Rolls-Royce completes HEETE compressor tests

Rolls-Royce has completed testing the compressor for the AFRL High Energy Efficient Turbine Engine (HEETE). Both Rolls-Royce and GE were awarded contracts in 2007, with the goal of surpassing 70:1 pressure ratios, while cutting fuel consumption by 25% over the best commercial turbofans available (the GE9X will have a 61:1 ratio).

A spokesperson for RR said that the compressor reached the highest pressure ratios ever seen at the AFRL testing facility.

Rolls-Royce says it has completed testing on a new advanced technology compressor for the US Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Highly Energy Efficient Turbine Engine (HEETE) programme to develop a next-generation turbofan for future subsonic military aircraft.

The company says that its version of the HEETE compressor demonstrated its "ultra-high pressure ratio performance goal and an ability to manage component temperatures at ultra-high ratio design conditions through advanced thermal management". R-R adds that its HEETE compressor achieved the highest pressure ratio ever demonstrated at the AFRL's compressor research facility during its testing.

"This successful ultra-high pressure ratio testing validates the Rolls-Royce compressor design," says Mark Wilson, chief operating officer for the company's LibertyWorks division. "The advanced compressor technology can be applied to future transport, patrol and ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] applications."

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What does this mean for us boobs not versed in high pressure engines?

Originally posted by chrismarco
What does this mean for us boobs not versed in high pressure engines?

more efficient engines could mean cheaper airfares.. but the likelihood of that i dont know..

reply to post by chrismarco


More pressure means a more efficient engine. You're going to see more power, for significantly less fuel burn, which means a much more efficient engine, so you get more range, and more loiter time for an ISR platform. If this engine makes it to commercial use, it would be a jump in efficiency, as it burns 25% less fuel than the most efficient engine currently in development, the GE9X, which will burn 10% less fuel than other engines

reply to post by Zaphod58


All sources I have read say it burns 25% less fuel than an unknown engine. Given the program was launched in 2007, I find it hard to believe it is 25% better than the GE9X. The best engine around in 2007 was likely either the Trent 900, GP7200, or GE90 - of course no military aircraft use these. So it could be 25% better than a CF6 for all we know. 25% better than GE90 makes it closer to 15% better than the GE9X. 25% better than a CF6 makes it similar to the GE9X.

Also note that the pressure ratio of 70:1 refers to the overall pressure ratio of the engine, rather than the pressure ratio of the compressor. The compressor has run but the overall engine hasn't. GE9X will have a compressor ratio of 27:1.

Zaph, what about military applications? Especially fighters.

Somewhere I read that engines for the F-22 were planned that increased thrust and range by about 25%. Was that bogus or, perhaps a different engine altogether?

reply to post by nwtrucker


This may be the future for military aircraft;

DBD plasma actuators

reply to post by nwtrucker


That's a different engine. HEETE is a subsonic engine, that most likely will begin with UAVs before they try to scale it up to larger aircraft.

The ADVENT engine will go into fighters, and supersonic aircraft. They're already moving on to the next phase with talks of an ADHEETE engine that would combine both the ADVENT technologies, as well as the HEETE technologies into one engine.