The European Union Clean Aviation program will proceed with more than €700m of funding for 20 aviation research and innovation programs from across the industry. Following the evaluation of first Call for Proposals, a proportion of this funding, subject to successful completion of grant preparation, will enable Rolls-Royce and partners, to carry out what they say will be ground-breaking research that will accelerate sustainable propulsion and decarbonization research.
The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is the European Union’s leading research and innovation program for transforming aviation towards a sustainable and climate neutral future. Rolls- Royce will be a partner in six programs including the lead co-ordinator in the three research and innovation projects outlined below:
HEAVEN – Hydrogen Engine Architecture Virtually Engineered Novelly:
The consortium is led by Rolls-Royce and contains key academic, research and industrial partners across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. This project will significantly develop our scalable UltraFan architecture and suite of technologies for future civil aviation opportunities and provide a platform for Hydrogen technology and hybrid-electric technology to be suitably incorporated into our civil aerospace portfolio.
HE-ART – Hybrid Electric propulsion system for regional AiRcrafT:
This consortium consisting of a diverse industrial, research and academic team is led by Rolls- Royce with partners from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom. HE-ART will focus on demonstrating enabling technologies for hybridization by ground demonstration of a hybrid-electric thermal turboprop (e-TP) while taking important steps towards an optimized hybrid propulsion system for a future regional aircraft.
CAVENDISH – Consortium for the AdVent of aero-Engine Demonstration and aircraft Integration Strategy with Hydrogen:
Led by Rolls-Royce, this consortium will involve significant academic, research and industrial partners from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. CAVENDISH will integrate liquid hydrogen systems onto a modern donor engine for ground testing. The project will also explore alternative enabling technologies in the form of a dual fuel combustor system, a cryo-compressed tank system and define requirements and activities towards flight demonstration.
“We are delighted to be asked to proceed to grant preparation by the European Union’s Clean Aviation program,” said Alan Newby, director of Aerospace Technology and Future Programs, Rolls-Royce. “Rolls-Royce is focused on advancing sustainable power and propulsion systems and this will build on our existing expertise to help accelerate the technological breakthroughs that could help deliver net zero carbon by 2050 and transform the way that we travel.”