Long term planning in aerospace technology Long-term ... - Ingenia
Long term planning in aerospace technology Long-term ... - Ingenia
Long term planning in aerospace technology Long-term ... - Ingenia
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TECHNOLOGY<br />
DR MIKE HOWSE OBE FREng<br />
DIRECTOR – ENGINEERING AND<br />
TECHNOLOGY,<br />
ROLLS-ROYCE PLC<br />
<strong>Long</strong>-<strong>term</strong><br />
<strong>plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>aerospace</strong><br />
<strong>technology</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>genia<br />
30<br />
Few bus<strong>in</strong>esses have to plan<br />
their future development over<br />
such long time scales as the<br />
<strong>aerospace</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry. Rolls-Royce<br />
has looked closely at the<br />
<strong>plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> of its future strategy.<br />
Here Dr Mike Howse describes<br />
its approach.<br />
In <strong>in</strong>dustries with a very long view such<br />
as <strong>aerospace</strong>, acquir<strong>in</strong>g the right<br />
technologies at the right time is a<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess skill of vital importance to all<br />
the companies <strong>in</strong>volved. Customers’<br />
requirements change markedly over<br />
time accord<strong>in</strong>g to market demands,<br />
corporate social responsibility <strong>in</strong> <strong>term</strong>s<br />
of the environment, and the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
str<strong>in</strong>gent statutory requirements laid<br />
down by national and <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
legislation.<br />
<strong>Long</strong>-<strong>term</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestment and longrange<br />
<strong>plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> are vital, so Rolls-Royce<br />
has mapped out its research strategy,<br />
group<strong>in</strong>g <strong>technology</strong> acquisition with<strong>in</strong><br />
three broad time bands – up to around<br />
five years, around ten years, and up to<br />
20 years and beyond. This it calls its<br />
Vision 5, Vision 10 and Vision 20<br />
programmes.<br />
The short <strong>term</strong><br />
Vision 5 <strong>in</strong>cludes near-<strong>term</strong><br />
development such as that under way<br />
on the Trent 900 programme for the<br />
Airbus A380, but also embodies the
TECHNOLOGY<br />
on which the company collaborates<br />
with General Electric.<br />
Figure 1 Advanced aerodynamic<br />
'swept' fan blades are now<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to service with Rolls-<br />
Royce Trent 500 and 900<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>es<br />
improvement of exist<strong>in</strong>g products by<br />
<strong>in</strong>corporat<strong>in</strong>g new but proven<br />
technologies <strong>in</strong>to them. An example is<br />
the <strong>in</strong>sertion of the Trent highpressure/combustion<br />
module <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
RB211 eng<strong>in</strong>e to enhance fuel<br />
efficiency and lower emissions.<br />
A strategy of putt<strong>in</strong>g technologies<br />
‘on the shelf’, available for use <strong>in</strong> new<br />
products, has already proved highly<br />
effective. It is a fundamental pillar <strong>in</strong> the<br />
‘Derwent Process’, which Rolls-Royce<br />
applies when <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g all new<br />
products. Technologies f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
way onto ‘the shelf’ also carry the<br />
benefit of potential dual use. While<br />
developed for a particular purpose, a<br />
<strong>technology</strong> used <strong>in</strong>itially <strong>in</strong> a civil eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
may have equal or wider potential<br />
application <strong>in</strong> defence products – or<br />
vice versa.<br />
Economies of scale accrue from<br />
concentrat<strong>in</strong>g on technologies offer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the broadest overall benefits. Such an<br />
example would be the wide-chord fan<br />
blade, pioneered on the civil range of<br />
RB211 and Trent eng<strong>in</strong>es, but now<br />
