Rolls-Royce’s engine completes static testing running entirely on sustainable aviation fuel at maximum power.
UltraFan engine at Rolls-Royce factory. (Photo: Rolls-Royce).
Rolls-Royce has announced that its massive UltraFan jet engine has successfully operated at full power using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Additionally, tests have confirmed that all of the company’s current commercial engines are compatible with SAF, as reported by New Atlas on November 15. With increasing pressure on the aviation industry to develop technologies that are both efficient and environmentally friendly, Rolls-Royce’s commitment to using SAF across its entire product line, including the UltraFan, is highly significant.
As the largest and most powerful jet engine in the world, the UltraFan features a fan diameter of 356 cm and delivers a power output of 64 MW. In static testing, it provides a maximum thrust exceeding 378,000 Newtons and can increase to 489,304 Newtons for narrow-body or wide-body aircraft by the 2030s. The most notable feature of the UltraFan is its geared turbofan technology with a variable pitch fan system, allowing the engine’s turbine and fan to operate at optimal speeds. The fan blades, made from carbon composite materials, can adjust their angle to optimize performance during different flight phases. This composite material makes the engine lighter than its titanium alloy predecessor and more efficient by 10% compared to the previous Trent XWB engine.
According to Rolls-Royce, some of the technologies developed for the UltraFan can be integrated into the company’s existing engines, but the common thread is that all of them are certified to operate entirely on SAF. The latest engine certified for this is the BR710 jet engine, which is being tested at Rolls-Royce’s facility in Canada. Other engines on the list include the Trent 700, Trent 800, Trent 900, Trent 1000, Trent XWB-84, Trent XWB-97, Trent 7000, BR725, Pearl 700, Pearl 15, and Pearl 10X.
It is expected that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Virgin Atlantic, equipped with the Trent 1000 engine, will make the world’s first transatlantic flight powered by SAF. Currently, international standards allow a maximum of 50% SAF blended with 50% conventional jet fuel. Rolls-Royce hopes that the trial flights and static tests will help change these regulations.
