The World’s Largest Aircraft Engine Is Underway

Summary

This article by Caroline Delbert about Rolls Royce's newest and biggest aircraft engine makes the following points:

• Rolls-Royce has announced the construction of its UltraFan engine.
• The UltraFan is a gas turbine turbofan, meaning it's gas-powered and operates using a traditional spinning prop fan.
• The fan is over 11 feet in diameter, and the blades are carbon titanium.
• Each fan blade has a digital twin which stores real-life test data, allowing engineers to predict in-service performance. 
• Data can be taken from more than 10,000 parameters, detecting the tiniest of vibrations at a rate of up to 200,000 samples per second.
• The engine uses 25% less fuel than the original Trent turbofan.
• The UltraFan will run on sustainable jet fuels. 
• ALECSys lean-burn combustion system to help keep emissions as low as possible for a gas-powered jetliner. 
• Rolls-Royce has committed to zero net greenhouse gases by 2030.
• The UltraFan reduces the weight of an aircraft by 1,500 pounds due to the use of space-age materials and careful design.

Author: Caroline Delbert is a writer, book editor, researcher, and avid reader. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything.

References

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References from the web:

• Mar 2021 AIN online Rolls-Royce Starts Work on First UltraFan Engine
• Sep 2021 Aerospace testing International Rolls-Royce Ultrafan engine's power gearbox breaks aerospace world record
• Jan 2022 Rolls Royce Future of flight
• Jan 2022 Traveller Rolls-Royce is building the world's largest airliner engine, the Trent Ultrafan
• Mar 2022 Rolls Royce Rolls-Royce reaches new milestone as world's largest aero-engine build starts

Source Information: Popular Mechanics

• Article Source: Popular Mechanics
• Media Check: Popular Mechanics - Media Bias/Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
• Learning Outcomes:  RUNWAY TOPICS: LEARNING OUTCOMES | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)