Innovations in Composites at Rolls-Royce · 2018. 12. 1. · This information is given in good...

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Innovations in

Composites at

Rolls-Royce James Lee Composites Manufacturing Engineering Specialist

© Rolls-Royce plc 2016

• Context & product evolution

• Capability Acquisition delivery model

• Areas for consideration

- Mechanical Design

- Manufacturing

• Civil Engine Applications

Content


• 2008 Position - Tens of tonnes of finished production parts/pa

- Production spend $10’sM

- Dominated by epoxy based pre-preg, hand-layed, autoclave moulded

- Majority are “simple” non-structural parts (fairings, casing liners, panels)

• 2020 Forecast - Order of magnitude increase in tonnes of finished production parts/pa

- Production spend circa over 15 times higher

- 2008 “simple” parts static

- Growth in epoxy pre-preg facilitated by manufacturing automation

- Significant growth in higher temperature resins

- Significant growth in resin transfer processes and “out of autoclave” methods of manufacture

- Dominated by high strength, high stiffness fully structural parts

Context within Rolls-Royce

© Rolls-Royce plc 2016 Private – Rolls-Royce Data

Cross sectorial


World-leading product evolution Trent XWB Advance UltraFan™ / Open Rotor

World’s most

efficient engine


Lightweight composite fan system & dressings

Trent 1000

Fan module 5% Composite

ALPS

Fan module 65%

Composite

~500lbs lighter Transformation required for:

• People

• Methods

• Standards

• Facilities

Large Engine Composites


Full-scale

manufacturing /

Investment in

capacity

Programmes

Pre-production - AxRCs

Validation Research - UTCs

Delivery Model for Capability Acquisition

CRL 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6

9 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 TRL


Global Network of Manufacturing Research Centres


Mechanical Design Challenges

• Normal operation - Centrifugal and aerodynamic loads

- Blade shape control

• Fatigue - Low cycle fatigue from cyclic operation

- High cycle fatigue from resonance and flutter

• Foreign object damage - Hard FOD, Ice and Erosion

- Bird-strike regulations

- Fan blade-off demonstration

• Design optimisation for all these load cases while maximising aerodynamic performance


22.9%

55.4%

21.7%

50%

25% 25%

25.0%

51.0%

24.0%

50%

25% 25%

23.7%

53.1%

23.1%

50%

25% 25%

24.3%

52.1%

23.6%

50%

25% 25%

24.5%

51.7%

23.8%

50%

25% 25%

23.2%

54.8%

22.0%

50%

25% 25%

23.6%

53.6%

22.8%

50%

25% 25%

22.9%

52.1%

25.0%

50%

25% 25%

25.0%

51.5%

23.5%

50%

25% 25%

• Part geometry definition - Advanced ply stacking/optimisation

- Manufacturing ply information

- Surface extension/extraction

- Flattening

- Common interfaces for export

• Validation - Digital core sampling & sectioning

- Detailed assessment of ply sequencing, orientation, ply drops

- Producibility

• Analysis - Advanced meshing for static stress & dynamic

impact modelling

- Reduced cycle time, increased iterations

Mechanical Design Topics


Manufacturing Challenges

• High efficiency aero surfaces requirement - Close geometrical control

- Surface protection and finish

• High reliability & durability - Good fracture toughness

- Metal leading edge protection

- Tight control of quality & defects

• High volume (1000’s) & low cost - Automation or easily-scalable preforming processes

- Robust processing window

• Manufacturing solution uses reliable processes, automated where appropriate for fibre pre-forming and moulding to produce consistent quality parts


Carbon Titanium (CTi) fan system

Lightweight composite fan

system & dressings ~500lbs

Weight Saving

Lower energy process

Higher Fly/Buy ratio

Lower capital costs

Lower unit costs

Infinite fatigue life,

flutter, vibration, wear

resistance, repairable

4th generation blade currently being produced


Composite Technology & Applications Ltd


Spinner cone & annulus filler

• Spinner cone - In-production in supply chain

- Prepreg or dry wound resin infusion technologies

- Hybrid reinforcement

• Annulus filler - Developed as part of Clean Skies

programme

- RTM technology

- Flight tested on ALPS engine

- Collaborative partners – FACC and IWK


Aero fairings/scoops Ducts and Pipes Brackets and clamps Electrical

Components

Requirements:

• Temperature capable materials: -55°C-200°C

• Failsafe or fire resistant/proof materials (ISO2685)

• Compatible with aerospace fluids

• Lower cost or innovative tooling to enable

composites to compete with incumbent metals

• Various methods of manufacture: hand lay up

CF/Epoxy, RTM, thermoforming/stamping, injection

and compression moulding of filled/unfilled

thermoplastics

Engine Externals Composite Components


• Key enabling technology to enhance HSE, increase repeatability & reduce cycle times

• Composite specific manufacturing

systems deployment

• CAM software to strengthen interface with engineering - common digital dataset throughout

design/manufacture/service cycle

- producibility

Automation


Key technology development

• Novel through thickness

technology - Precise controlled process

- Automated

- Enhanced design freedom

- Secure supply chain

• Automated visual inspection - Enabler to exploit maximum benefits of

automation

- Provides robust/data driven understanding

of capability

Resin rich

zone

X

Y

X

Z

Fibre

waviness

X

Z Y


Design of Large Casing

Production of Gen 3 blades

& casing

First full fan engine run

Timeline chart

Hyfil & Hyfoil blades for Conway &

RB211

Win VITAL funding

RR Selects GKN as

partner for VITAL

Gen 2 blade Bird tests

Phase 2 bird tests

Design of Gen 3 blade

1966 - 1970

8 Single Arm bird tests

FBO test

First sub-element test

formed

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Gen 3 fan blade-off test

First Gen 4 blade & bird

test

Full engine Flutter, noise

& bird test

TRL ongoing MCRL

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Rolls-Royce


ALPS composite fan testing

• Indoor testing - Blade untwist

- Tip clearance studies

- Indoor flutter mapping

- Nozzle calibration

- Initial performance curves

• Outdoor ground testing - Cross-wind testing - complete

- Noise - complete

- Outdoor flutter mapping

- Long blade tip rubbing test

- Bird strike run-on test

- Icing

• Full composite fan system - Bird ingestion test


ALPS Flight Test Video


•Composites UTC/UTP – discovery & innovation

•Validation in the AxRC/pre-production facilities

• Implementation in domestic plants or within supplier chain

Summary of development approach A highly integrated technology supply chain delivering at scale and pace

University Technology

Partnership

“hub & spoke”

Supply

Chain

NCC/pre-

production

facilities

TRL 1-3

TRL (7-9)

TRL 4-6

“Discovery and Innovation”

“Validation”

“Implementation”

CTAL

NCC pre-production cell

Rolls-Royce proprietary information


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