The demonstrator engine, UltraFan, has a fan diameter of 140 inches and is being completed at the facility in Derby, UK.
Rolls-Royce reported that it has entered the final build phase for the world’s largest aero-engine technology demonstrator, UltraFan, giving a set-up of innovations that support sustainable air travel out long into the future. The demonstrator engine, with a fan diameter of 140 inches, is being finished at the company’s facility in Derby, UK, before its first run – on 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel – in the later part of 2022.
It offers a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine. When UltraFan is on the test, data can be taken from more than 10,000 parameters, detecting the tiniest of vibrations at a rate of up to 200,000 samples per second.
Kwasi Kwarteng, Business Secretary Rolls-Royce said, “Rolls-Royce has long been synonymous with British excellence in engineering. Building the cutting-edge UltraFan demonstrator shows there’s no sign of this reputation slowing down, with Rolls-Royce playing a central role in our plans to capitalise on the global shift to cleaner, fuel-efficient flight. UltraFan, backed by the UK Government through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme, is a major opportunity for growth and jobs for the UK. I look forward to seeing planes across the world powered by technologies developed in this ultra-efficient engine demonstrator for years to come.”
Key engineering features of the engine include:
- A new, proven, Advance3 core architecture, combined with our ALECSys lean burn combustion system, to deliver maximum fuel burn efficiency and low emissions
- Carbon titanium fan blades and a composite casing
- Advanced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components that operate more effectively at high pressures and temperatures
- A geared design that delivers efficient power for the high-thrust, high bypass ratio engines of the future. The power gearbox has run at 64MW, an aerospace record
Chris Cholerton, President – Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce said, “Our UltraFan engine technology demonstrator is arriving just as the world is seeking transformative technology to deliver sustainability. We are now in the final build phase and we will perform the first test run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel later this year. The suite of technologies we are testing on the demonstrator will create opportunities to make improvements to our current fleet and provide new capability for future propulsion systems. This programme is a significant investment in the future and I am delighted that the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, Germany’s LuFo and the EU’s Clean Sky programmes have all recognized the benefits of UltraFan and provided their support.”
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UltraFan supports a variety of sustainability solutions. In the nearer term, there are options to transfer technologies from the UltraFan development programme to current Trent engines to deliver even greater fuel efficiency and reductions in emissions. In the longer term, UltraFan’s scalable technology from 25,000-100,000lb thrust offers the potential to power new narrowbody and widebody aircraft anticipated in the 2030s.
