Rolls Royce says that UltraFan will set new standards in efficiency and sustainability, offering a 25 per cent fuel reduction compared to the first generation of Trent engine, and deliver the same percentage reduction in emissions.

Efficiency improvement comes from the composite fan blades and fan case, which reduce weight on a twin-engine aircraft by 700kg, the equivalent of seven people travelling.

The engine which is due to start ground tests in 2021 features a new core architecture which maximises fuel efficiency and lowers emissions. Advanced ceramic matrix composites provide new heat resistant components that operate more effectively in high turbine temperatures and a new geared design will maximise high-thrust.

We have got all the building blocks in place, the design, the technologies, a brand-new testbed, and now we are actually seeing the engine come together.

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace

The fan blades are created through the build-up of hundreds of layers of carbon-fibre materials, pre-filled with enhanced, resin material. Heat and pressure are then applied, and each blade is finished with a thin titanium leading edge, which offers extreme protection against erosion, foreign objects and bird strikes.

Composite blades have already been extensively tested on an Advanced Low-Pressure System development engine, including in-flight testing on the Rolls-Royce Flying Test Bed.

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The authority is involved in developing the next generation of magnetic confinement reactor called a tokamak at their site in Culham, Oxfordshire. Research is focussed on preparing for the international tokamak experiment at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance in southern France and for the following machine that will demonstrate the generation of power from fusion.

Fusion occurs when two types of hydrogen atoms, tritium and deuterium, collide at enormously high speeds to create helium and release a high energy neutron. Once released, the neutron interacts with a much cooler breeder blanket to absorb the energy.

The breeder blanket must capture the energy of the neutrons to generate power, but also prevent the neutrons escaping and ‘breed’ more tritium through reactions with lithium contained in the blanket. Each blanket module typically measures ~1 x 1.5m and currently weighs up to 4.6 tonnes.

Engineers are proposing to make use of high-performance ceramic composite materials and to form a unitised 3D woven structure with additive manufacture components. The cooling tubes in the breeder blanket would be integrated into the material and 3D printed parts used to define features such as connectors and manifolds.

To achieve a lightweight, temperature resistant structure, a silicon carbide composite material was chosen for the breeder blanket, with the internal flow channels being created by forming the composite around a disposable core.

With a CAD model produced, a weave design was then created for the composite. The structure needed holes robust enough to include tubes and needed to maintain the preform shape without distortion. They then produced a 3D woven structure on the loom with pockets for the 3D-printed tubes which could be formed into a rigid component.

The next step for the AMRC project is to continue the silicon carbide composite development and build a demonstrator that can be tested inside a reactor test facility in order to understand how it performs and reacts to the environment

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We’re excited to establish a dedicated team of engineers and technicians working on the next generation of this potentially disruptive technology in a collaborative space. This new facility is a testament to Pratt & Whitney’s commitment to innovation. This novel material technology enables us to provide dependable engines with enhanced performance to our customers.Andy Lazur, general manager of the Pratt & Whitney Carlsbad facility

Compared to traditional materials in the hot section of a jet engine, Ceramic Matrix Composites or CMC’s for short are known to be lighter and have higher temperature capability, which can enable improved thermal efficiency for gas turbine engines. CMCs will enhance Pratt next-gen commercial and military engines to deliver increased range, increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

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The company held a dedication ceremony with federal, state and local officials, customers and employees at the new facility. Rolls-Royce purchased Hyper-Therm High-Temperature Composites back in May 2013 and continues to grow and invest with this new “CMC technology hub” located in Cypress, Calif.

Rolls-Royce President and CEO of North America, Marion Blakey said this expansion will develop novel solutions to improve performance of future aircraft engines.

The development of lighter, stronger, composite fibre components is just part of our commitment to continuously improve the performance of our products by focusing on lowering fuel consumption, emissions and noise. The team here in Cypress will be dedicated to seeing the commercial application of these technologies that will soon be adopted into advanced manufacturing production methods for gas turbine components.

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) offer multiple advantages for a range of high-tech industries such as aerospace and other applications with demanding thermal and mechanical requirements. CMCs deliver the high temperature capability of ceramics with the strength and reliability that is required for gas turbine engine applications, but weigh less than current alloys. CMC components help save on fuel costs since they are lighter weight and require less cooling over traditional nickel-based components.

The facility will develop production-ready manufacturing processes and produce components that will be used for engine test programs. From there, manufacturing processes refined in Cypress facility will be applied to a future dedicated production facility for manufacturing of engine components.

Since Rolls-Royce acquired Hyper-Therm in 2013, it has grown from 15 employees to nearly 50 positions today. The company expects to hire at least 10 more people this year with the potential for forty more positions as production and testing of products increase. In late 2015, Rolls-Royce received tax incentives totalling nearly $735,000 for the purchase of the high precision machinery, from the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority.

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The company ran the low-pressure turbine blades in an F414 turbofan demonstrator engine designed to further validate the heat-resistant material for high-stress operation in GE’s next-generation Adaptive Engine Technology Demonstrator program, currently in development with the United States Air Force Research Lab.

