Rolls-Royce's 'Best Widebody Engine' Just Got Even Better
The Rolls-Royce Trent family of engines for commercial aircraft has become one of the most important turbofan series of the modern era. With a wide range of variants having been developed and produced over the years, the Trent has become a staple of the widebody scene, with some models built specifically for certain aircraft. One of these is the Trent XWB, which is used to power the Airbus A350.
Rolls-Royce
- Stock Code
- RR
- Date Founded
- March 15, 1906
- CEO
- Tufan Erginbilgic
- Headquarters Location
- London, United Kingdom
There are several different models that make up the XWB series of the Rolls-Royce Trent family, with one of the most important being the XWB-84. Now, Rolls-Royce has taken this game-changing turbofan to new heights by revealing an upgrade package that represents its commitment to continuous improvement, while ensuring that it also offers the most sustainable and efficient solution.
Rolls-Royce Has Unveiled A Major Upgrade Package For The Trent XWB-84
Photo: Rolls-Royce
As announced today in a statement published by the British engine manufacturer and aerospace giant, Rolls-Royce has revealed its latest upgrade package for the Trent XWB-84 engine. The company has asserted that, with the unveiling of the Trent XWB-84 Enhanced Performance (EP), "the best widebody engine just got better." This is due to a range of technological advances, as it explains:
"Our latest suite of cutting-edge enhancements strengthens the Trent XWB’s industry-leading reliability while delivering even greater fuel efficiency and lower environmental impact. The Trent XWB-84 EP enables at least a 1% reduction in fuel consumption, contributing to average annual fleet fuel savings of $5 million. This translates to lower CO₂ emissions, reduced operating costs and quieter operations by up to two decibels, all without compromising durability."
Rolls-Royce adds that the introduction of the Trent XWB-84 EP will represent the start of "a new era of efficiency, sustainability and profitability for our airline customers." The Airbus A350 is operated by a huge range of long-haul airlines based all around the world, with its Trent XWB engines collectively racking up thousands of hours of flight time every single day, on some of the industry's longest routes.
The Company Is Looking To Make A Good Engine Even Better
Photo: Rolls-Royce
The Trent XWB series of turbofans already represents an industry leader in the commercial aviation sector, with Rolls-Royce noting that the XWB-84 specifically "is the world’s most efficient large aero engine." This allows it to offer 25% reductions in the fields of fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions, both of which are key metrics when it comes to airlines' increasing emphasis on operational sustainability.
However, Rolls-Royce, in its own words, "believes in making the best even better," which is why it has fostered the ethos of continuous improvement to take the Trent XWB-84 to the next level. One key area in which the company is looking to go from strength to strength with its mighty Trent XWB-84 turbofan is through the increasing capability for these engines to run on Sustainable Aviation Fuel ( SAF).
Indeed, the company notes that, while "the Trent XWB-84 EP is already certified to operate with Sustainable Aviation Fuel blends of up to 50%," it is targeting the "capability to run on 100% SAF in the future." The future certainly looks bright!
The new engines will help reduce 1% of CO2 emissions.
The Engine Has Been Tested To Increase Its Durability
Photo: Matti Blume | Wikimedia Commons
Given the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84's role as an engine that powers long-haul aircraft from the Airbus A350 family, durability is one of its most important characteristics. After all, on a given day, these aircraft can easily spend more time in the air than on the ground, meaning that their turbofans have to be reliable.
With this in mind, alongside its development of the EP package for the Trent XWB-84 engine, Rolls-Royce has also been "subjecting the engine to one of our most extensive engine development, certification, and maturity programs ever." This saw eight development engines and three flight test engines put through their paces over thousands of hours of examination before the EP's certification in December.