en.Wedoany.com Reported - Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE) is accelerating full-scale testing of the low-pressure system for CFM International's RISE open fan engine demonstrator, which will include a composite fan with a diameter of 4 meters (approximately 13 feet). Preliminary fan testing is expected to begin by the end of this year or early 2027 at SAE's newly built test facility in Villaroche, near Paris.

Pierre Cottenceau, Vice President of Engineering, R&D and Technology at Safran, told FlightGlobal ahead of the Farnborough Airshow that the test rig, with a diameter of 8 meters, can conduct ingestion and blade-off tests for open fan-sized fan modules. Testing of the entire low-pressure system will proceed in stages, ultimately covering the reduction gearbox behind the fan. To support the tests, SAE has been optimizing the design of composite fan blades and outlet guide vanes (OGVs) for the RISE open fan demonstrator. Cottenceau stated that the third or fourth generation of iterative blades is currently in production, utilizing a new generation of three-dimensional woven resin transfer molding (RTM) technology. Through testing of several blade generations, the team has improved the aerodynamic, acoustic, and weight characteristics of the blades and OGVs. Although specific weight reduction figures were not disclosed, reducing blade weight is a primary goal, significantly impacting the overall design of the engine and airframe.

The blades have undergone multiple validations, including wind tunnel tests at the French Aerospace Research Institute (ONERA) facilities, as well as icing, mechanical, fatigue, and bird strike tests. Based on previous test experience, SAE has begun manufacturing components for the first front module to be tested. Cottenceau noted that nearly all components have been produced as full-scale assemblies, with some already reaching the component or sub-module testing stage. The manufacturing technology for the fan and OGVs stems from SAE's expertise in RTM, which has been used for the fan casings and blades of CFM's Leap engine series. SAE's sister company, Safran Aero Composites, operates four factories globally, producing over 35,000 blades annually for Leap engines, achieving industrial-scale production of this technology. Additionally, Cottenceau confirmed that SAE's scope of work also includes a small metal fan at the front of the compact core, developed by CFM partner GE Aerospace.