Rolls Royce UltraFan

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/rolls-royce-ultrafan-could-spark-patent-complaint-p-437769/

 

[steelpillow]

Giant jet engines aim to make our flying greener

How much more efficiency can be wrung out of the jet engine - technology which is over 70 years old?

www.bbc.co.uk

Around 0.7m (over 2 ft) bigger fan than the biggest Trent.

Intriguing to see a return to the carbon fibre blades originally developed for the early RB-211, but abandoned due to a tendency to fail under birdstrike and similar impact. I guess the heavy titanium leading edge of the ultrafan must have something to do with that.

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

Probably

 

[robunos]

I would assume that carbon composite technology and manufacturing techniques have advanced somewhat in the 50 years since the RB.211 fan blade was developed, also, I'm sure Rolls Royce has studied the GE90 fan blade . . .

cheers,
Robin.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Rolls-Royce unveils giant jet engine testbed in Derby

The facility in the engineer's home town allows it to put massive jet engines through their paces

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Nik]

Could P&W have 'locked out' rival geared versions by wording patent better ??

I'm thinking of the gaffe made by Darlington's patent guy who only worded it for a pair of close-coupled transistors on chip. "Or More" could have covered literally every microchip until patent lapsed...

Were P&W constrained by 'prior art' of geared super-chargers, turbos etc ??

 

[TMA1]

...when does it just become a leaky turboprop?

 

[steelpillow]

From back in August (2021):

Rolls-Royce claims aerospace world record with UltraFan gearbox

Rolls-Royce’s UltraFan power gearbox has set a new world aerospace record at its facility in Germany.

www.aero-mag.com

 

[steelpillow]

Could P&W have 'locked out' rival geared versions by wording patent better ??

I'm thinking of the gaffe made by Darlington's patent guy who only worded it for a pair of close-coupled transistors on chip. "Or More" could have covered literally every microchip until patent lapsed...

Were P&W constrained by 'prior art' of geared super-chargers, turbos etc ??

Geared turbofans are not new, Garrett introduced the TFE731 half a century ago. Why do you think any particular P&W patent would be relevant to the UltraFan?

 

[steelpillow]

...when does it just become a leaky turboprop?

Why do you see this conventional shrouded fan engine as related in any way to the turboprop? Are you confusing it with the open propfan type?