Geoff Hunt is Pratt & Whitney’s senior vice-president, engineering & technology.

Commercial aviation has a unique opportunity when it comes to sustainable flight, and our industry must use multiple approaches to address the challenge.

We will of course continue to leverage our technical know-how and innovation to build future generations of ever-more efficient and capable aircraft.

Solution exists for aviation to reduce emissions, says Hunt

One immediate opportunity to radically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is to develop a viable and robust sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) infrastructure and marketplace as a bridge technology, as we design and build the future generation of commercial aircraft, powered by hyper-efficient engines.

At the risk of simplifying matters, industry – with appropriate government support – can develop a viable, affordable path to using SAFs.

Fact: by 2035, 44,000 aircraft are expected to be in service, and the majority of those will still be flying in 2050 and beyond. Airlines cannot re-fleet entirely when the next generation of technology is introduced from 2035.

We need a solution that bridges the technology gap between now and our sustainable future state.

A robust SAF infrastructure and marketplace would take us to 2050 with a new baseline carbon footprint from which the industry will apply our collective knowledge to reduce our footprint even further, through the diligent development and use of new technology and innovation that it has always shown.

Advancements in gas turbine engines have already reduced fuel consumption and emissions, so the near-term flying fleet is performing better. For example, Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan technology, which entered service in 2016, delivers 16-20% better fuel efficiency and corresponding carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions. However, bringing future hyper-efficient technology to the market and into airline fleets will take time.

We know how to get there; those of us in industry, and our partners in government, need to get serious about a viable path for SAF development, production and distribution. The latest-generation engine technology today can fly on 100% SAFs under test conditions, though modifications to engine components may be required. This is not a pacing event for the industry.

We need SAFs developed at scale. Today, less than 1% of fuel needs are met by their use. Governments can provide the right mix of incentives and funding to stimulate supply and demand towards an economically competitive level.

TAX CREDITS

In Europe, we are seeing a move towards mandating a minimum level of SAF usage, while in the USA, the industry is calling for “blender’s” tax credits to reduce the price differential versus kerosene. Ultimately, we will need both of these carrots and sticks to lift the growth in SAFs beyond the anaemic progress to date.

There are currently seven SAF production pathways available, and industry will also need to find a balance to avoid competition with food producers for arable land, for instance, by focusing on waste-to-fuel and power-to-liquid solutions.

Transitioning to SAFs provides benefits beyond reducing CO2 emissions. By avoiding the impurities associated with fossil-based fuels, SAFs will also cut sulphur oxide and particulate emissions, which contribute to contrail formation and other climate change impacts.

These incremental benefits, along with those from other advancements in engine efficiency, will have a meaningful environmental impact – clearly an important factor given the scale of the challenge with boosting SAF production capacity.

Although we are also investigating zero emissions technologies like hydrogen- and electric-powered propulsion, these do not compete with the drive to implement SAFs at scale; in fact they are synergistic. The buzz around hydrogen helps build up our capacity for renewable energy sources that plays directly into power-to-liquid SAF production infrastructure.

Pratt & Whitney stands ready to work with regulatory authorities to test and develop global standards for SAFs to be used in engines as “drop-in” blends at or greater than the 50% blend with kerosene allowed today. Ideally, we need to develop standards to allow any and all SAFs to be used interchangeably throughout the world, by any airline on any large commercial aircraft.

The answer to more sustainable aviation is not asking people to travel less. This is unrealistic, and the past year has shown us how important it is to connect people and grow economies through affordable air travel. The answer is in employing smarter, more environmentally friendly technologies to help people and cargo take flight.

Our industry has proven its ability to meet any challenge with practical and pragmatic solutions, and we can, and must, do it again.

Source: Pratt & Whitney

Testbed 80 to test the most efficient aeroengines of today and the even more sustainable propulsion systems of the future

Rolls-Royce has officially opened Testbed 80, the world’s largest and smartest indoor aerospace testbed, in a ceremony with the Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for the Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy, in Derby, UK.

The completion of the project is a major milestone after almost three years of construction and a £90m investment. With an internal area of 7,500m2, making it larger than a Premiership football pitch, Testbed 80 was designed with distinctive technologies and systems which are more capable and complex than any of our other testbeds. The testbed conducted its first run on a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine at the test facility in Derby, UK earlier this year.

Warren East, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce, said: “Testbed 80 is the largest facility of its type in the world. However, it is not only big, it is also smart and features the most advanced testing technology we have ever used. As the new global hub of our testing capability, it will support the next stage of our UltraFan programme as we begin ground testing the first demonstrator in 2022. This incredible piece of infrastructure is a very visible sign of our commitment to this site and secures the future of Derby as the home of large engine development, continuing a history that began in the late 1960s with the RB211.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, said: “This testbed here in Derby shows that the UK remains a global leader in aeroengine technology. I’m proud that we’re supporting Rolls-Royce’s development of the highly-efficient UltraFan engine, as well as investment in green and cutting-edge aerospace technology here in the UK that will create high-skilled, well-paid jobs for decades to come.

