Rolls-Royce has announced the completion of the construction of the first demonstration model of the massive
UltraFan - a giant turbofanengine with blue blades. Its 3.56 m diameter propeller is almost 5% larger than that of the largest modern airliner engine, the General Electric GE9X. Despite the huge diameter of the fan, the turbines themselves are quite compact inside.
Rolls-Royce engineers designed the engineso that a large volume of air flows around the compressor core and not through it. This creates a high bypass ratio that reduces noise levels by 35% and reduces fuel consumption, the company says.
UltraFan engine. Photo: Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce believes that long-haulAviation will not be able to give up hydrocarbon fuel in the near future. UltraFan will run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel, but could be retrofitted for hybrid electrification or hydrogen in the future.
At the same time, representatives of the company say thatthe new engine will use about a quarter less fuel than the first generation Trent models currently in use. This will reduce the cost of flights and make them safer for the environment. This will also affect the flight distance - it will grow significantly. In addition, UltraFan reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 40% and completely eliminates the emission of particulate matter into the atmosphere.
Ultrafan engine. Image: Rolls-Royce
In the near future, the company will send a new device to a test site in the UK.
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