Rolls-Royce Lean-Burn Combustion test engine runs for first time

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Rolls-Royce Lean-Burn Combustion test engine runs for first time

06 February 2018

Rolls-Royce has run a demonstrator engine specifically devoted to the optimisation of a new lean-burn and low-emissions combustion system for the first time. This system is being designed for future jet engine programmes.

The ALECSys (Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System) demonstrator successfully ran for the first time on a testbed in Derby, UK. Technology from the system features in both the Advance3 and the UltraFan® demonstrator programmes.

The lean-burn system improves the pre-mixing of fuel and air prior to ignition – delivering a more complete combustion of the fuel and, as a result, lower NOx and particulate emissions, both of which are increasingly important to airline customers in terms of operating economics and environmental performance.

The development of the system received funding from the European Union’s Clean Sky SAGE (Sustainable And Green Engine) programme.

The lean-burn system will play an important part in delivering the IntelligentEngine, Rolls-Royce’s vision for the future, as it builds on pioneering technology and digital capabilities to deliver important benefits for customers.

Andy Geer, Rolls-Royce, Chief Engineer and Head of Programme - UltraFan, said: “We are very proud to see this technology come to life for the first time. We are confident that the ALECSys sytem will offer significant benefits for our customers and look forward to putting the demonstrator through its paces.”

The first run of ALECSys is the latest in a series of Rolls-Royce key technology milestones that include:

  • The Advance3 test engine, incorporating the same core architecture that will be used in UltraFan, ran for the first time in November
  • The Power Gearbox that will enable UltraFan to work efficiently at high bypass ratios reached 70,000hp, an aerospace record, in September.

UltraFan is a geared, scalable design suitable for both widebody and narrowbody aircraft. It is designed to offer 25% fuel efficiency improvement over the first generation of Rolls-Royce Trent engines.

The ALECSys system ran for the first time housed within an adapted Trent 1000 engine.

For high-res images please see here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rolls-royceplc

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

  1. Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver the cleanest, safest and most competitive solutions to our planet’s vital power needs.
  2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 4,000 marine customers including 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
  3. Annual underlying revenue was £13.8 billion in 2016, around half of which came from the provision of aftermarket services. The firm and announced order book stood at £82.7 billion at the end of June 2017.
  4. In 2016, Rolls-Royce invested £1.3 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 31 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.
  5. Rolls-Royce employs almost 50,000 people in 50 countries. More than 16,500 of these are engineers.
  6. The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills. In 2016 we recruited 274 graduates and 327 apprentices through our worldwide training programmes.

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