“As the civil aviation market recovers, the innovation of great British companies such as Rolls-Royce and the entire aerospace sector are central to our plans to build back better from the pandemic and end our contribution to climate change by 2050.”

Testbed 80 will support all three pillars of our sustainability strategy. Firstly, continuing to improve the efficiency of the gas turbine. The facility has been designed to test a range of today’s engines, including the Trent XWB and the Trent 1000, but will also have the capability to test the UltraFan® demonstrator, the blueprint for our next generation of engines. UltraFan will be 25% more efficient than the first Trent engine, and we will begin ground testing the demonstrator at the testbed in 2022.

Secondly, we are committed to promoting the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), which can already be used as “drop-in” fuels in our existing engines. Testbed 80 has been designed to support this commitment – it is equipped with a 140,000-litre fuel tank (you could fill your car up almost 3,000 times with this amount of fuel) for different fuel types, including SAFs. Next year, we also plan to run our first UltraFan demonstrator test using 100% SAF.

Finally, in line with our ambition to pioneer novel, more sustainable technologies, the testbed is designed to have the capability to test the hybrid or all-electric flight systems of the future.

Part of the new technology development for Testbed 80 has been supported by the ATI’s PACE project, specifically for the UltraFan.

Rolls-Royce is pleased to have partnered with MDS Aero Support Corporation of Ottawa, Canada, for the design and construction of this facility.

Source: Rolls-Royce

Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX), today announced it has signed an agreement with Teledyne Controls, a data delivery solutions provider that uses innovative technology to collect, manage and deliver aircraft data to more than 300 global airlines. This collaboration will enhance engine health management services offered to Pratt & Whitney powered aircraft, focused on Teledyne Control’s global customers.

“Working with Teledyne Controls, Pratt & Whitney will expand its capabilities for collecting full-flight data to a larger population of aircraft. By using a service that many airlines already subscribe to, we will leverage an existing ecosystem to bring additional benefit to our customers,” said Joe Sylvestro, vice president of Global Aftermarket Operations at Pratt & Whitney. “These advanced engine parameter data points will paint a cohesive digital picture of aircrafts’ health, further enabling Pratt & Whitney to draw insights and provide predictive maintenance.”

Teledyne Control’s data delivery solutions will expand the channels of customer data access for Pratt & Whitney and enhance the services offered through EngineWise® solutions. As the OEM, Pratt & Whitney is committed to driving maximum engine reliability and performance through its portfolio of innovative, straight forward solutions and its world-class support network.

“We are thrilled to be working with Pratt & Whitney to ensure our customers are receiving the best care for their engines,” said Michael Penta, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Teledyne Controls. “We believe in having a community available to support the customer. As the digital service provider, we are the conduit between the airline and the OEM, feeding selected parameters of the full-flight data to Pratt & Whitney, while giving the airline control over the sharing of their aircraft flight data. We realize each airline is different; therefore, we work with each customer, ensuring their data gets where it needs to go.”

This agreement between Pratt & Whitney and Teledyne Controls is all about meeting customers’ evolving needs and enhancing service to keep their operations running smoothly. Leveraging the full flight data, Pratt & Whitney EngineWise Insights Plus provides greater insights and preventative maintenance recommendations that optimize performance, mitigate fleet disruptions, reduce customers’ operating costs and maximize time in the air.

About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney, a unit of Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX), is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. To learn more about RTX, visit its website at www.rtx.com. To receive press releases and other news directly, please sign up here.

For further information: Pratt & Whitney, +1 (860) 565-9600, media@prattwhitney.com

Source: Pratt & Whitney

Rolls-Royce is further strengthening its commitment to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by launching a new service – SAFinity, which will initially cater for business aviation customers. As a first of its kind, this flexible programme combines independently verified sustainability projects with direct investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, aiming to support further and accelerate the availability and use of SAF in the aviation industry.

SAFinity enables business aviation customers to operate flights in a carbon-neutral way. It is available for all business aircraft and engines from any manufacturer and is part of our ongoing ambition to play a leading role in enabling the sectors in which we operate to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

On the occasion of EBACE Connect, the virtual European business aviation convention & exhibition, Rolls-Royce and Luxaviation Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will make the Luxembourgian company, which is one of the world’s largest business aircraft operators, the launch customer for this new service.

