UltraFan

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We develop and deliver complex power and propulsion solutions.

For more than 100 years we have been at the forefront of innovation. Helping to power, protect and connect the modern world.

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Help us deliver better power for our changing world.

We develop and deliver complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land.

Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together.

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UltraFan

The Ultimate TurboFan

The sustainable solution for decades to come

As the world seeks greater aviation sustainability, we are creating UltraFan

UltraFan is a demonstrator aero engine – the largest in the world – containing a suite of new technologies that deliver greater fuel efficiency, which in turn means lower emissions and greater sustainability.

Phase 1 of testing UF001 has now completed, with the engine running to full power, >85,000lbs of thrust.

All of them have been through their own individual series of tests, using digital technology to confirm their performance before being brought together in our whole-engine demonstrator, UF001.

Those technologies are scalable, capable of being developed to create an engine with a thrust range of ~25,000lb to 110,000lb, for narrowbody or widebody aircraft that may be developed from the 2030s

In parallel, some of the technologies could be applied to our current in-service engines to deliver even greater efficiency and sustainability in the nearer term.

The UltraFan demonstrator is designed for the future – it will be ready to run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel from day one of service. In addition, we are actively exploring potential options for hybrid-electric and hydrogen power solutions.

140"

UltraFan has a 140-inch fan diameter, the large fan and relatively small core is key to its efficiency

64MW

The UltraFan power gearbox has delivered 64MW on test, an aerospace power record

25%

UltraFan offers a 25% fuel burn improvement on the first generation of Trent engine

Rolls-Royce announces successful run of UltraFan technology demonstrator to maximum power

Discover our interactive UltraFan engines app here:

DISCOVER ENGINES

UltraFan technology

WATCH

UltraFan images

Designed for the future

A step-change in efficiency

A new engine architecture, fan system technology, new materials and a power gearbox all create a very high bypass ratio engine. And that means greater efficiency and sustainability.
UltraFan is 25% more efficient than the first-generation Trent and offers 40% less NOx and 35% less noise and almost zero nvPM particulates at cruise.
And in a world where new sustainable aviation fuels will initially be scarce – maximising efficiency will be a significant factor in narrowbody and widebody aircraft operations.

100% SAF ready

UltraFan will be ready to run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from day one of service.

The demonstrator first run in May 2023 at our new £90m Testbed 80 in Derby, UK, was powered by 100% SAF.

SAF is important as a drop-in solution to the challenge of sustainability in aviation, providing a lifecycle carbon reduction of at least 80% compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces.

Our Derby and Bristol test facilities in the UK have now switched to 10% SAF for test and development; Our Dahlewitz facility in Germany has a different distribution network but still using the equivalent of a 10% SAF blend.

Hybrid-electric

We’ve already tested our Power Generation System 1 (PGS1) hybrid-electric system to beyond 1.5MW, giving us industry-leading experience. Those tests took place at Trondheim, Norway, and Bristol, UK, using a modified AE 2100 engine with power electronics and advanced thermals.
We are now assessing airframer future requirements and potential product applicability for our engines in the future. One option is a "More Electric" engine where we increase the level of electrical technology content, for example extracting power directly or electrifying the oil and fuel systems. Alternatively, micro-hybridisation would enable us to use stored energy to optimise engine performance throughout the flight cycle to further reduce fuel consumption.

Hydrogen

We are committed to fully understanding the opportunities and challenges of hydrogen power systems and, with our partner easyJet, have announced a comprehensive research programme of rig and engine tests to prove the fuel can safely and efficiently deliver power for small-mid size aircraft from the mid-2030s onwards.

Our first ground test successfully completed at a specialist outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down UK in 2022, using a specially modified AE 2100 engine; we’re now working towards the ground testing of a Pearl 15 engine. This will build on hydrogen combustion tests already well underway in partnership with Loughborough University and German research insititute DLR.

We have further ambitions to move this on to a flight test phase as part of the programme in the long term.

Advanced technologies

UltraFan contains a suite of technologies, all designed to deliver greater efficiency. All of them have been through their own individual series of tests, using digital technology to confirm their performance. Now they are being brought together in our demonstrator. Find out more below:

Composite fan

Carbon composite and a titanium leading edge – efficient and robust

Our demonstrator features carbon composite titanium fan blades with a titanium leading edge and a composite casing. That combination reduces the weight of the overall fan system, helping to create additional fuel burn efficiency. The blades were created at our Bristol centre of excellence for composite technology, using an automated tape layup system while the titanium sheath protects against foreign object damage and bird strikes.

The blades are created through the build-up of hundreds of layers of carbon-fibre materials, pre-filled with toughness-enhance resin material. Heat and pressure are then applied.

The blades have already been extensively tested on an Advanced Low Pressure System (ALPS) development engine, including in-flight testing on the Rolls-Royce Flying Test Bed.

The blades on the UltraFan demonstrator are also record-breakers – with a diameter of 140 inches the fan system is the largest in the world.

Power Gearbox

Power at the heart of UltraFan

Our Power Gearbox (PGB) is at the heart of the geared system that delivers UltraFan’s high bypass efficiency – enabling the demonstrator core to drive the very large fan blades. Built at our facility in Dahlewitz, Germany, the gearbox delivers 50MW – the equivalent power of 500 family cars. On test, the PGB has reached 64MW (87,000 horsepower) an aerospace record and equivalent to the power requirements for a city the size of Bath, UK.

The planetary design of the PGB is designed to allow the turbine at the rear of the engine to run at a very high speed while the fan at the front runs at a slower speed. When UltraFan is on test, a “real twin” PGB will run in Dahlewitz so that performance data can be compared to further improve the efficiency of the testing programme.

Development testing has been carried out at Dahlewitz since 2017, focusing on validation, endurance and reliability. Tests have taken place on at Attitude Rig, which simulates the effects of the gearbox being on the wind of an aircraft in flight, through phases such as take-off, climb, banking and descent.

Lean burn combustor

A lean-burn and low-emissions combustion system, reducing fuel burn and improving emissions performance

The ALECSys (Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System) is a lean burn technology within the engine demonstrator that improves fuel efficiency and sustainability. Through improved pre-mixing of fuel and air prior to ignition a more complete combustion is achieved. As well as maximising energy release from the fuel, there is also an emissions benefit, with lower NOx and particulates produced.

An ALECSys demonstrator engine first ran in 2018 on a testbed in Derby, UK, and has carried out icing tests in Manitoba, Canada, at temperatures of -20C.

ALECSys has also run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel in its testing development programme, running within a Trent 1000 “donor” engine.

Advance3 core

A revolutionary new core design, taking advantage of our 3-shaft architecture

Advance3 is a new architecture within the demonstrator core that is designed for ever greater efficiency and sustainability. Engineers have created a new ‘work split’ between turbine modules, with a two-stage high pressure turbine and a single-stage intermediate pressure turbine. The compressor system helps to deliver an overall pressure ratio of up to 70:1 for UltraFan.

The new architecture was tested within a core that was attached to a Trent XWB fan system and a Trent 1000 low pressure turbine to create a hybrid demonstrator engine. Built at our facility in Bristol, UK, it was then transported to Derby, UK, where it achieved full power on a testbed in 2018.

Net Zero - Powering sustainable growth

We have pledged to achieve net zero carbon in our operations by 2030 and play a crucial role in enabling the sectors in which we operate reach net zero by 2050.
Our new products will be compatible with net zero operation by 2030 and all our products will be compatible with net zero by 2050, in line with our UN Race to Zero commitment.