Rolls-Royce aero engine technology to meet environmental challenge

Rolls-Royce will continue its record of innovation in technology which will enable it to meet the environmental challenges of the next decade, Dr Mike Howse, Director - Engineering and Technology, said at the Paris Air Show.

He said new aero engines producing less noise and lower emissions will result from the investment in research and development currently being made.

Dr Howse said Rolls-Royce was talking to Boeing about a conceptual engine for its proposed 7E7 aircraft. This would be based on advanced three-shaft design concepts developed from the current Trent family of engines and would feature new-generation technologies and components aimed at minimising noise and emissions.

He said the company was committed to meeting the ACARE (Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe) targets of halving the current perceived average noise levels from aircraft engines, cutting CO2 emissions by 50 per cent per passenger kilometre and reducing NOx emissions by 80 per cent by 2020.

"We are applying Design for Environment principles across the full life cycle of our products," he said. "Lower noise will result from innovative designs, some of which have already been tested, while improved combustion systems and engine efficiency improvements will continue to drive down emissions."

Dr Howse said these environmental improvements were being delivered through the Rolls-Royce Vision technology strategy. This defines three periods for the development of technology:

• Vision5 includes technologies that exist 'off-the-shelf' and can be applied immediately to new and existing products

• Vision10 describes a range of technologies currently at the validation stage and likely to be commercially available in around ten years time

• Vision20 comprises a broad range of emerging or unproven technologies aimed at a future generation of products around the 20-year timeframe and beyond.

Within Vision5 is the Trent 900 engine, currently being tested, which will be launch engine for the Airbus A380 when it enters service in 2006. This engine will include a number of technologies designed for low noise and minimum environmental impact.

These include a 116-inch swept fan for low noise, a low NOx combustor and a contra-rotating high-pressure turbine system which will minimise noise and reduce fuel consumption.

Under Vision10 Rolls-Royce is participating in a number of international technology validation programmes designed to test new concepts in engine design aimed at delivering environmental benefits. These include:

• ANTLE (Affordable Near Term Low Emissions)
• E3E (Environment, Efficiency and Economy)
• SILENCE(R) (Significantly Lower Exposure to Noise in the Community)
• QTD (Quiet Technology Demonstrator)

The ANTLE experimental engine is making good progress with components currently being rig-tested. Complete engine testing is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2004.

Within Vision20 the company is looking at a number of technologies which will be developed in collaboration with other companies in the industry. These include new aircraft designs, new materials and more intelligent systems.

Some of this work is being done by the Rolls-Royce network of University Technology Centres, including those at Cambridge and Southampton universities in the UK and the German Aerospace Research Establishment.

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