Rolls-Royce has partnered with the UK’s University of Nottingham and software developer Ansys to carry out a research initiative for the development of innovative technology for the next generation of cleaner and quieter aircraft engines.

Under the five-year AERIS project, the partnership will work towards the improvement of modelling and simulation in aero engine bearing chambers and internal gearboxes.

The project will also develop, validate and optimise new techniques to address air and oil flows in engines.

It will be conducted under the Clean Sky 2 programme. The university is a core partner and member of the systems, airframes, and engines integrated technology demonstrators (ITD) in the programme.

Ansys’ engineering simulation software will be used to enable researchers to consolidate their models and numerical methods for industrial applications.

“Ansys’ engineering simulation software will be used to enable researchers to consolidate their models and numerical methods for industrial applications.”

In addition, the project will benefit from the expertise of the Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT). It holds a portfolio of 15 projects worth €38m that aim to fulfill the goals of Clean Sky 2.

IAT director Herve Morvan said: “With AERIS, we are working at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) four to six. This means that we first verify our ideas and methods in our laboratories but also support the testing and validation of critical system functionalities in a realistic and industry-relevant environment.

“After this, we progress the technology to and past TRL6 where it becomes usable and can be exploited by Rolls-Royce.”

Furthermore, AERIS is in line with University of Nottingham’s Gas Turbine and Transmissions Research Centre’s (G2TRC) priority strategy on delivering thermofluids insight and methods to Rolls-Royce. This will promote future design options and engine architectures.

The project also complements IAT’s longer-term priority strategy on future propulsion, which brings together the university’s expertise on gas turbines with more electric aircraft propulsion.