Long service life for Trent turbofans | FLIGHT REVIEW

The British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce wants to invest almost one billion pounds (about 1.17 billion euros) in the improvement of the big engines of Trent 1000 (Boeing 787), Trent XWB-97 (Airbus A350-1000) and Trent 7000 (Airbus A330neo). . Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce, announced this last week while presenting financial figures for 2023.

“The Trent XWB-97 is a capable engine in non-dusty, non-sand markets,” said Erginbilgic. For extreme operating environments, such as the Middle East, Rolls-Royce aims to double the “wing time” of the Trent XWB-97 in the next two to three years. This should be achieved, among other things, through a more resistant coating on the high-pressure turbine blades. For regions that are more engine-friendly, Erginbilgic sees a potential “wing time” of 50 percent.

Is Emirates now ordering the A350-1000?

Erginbilgic said he met with Tim Clark, Emirates President, two weeks ago. “He is very happy where the trip is going,” said Erginbilgic. Clark can’t wait for the A350-1000 engine upgrade to come to market. At the Dubai air show last year, the Emirates boss refused to buy the A350-1000 unless Rolls-Royce significantly improved the engines.

For the Trent 1000-TEN, Rolls-Royce expects to have new high-pressure turbine blades approved this year. The new ones are meant to double “time on the wing”. This will reach a competitive strength level by 2025. In addition to the Trent 1000, the GEnx-1B from GE Aerospace is also available as a Boeing 787 vehicle.

Since 2016, Rolls-Royce has been struggling with various quality problems with the Trent 1000, with the high-pressure turbine blades being the last unfinished issue. But approval of the improved solution has been ongoing for more than three years. A similar improved blade design has already been approved for the Trent 7000 in 2022. 20 percent of the fleet has already been refitted, said Erginbilgic.