The introduction of rotating Ceramic Matrix Composite or CMC components into the hottest and hardest-working sections of jet engines represents a significant technology breakthrough for GE. Prior to the F414 CMC demonstrator, successful CMC applications were limited to static parts, like the high pressure turbine shroud that will be installed on the LEAP engine, currently in development for the Airbus 320neo, Boeing 737 MAX and the COMAC (CHINA) C919 aircraft.

The F414 CMC test endured 500 cycles and validated the unprecedented temperature and durability of the lightweight turbine blades made from heat resistant ceramic matrix composites. The successful tests will lead to expansive deployment of the advanced manufacturing material in GE’s adaptive cycle combat engine and next-gen commercial engines.

Because the rotating turbine blades made from CMCs are one-third the weight of conventional nickel alloys used in the high-stress turbine, they allow GE to reduce the size and weight of the metal disks to which the CMCs system is connected.

Jonathan Blank, general manager of CMC and advanced polymer matrix composite research at GE Aviation said;

Going from nickel alloys to rotating ceramics inside the engine is the really big jump. But this is pure mechanics. The lighter blades generate smaller centrifugal force, which means that you can slim down the disk, bearings and other parts. CMCs allow for a revolutionary change in jet engine design.

GE’s adaptive cycle engine will be much more durable than conventional engines because the CMC’s material temperature capability is hundreds of degrees higher than the nickel-based alloys currently being used on both commercial and military engines.

Since it began developing the technology in the early 90’s, GE Aviation has invested more than $1 billion in CMCs, which are made of silicon carbide ceramic fibres and ceramic resin, manufactured by GE facilities in Delaware and North Carolina through a highly sophisticated process and further enhanced with proprietary coatings.

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The company has significantly invested in doubling its CMC testing capacity at its laboratory in Cincinnati, setting the stage to continue its rapid development of newly emerging capabilities.

CMCs, which are capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 3,000°F and deliver unprecedented performance gains within aero engines, have been hailed as the future of the aerospace industry. The material is being utilised within the CFM International LEAP high-bypass turbofan engine, currently being developed in a joint venture between GE and Snecma, intended for use in the Airbus A320neo, the Boeing 737 MAX and China’s COMAC C919 aircraft by 2017.

Rick Sluiters, Element’s Executive Vice President, Aerospace, says:

Element recognised the potential of CMCs to transform the industry at an early stage of their development and has invested significantly alongside Prime customers to develop a market-leading testing capability.

Expansion work at Element Cincinnati began in June, with the company anticipating completion before the end of 2014.

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The 35,000 square foot building will be dedicated to the manufacturing of sophisticated oxide ceramic matrix composites.

Included with CHI’s expansion is an $11 million investment in new equipment and processes for all four existing facilities. The new facility will house a 4,000 square feet clean room with a dedicated ply cutter, laser projection and a team of personnel trained in oxide ceramic production. The new facility will also include a 15,000 square feet assembly area and a sintering furnace with 8 cubic feet capacity and 2500°F temperature capability. Ultimately, the building will include two dedicated autoclaves, an additional production sintering furnace, a smaller development furnace, 5-axis CMC machining centres, quality inspection capability for CMC products, and house the company’s executive offices.

Also included in the expansion are three 5 axis CMC mills to be added to current machining capabilities and a new high temperature 12’ x 25’ autoclave installed adjacent to its current 10’ x 20’ 800°F autoclave in the high temperature PMC lay-up building.

Along with the expansion the company has also announced that they have been selected by GE Aviation as a supplier of components for an exhaust system for a key business aircraft engine program. This award represents the largest contract in CHI’s 30-year history. High temperature CMC’s will enable manufacturers to reduce engine weight and improve efficiency.

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GE Aviation’s Sanjay Correa, Vice President, Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) Program and Mike Kauffman, Senior Executive, Composites Manufacturing were joined by Governor Pat McCrory and officials from the Asheville Area Chamber, Buncombe County, City of Asheville and NC Department of Commerce to commemorate the groundbreaking.

The new 170,000-square-foot facility will be the first in the world to mass produce engine components made of advanced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials. GE will begin hiring at the new CMC components plant in 2014. Within five years, the workforce at the plant is expected to grow to more than 340 people.

The existing workforce at GE Aviation’s current machining operation in Asheville will gradually transition to the CMC components plant.

The introduction of CMC components into the hot section of GE jet engines represents a significant technology breakthrough for GE and the jet propulsion industry. CMCs are made of silicon carbide ceramic fibres and ceramic resin, manufactured through a highly sophisticated process and further enhanced with proprietary coatings, GE plans to introduce more CMC components into future engine development programs.

The specific CMC component to be built in the new Asheville facility is a high-pressure turbine shroud, this component will be on the best-selling LEAP jet engine, being developed by CFM International, a joint company of GE and Snecma (SAFRAN) of France and will mark the first time CMCs are used for a commercial application. The LEAP engine, which will enter airline service in 2016, will power the new Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX and COMAC (China) C919 aircraft.

US Congressmen Patrick McHenry and Mark Meadows also welcomed GE’s growth in North Carolina.

The groundbreaking is a great day for Asheville and Western North Carolina. GE Aviation’s commitment to manufacture CMC components in Asheville is a tremendous boon for our area. I look forward to visiting the plant when it is completed next year.

GE Aviation has the largest and fastest-growing installed base of jet engines in commercial aviation and a global services network to support them.

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