Frank Moesta, Senior Vice President Strategy & Future Programmes at Rolls-Royce Deutschland, said: “As the leader in business aviation services we are excited about bringing our pioneering service SAFinity to the market and with Luxaviation Group we found the perfect, sustainability-focused launch partner to start at reasonable scale. While we are also working on electrification or hydrogen technologies as long-term alternatives to fossil fuels, the use of SAF as a low-emission solution is essential to today’s decarbonisation of long-distance air travel and we actively support the ramp-up of its availability to the aviation industry.”

Nicolas Kroll, Head of Sustainability Projects, Luxaviation Group, added: “This partnership with Rolls-Royce is a further manifestation of Luxaviation’s corporate sustainability strategy that has seen the launch of a number of initiatives in 2021. We have been integrating sustainability into our decision-making process for a number of years already to improve our ways of operating as part of our promise to our customers and employees. We seek to continuously improve the way we do business and strive to offer a sustainable journey, both on the ground and in the air. To achieve this, industry engagement and partnerships are key to success. In this spirit, we are very proud to partner with Rolls-Royce for the roll-out of their SAFinity programme for business aviation.“

In recent tests, Rolls-Royce demonstrated that current engines for large civil and business jet applications can operate with 100% SAF as a full “drop-in” option, laying the groundwork for moving this type of fuel towards certification. At present, SAF is only certified for blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel. Unblended Sustainable Aviation Fuels have the potential to significantly reduce net CO2 lifecycle emissions compared to conventional jet fuel.

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

1. Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. We have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations by 2030 [excluding product testing] and joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, affirming our ambition to play a fundamental role in enabling the sectors in which we operate achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
3. Annual underlying revenue was £11.76 billion in 2020 and we invested £1.25 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.

About Luxaviation Group

Since 1964, the Luxaviation Group has been tailoring private travel experiences for a global clientele.  Founded by André Ganshof van der Meersch, a Belgian entrepreneur, pilot and nobleman, our fifty plus-year history still proudly takes flight with our commitment to creating excellence through visionary, pioneering and innovative private aviation experiences.

Luxaviation Group is comprised of top-of-the line aviation brands: Luxaviation, Luxaviation Helicopters, Starspeed, and ExecuJet. Our more than 1300 employees work in an around-the-clock operation on five continents, delivering stellar service in the areas of aircraft management for private and commercial aircraft, private air charter services, and the management and operation of VIP passenger terminals in 26 airports around the globe.

Ever innovative in spirit, the group has leveraged its global perspective, carrying the value of its founder into its transformation as the world’s premier luxury experience travel company. Through the development of bespoke luxury travel packages in private jets, various ventures, fine wines, and our very own Luxaviation Client Service Training Academy, we are honoured to evolve our brand in keeping with the ever-changing luxury travel landscape.

 

Luxaviation considers corporate sustainability as an integral part of its business strategy. The company has been integrating sustainability into their decision-making process, actively handling social and environmental concerns that surround their business and continuously seek to improve their ways of operating.

luxaviation.com

 For further information, please contact:

Stefan Wriege

External Communications – Business Aviation & Rolls-Royce Deutschland

Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG

Tel +49 (0) 171 6130802

Email stefan.wriege@rolls-royce.com

Juliane Thiessen

Chief Marketing Officer

Luxaviation Group

Tel: +41 (0) 76 356 8251

Email: juliane.thiessen@luxaviation.com

 

Rolls-Royce has officially unveiled the Pearl® 10X, the third and most powerful member of its market-leading Pearl engine family for the business aviation market. The engine has been optimised to exclusively power Dassault’s brand-new flagship aircraft, the Falcon 10X, which was revealed during a digital ceremony at Le Bourget airport in Paris today.

With more than 3,600 business jets powered by Rolls-Royce engines in service, we are the world’s leading engine supplier in this market. Our Pearl 10X is the newest member of the state-of-the-art Pearl engine family and the first Rolls-Royce engine ever to power a business jet of the famous French airframer. Dassault’s selection of the Pearl 10X for its new top of range product is another testament to our position as the engine manufacturer of choice in business aviation.

The Pearl 10X features the Advance2 engine core, the most efficient core available across the business aviation sector, and combines it with a high-performance low-pressure system, resulting in a superior thrust of more than 18,000lb. Compared to Rolls-Royce’s last generation of business aviation engines the Pearl 10X offers a 5% higher efficiency, while delivering outstanding low noise and emissions performance. The result is an engine that offers a market-leading combination of power and efficiency. This combination will enable customers and operators to have premium airport accessibility and fly ultra-long-range connections whilst also being able to travel nearly as fast as the speed of sound.

