Preparing for the take-off of an integrated air transportation system
Increased market pressures and regulatory targets for greener and improved aircraft performance, has resulted in a technology drive with a closer integration of design, processes & operations. Yet, an integrated aircraft system will always remain a sub-system within a wider global air transportation ‘system of systems’. As components and whole vehicles cannot be developed in isolation from the wider system they belong to, design and build personnel increasingly need to understand and adopt a global vision, incorporating an overall integrated systems strategy. The INNOVATE project set out to address the necessary training needs for the next generation of engineers and scientists, building the Virtual Demonstrator which embodies the integrated system vision. A flying start to aircraft systems integration Explaining the impetus for the INNOVATE project, coordinator Professor Herve Morvan says, ‘Integration is actually already at the heart of aircraft design, but current demand for increased performance and greener operations have resulted in a drive for new materials, practices or technologies that can exploit new designs and aircraft concepts. These require a holistic approach to truly achieve their full benefits.’ Future aircraft will need to blend a range of technologies, rather than viewing and assembling them as separate components. There is a need to update the traditional way that aircraft wings relate to the tubular vehicle build and engine pod design, which has dominated aircraft manufacture since the introduction of the Boeing 707 in the 1950s. This new approach could mean, for example, that aircraft fans are built into the airframe design to exploit ‘boundary layer ingestion’ and so enhance propulsion efficiency. INNOVATE has addressed many training needs through the introduction of a series of Early Stage Research (ESR) initiatives which, running in parallel, focused on areas such as design methods; electrification technologies; maximised performance and also human centred design. The team were also able to use professional virtual environments such as APD by Pace Lab, used by both Airbus and Rolls-Royce, to investigate the benefits of their technologies for aircraft, as well as its place within the surrounding integrated system, and also to build demonstrators across multiple projects. As Professor Morvan points out, ‘As integrating systems, and new technologies, is one of the biggest challenges in aerospace, we wanted to train the researchers to have an applied understanding beyond their own specialism, so that they could work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment. The project supported not only advanced training and upskilling in novel areas, but also across areas.’ Towards this end, researchers worked together to build and complete tasks using an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV). This allowed them to develop the skills to collectively overcome the challenges routinely faced by a mix of electrical, mechanical and computer science engineers. One example of a highly practical application developed as part of INNOVATE, was that of a ‘green taxi motor’ which can perform both axial and rotational movements and so could move aircraft on the ground, replacing tow trucks or main engines. A launch pad for advanced aerospace training and technology INNOVATE project results have already been adopted by complementary projects and within the aircraft industry at large. A Core Partnership was formed within the EU’s Clean Sky 2 initiative which seeks to develop cutting-edge technology to reduce aircraft CO2 and gas emissions, as well as noise levels. This led to the development with Rolls-Royce, of a EUR 3.5-million platform on Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for engine core transmissions design. The project team is also now running a follow-on doctoral programme called INNOVATIVE, which builds on some of the research conducted around electrification, propulsion and advanced manufacturing methods, including Additive Manufacturing. As Professor Morvan summarises, ‘INNOVATE was never intended to be a one-off project, but rather a spring-board that advances aerospace technology training needs, for propulsion, electrification and advanced manufacturing. This combination will support future efforts towards hybrid electric propulsion, such as that recently announced by the partnership of Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens.’
Keywords
INNOVATE, integrated air transport system, hybrid electric propulsion, electrification, aerospace technology, aircraft industry, emissions, performance
