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Work on the first UltraFan module is underway at the firm’s DemoWorks facility in Derby. The demonstrator engine, which has a fan diameter of 3.56m, will be completed by the end of the year.
The engine could be the basis for a new family of engines able to power both narrowbody and widebody aircraft. Rolls-Royce said it will deliver a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine, which first ran 31 years ago.
That efficiency boost will help improve the economics of an industry transition to more sustainable fuels, which are likely to be more expensive than traditional jet fuel in the short term, Rolls-Royce said. The first test run of the engine will be conducted on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is often made with waste cooking oils and animal fat.
The engine includes carbon titanium fan blades and a composite casing, reducing weight by up to 680kg per aircraft. Advanced ceramic matrix composite components can operate more effectively in high-pressure turbine temperatures.
Chris Cholerton, president of civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said the engine is “arriving at a time when the world is seeking ever more sustainable ways to travel in a post-Covid-19 world, and it makes me and all our team very proud to know we are part of the solution.
“I am delighted that the UK and German governments have supported us in making these significant ground-breaking technology investments. The Aerospace Technology Institute and LuFo programmes, as well as the EU’s Clean Sky, have all helped bring us a step closer to realising the enormous environmental and economic benefits of UltraFan.”
Work is underway on UltraFan’s carbon titanium fan system in Bristol, and its 50MW power gearbox – powerful enough to run 500 family cars – is being built in Dahlewitz, Germany.
The UltraFan engine is part of Rolls-Royce’s IntelligentEngine project. Each fan blade, for example, has a digital twin that stores real-life test data, allowing engineers to predict in-service performance.
The company’s new £90m Testbed 80 facility will collect data from more than 10,000 parameters, detecting the tiniest of vibrations at a rate of up to 200,000 samples per second, helping to further understand and improve the engine.
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