Rolls-Royce (Sweden)

Abstract Increased greenhouse gas emissions have an adverse impact on climate change. Recently, there is an increased drive to reduce the emissions especially after the Paris agreement 2015. There are several research initiatives that have been started in the aerospace industry to reduce the emissions like NOx, CO2 and other harmful substances. This paper presents the case studies done on the potential applications of fuel cells for more electric aircrafts (MEA) to achieve the reduced emissions and reduced fuel consumption. The objective of this paper is to take a broad view of how fuel cell technology works, various types of existing technologies and their potential applications and challenges for aero engines in terms of power density. In this study, the different types of fuel cells e.g. low temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells and high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) etc were studied and identified the opportunities and challenges to make them work for aero engines as a part of electrification. Different ways of storing the hydrogen on board have been explored. The comparison has been made with battery vs fuel cell power density including the H2 tank. The case studies were made for potential replacement of shaft power off take on civil large engines with fuel cells for hybrid long range aircrafts and regional propeller jets with fully electric power.

The present paper describes the parametric design of a mixed-flow water-jet pump. The pump impeller and diffuser geometries were parameterized by means of an inverse design method, while CFD analyses were performed to assess the hydrodynamic and suction performance of the different design configurations that were investigated. An initial pump design was first generated and used as baseline for the parametric study. The effect of several design parameters was then analyzed in order to determine their effect on the pump performance. The use of a blade parameterization, based on inverse design, led to a major advantage in this study, because the three-dimensional blade shape is described by means of hydrodynamic parameters, such as blade loading, which has a direct impact on the hydrodynamic flow field. On the basis of this study, an optimal configuration was designed with the aim of maximizing the pump suction performance, while at the same time, guaranteeing a high level of hydrodynamic efficiency, together with the required mechanical and vibrational constraints. The final design was experimentally tested, and the good agreement between numerical predictions and experimental results validated the design process. This paper highlights the contrasting requirements in the pump design in order to achieve high hydrodynamic efficiency or good cavitation performance. The parametric study allowed us to determine design guidelines in order to find the optimal compromise in the pump design, in cases where both a high level of efficiency and suction performance must simultaneously be achieved. The design know-how developed in this study is based on flow field analyses and on hydrodynamic design parameters. It has therefore a general validity and can be used for similar design applications.

Electron beam welding is used to manufacture high-integrity structures, for example compressor assemblies, for the latest generation of Rolls-Royce aero-engines. For such applications, the welding variables (for example welding current, voltage, beam focusing parameters) must be optimized, such that any distortion induced by the process is insignificant when compared to the dimensional tolerances allowed by the designers. Furthermore, the residual stresses induced by the process must be described and characterized, since these are required for estimates of component life. A model for such electron beam welding processes is described, along with the strategy adopted during its development. The basis of the model is a coupled thermal-mechanical finite element analysis. Particular attention is paid to (a) modelling of the heat source, (b) the frame of reference for the analysis, and (c) choice of finite element mesh. For the purposes of calibration and verification, a number of validatory experiments have been carried out. Typical results are presented and practical benefits are discussed.