Rolls-Royce Expands Power Offering for Sustainable Aviation with Small Gas Turbine Testing

Rolls-Royce Expands Power Offering for Sustainable Aviation with Small Gas Turbine Testing

(IN BRIEF) Rolls-Royce has announced the commencement of testing for its new small gas turbine designed for hybrid-electric flight. The engine is part of a turbogenerator system developed for the Advanced Air Mobility market, catering to applications like eVTOL aircraft and commuter planes. The system complements Rolls-Royce’s electrical propulsion portfolio by offering scalable power options and extended range capabilities using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and hydrogen combustion. The engine’s development combines electrical and gas turbine expertise, enabling it to recharge batteries and power electrical propulsion units in flight. The engine will undergo SAF testing and be utilized in Rolls-Royce’s test facility in Dahlewitz. Rolls-Royce continues to develop power and propulsion systems for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 19-Jun-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR., ADR:RYCEY), the pre-eminent engineering company with focus on world-class power and propulsion systems, announces the initiation of testing for its innovative small gas turbine designed specifically to power hybrid-electric flight. The engine is an integral part of a turbogenerator system developed for the Advanced Air Mobility market, catering to applications such as electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Aircraft for Urban Air Mobility and Commuter Aircraft with seating capacities of up to 19.

The turbogenerator system complements Rolls-Royce’s existing Electrical propulsion portfolio by offering an on-board power source with scalable power options ranging from 500kW to 1200kW. This enables extended range capabilities using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and, in the future, hydrogen combustion. By utilizing this system, aircraft can operate on new, longer routes that surpass the limitations of current battery-powered electric aircraft.

Olaf Otto, President – Electrical, said:” Rolls-Royce will be the leading provider of all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for Advanced Air Mobility. The Pass-To-Test (PTT) of our brand-new small engine that will power our turbogenerator system is an important step forward. This product will enable our customers to extend the routes that electric flight can support and means more passengers will be able to travel further on low to net zero emissions aircraft.”

The development of the turbogenerator system harnesses Rolls-Royce’s expertise in electrical and gas turbine technologies. The newly designed combustion engine incorporates recent advancements to significantly enhance the efficiency of small gas turbines. The turbogenerator can be utilized in serial or parallel hybrid applications, making it suitable for recharging batteries and directly powering electrical propulsion units. This versatility allows aircraft to seamlessly switch between power sources during flight. The research and development of this technology have received partial funding from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

In the coming months, the engine will undergo testing using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and will be employed in the commissioning of Rolls-Royce’s test facility in Dahlewitz. The Rolls-Royce Power Gearbox test facility has been modified to accommodate the testing requirements of the new engine and to validate its technical capabilities.

Rolls-Royce remains committed to developing comprehensive power and propulsion systems for all-electric and hybrid-electric applications. These systems incorporate the latest technological advancements, ranging from power generation and energy storage to power electronics, control systems, and electric motors.