Rolls-Royce launches Pearl engine
14/08/2018
New engines will power Bombardier’s latest ultra long-range business jets.Rolls-Royce has launched the Pearl, a new engine family that will be the sole power plant for Bombardier’s latest ultra long-range business jets, the Global 5500 and Global 6500.
The Pearl engine will integrate technologies derived from the company’s Advance2 technology demonstrator programmes, along with proven features from the Rolls-Royce BR700.
First to market will be the Pearl 15, which will deliver up to approximately 67,300 N of thrust (ISA +15), thanks to a new, highly efficient engine core. Despite delivering up to 9% more thrust during take-off than the BR700, the engine will be two decibels quieter and operators will benefit from a 7% improvement in specific fuel consumption (SFC).
The UK engine maker reports that the Pearl 15 will exemplify the company’s IntelligentEngine vision of a future where product and service become indistinguishable thanks to advancements in digital capability. As well as a new-generation engine health monitoring system that introduces advanced vibration detection, the engine benefits from the incorporation of advanced remote engine diagnostics and bi-directional communications that allow for easy remote reconfiguration of engine-monitoring features from the ground.
According to Rolls-Royce, the engine will also be designed to deliver world-leading emissions performance, including best-in-class nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
The new engine, which has been developed at Rolls-Royce’s Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation Engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, has undergone a comprehensive test programme and received EASA certification on 28 February 2018. The engine is currently undergoing flight tests at Bombardier’s Flight Test Centre in Wichita, Kansas, USA, supporting the planned entry into service at the end of 2019.
