Light-Weight Materials and Structures for Aero-engines
N E Glover, Rolls-Royce plc, PO Box
31, Derby DE24 8BJ
Abstract
With the reality of global warming now widely accepted the civil
aviation industry is facing a critical challenge: controlling fuel burn
and emissions. In recent years advances in technology have limited the
impact of air travel, but sustainable traffic growth demands further
improvements. The industry has adopted goals for the next 20 years: of
reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50% and NOX by 80%. This
puts renewed emphasis on the development of technology - particularly
materials for lightweight structures and high efficiency engines.
The paper reviews some of today's advanced materials technology in
civil aeroengines, highlights the developments required in the short to
medium term and looks at the materials challenges implicit in the
radical visions of the future.