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Rolls-Royce has successfully completed a series of tests using 100 percent SAF on the next-gen business aviation engines, the Pearl 15 and the Pearl 10X. The Pearl 15 is the first member of the Pearl engine family and powers the Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft and the Pearl 10X is set to power Dassault's new ultra-long-range Falcon 10X.
The tests took place at the Rolls-Royce Business Aviation headquarters in Dahlewitz, Germany as part of the ongoing mission to play a leading role in the journey to achieving net zero flight emissions by 2050. The tests to prove engine compatibility with 100 percent SAF were run to run a back-to-back engine test with both Jet A-1 and SAF on the same Pearl 10X engine. This goal was meant to confirm the additional improvements in the environmental impact when transitioning to SAF. The results from the first back-to-back engine emission test under standard certification conditions have provided Rolls-Royce with crucial correlations for the future evaluation of SAF within the company strategy.
The Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) SAF was produced from waste-based feedstocks like cooking oils and waste fat. The HEFA SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by about 80 percent compared to conventional jet fuel. The back-to-back testing is conducted with a traditional fossil-based fuel and then an SAF has also confirmed a cleaner combustion of the alternative fuel with lower levels of non-volatile particulate matter. Through the combination of the low NOx combustor technology in the Pearl 10X and the additive-manufactured combustor tiles, Rolls-Royce achieved a reduction of all emissions.
The sustainable testing has proven that the current Rolls-Royce engine portfolio for large civil and business jet applications can operate with 100 percent SAF. This confirmation will be the foundation for moving sustainable fuel alternatives towards certification. Currently, SAF is only certified for blends of up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel. By the end of 2023, Rolls-Royce will prove that its in-production Trent and BizAv engines are compatible with 100 percent complete SAF.
"Sustainable Aviation Fuels are a key element of our sustainability strategy, as they will play an important role in decarbonizing long-haul flight," said Dr. Dirk Geisinger, the director of business aviation for Rolls-Royce. "With its outstanding environmental performance, the Pearl family is already setting new standards in the ultra-long-range corporate jet market."