Public Funding for S. & C. Thermofluids Limited

Future Advance Nacelle Technologies And Structural Integration Concepts (FANTASTIC) is a five year, ATI grant funded R&D project, which commenced on 01 October 2018. It is led by Short Brothers PLC (t/a Spirit AeroSystems Belfast, formerly t/a Bombardier Aerospace Belfast), and includes participation and investment by the following consortium partners: Datum Tool Design Ltd, Impression Technologies Ltd, CCP Gransden Ltd, Nacelle Group Holdings Ltd and S&C Thermofluids Ltd. The aim is to help ensure that Spirit AeroSystems Belfast, and UK aerospace in general, are positioned as global leaders in the design, development and production of aircraft engine nacelles, including engine and aircraft integration capability. The project will focus on several key areas of nacelles including: Inlet; Thrust Reverser Unit (TRU); Engine Build Unit (EBU), and Integration, to support the realisation of propulsion systems of the future e.g. Ultra-High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) and new Business Jet Turbines. Major project themes include: development of design and manufacturing techniques for laminar flow; novel anti-icing and TRU designs; design optimisation for Lightning Direct Effects; new fire safety requirements; and, improved engine, nacelle and airframe integration tools.

The Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) engine thermal management systems project, UHBR Thermals, is a technology research project addressing oil heat management, a key enabler for next-generation UHBR turbofan aero engines. Next generation UHBR engines will be much more efficient than current engines, and will feature a larger fan driven by a power gearbox; a smaller, hotter engine core; a shorter fan case; and a slimline nacelle. These engine technology changes will result in a much larger oil heat load to be managed with a much smaller volume available to mount the equipment, and an increasing amount of heat will have to be managed using air. UHBR Thermals will develop new thermal management technologies for UHBR engines, and advanced manufacturing techniques to increase the competitiveness of the UK’s thermal systems supply chain. Supported by investment from the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, UHBR Thermals brings together a team of recognised experts in thermal management design, analysis, and manufacturing, consisting of: Meggitt; S & C Thermofluids; Manufacturing Technology Centre; The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre; the Advanced Forming Centre at the University of Strathclyde; and Cranfield University. UHBR Thermals will be executed over three years from 2017 to 2020, delivering the new capability to the market in time to support the design architecture decision for the next generation engines, which will be delivered to the market in 2025. The UHBR Thermals consortium will be advised by major international turbine aero engine and aircraft manufacturers.

The Compact and Energy Efficient Distillation for Tritium Recovery (CEED) project is a feasibility study to investigate a game-changing arrangement of water distillation to achieve separation of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, from contaminated water. The project team will build an experimental facility to prove the concept on a small scale and develop a simulation to demonstrate the potential to achieve up to 88% energy recovery and a significant reduction in total height compared to traditional techniques. CEED will be led by S & C Thermofluids Ltd in partnership with Bath Process Consultants Ltd and Flexible Process Consultants Ltd.

The Diffusion Bonded Aero Heat Exchanger project will bring new technology to heat exchangers for aeronautical applications. A collaboration including Meggitt Control Systems, Heatric, Precision Micro, S&C Thermofluids, Vacuum Furnace Engineering, and The Open University will develop the technologies required to conduct deep chemical etching of aluminium alloy plates, and to solid-state diffusion bond the etched plates to produce a novel heat exchanger. Precision Micro will develop deep aluminium etching to produce the required fluid flow patterns and other features; Heatric and The Open University will collaborate to develop industrially viable diffusion bonding methods; S&C Thermofluids will develop modelling and simulation using modern CFD methods for design optimisation; Meggitt Control Systems will design the heat exchanger and validate performance; and Vacuum Furnace Engineering will investigate manufacturing equipment to industrialise the process.

SANTANA is a collaborative programme focused on the development of aerodynamic technologies related to the design of advanced, Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBPR) powerplant nacelles. Targeting nacelle components for next generation aircraft, the programme will exploit advances in computational techniques to account for complex aerodynamic effects, including unsteady flow / structural interactions and thereby provide for novel architectures, lower weight structural designs with reduced performance losses asscoiated with installed systems. Such advancements are essential to achieve the Global ACARE 2020 and 2030 entry into service emissions targets for noise and fuel burn through multi-disciplinary design optimisation. SANTANA's partners comprise UK industrial organisations (Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, Aircraft Research Association (ARA), Bedford and S&C Thermofluids, Bath) and aerodynamics research teams at City University, London and Imperial College, London).