TRmNT BOO

DESCRIPTION
ty at low RPM. These are moveable through about 40 via unison rings, which are turned by fuel-operated actuators acting on bellcranks and drag links. In material terms, the biggest change is in the rear stages, which are made of higher-temperature-resistant IMI834 titanium. All rotors and discs in the -700 IPC are made from titanium 64. The IPC drive-arm assembly has also been redesigned slightly from the 700 configuration to match the higher stiffness requirements of the 800. The HP compressor is a largely unchanged six-stage design based on the familiar RB.211 arrangement. The discs for stages one to four are made from high-temperature titanium and are bolted to the stage five and six discs which are madefromWaspalloy. Thefirststage blades are set in axial dovetail slots, whereas all the other stage blades are located in circumferential dovetail slots. This gives R-R the option of changing blade numbers later in the life of the engine, and reduces the leak of "windage" at certain guide-vane positions. The root sealing of the first stage HPC has also been improved over the Trent 700 and the modifications will be retrofitted to the Airbus engine. SIXTH-STAGE DISC The sixth-stage disc is welded to a Waspalloy "cone", which connects direcdy to the HP turbine mini disc. The compressor case surrounding the blades and discs is made up of six bolted cylindrical casings. The stiff casing also supports mounting points which are more rigid and help prevent carcase distortions. The flanges between the case segments are used for the vanes and abradable rotor path linings. These are deeper than previous linings to avoid rubs. The complex flange design borrows directly from the International Aero Engines V2500 and provides improved rotor tip clearances. Holes are bored through the casing to allow bleed air to be drawn from the third-stage HP compressor. Three valves on this stage, and four on the fourth IP compressor stage, are used to bleed off compressor air at low power or during acceleration or deceleration to prevent a stall or surge. The valves are controlled by the electronic engine control (EEC), and scheduled as a function of shaftspeed, ambient pressure and IP compressor inlet temperature. Taking a leaf out of earlier RB.211 configurations, the valves are designed to be fail safe so that they will always fail in the closed position. They could not be designed to fail open because bleed air at full power is too hot. The same "Phase 5" combustor lies at the heart of both the Trent 700 and 800. R-R says that the combustor "...has been very successful at reducing NOx [nitrous oxides], beating its ' 30% NOx reduction target without impacting on other emissions.". A Phase 6 double-staged combustor is in development for future generations with the promise of a further 20% reduction in NOx.

THREE SHAFTS: THE BASICS Rolls-Royce Trent 800

Eight-stage IP compresso. Low-pressure shaft (LP) 3,000 RPM Itermediate-pressure shaft (IP) 7,000 RPM High-pressure shaft (HP) 1,000 RPM

Six-stage/ HP compressor

Single-stac IP turbine

OST TURBOFANS have a low- and high-pressure spool, whereas the R-R engines have three: a high, intermediate and low spool. R-R believes that this is more advantageous because each spool can be better optimised aerodynamically and, dierefore, works more efficiendy. The fan and booster run together on the LP spool in the two-shaft engine. As the booster therefore runs at the slower speed of the fan, it limits the booster pressure rise. In the three-shaft engine, die fan runs on a separate shaft and is connected to the LP turbine and nothing else, therefore running at the optimum speed. The HP structural hollow titanium vanes. The use of structural OGVs, and the necessary weight penalty, was driven by the "hybrid" engine mount of the-800. All RB.211s before the Trent series have a mount on the fan case and on the LP turbine case. In this way, loadsfromthe core engine are transmitted up to the fan case mount via structural fan OGVs. In the case of the A330, however, there was insufficient ground clearance for this approach, so the engine is core mounted. The fan OGVs are non-structural and carry die fan case only while the lower part of the nacelle isflattenedslightly a la CFM56. For the heavier Trent 800, Boeing and R-R opted for a hybrid solution with a mix of fan case and core mounting. The front mount links to the fan case OGV ring and takes vertical and side loads. The rear mount, linked to the turbine rear frame, absorbs vertical, side and torque loads. These supports are augmented by "A"frameswhich horizontally span the bypass duct from the core to the rear fancase stiffening ring, and by twin thrust struts which sit between the rear mount and the intercase ring. The heart of both the GE90 and PW4084, 54

compressor in the three-spool engine is relieved by the IP compressor, which runs faster than the two-shaft engine's booster. As the second-stage turbine on the IP shaft runs at a lower speed, the mechanical stresses are lowered to the point where un-cooled blades can be used. As the three-shaft engine therefore requires fewer stages of compression, turbine and variable guide vanes, it is shorter than the equivalent two-shaft powerplant. The UK engine manufacturer believes the more stocky, rigid engine is therefore less prone to shaft whipping which impacts on engine life.

like all two-shaft engines, is considered to be the HP compressor. In the Trent 800, however, the IP compressor is the key to the engine performance. "Its main function is to supercharge the core," says Terrett. "The IP shaft can run at its own optimum speed (in this case 7,700RPM), so it gives you the ability to grow the engine without having to do weird and wonderful things to it like pushing the entire radius out." Compared to the Trent 700, the -800's eightstage IPC is changed in materials and aerodynamics to match the higher power and larger size of the -800 operating requirements. The most obvious change is a steeper inner annulus line which, when viewed in section, drops down more sharply into the core of the IPC. The larger opening and bigger dimensions increase flow by 5% and area, in the first half of the IPC, by 3%. Upstream of the first stage is a new variable inlet guide-vane (VTGV) which is angled to turn at right angles to the annulus. The unison ring holding all the VIGVs is made of composite for low cost and weight. Throughout the remainder of the IPC is a series of VIGVs and variable stator vanes, which control compressor stabili-

FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11 - 17 September 1996