Rolls-Royce UltraFan

Rolls-Royce runs world’s most powerful aerospace gearbox for the first time.

Rolls-Royce successfully run the world’s most powerful aerospace gearbox for the first time. This is a significant step in the development of its new UltraFan jet engine design.

The first run of the Rolls-Royce Power Gearbox (PGB), at the company’s facility in Dahlewitz, Germany, marks the start of a series of tests which will see the gearbox reach up to 100,000 horsepower – the equivalent of more than 100 Formula 1 cars.

Mike Whitehead, Rolls-Royce, Chief Engineer and Head of Program UltraFan Technologies, Civil Aerospace, said:

“This is another significant step in bringing our future technology to life. We launched the UltraFan design in 2014 and now we are putting our new infrastructure to work to turn it into reality.”

UltraFan, available from 2025, will offer a 25% fuel efficiency improvement over the first generation of Rolls-Royce Trent engine.

It will feature:

  • A new engine core architecture – to deliver maximum fuel burn efficiency and low emissions.
  • A CTi Fan System – carbon/titanium fan blades and a composite casing to reduce weight
  • Advanced ceramic matrix composites – heat resistant components that operate more effectively by requiring less cooling air
  • A geared design will deliver efficient power for high-thrust, high-bypass ratio engines of the future.

via newatlas

source Rolls-Royce