CFM International says its two partner companies have completed more than 250 tests on its RISE open-fan technology demonstrator programme.
Speaking on the eve of the Farnborough air show – where it is also marking Friday’s announcement of the European certification of the CFM Leap-1A-powered Airbus A321XLR – the GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines joint venture says “technologies continue to mature” towards full-scale open-fan tests.
“The work happening today on test rigs and with research partners around the world represents an unprecedented level of new technology development in CFM’s history,” says Gael Meheust, president and chief executive of CFM International.
“As CFM celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are acting on our clear ambition to make air transport more sustainable.”
Recent milestones include more than 200h of windtunnel testing at France’s Onera Aerospace Lab by Safran using a one-fifth scale model of an open-fan engine, as well as a series of high-speed, low-pressure turbine tests using advanced turbine blades.
“We have made significant progress in our testing plan, which confirms the benefits of the open fan propulsive system for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft,” says Pierre Cottenceau, executive vice-president of engineering and research & technology for Safran Aircraft Engines.
“We successfully completed key tests on fan acoustics, aerodynamics, and blade ingestion, and the high-speed, low-pressure turbine, while advancing hybrid-electric tests for our suite of pioneering technologies.”
Additionally, GE was recently awarded a contract with NASA to advance next-generation compressor, combustor, and high-pressure turbine (HPT) technologies through an engine compact core demonstration.
After conducting its first test run of next-generation HPT blades and nozzles using a demonstrator engine, GE Aerospace has started a second HPT airfoil endurance campaign. Tests of next-generation compressor and combustion technologies have also started, looking to advance material capabilities and understanding of how new engine designs impact CO2 and non-CO2 emissions.
“To change the future of flight and make it more sustainable, we have to change the aircraft engine,” says Mohamed Ali, senior vice-president of engineering for GE Aerospace. “The open-fan architecture is the most promising engine technology to help the industry reduce flight emissions.”
GE and Safran say they have more than 2,000 engineers globally working on RISE, which was announced in 2021. The project aims to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% compared to today’s engines.
