A composite fan stage representative of a modern Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) architecture has been investigated experimentally on a novel test facility at Ecole Centrale de Lyon. For these experiments, a turbulence control screen (TCS), a hemisphere, consisting of honeycomb and wiremesh panels, was installed in front of the rig in order to ensure homogeneous, disturbance-free inflow conditions. This kind of screen was developed in the early 1970 years to investigate flight-noise on static test beds. Today, they are commonly used in aero-engine and fan tests, because they improve the accuracy of acoustic measurements and provide more reproducible performance tests. However, the influence of such screens has been investigated only from an acoustic point of view in the past. This study presents a back-to-back comparison of measurements with and without the TCS, which allows a characterization of the effects on aerodynamic and aeroelastic behavior of the fan stage. The investigation was carried out for multiple stable operating points on two different speed lines to obtain a global image of the influence at part and design speed. The utilization of steady and unsteady instrumentation in different axial and circumferential duct positions allows a detailed analysis of similarities and differences of the configuration without and with the TCS and provides insight into underlying physical mechanisms.

Experimental monitoring of blade vibration in turbomachinery is typically based on blade-mounted strain gauges. Their signals are used to derive vibration amplitudes which are compared to previously determined modal scope limits, including a safety factor. According to industrial guidelines, this factor is chosen conservatively to ensure safe operation of the machine. For the experimental campaign with the open test case fan ECL5, which is representative for modern lightweight UHBR architectures, it is planned to conduct measurements close to the stability limit. These investigations require a close approach to the limit and hence demand for accurate quantification of vibration amplitudes to ensure secure operation without exhaustive safety margins. It is required that the surveillance is possible in real time and not only in post-processing. Historically, short-time Fourier transformations of vibration sensors are used, but the complex nature of coupled phenomena near the stability limit has an influence on the amplitude accuracy, depending on evaluation parameters. This was demonstrated in a previous study using fast response wall pressure transducers. The present study investigates the influence on blade vibration data of a modern composite material transonic fan. Different methods are compared, sensitivity to evaluation parameters is analyzed and guidelines are given for fast and robust surveillance of critical vibration modes.