- May 3, 2021, 8:20 AM
Airbus has firmly committed to a hydrogen-powered future and is now advancing three different concepts for new airliners that could enter service from around 2035. (Image: Airbus)
While much of the discussion about how to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint has focused on the availability of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and when and how electric aircraft may be unshackled from the limits of battery technology, hydrogen has been quietly moving up the future propulsion agenda. However, hydrogen has been gaining momentum for some time in other sectors of transportation, such as road, rail, and marine vehicles, and is increasingly being viewed as a viable longer-term alternative to fossil fuel. Some of the more bullish pioneers in the field are claiming they could have hydrogen-powered aircraft approved for service as soon as 2025 or 2026.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (London, U.K.) announced on March 29 that it has officially started building its first UltraFan prototype engine at its DemoWorks facility in Derby. U.K. with expectations to complete the prototype by the end of the year.
UltraFan, which the company says will be the world’s largest aero-engine and will contribute to sustainable air travel, features what will be the world’s largest fan rotor blades made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). Rolls-Royce announced in 2020 that manufacture of the blades had begun at its Bristol, U.K. facility.
According to Rolls-Royce, the engine is the basis for a potential new family of UltraFan engines able to power both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, and to deliver a 25% fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine.
Will Searle, chairman of Axillium. Photo Credit: Axillium
GKN Aerospace (Solihull, U.K.) announced in March that it is leading a new U.K. industry consortium called ASCEND (Aerospace and Automotive Supply Chain Enabled Development) to develop and accelerate composite manufacturing and processing of composites technologies for the next generation of energy-efficient aircraft and future mobility.
The £39.6 million consortium is funded by a £20 million commitment from industry and a £19.6 million commitment from the UK Government via InnovateUK and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). It will focus on greater adoption of composite technologies, the industrialization of new technologies through the acceleration of commercial aerospace production rates to meet future flexible high-volume requirements.
22nd April 2021 10:17 am 22nd April 2021 12:30 pm
An aerospace project is underway that aims to develop a novel test and certification process for aeronautical structures that combines cyber-physical information.
Airbus’ Iron Bird test rig (Image: Airbus)
Sponsored by the Aerospace Technology Institute, £15m data-driven ‘Smarter Testing’ programme will use existing physical test programmes to explore how novel inspection techniques can be used to predict product performance and identify failures early.
The three-year project brings together the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Airbus Operations, CFMS Services, GOM UK, Dassault Systemes UK and Liverpool University.
According to NPL, there is an increasing drive for businesses to use data-driven simulations to replace physical testing. This will allow engineers to accelerate product development and unlock the complexity of proving that a product or system meets performance requirements.
âDigital testbedâ could replace physical testing in aircraft manufacturing 21 Apr 2021
Professional Engineering
Stock image. The Smarter Testing programme aims to explore digital inspection techniques for use in aircraft development and manufacturing (Credit: Shutterstock) âDigital inspectionâ using simulation and modelling could replace physical testing in the development of new aircraft, the partners behind a new project have said.
The Smarter Testing programme, led by the National Physical Laboratory and Airbus, aims to explore how novel inspection techniques can be used to predict product performance and identify failures early.
The three-year, £15m project, sponsored by the Aerospace Technology Institute, will use existing physical test programmes to generate data. That data will be used to develop the expertise, algorithms and frameworks needed to be able to replace physical testing with simulation and modelling.