Rolls-Royce has announced that its Testbed 80 facility will test today's most efficient aircraft engines and future more sustainable propulsion systems.
Rolls-Royce officially opened the Testbed 80, the world's largest and smartest indoor aerospace test facility in Derby, England, at a ceremony attended by Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng. as carried out.
In the statements made by the authorities, it was stated that the project, which was completed after an investment of 90 million pounds and a construction period that lasted for about three years, is an important milestone for the aviation industry. It was stated that the Testbed 7, which has a surface area larger than a football field with its 500 thousand 2 m80 closed area, was designed with unique technology and systems that are superior to all other test facilities of Rolls-Royce. It has been announced that the first test at its facility in Derby, England, was carried out earlier this year on Rolls-Royce's new Trent XWB engine.
Emphasizing that the new facility is of great importance for the aviation industry, Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East said: “Testbed 80 is the world's largest facility in its class. On top of that, it's not only big, it's a smart facility, and it has the most advanced testing technology we've ever used. This facility, which will be the new global hub for our testing capability, will also support the next phase of our UltraFan program when we begin our first demonstrator ground test in 2022. This outstanding infrastructure is testament to the continued ties we formed with the Derby region during the development of our RB1960 engine in the late 211s. With this facility we have inaugurated, the Derby region will continue its tradition of hosting major engine development in the future.”
Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, stated that Testbed 80 will make a great contribution to the region and said: “This test facility in Derby is proof that the UK continues to be a global leader in aircraft engine technology. In this context, I am proud to support Rolls-Royce's development of its highly efficient UltraFan engine and this green and cutting-edge aerospace technology investment that will create high-skilled job opportunities for the UK in the future. With the recovery started in the civil aviation sector, I believe that the innovations made by major British companies such as Rolls-Royce and the entire aviation sector will greatly contribute to the UK coming out of the pandemic stronger and realizing its plans to contribute to the fight against climate change by 2050.”
In a statement made by Rolls-Royce, it was stated that the Testbed 80 will support three pillars of the company's sustainability strategies. Within the scope of "continuing to increase the efficiency of gas turbines", the first of these strategies, it was stated that the facility was designed to test current engines, including the Trent XWB and Trent 1000. It was emphasized that the Testbed 80 will also have the capacity to test the UltraFan® demonstrator, the new generation Rolls-Royce engine prototype. It has been announced that the ground tests of the UltraFan, which will provide 25 percent efficiency compared to the first generation Trent engine, will begin in 2022.
Rolls-Royce reports that the Testbed 80 is also designed to comply with the second part of the strategy, 'Promoting the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)'. In this context, it was stated that Testbed 80 has a total fuel tank of 140 thousand liters for different fuel types, including SAF, which can already be used as a "drop-in" fuel in the company's existing engines. The company announced that it plans to use 100 percent SAF in the first test of the UltraFan demonstrator next year.
As part of the last leg of the strategy, it was announced that the Testbed 80 facility, built in line with the company's goals to pioneer more sustainable technologies, is designed to test hybrid or all-electric flight systems of the future.
In the statement made by the developer team, it was stated that some of the technologies developed for the Testbed 80 were specifically designed for UltraFan within the scope of ATI's PACE project.
Rolls-Royce stated that the design and construction process of the facility was implemented in partnership with Canada-based MDS Aero Test Corporation.
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