Rolls-Royce has announced that it is all set to begin testing a new small gas turbine that the company has specifically developed to power hybrid-electric flights.
Rolls-Royce is developing a new small engine as part of a turbogenerator system being developed for the Advanced Air Mobility market. Its applications could include electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and commuter aircraft with up to 19 seats.
The turbogenerator system will deliver an onboard power source with scalable power offerings between 500kW and 1,200kW. It will also enable an extended range on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and, later, as it becomes available, through hydrogen combustion. This will open up new, longer routes compared to what electric battery-powered aircraft can support today.
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Olaf Otto, President, Electrical, Rolls Royce, said, “Rolls-Royce will be the leading provider of all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for Advanced Air Mobility. The Pass-To-Test (PTT) of our brand-new small engine that will power our turbogenerator system is an important step forward. This product will enable our customers to extend the routes that electric flight can support and means more passengers will be able to travel further on low to net zero emissions aircraft.”
The development of the turbogenerator system combines Rolls-Royce’s electrical and gas turbine development competencies. The turbogenerator can be used in serial or parallel hybrid applications and is well suited to recharge batteries and provide energy to electrical propulsion units directly, enabling aircraft to switch between power sources in flight.
In the coming months, the new engine will also be tested on SAF, and it will also be used for the commissioning of Rolls-Royce’s test facility in Dahlewitz. Rolls-Royce’s Power Gearbox test facility has also been modified to accommodate testing of the new engine and confirm its technical attributes.