Trent-1000

Rolls-Royce Dreamliner Engines Need Additional Checks for Flaw
by Robert Wall -
Apr 18, 2013 3:12 PM GMT+0200

Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc (RR/)’s Trent
1000 engines powering Boeing Co. (BA) 787 Dreamliners will
temporarily require additional inspections to probe a component
flaw in the powerplant, European safety regulators said.

The European regulator is concerned about degradation of
seals on the Trent 1000’s intermediate pressure turbine section,
and the engines will have to be removed in certain
circumstances, the Cologne, Germany-based European Aviation
Safety Agency said today in an airworthiness directive that
takes effect May 2.

“This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead
to an in-flight shut-down resulting in reduced control of the
airplane,” EASA said.

Rolls-Royce is one of two engine suppliers on Boeing’s
twin-engines 787, which has been grounded by U.S. regulators
since Jan. 16 owing to malfunctions with the electrical system.
Boeing is in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration to
restore the airliner to regular service.

“We have, as a matter of good practice, recommended that
Trent 1000 operators make a routine engine inspection at a time
convenient to their operations to check for the presence of a
small component piece to ensure optimum engine performance is
maintained,” Rolls-Royce spokesman Richard Hedges said. “All
the checks currently required by this recommendation have now
been completed.”

New engines can be used on up to 450 flights before being
checked and thereafter would need to be examined at least every
200 flights, EASA said. A long-term fix to remove the need for
repeat inspections should be in place in several months, it
said

The T1000-TEN represents a further development of the current engine (which is dedicated to the 787) with a higher bypass ratio and a “fundamentally different bill of materials,” said Jones. “The compression ratio is up a shade on [that of] the Pack C, but with a different core compressor–[it’s] not just a throttle push that would drive new pressure ratios.”

“Our customers are aware and understand this change,” R-R says in a statement. “This allows us to ensure we have an engine with even better maturity, robustness and durability.”

Rolls-Royce delays by a year Trent 1000 upgrade to mid-2017. ANA needed upgraded to launch Mexico-Tokyo non-stop on its 787 (powered by RR).

— Will Horton (@winglets747) 23 mars 2016