applied to the latest military products –<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the fan for the powerful<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e used <strong>in</strong> the Jo<strong>in</strong>t Strike Fighter,<br />
The medium <strong>term</strong><br />
Vision 10 technologies are those be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
validated for use <strong>in</strong> tomorrow’s eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
products – such as metal matrix<br />
composites <strong>in</strong> compressor discs, which<br />
offer large weight sav<strong>in</strong>gs, and which<br />
are already be<strong>in</strong>g manufactured and<br />
tested. An important part of the<br />
approach is to have a range of<br />
<strong>technology</strong> demonstration programmes<br />
aimed at deliver<strong>in</strong>g these ‘packages’<br />
of <strong>technology</strong>: it is a low-risk approach<br />
that leads to products with marketlead<strong>in</strong>g<br />
performance, reliability and<br />
cost benefits.<br />
Much Vision 10 effort is geared<br />
towards fuel efficiency, environmental<br />
improvements and life-cycle costs –<br />
ga<strong>in</strong>s that will result <strong>in</strong> a more<br />
competitive, and acceptable, product<br />
for the broader market. Rolls-Royce<br />
has declared targets to reduce fuel<br />
burn by 10%, reduce oxides of nitrogen<br />
(NOX) by 50% of the current legislative<br />
standard and reduce noise by 10 dB<br />
(effectively halv<strong>in</strong>g today’s levels) by<br />
2010. This is ambitious when the<br />
aviation <strong>in</strong>dustry has already made such<br />
giant strides <strong>in</strong> reduc<strong>in</strong>g emission and<br />
noise levels s<strong>in</strong>ce the jet age dawned<br />
little more than half a century ago.<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>es are 70% more efficient,<br />
proportionally four times quieter and<br />
cleaner than they were then. To make<br />
Figure 2 ANTLE Combustor (advanced<br />
near-<strong>term</strong> low emissions) is<br />
the next generation of aero<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e combustors<br />
further step-change improvements,<br />
the whole <strong>in</strong>dustry has to meet the<br />
challenges together. This collaborative<br />
approach has already begun <strong>in</strong> some<br />
areas.<br />
Reduc<strong>in</strong>g emissions<br />
Future emissions improvements will<br />
be developed and generated through<br />
the <strong>in</strong>ternational ANTLE demonstrator<br />
(Advanced Near-Term Low Emissions)<br />
programme, supported by European<br />
Union fund<strong>in</strong>g, co-funded by <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />
and led by Rolls-Royce. This fulleng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
demonstrator will look at a<br />
wide<br />
variety of areas with<strong>in</strong> the eng<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
mitigat<strong>in</strong>g risks associated with new<br />
<strong>technology</strong> acquisition. ANTLE will<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude further combustion <strong>technology</strong><br />
Figure 3 Part of the ANTLE<br />
programme, specifically<br />
the manufactur<strong>in</strong>g trials for<br />
a high-pressure (HP)<br />
compressor blisk<br />
(bladed disc)<br />
<strong>in</strong>genia<br />
31
TECHNOLOGY<br />
Rools Royce<br />
Advert<br />
from issue 11 page 46<br />
Full Page Ad<br />
Page 32
TECHNOLOGY<br />
research, cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g the development<br />
of staged combustor systems. The<br />
approach uses a direct <strong>in</strong>jection, leanburn<br />
s<strong>in</strong>gle annular configuration,<br />
which delivers staged combustion but<br />
optimises the use of cool<strong>in</strong>g air. The<br />
system is designed to more than<br />
double the air go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the primary<br />
zone of the combustor, result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
reduced peak temperatures that will<br />
reduce NOX to 40% of current<br />
regulations.<br />
Reduc<strong>in</strong>g noise<br />
Noise-reduction <strong>in</strong>itiatives have been<br />
undertaken with airframe and eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
partners. These <strong>in</strong>clude SILENCE(R), a<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>t programme with Airbus, SNECMA<br />