It brings together innovative technologies derived from the Rolls-Royce Advance2 demonstrator programme and proven Pearl family features to deliver world-class environmental performance. This includes a highly-efficient blisked fan; a high pressure compressor with a market-leading pressure ratio and six blisked stages; an ultra-low emissions combustor; a two-stage shroudless high pressure turbine as well as an enhanced four-stage low pressure turbine that is one of the most efficient and compact in the industry. This suite of technologies is all housed together within a brand new, ultra-slimline nacelle from Spirit AeroSystems.
The engine is being developed at the Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation Engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, and is currently undergoing a comprehensive test programme, which includes the capability to operate on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuels.

One of the new key features of the Pearl 10X will be 3D-printed combustor tiles, manufactured by an advanced Additive Layer Manufacturing process. This pioneering technology, which supports the exceptional environmental performance of the engine, has been developed and extensively tested as part of our Advance2 programme.
Chris Cholerton, President Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said: “This is a very special day for Rolls-Royce and the dedicated Pearl team, who have been passionately working behind the scenes to make this programme a reality. We are extremely proud that Dassault has chosen us to power their flagship Falcon 10X, and I would like to congratulate the Dassault family as well as the Falcon team on this special occasion. Today marks the start of a successful partnership and, with our pioneering Pearl 10X engine and leading customer service, I look forward to supporting Dassault as they continue to impress their customers in the ultra-long-range corporate jet market.”
Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO, Dassault Aviation, said: “The Pearl 10X is perfectly matched to our performance requirements for our new, ultra-long-range jet and proved itself to be the best solution also for reliability and efficiency. New technologies within its core and its digital controls make it the benchmark for powerplant technology in this business aviation segment.

Moreover, Rolls-Royce’s track record for product support ensures an outstanding customer service experience.”
Dr Dirk Geisinger, Director Business Aviation and Chairman Rolls-Royce Deutschland, added: Excellent customer support is a key focus for Dassault and Rolls-Royce – both of us have been ranked number one in our own categories for consecutive years in AIN’s Product Support Surveys. As the leading engine manufacturer in Business Aviation, our customers can trust in us to deliver outstanding levels of in-service support.

Designed for outstanding reliability, the Pearl family is supported by Rolls-Royce CorporateCare® Enhanced, the most comprehensive service programme in business aviation. CorporateCare Enhanced offers substantial financial and operational benefits to customers, increasing asset value and liquidity, mitigating maintenance cost risk and protecting against the unforeseen costs of unscheduled events anywhere in the world. Increased aircraft availability, reduced management burden, full risk transfer, direct priority access to the Rolls-Royce services infrastructure and remote site assistance are further customer benefits.

The Pearl engine family is part of the Rolls-Royce IntelligentEngine vision of a future where product and service become indistinguishable thanks to advancements in digital capability. As well as a new-generation Engine Health Monitoring System that introduces advanced vibration detection, the family benefits from the incorporation of advanced remote engine diagnostics. It is also enabled for bi-directional communications, allowing for easy remote reconfiguration of engine-monitoring features from the ground. Cloud-based analytics, smart algorithms and Artificial Intelligence continue to play an increasing role in delivering exceptional levels of availability and greater peace of mind for our customers.

Source: Rolls-Royce

MTU Maintenance, global market leader in customized solutions for aero engines and valued customer Saudi Aramco celebrates the delivery of the facility’s 9,000^th engine, a CFM56-7B from the Saudi Aramco fleet. The ceremony was carried out in a virtual ceremony between the two parties due to the on-going pandemic.

Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest listed and a state-owned petroleum and natural gas company based in Saudi Arabia. The company has been sending CFM56 engines to MTU Maintenance since 2004 and relies on MTU for excellent technical support and cost-efficient maintenance solutions for the specific requirements generated as a result of the harsh environment in which they fly. MTU Maintenance also supported Saudi Aramco’s CF34-8E engines before they were phased-out and has been taking care of their LM2500 industrial gas turbines since 2009.

“We are delighted to have achieved 9,000 shop visits and be able to share this special event with our long-term and valued customer Saudi Aramco,” adds Holger Sindemann, Executive Vice President MRO operations at MTU Aero Engines and Managing Director of MTU Maintenance Hannover. “We are engine experts and dedicated to achieving maximum performance and optimal engine life for our customer’s engines. We thank all our customers for their trust in us, without whom, we would have been unable to reach such a milestone.”

MTU Maintenance introduced the CFM56 family into its portfolio in 2000. As the number one independent CFM56 service provider worldwide with over 10 percent market share,  the MTU Maintenance network has serviced well over 2,000 engines in the past twenty years. CFM56 Services are carried out at MTU Maintenance Hannover and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, and MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg is in the process of introducing  this engine to its portfolio, with the first induction expected this summer.

Source: MTU Maintenance