Trent XWB in focus

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Tuesday 11 August 2020 12:00 PM

Trent XWB in focus

Even when cruising at 35,000 feet, it can be easy to forget that flying is a truly incredible feat. Jet engines are constantly pushing the boundaries of physics; all while becoming quieter, more efficient, and better for the environment.

Just over six years ago, engineers waved off the first Trent XWB engine as it made its way from Derby, UK to Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France, ready to power the first Airbus A350 into the sky. The Trent XWB is the exclusive engine for the A350.

Now, the first engines have reached their first ‘shop visit’ – where engines are taken apart, and parts that endure a high amount of load or stress are replaced. For example, a high-pressure turbine blade experiences the same load as a Formula 1 car every time it takes off and will complete thousands of flights before it needs to have these blades replaced.

As the first engines leave the workshop, we look at how the Trent XWB has performed.

Millions have flown powered by the Trent XWB

The Trent XWB now powers 317 aircraft for 31 operators, helping them to reduce CO2 emissions and fly further on less fuel, reliably and efficiently. It has demonstrated industry-leading standards of reliability, durability and versatility.

As the aviation industry gradually begins to recover from the historic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the A350 is being used significantly more than other models. Its versatility and the ability to store belly cargo and passengers, as well as its fuel efficiency, has meant that many A350 aircraft have continued to fly at least once a day.

The Trent XWB is the most reliable engine we have ever produced; it is ready to take off on time 99.9 per cent of the time, which means the chances of a flight being delayed because of the engines are extremely slim.

It’s also the most efficient engine we’ve ever made, thanks to a combination of improved technology, lightweight materials, a high bypass ratio, and the continuous improvements in efficiency we’ve made across the Trent family of engines over the past 25 years.

350 times around the world before a shop visit

For an engine that regularly flies through some of the world’s harshest conditions, sometimes for up to 18 hours at a time, it’s unprecedented that the Trent XWB has demonstrated such durability and reliability.

“Jet engines are incredibly complex pieces of engineering, made up of tens of thousands of components that are each working flat out. We are always pushing the boundaries of physics, and it can’t be overstated just how impressive it is that the Trent XWB has flown for so long without a shop visit. It’s like you driving a car for five years without it ever needing a part replaced,” says Adair Swan, Senior Vice President, Trent XWB Services.

It is very normal for engines to need parts servicing before their first scheduled shop visit. Sometimes new and more efficient engine parts present new challenges, and that’s part of innovating. But the Trent XWB has performed consistently, reaching its first scheduled shop visit and beyond.

The first engines to be overhauled have travelled on average 14 million kilometres, the equivalent of 350 times around the world. They’ve travelled to 111 different cities and have behaved exactly how we wanted them to over time, with no unplanned maintenance.

The Gulfstream G700 during its first flight in February 2020, which used a 30/70 blend of sustainable aviation fuel.

The third era of aviation

If the jet age will continue for decades to come for long haul travel, it overlaps with a new phase in aviation, which is receptive to disruptive technologies – the third pillar of our strategy.

We are involved in a range of electrification programmes – from urban air mobility single seater to regional aircraft – that seek to use a range of all or hybrid electric technologies. And in parallel, we are also investigating hydrogen and fuel cell options for the longer term.

Those programmes are based on the approach of learning through doing. For example, we have teamed up with start-up company Electroflight for the ACCEL programme, which is an aircraft currently being completed at Gloucester, UK, with plans to set an air speed record of at least 300mph for an all-electric-powered aircraft. Our state-of-the-art electrical system features the most powerful battery ever built for flight.

Not only is this project teaching us about battery management and high-power discharge technologies, it is also giving us greater understanding of how to work quickly and effectively with a new start-up with no loss of focus on the need for safety.

We are also continuing to develop our integrated power generation system in Bristol, UK. This involves the integration of our generator, now well advanced on test in Trondheim, Norway, with our already-proven control systems and thermal management systems, which have been developed at Derby, UK, and Indianapolis, US, respectively.

It is quite a task and one that is driven by the pioneering spirit of this project. The generator is about the same size as a beer keg but has to produce a staggering 2.5 MW – that’s enough power to supply 2,500 homes.

That testing will put us in an extremely strong position to support any future decision, by an airframer or a government, to invest in a compatible early hybrid-electric flight demonstrator. We are also seeing continuing strong interest in the kilowatt class of propulsion, with many projects under development for inter and intra-city operations. Our expanded electric aircraft teams in Bavaria, Germany, and Budapest, Hungary, are proving highly valuable in giving us a much better understanding of that particular market.