and MTU. SILENCE(R) <strong>in</strong>corporates a<br />
negatively scarfed <strong>in</strong>take, optimised<br />
acoustic l<strong>in</strong>ers, nozzle-lip treatment,<br />
and designs of fan, turb<strong>in</strong>e and outlet<br />
guide vane profiled for low noise.<br />
Many of these technologies will be<br />
progressively proven <strong>in</strong> ground-based<br />
tests on rigs, and on ANTLE, based<br />
on the Trent 500 eng<strong>in</strong>e. Others will<br />
ultimately be proven <strong>in</strong> a flight test<br />
programme.<br />
Figure 4 Some of the research team at the Southampton University Noise<br />
Technology Centre, one of 20 Rolls-Royce UTCs <strong>in</strong> Europe<br />
Test<strong>in</strong>g on a program with Boe<strong>in</strong>g<br />
has been undertaken with modified<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e exhaust nozzles and an<br />
advanced acoustic l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g with<strong>in</strong> the<br />
<strong>in</strong>take cowl. Static test<strong>in</strong>g at the Rolls-<br />
Royce Hucknall facility proved<br />
successful and flight test<strong>in</strong>g on a<br />
Boe<strong>in</strong>g 777 showed significant<br />
reductions, exceed<strong>in</strong>g expectations.<br />
Other technologies<br />
‘More electric’ technologies provide<br />
potentially <strong>in</strong>creased functionality with<br />
reduced mechanical complexity, giv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
significant cost, weight and reliability<br />
benefits. Cab<strong>in</strong> air would be provided<br />
by a dedicated electrical system,<br />
replac<strong>in</strong>g the eng<strong>in</strong>e bleed off-take.<br />
Conventional lubrication systems would<br />
be discarded <strong>in</strong> favour of oil-less<br />
magnetic bear<strong>in</strong>gs. These, together<br />
with a generator mounted directly onto<br />
the fan shaft to provide power for<br />
aircraft systems, encourage researchers<br />
to believe an airframe-<strong>in</strong>tegrated system<br />
could make significant reductions <strong>in</strong><br />
fuel consumption. Further weight could<br />
be saved by avoid<strong>in</strong>g the need for a<br />
separate emergency generator system<br />
and by mov<strong>in</strong>g to a distributed control<br />
Keep it quiet!<br />
With<strong>in</strong> its Vision10 and Vision20 programmes, Rolls-<br />
Royce is <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> various research programmes <strong>in</strong>to<br />
reduc<strong>in</strong>g noise and emissions from air travel.<br />
In the noise arena, SILENCE(R) is be<strong>in</strong>g run as a<br />
European collaborative programme compris<strong>in</strong>g Airbus,<br />
SNECMA and MTU, as well as Rolls-Royce, among its<br />
partners. Launched <strong>in</strong> 2001, it is the third <strong>in</strong>tegration<br />
phase of the European aircraft noise reduction campaign,<br />
and is expected to be complete <strong>in</strong> around 2005.<br />
SILENCE(R) <strong>in</strong>corporates a number of novel features,<br />
notably a negatively scarfed <strong>in</strong>take to direct noise<br />
upwards, plus hot stream l<strong>in</strong>ers, nozzle lip treatment<br />
and optimised acoustic l<strong>in</strong>ers.<br />
Technologies such as low noise fans and vanes will<br />
be validated <strong>in</strong> rigs and demonstration vehicles such as<br />
ANTLE (see the ma<strong>in</strong> text), while other technologies<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>ers and treated nozzles would be validated<br />
<strong>in</strong> flight aircraft.<br />
Complementary research has been conducted with<br />
Boe<strong>in</strong>g which <strong>in</strong>volved modify<strong>in</strong>g a Trent 800 eng<strong>in</strong>e with<br />
a package of technologies – <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g modified nozzles<br />
and advanced acoustic l<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gs over an <strong>in</strong>creased area of<br />
the <strong>in</strong>take cowl.<br />
Static test<strong>in</strong>g took place at Rolls-Royce’s Hucknall<br />
specialist test facility <strong>in</strong> Nott<strong>in</strong>ghamshire <strong>in</strong> 1999, followed<br />
by flight test<strong>in</strong>g on a Boe<strong>in</strong>g 777 <strong>in</strong> 2001.<br />
