Research supports next generation hybrid aircraft technology to halve NOx emissions

The University of Nottingham is working with UK-based aerospace technology firm Derwent Aviation to assess the performance of their new Dual Drive Booster (DDB). The DDB is an epicyclic gearbox, that aims to halve nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from aircraft and deliver significant cost benefits to airlines. A 40 percent scale 3D-printed model of the DDB can currently be seen at the University of Nottingham's stand at the Farnborough Air Show (Innovation Zone in Hall Three) from 16 - 22 July. Nottingham's involvements in the Innovate UK-funded project has been to generate a computer model of the gearbox to simulate oil and air flows, so that heat generation is reduced to a minimum. This performance analysis, which also included an assessment of the stress levels in the gears, aimed to confirm the viability of the DDB, which Derwent claims could be available to operators by 2025. Patents have already been granted for the DDB in the United States, China and the UK and are pending in the rest of Europe. The flow simulation required expert capability which, in the UK, is only found in the University of Nottingham at the Gas Turbine & Transmissions Research Centre (G2TRC).