol, UK, and its 50MW power gearbox, which is powerful enough to power 500 estate cars, in Dahlewitz, Germany.
UltraFan is part of Rolls-Royce’s IntelligentEngine vision; for instance, Each fan blade has a digital twin that stores real-life test data, allowing engineers to predict performance in service. When a test is performed on Rolls-Royce’s new 2.3 billion euro Testbed 80 facility, data from more than 10,000 parameters can be collected, detecting the slightest vibration at a rate of up to 200,000 samples per second. Data that helps you understand your engines and make them even better.
Key engine engineering features include:
– A new proven Advance 3 core architecture, combined with our ALECSys lean burn combustion system, to deliver maximum fuel efficiency and low emissions.
– Carbon-titanium fan blades and composite material shell reduce weight by up to 680 kilograms per plane.
– Advanced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components that operate more effectively at high pressure turbine temperatures.
– A geared design that delivers efficient power for the high-thrust, high-bypass ratio engines of the future.
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