Targets orig<strong>in</strong>ally set for the flight test were reductions<br />
<strong>in</strong> jet noise of 3 dB and fan noise of 7 dB. In fact, the<br />
results were 4 dB and 13 dB, respectively, demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the level of improvements that are possible.<br />
Such programmes are further supported by work<br />
undertaken by the company’s dedicated University<br />
Technology Centre at Southampton University’s worldrenowned<br />
Institute of Sound & Vibration Research (ISVR)<br />
– and its own group of specialist eng<strong>in</strong>eers who are<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g experts <strong>in</strong> this field.<br />
<strong>in</strong>genia<br />
33
TECHNOLOGY<br />
system, <strong>in</strong>corporat<strong>in</strong>g local <strong>in</strong>telligent<br />
devices, coupled through digital<br />
<strong>technology</strong> to pylon-mounted systems<br />
away from the eng<strong>in</strong>e itself.<br />
This <strong>technology</strong> area is another<br />
equally applicable to military aircraft<br />
systems – or mar<strong>in</strong>e applications,<br />
where electric systems would facilitate<br />
advances <strong>in</strong> ship design by allow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
more flexibility <strong>in</strong> locat<strong>in</strong>g the gas<br />
turb<strong>in</strong>e generators, lead<strong>in</strong>g to reduced<br />
cost and noise, and improved<br />
manoeuvrability. Indeed, more electric<br />
ship demonstrators are already well on<br />
the way. For full ‘more electric’ benefits,<br />
aircraft design will need to <strong>in</strong>corporate<br />
the same pr<strong>in</strong>ciples. The Power<br />
Optimised Aircraft (POA) programme,<br />
launched earlier this year, aims to<br />
maximise ga<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> fuel burn, air quality<br />
and reduced or elim<strong>in</strong>ated subsystems.<br />
This will <strong>in</strong>clude a specific<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>e demonstration of the latest<br />
electrical technologies.<br />
Underp<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g all Vision 10 and Vision<br />
20 programmes is the <strong>in</strong>dustry-wide<br />
<strong>plann<strong>in</strong>g</strong> that decides <strong>in</strong> which direction<br />
the bus<strong>in</strong>ess is mov<strong>in</strong>g. Senior Rolls-<br />
Royce research staff have to establish<br />
the shape and size of the foundation –<br />
both with<strong>in</strong> the company and through<br />
its external l<strong>in</strong>ks – for acquir<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
technologies and processes required to<br />
achieve those broader bus<strong>in</strong>ess goals.<br />
The long <strong>term</strong><br />
Vision 20 embodies a range of<br />
technologies aimed at the future<br />
generation of products <strong>in</strong> a 20-year<br />
timeframe. They are at the strategic<br />
research stage – emerg<strong>in</strong>g or as yet<br />
unproven – but the product-focused<br />
approach promotes the development of<br />
specific technologies through the<br />
company’s extensive research base.<br />
Much of this <strong>technology</strong> will be applied<br />
right across the company’s portfolio,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g mar<strong>in</strong>e and energy as well as<br />
civil and defence <strong>aerospace</strong> products.<br />
Vision 20 goals will need to dovetail<br />
with broader European <strong>in</strong>itiatives such<br />
as those be<strong>in</strong>g pursed by the Advisory<br />
Council for Aeronautic Research <strong>in</strong><br />
Europe (ACARE), <strong>in</strong> which Rolls-Royce<br />
is participat<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
ACARE’s own 2020 Vision<br />
programme foresees cutt<strong>in</strong>g by half<br />
the current perceived average noise<br />
levels, reduc<strong>in</strong>g carbon dioxide by<br />
50%, and reduc<strong>in</strong>g NOX (classed as<br />
one of the key greenhouse gases<br />
promoted by <strong>aerospace</strong> activity) by a<br />
massive 80%. The realisation of these<br />
goals will come only through a<br />
collaborative approach, with aircraft<br />
makers, airl<strong>in</strong>es, air traffic<br />
management and the eng<strong>in</strong>e<br />
