Rolls-Royce tests Advanced Low Pressure system (ALPS) for UltraFan engine
Composite elements of the Advanced Low Pressure system (ALPS), including fan blades, a fan case and annulus fillers, were tested together on a donor engine.
Engineers at Rolls-Royce (Derby, U.K.), have successfully tested a key component of the UltraFan engine design. For the first time, all composite elements of the Advanced Low Pressure system (ALPS), including fan blades, a fan case and annulus fillers, were tested together on a donor engine.
The engine parts are manufactured at Rolls-Royce’s Composites Technology Facility, a Composites Centre of Excellence. Each fan blade is made robotically, building up around 500 layers of carbon fiber materials. Heat and pressure are then applied, and each blade is finished with a leading titanium edge.
The Advanced Low Pressure System demonstrates Rolls-Royce’s IntelligentEngine vision. Each blade has a digital twin — an identical virtual copy. During testing, data is collected that is fed into the digital twins, allowing engineers to predict how each blade will perform in service.
“These incredible technologies are taking our world-leading fan efficiency to the next level,” syas Ash Owen, Rolls-Royce, chief engineer, Civil Aerospace Demonstrator Programmes, “More than a decade of research and development has brought us to this point and I’m confident that after extreme weather testing in Canada and performance testing in Germany, we can prove ALPS technology even further here in Derby, moving us one step closer to our UltraFan demonstrator.”
The Advanced Low Pressure System program is a partnership between Rolls-Royce, Clean Sky (Brussels, Belgium), Innovate UK (Swindon, U.K.), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (London, U.K.), the Aerospace Technology Institute (Cranfield, Bedfordshire, U.K.), ITP Aero (Zamudio, Spain) and GKN (Redditch, U.K.).
Related Content
-
Next-gen composites manufacturing: Combining material, machine and mold cavity data with analytics
Using a sensor, an edge device and machine learning software, sensXPERT sees into processes and is improving quality and cutting scrap, cycle time and energy use for composites customers like ZF and Carbon Revolution.
-
Siemens Gamesa, Airborne develop automatic preforming robot system for offshore wind blades
Danish-funded ALMA project furthers collaboration, adds new functionality, advanced sensor systems and digital twinning for reduced man-hours, waste and cost per blade.
-
Modular, robotic cells enable high-rate RTM using any material format
Airborne’s automated ply placement systems at Airbus, GKN Aerospace and Teijin Automotive Technologies aim to maximize flexibility and intelligent automation.