SODOR (large Scale ultrafan Operability technology Demonstration & leaRning)

Rolls-Royce is building a full-scale version of its next-generation UltraFan jet engine and will run it at maximum power to prove the new design can handle the stresses of real flight. The core problem is that today’s aircraft engines burn a lot of fuel and release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. UltraFan aims to cut that fuel burn significantly through a geared, integrated architecture that combines several novel sub-system technologies. But before airlines can trust these innovations, the engine must demonstrate that every component—from the fan blades to the gearbox—holds up under the most extreme conditions an engine will ever face in service. If the demonstration succeeds, the UltraFan design could become the basis for cleaner, more efficient commercial aircraft engines. That would mean lower emissions per flight, reducing aviation’s contribution to climate change without requiring a complete shift to new fuels or aircraft designs. The project also generates engineering knowledge about how geared turbofan systems behave at the edge of their operating envelope—knowledge that Rolls-Royce and the wider aerospace sector can apply to future engine programmes.