A partnership between the University of Nottingham, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, and the University of Oxford will solve six specific mechanical engineering problems that stand between today’s jet engines and all-electric flight. Aircraft face a challenge that cars do not: batteries cannot yet store enough energy for long-haul flights without being impossibly heavy. The aerospace industry recognises that hybrid-electric and eventually all-electric propulsion is essential, but the underlying engineering science is not ready. This project targets the mechanical bottlenecks—how to manage extreme electrical currents in tiny spaces, how to contain a spinning rotor if it fails, how to handle the heat from high-power electronics, and how to make lightweight structures that can also carry electrical loads. If Cornerstone succeeds, Rolls-Royce will be able to build the first generation of practical hybrid-electric aircraft engines. The immediate impact will be on manufacturing and supply chains: the partners aim to shift value away from pure metal-bashing and toward intelligent design, keeping high-skilled engineering jobs in the UK. For passengers, the payoff would come later—quieter, cleaner short-haul flights, and a credible path toward zero-carbon long-haul aviation.
View original technical description
This partnership between the University of Nottingham, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London and the University of Oxford will undertake research in order to advance six key areas of mechanical engineering science which will enable Rolls-Royce in particular (and the UK more generally) to remain at the forefront of aircraft propulsion throughout the transition to all-electric flight. Across all modes of transport, the twin challenges of climate change and decreasing fossil fuel reserves has resulted in a concerted effort to find alternatives to traditional internal combustion engine technology. In transport sectors such as rail and automotive these challenges are increasingly being addressed through the introduction of new electric vehicle technologies which is revolutionising the market through new technologies, new market entries and new business models. Several estimates indicate that within 15 years the majority of new cars will be either all-electric or electric-hybrids with range extenders. The aerospace sector faces much greater challenges in moving towards low carbon propulsion, due in large part to the greater distances that must be covered between refuelling opportunities and the fact that battery technology has not yet developed significantly enough to address the challenges of long range travel. There is however a clear recognition across the aerospace industry that a transition to all-electric flight is both desirable and essential to the future of human mobility. Rolls-Royce recently announced their commitment to a long-term future business model underpinned by hybrid-electric and all-electric flight and this partnership will undertake some of the critical, underpinning research which will enable this step-change. In order to meet the roadmaps set out by the Aerospace Growth Partnership and the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe dramatic progress must be made in a number of technology areas in order to achieve a transition to all-electric flight. CornerStone will advance six areas of mechanical engineering science: 1. High power-density contacts 2. Impact and Intelligent Failure Management 3. Advanced Static & Dynamic Load Management 4. Exploiting Aero-structural Interactions 5. Innovations in Thermal Management 6. Electro-Mechanical Interactions The underpinning scientific developments and their integration into aerospace engine applications will equip Rolls-Royce to lead the global aerospace industry in the journey up to and including all-electric flight. Cornerstone will enable Rolls-Royce and subsequently other UK machine manufacturers to achieve a step-change increase in the value of their products and to shift the proportion of added-value away from pure manufacturing towards intelligent design.
Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.
Is something wrong? Let us know