Rolls-Royce Trent 500

Development

In 1995, Airbus began considering an engine for two new long-range derivatives of its four-engined A340, the A340-500/600. The existing A340-200/300 was powered by CFM International CFM56 engines. However, the CFM56 was at the limit of its development capability, and would be unable to power the new A340-500/-600. In April 1996, Airbus signed an agreement with GE Aviation to develop a suitable engine, but decided not to proceed when GE demanded an exclusivity deal on the A340.

Certification was applied for on 9 February 1998, By July 1999, Rolls-Royce had secured $5 billion worth of Trent 500 orders. Flight testing began in late June 2000 on a modified A340 testbed. By July 2000, the test program had amassed 1,750h and 2,00 cycles, and aimed for 15,000h and 4,000-5,000 cycles before introduction. It achieved certification on 15 December 2000.

The Trent 500 entered service on the A340-600 with Virgin Atlantic in July 2002 and on the ultra-long range A340-500 with Emirates in December 2003. Air Canada had been expected to be the launch customer for the A340-500 in May 2003, but just before this on 1 April 2003 the airline filed for bankruptcy protection which resulted in delivery of its two A340-500s being delayed. This allowed Emirates to be the first airline to operate the type. After production of the Airbus A340 ended in 2011, a total of 131 A340-500/-600 have been delivered with 524 Trent 500 engines altogether; Lufthansa is the largest operator, with 24 delivered A340-600.

Design

The Trent 500 is a high bypass turbofan with three spools: the fan is powered by a 5 stage Low Pressure turbine (nominal speed: 3,900 RPM), the Intermediate pressure spool has an 8-stage axial compressor (9,100 RPM) and the High Pressure spool has an 6-stage axial compressor (13,300 RPM), both driven by a single turbine stage. It has an annular combustor and is equipped with an Electronic Engine Control System.

It is flat rated at ISA + 15°C for 248.1 - net thrust at take-off and has an 8.5:1 bypass ratio in cruise.

The Trent 500 is essentially a scaled Trent 800, with a 2.47 m fan with 26 unswept blades like the Trent 700. The IP and HP compressors and scaled-down by 20% from the Trent 892, while the turbines are scaled-down by 90% and are made of single crystal CMSX-4 alloy with thermal barrier coatings. Fuel burn is 1% lower because of 3D aerodynamics. It was tested up to 68,000 lbf to establish limits.

The Trent 500 powers the A340-500/600. It was certificated at 60000 lbf thrust, but derated to 53000 lbf as the Trent 553 to power the A340-500, and to 56000 lbf as the Trent 556 for the A340-600 and A340-500HGW. However, a 60000 lbf version is installed in the A340-600HGW (High Gross Weight), a higher-performance version of the A340-600. The Trent 500 has the same wide chord fan as the Trent 700, together with a core scaled from the Trent 800.

Applications

• Airbus A340

Specifications

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Type designators

References

References

1. (21 July 1997). "Airbus Shoots for 25". [[Aviation Week & Space Technology]].
2. (21 March 2000). "Airbus A340-600".
3. G E Kirk. (19 August 2003). "The Design of The Rolls-Royce Trent 500 Aero Engine". International Conference on Engineering Design.
4. Michael Harrison. (8 July 1999). "Blow to Rolls as Boeing picks US rival". [[The Independent]].
5. (25 July 2000). "Trent 500 Shapes Up".
6. "Airbus Orders & deliveries". Airbus.
7. (21 February 2019). "Type-Certificate Data Sheet E.060 for RB211 Trent 500 Series Engines". EASA }}{{Dead link.
8. (February 2002). "Civil Aerospace". [[Rolls-Royce Holdings.
9. (2009). "Trent 500". Rolls-Royce plc.
10. (2014). "Trent 500 infographic". Rolls-Royce plc.
11. (28 January 2008). "Gas Turbine Engines". Aviation Week & Space Technology.