Project description
A step closer to hydrogen-powered, zero-emission aero engines
Building on the success of its Trent family of engines, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has developed UltraFan, the largest aircraft engine in the world. This geared design with a variable pitch fan system is expected to power both narrow- and wide-body aircraft and improve fuel efficiency by 25 %. The EU-funded HEAVEN project will significantly develop Rolls-Royce scalable UltraFan architecture and suite of technologies for future civil aviation, providing a platform for hydrogen and hybrid-electric technologies. Numerous innovative enabling technologies already developed as proof of concept (TRL3) will be incorporated into this new architecture to improve gas turbine efficiency.
Objective
Climate-neutral aviation will require the use of alternative fuels such as Green Hydrogen and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) combined with the power density of an ultra-efficient gas turbine engine for the Short and Medium Range (SMR) aircraft market which corresponds to approximately 50% of the current share of air transport emissions. Rolls-Royce (represented within the HEAVEN project by RR-UK & RR-D) supported by key UK and European academia, industry and research centres are currently developing a new generation of very high bypass ratio geared engine architecture called UltraFan® which was started in 2014. From the beginning this ducted engine architecture has been designed to be scalable and meet the needs both of widebody and SMR markets. To achieve the necessary 20% fuel burn reduction Rolls-Royce proposes to significantly evolve the UltraFan design. The evolved engine architecture design will take the next steps in improving the efficiency of the gas turbine, take advantage of the properties of net zero carbon fuels such as Hydrogen to improve efficiency, combining this with Hybrid electric technology to reduce wasted energy. Numerous innovative enabling technologies already at TRL3 will be incorporated into this new architecture to improve the gas turbine efficiency. Together with work on Hydrogen in CAVENDISH (HRA-01) and Hybrid Electric in HE-ART (HER-01) Clean Aviation projects in conjunction with activities in national and regional programmes, this will be synergistically combined to validate up to TRL6 the highly innovative UltraFan design to support a 2035 EIS. HEAVEN brings together a highly specialised European industrial and academic consortium already strongly involved and familiar with the UltraFan programme. Additionally, the partner easyJet, European airline operator who have the largest fleet of European manufactured SMR aircraft operating in Europe, will bring an in depth knowledge of operational requirements and impact in this market.
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HORIZON-JU-IA - HORIZON JU Innovation ActionsCoordinator
15827 Blankenfelde-Mahlow
Germany
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Participants (9)
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
88046 Friedrichshafen
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48170 Zamudio-Vizcaya
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
48170 Zamudio Vizcaya
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01510 Minano (Alava)
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78180 Montigny Le Bretonneux
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8316 PR Marknesse
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64289 Darmstadt
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28040 Madrid
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51147 Koln
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Partners (10)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
S10 2TN Sheffield
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LE8 6LH WHETSTONE
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LU2 9PF Luton Bedfordshire
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LE11 3TU Loughborough
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NG7 2RD Nottingham
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SW7 2AZ LONDON
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CB2 1TN Cambridge
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OX1 2JD Oxford
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
MK43 0AL Cranfield - Bedfordshire
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
N1 9FX London
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