Safran Aircraft Engines and France's national aerospace research agency, ONERA, have initiated wind tunnel testing with the ECOENGInE, a 1:5 scale demonstrator of the forthcoming Open Fan technology. These trials are taking place at ONERA's wind tunnel facility in Modane, France. The Open Fan, a disruptive architecture and a vital component of the CFM RISE technology demonstration programme, offers promising prospects for reducing the environmental impact of aviation. It aims to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20%, with the potential to achieve up to 80% when coupled with sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) for the next generation of single-aisle commercial aircraft by 2035.
To advance the development of Open Fan's aerodynamics and acoustics, Safran Aircraft Engines and ONERA have recently entered into a framework agreement for an extensive testing plan from 2024 to 2028. This plan builds upon earlier trials conducted with the ECOENGInE.
The tests carried out on the ECOENGInE, endorsed by the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) as part of the CORAC plan, are designed to showcase the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of the fan module by replicating real-world airspeeds in a wind tunnel and validating the design of the fan blades, which are integral to the engine's overall efficiency. Over 200 hours of testing will be conducted in this campaign, followed by simulation tests with the engine integrated into a demonstrator aircraft wing section. Safran Aircraft Engines benefits from the expertise of ONERA teams and access to the world's largest sonic wind tunnel, the S1MA tunnel, which is unique in terms of size (eight metres in diameter or over 26 feet) and airflow speed. It plays a pivotal role in developing new propulsion systems for the next generation of aircraft.
Furthermore, Safran is leading the Clean Aviation OFELIA project (Open Fan for Environmental Low Impact of Aviation), a collaboration involving 26 European partners, including ONERA, in support of the Open Fan technology. Safran is also actively engaged in several other critical technological initiatives associated with the Open Fan architecture, such as hybrid propulsion.
A comprehensive testing programme is being implemented across various Safran facilities to advance the maturity of these technologies, crucial for achieving carbon neutrality in air transport by 2050. For instance, Safran's Villaroche centre in France has already completed ingestion tests on open fan blades and is currently constructing a new test stand facility scheduled to be operational by 2025. This facility, with an eight-metre-wide chamber, will conduct development and certification tests for the RISE programme, which is being developed by CFM International, a joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace.