manufacturers all play<strong>in</strong>g their part.<br />
Meet<strong>in</strong>g such targets is likely to be<br />
mandatory as the broader community<br />
sets legislation for ‘greener’ and more<br />
environmentally acceptable products.<br />
<strong>in</strong>genia<br />
34<br />
Figure 5 The Rolls-Royce LiftFan for Jo<strong>in</strong>t Strike Fighter be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stalled <strong>in</strong>to<br />
Lockheed Mart<strong>in</strong>'s X-35B flight demonstrator aircraft<br />
Collaborative research<br />
There is <strong>in</strong> place a strong global<br />
network of collaborative research l<strong>in</strong>ks<br />
and <strong>in</strong> the UK there are 19 University<br />
Technology Centres (UTCs) conduct<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fundamental research, work<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
specific Rolls-Royce goals on long-<strong>term</strong><br />
funded contracts. These contracts<br />
address eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g subjects as varied<br />
as vibration, noise, transmission<br />
systems, power eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
combustion, control systems,<br />
aerothermal, performance, materials<br />
damp<strong>in</strong>g, advanced materials and<br />
manufactur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>technology</strong>. UTCs are
TECHNOLOGY<br />
funded over several years, have an<br />
academic director, research fellows and<br />
assistants, and a co-ord<strong>in</strong>ator from<br />
Rolls-Royce who sets and re<strong>in</strong>forces<br />
the goals of the research be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
undertaken. The bus<strong>in</strong>ess focus<br />
thereby rema<strong>in</strong>s very sharp, and<br />
mutual <strong>in</strong>dustry/academic benefits<br />
are more concrete.<br />
The first <strong>in</strong>ternational UTC <strong>in</strong><br />
Europe was recently launched at<br />
Chalmers University at Gothenburg<br />
<strong>in</strong> Sweden, study<strong>in</strong>g hydrodynamics<br />
<strong>in</strong> support of the mar<strong>in</strong>e bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong><br />
which Rolls-Royce is a world leader.<br />
The company has forged longstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>ks with ten<br />
other major <strong>in</strong>stitutes <strong>in</strong> Scand<strong>in</strong>avia<br />
and Germany. Collaborative research<br />
<strong>in</strong>to areas such as turbomach<strong>in</strong>ery and<br />
high-temperature materials is also<br />
conducted with some of North<br />
America’s foremost academic centres<br />
of technological excellence <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Purdue (where the first USTC was<br />
established this year), MIT, Georgia<br />
Tech, Stanford and Penn State. In<br />
Asia, several <strong>in</strong>stitutes <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a,<br />
Japan and S<strong>in</strong>gapore are work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
collaboratively <strong>in</strong> combustion,<br />
powerplant <strong>in</strong>tegration, diagnostic<br />
and new material discipl<strong>in</strong>es.<br />
This structured, product-focused<br />
‘Vision’ for the future means Rolls-<br />
Royce can cont<strong>in</strong>ue to offer marketlead<strong>in</strong>g<br />
products with the latest<br />
<strong>technology</strong>, <strong>in</strong>troduced at m<strong>in</strong>imum<br />
risk, ensur<strong>in</strong>g the company and the<br />
UK eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g base have a strong<br />
future. ■<br />
Dr Mike Howse is the Director of<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and Technology – Civil<br />
Aerospace at Rolls Royce oversee<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the wide range of <strong>in</strong>-service eng<strong>in</strong>es<br />
and the <strong>in</strong>troduction<br />
of new Trent<br />
and other<br />
variants. He<br />
has worked<br />
for the<br />
company for<br />
over 30 years<br />
and is also a<br />
visit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
professor at<br />
Cranfield<br />
University. He was awarded the<br />
OBE for services to <strong>aerospace</strong>.<br />
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