High speed compression for the aircraft engines of the future
Safran Aero Boosters has just put the finishing touches on the first full-size high-speed booster (low-pressure compressor) prototype intended for new high bypass engine configurations which aim to drastically reduce fuel consumption and noise. These engines will require a compressor operating at significantly higher speeds; around 10,000 rpm as compared to 4,500 rpm for other engines currently in use such as LEAP (for the A230neo, B737Max and C919).
This next generation booster incorporates blisks (integrally-bladed rotors) as well as stators with variable pitch blades to optimize and regulate air flow. Made of more than 5,000 parts, this demonstrator has been developed as part of the European Enoval project. In order to successfully complete its work on the compressor, Safran Aero Boosters is working with several long-standing partners including Safran Aircraft Engines, CIAM, GDtech and Cenaero, in addition to a host of local suppliers (Britte, Dardenne, V2i) and European suppliers (Lorentz in France, Praewest in Germany, and Seko in Czech Republic).
The prototype is heading to Moscow to be tested on one of the few cells in the world capable of performing tests in simulated altitude conditions. For the Liège-based company, this marks a decisive stage in the preparation of its future products, which should be integrated into engines coming to market over the course of the next decade.
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