Environmental technology agreement

Citation

(2003), "Environmental technology agreement", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 75 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2003.12775aab.028

Environmental technology agreement

Environmental technology agreement

A new, far-reaching co-operation agreement aimed at making air transport more efficient and environmentally-responsible was signed recently by Rolls-Royce plc., Rolls-Royce Deutschland and the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR), one of the most important aerospace research establishments in Europe.

The framework agreement follows many years of successful collaboration between Rolls- Royce Deutschland and DLR on research and technology, from which DLR has already contributed significantly towards the environmental acceptability and competitiveness of Rolls-Royce products.

The initial focus of the collaboration is civil turbofan engines and aims to further reduce both the emission of gases and particles, particularly through the development of low-emission combustors, and engine noise.

Dr Norbert Arndt, director engineering at Rolls-Royce Deutschland, said: “This far-reaching agreement underlines both the close co-operation that has existed with the DLR for some time and the importance that Rolls-Royce attaches to the capabilities of the DLR with regard to the major challenges that face aerospace technology for the future.”

Hamish Low, engineering director – Combustion Systems at Rolls-Royce plc., added: “The outstanding results of previous collaboration between DLR and Rolls-Royce Deutschland have inspired us to seek strategic collaboration with the DLR in the area of combustion and emissions reduction.”

Dr Joachim Szodruch, director aviation at DLR, said: “The DLR’s partnership with an international company like Rolls-Royce strengthens our role in Europe. Here the DLR can support German industry in an ideal fashion while at the same time opening up new dimensions in Europe.”

All civil aero engines currently produced by Rolls-Royce with a thrust exceeding 13,000 lb not only comply with all present legal emission limits, but are already below the threshold limits introduced by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for new engines certificated from 2004 onwards.

Rolls-Royce has also set itself the additional objectives of halving nitrogen oxide emissions on future engines by 2010 and reducing these by 2020 to one-fifth of the legal limits currently in force.

The core themes that have been identified so far for joint examination within the framework of the new agreement are:

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  mixture formation to reduce NOx emissions,

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  stability of combustion at low loads, upon rapid deceleration or during rain or hail ingestion,

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  ignition and re-light at high altitude,

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  avoidance and suppression of thermo-acoustic combustion fluctuations,

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  enhanced efficiency of techniques for cooling combustor walls,

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  use of ceramic materials and coatings,

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  improvements to physical and chemical sub-models for the calculation of reactive air-flows and raising of numerical efficiency, and

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  use and improvement of contact-free laser-optic measuring techniques for the investigation of pressurised combustion processes