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Advances in aircraft design




The areas of new development in aircraft technology have been in a wide variety of fields.
Engine design such as the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, the most efficient flying in the world today, have powered the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft to the skies for the first time this morning. It is a unique lightweight three-shaft design that provides a tailored solution optimized for the A350 XWB. It has a module weight savings of 15 per cent and aerodynamic efficiency improvements via the use of compressor blisk technology. It has thrust of up to 97,000lb.
·         An optimized internal air system which reduces core air demand and reduces fuel burn
·         Higher operating temperatures improve fuel burn. Latest generation material technologies so improvement achieved without degrading reliability
·         A combustor with proven reliability and that is cleaner than all current and future emissions targets, world-beating levels of performance and noise with reduced operational cost thanks to the latest fan system technologies
·         The highest efficiency turbine system of any Trent engine, which includes a second stage of IP turbine for improved efficiency and greater capability
·         new bearing system, using larger bearings with increased load capability bringing fuel burn benefits
·         most advanced engine health monitoring system for minimized operational disruption
It will be used on the A350-900 aircraft to provide a range of up to 8,100 nautical miles. It can utilize biomass and jet fuel alternatives. It is 25% more efficient than its current long-range competitor. This is also due to the use of weight-efficient airframe made from advanced composite materials.
The area of advanced landing gear had resulted in improved impact absorption. Adaptive landing gear technology utilizes a feedback system with piezo actuated valve to smooth the shock force and adapt the stiffness of the shock absorber for different landing conditions.
Developments in aeroelastic aircraft structure by producing low-cost, low-weight primary structures with the use of graphite epoxy materials for the fuselage and new wing designs have been implemented.
Program in new development have been working on efficient and environmentally friendly aero-engines, rotary-wing aircraft configurations, low external noise aircraft, low noise aircraft cabin designs with 10Db noise reduction, integrated and modular aircraft electronic systems. Developments in autonomous damage detection and vibration control systems have been developed for feedback to potential aircraft damage detection. Technologies in the improving aircraft have involved new airfoil concepts, active controls for gust load control, and stability augmentation, and new propfan technology. Boundary layer control for aircraft has been in the developing of blended wing bodies, joined wings, and new supersonic transport development.

References:
http://www.rolls-royce.com/news/press_releases/2013/14062013_engine_powers_first_flight.jsp
http://www.rolls-royce.com/civil/products/largeaircraft/trent_xwb/
http://www.rolls-royce.com/Images/Trent%20XWB_tcm92-5753.pdf
http://atwonline.com/site-files/atwonline.com/files/archive/atwonline.com/sites/files/misc/ATW_SpeedNews_FarnboroughToday_July_10_2012.pdf
http://www.transport-research.info/web/projects/project_details.cfm?ID=35416

http://www.transport-research.info/web/programmes/programme_details.cfm?ID=2387

http://adg.stanford.edu/aa241/intro/futureac.html

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