Summary

  • Enhanced Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines for Airbus A350s optimize aerodynamics and compressor efficiency.
  • New disc alloy will boost performance across Trent XWB-84 and XWB-97 engine models for higher efficiency.
  • Rolls-Royce invests £1 billion in upgrades for Trent engines, including a 30% performance boost for A330neos by 2026.

The Airbus A350 has become a staple aircraft in long-haul aviation, covering some of the longest distances in the market. The European aircraft manufacturer has introduced several enhancements to its latest model, the Airbus A350. Beginning next year, newly produced A350s will be equipped with upgraded Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines, the UK aviation giant Rolls-Royce announced.

Key enhancements

According to

Rolls-Royce

, the upgraded Trent XWB-84 engines will feature enhanced aerodynamics, leading to improved efficiency in the compressor system. The new design will also include increased cooling air, which will be redirected through the High-Pressure Turbine (HPT) blade, significantly lowering temperatures.

China Southern Airlines Airbus A350 engine.

Photo: Airbus

Additionally, Rolls-Royce has introduced a new disc alloy that will be used in both the Trent XWB-84 and Trent XWB-97 engines to improve their performance further. Commenting on the upgrades, Rolls-Royce Group Director of Engineering, Technology & Safety, Simon Burr, shared the following in a Pre-Farnborough Airshow briefing with Simple Flying last week:

“I’m pleased to say that after 10 years of investment, first of all in universities, part of the Ultrafan program, we brought out a new super alloy, which we’re going to service next year. And it’s a step change on anything available in the industry. It’s a cleaner alloy, which helps you in terms of safety; there’s a homogeneous structure.

“So you can be less conservative in your lifing strategy, because you have more certainty about the alloy performance. And it will run at least 50 Kelvin hotter, which you can either trade as running hotter in a high-performing engine, or you can trade as life.”

The newly upgraded engines have already been tested on the Airbus A350. According to the company, the A350 underwent some of the most extensive endurance testing, including 2,800 hot cycles.

Upgrades to other Trent family engines

In addition to advancements with the Trent XWB engines, Rolls-Royce has been actively developing upgrades for several other engine models, including enhancements to the Trent 7000 and Trent 1000 engines.

Trent7000 Rolls Royce

Photo: Rolls Royce

New upgrades to the Trent 7000 engines, which power the A330neos, are expected to improve engine performance by up to 30% starting in 2026. Notably, the Trent 7000 engines already feature new high-pressure turbine blades, which have increased cooling airflow.

Meanwhile, the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, which power the Boeing 787 Dreamliners, will receive the same upgrade as the Trent 7000 engines.

The news about the new engine upgrades comes after Rolls-Royce’s Trent engine family received a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) investment to deliver further durability improvements.

Rolls-Royce is not the only engine manufacturer investing in repairs and upgrades. GE Aerospace is also actively investing $1 billion in global engine repair facilities to improve inspection technologies and minimize aircraft downtime.

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