“Our vision is to create better power for a changing world. We are dedicated to improving environmental performance, and lower emissions and fuel consumption. This second phase of CLEEN research will help us deliver more efficient products for our customers,” said Brad Belcher, Rolls-Royce Program Director for U.S. Civil Research and Technology. “The results of this advanced research will provide significant benefits across a broad range of products.”
The five-year CLEEN II program will build on the success of the original CLEEN program, a public-private partnership that began in 2010 and is a key part of the FAA’s NextGen efforts to make aviation more environmentally friendly.
Low NOx Combustion Systems
Rolls-Royce will conduct the development of an advanced combustion system that will provide superior NOx performance while simultaneously enabling fuel burn reduction in future engine products. Rolls-Royce will evaluate alternative product designs to identify the most promising technologies to reduce NOx emissions. These technologies will be evaluated and matured through a comprehensive program of rig and engine testing.
Rolls-Royce future engine technologies are aimed at progressing advanced engine technologies that meet or exceed CLEEN goals for emissions reduction, while improving engine fuel burn.
Alternative Jet Fuel Test and Evaluation
Rolls-Royce will conduct alternative fuel evaluation through a series of rig and engine tests using accepted ASTM International procedures. The alternative fuel for this programme will be selected in cooperation with the FAA. Building upon capability developed and demonstrated under the first phase of CLEEN, Rolls-Royce will also assess elastomeric seal material compatibility with the selected under simulated engine conditions.
Rolls-Royce’s environmental strategy reflects the focus of its $1.92 billion in research and development activities by concentrating on three areas: supporting customers by further reducing the environmental impact of products and services; developing new technology for future low-emission products; and maintaining the drive to reduce the environmental impact of business activities.