Blended SAF essentially serves as a drop-in replacement for traditional jet fuel. Rolls-Royce has begun clearing its engine range for 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use while preparing alongside Boeing and Virgin Atlantic for a 100 percent SAF transatlantic flight later this year with a Trent 1000-powered Boeing 787. The UltraFan’s geared architecture and optimized turbine/case clearances form part of a technology drive to create an efficiency increase of 10 percent over the Trent XWB series, which itself improved on the preceding Trent 700 by 15 percent. The company also has a number of associated technology demonstrations aimed at increasing overall gas turbine efficiency. Early tests have proved encouraging, with full power tests due for later this year following a pause to install a dynamic X-ray for examining engine behavior while it runs. With a 140-inch fan, it is the largest aero engine ever built. The UltraFan demonstrator, which began testing last month, showcases the company’s commitment to more efficient engines. For the gas turbines, however, the company is focusing on efficiency and adapting them to cleaner and ultimately zero-carbon fuel sources. Tackling sustainability stands at the heart of Rolls-Royce technology efforts, including the development of electrical power units. Even for small aircraft on shorter ranges, the gas turbine plays a part in providing power as part of a hybrid-electric propulsion system, such as the 600- to 1,200-kilowatt turbogenerator announced by the company this week at the Paris Airshow. One of the “big three” players in the global aircraft propulsion field, Rolls avers that only gas turbines can provide the necessary power density to propel large aircraft over long ranges. Despite the growth of electric motors for aviation, the gas turbine engine will continue to provide power for many years to come, according to Rolls-Royce.
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