Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HEAVEN (Hydrogen Engine Architecture Virtually Engineered Novelly)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2024-12-31
Climate-neutral aviation will require the use of alternative fuels such as Green Hydrogen and Sustainable Aviation Fuel, combined with the power density of an ultra-efficient gas turbine engine for the Short and Medium Range (SMR) aircraft market, which corresponds to ~50% of the current share of air transport emissions. Rolls-Royce supported by key European & UK academia, industry and research partners are currently developing a new generation of very high bypass ratio geared engine architecture called UltraFan®. Since inception, 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, HEAVEN aims to significantly evolve the UltraFan design by improving gas turbine efficiency, taking advantage of the properties of net zero carbon fuels, and combining this with hybrid-electric technology to reduce wasted energy. Numerous innovative enabling technologies will be incorporated into this new architecture. Together with work in Clean Aviation projects CAVENDISH (hydrogen) and HE-ART (hybrid-electric), in conjunction with activities in national and regional programmes, this will be synergistically combined to validate the highly innovative UltraFan design up to TRL6, in support of a 2035 EIS.
Propulsion System Architecture & Design: Significant progress has been made in capturing, maturing, and flowing down system-level requirements to the UltraFan SMR engine. This enabled multiple architecture studies to be carried out, with design iterations completed at powerplant and subsystem level. Results from these studies allow the interrogation and optimisation of product-level attributes such as cost, weight, noise & SFC. Completion of cycle design studies have confirmed the engine architecture and integrated enabling technologies are on a credible path to meet the 20% fuel burn reduction target at integrated platform level.
Inlet/Fan: HEAVEN aims to develop advanced fan & intake capability required to achieve the true fuel burn reduction benefits of the high By-Pass Ratio cycle. This is achieved through Computational Fluid Dynamics tools and particularly through experimental rig testing performed in DNW’s world-class Large-Low-Speed Facility, located in the Netherlands. Data from these experiments will be used to understand and optimise fan-intake systems for the SMR market, allowing an improvement in SFC whilst maintaining operability. The rig build is progressing in accordance to plan with pre-test reviews passed, and manufacturing & assembly underway. Final machining, assembly, and commissioning of an aeromechanic fan rig is also underway at TU Darmstadt. Methods, tools, and design rules have been developed under the project through collaboration with Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which will be leveraged through combination with experimental data from rig testing to further help optimise future fan blade designs.
Power Transmissions: A power gearbox (PGB) between fan and turbine increases overall engine efficiency by allowing both modules to run at their optimum speed, independent of whether conventional fuel, synthetic fuel (SAF) or hydrogen is used to drive the core engine. Building off the wealth of experience with design and test of PGBs for UltraFan, Rolls-Royce continues to progress the PGB design for SMR scale, with parts on order, manufacturing trials completed and rig facility adaptation ongoing. Component scale rig testing has successfully been carried out at the University of Nottingham, with further testing planned in support of the optimisation of future transmission systems. This will leverage novel bearing material under development through collaboration with SKF, where Elementary, Sub-Scale and Ful-Scale rig testing have been carried out to establish operational limits and design guidance.
Low-Emission Combustion: The intent in HEAVEN is to deliver robust low-emission combustion systems optimised for SMR, driven by analysis in combination with testing. This work is carried out across the UK and Germany, through close collaboration between the University of Cambridge, DLR, Imperial College, Loughborough University and Rolls-Royce. The design and manufacture of low emissions SMR-scale Fuel Spray Nozzles has been successful completed and are being used to generate test evidence needed to enable reductions in emissions for SMR applications. A comprehensive rig test campaign is already underway, including the analysis of results which are being used to improve modelling and drive further optimisation studies.
Turbine Technologies: The development and validation of a novel Intermediate Pressure Turbine (IPT) concept for the SMR market is essential to increase engine efficiency, while simultaneously reducing noise, emissions, and engine weight. This concept, developed by ITP, will be experimentally validated by means of rig testing at CTA facilities in Spain. Selection of best ITP concept has been achieved following successful completion of underlying design studies, and the Test Readiness Review (TRR) of the first rig has been passed. Following a successful TRR, rig testing activities are being launched at CTA.
Inlet/Fan: HEAVEN aims to develop advanced fan & intake capability required to achieve the true fuel burn reduction benefits of the high By-Pass Ratio cycle. This is achieved through Computational Fluid Dynamics tools and particularly through experimental rig testing performed in DNW’s world-class Large-Low-Speed Facility, located in the Netherlands. Data from these experiments will be used to understand and optimise fan-intake systems for the SMR market, allowing an improvement in SFC whilst maintaining operability. The rig build is progressing in accordance to plan with pre-test reviews passed, and manufacturing & assembly underway. Final machining, assembly, and commissioning of an aeromechanic fan rig is also underway at TU Darmstadt. Methods, tools, and design rules have been developed under the project through collaboration with Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which will be leveraged through combination with experimental data from rig testing to further help optimise future fan blade designs.
Power Transmissions: A power gearbox (PGB) between fan and turbine increases overall engine efficiency by allowing both modules to run at their optimum speed, independent of whether conventional fuel, synthetic fuel (SAF) or hydrogen is used to drive the core engine. Building off the wealth of experience with design and test of PGBs for UltraFan, Rolls-Royce continues to progress the PGB design for SMR scale, with parts on order, manufacturing trials completed and rig facility adaptation ongoing. Component scale rig testing has successfully been carried out at the University of Nottingham, with further testing planned in support of the optimisation of future transmission systems. This will leverage novel bearing material under development through collaboration with SKF, where Elementary, Sub-Scale and Ful-Scale rig testing have been carried out to establish operational limits and design guidance.
Low-Emission Combustion: The intent in HEAVEN is to deliver robust low-emission combustion systems optimised for SMR, driven by analysis in combination with testing. This work is carried out across the UK and Germany, through close collaboration between the University of Cambridge, DLR, Imperial College, Loughborough University and Rolls-Royce. The design and manufacture of low emissions SMR-scale Fuel Spray Nozzles has been successful completed and are being used to generate test evidence needed to enable reductions in emissions for SMR applications. A comprehensive rig test campaign is already underway, including the analysis of results which are being used to improve modelling and drive further optimisation studies.
Turbine Technologies: The development and validation of a novel Intermediate Pressure Turbine (IPT) concept for the SMR market is essential to increase engine efficiency, while simultaneously reducing noise, emissions, and engine weight. This concept, developed by ITP, will be experimentally validated by means of rig testing at CTA facilities in Spain. Selection of best ITP concept has been achieved following successful completion of underlying design studies, and the Test Readiness Review (TRR) of the first rig has been passed. Following a successful TRR, rig testing activities are being launched at CTA.
Assessment of the project’s impact has continued under the Clean Aviation impact monitoring framework, which provides a clear link between the project’s results, the impact on the environment, as well as the project’s contribution to the Clean Aviation High Level Objectives. The HEAVEN performance model has been optimized against aircraft requirements from linked project ACAP, with the engine data pack issued to DLR for fuel burn assessments. The results confirm that the project is on a credible path to meet the SRIA objective of 20% fuel burn reduction at propulsion system level.