Inspired from the highly efficient aerodynamics of birds, the versatility of the jelly-moon fringes and sharks, the multidisciplinary project BEALIVE introduces a new science and technology at the interface between aeronautics and bioengineering. The project creates a “live skin” composed of an innovative moving interface between an air-vehicle and the surrounding turbulence. Applied around an aircraft wing, this contributes to increase the aerodynamic performance and reduce noise far beyond all current systems. The solid-fluid interface is composed of a large number of electroactive fringes made of an optimized combination of Carbon-Nano-Tubes, Graphene and piezoceramic actuators with high sensing and actuation capacity, able to deform and vibrate. This allows the skin to interact with the surrounding inhomogeneous turbulent flow (Figure 1). The design is optimised through Hi-Fi simulations, WT experiments and AI. A feedback controller defines and optimises the dynamics of the system in real time -To develop a bio-inspired electroactive live skin creating a porous medium above the lifting surface, able to interact and manipulate the surrounding turbulence to increase the performances according the following specific objectives - Develop new Carbon nanotube (CNT) and Gr (Graphene) composite shells by molecular dynamics modelling and adapted construction of the actuators/sensors - Create a Numerical Data-base (NDB) through Hi-Fi simulations to provide updated pressure and skin friction distributions on the interface - Create an Experimental Data-base (EDB) of WT measurements on morphing prototypes equipped of the live-skin to use it together with the NDB for optimising the design - Realise aircraft wing prototypes in Reduced Scale (RS) and in Large Scale (LS) equipped of the “live skin” enabling the optimal interactions - Hi-Fi simulation around an A3xx aircraft using live-skin morphing wings to demonstrate increase of performances, noise sources reduction and emissions decrease. Pathway to impact:The project dissolves traditional boundaries between aeronautics and bio-inspired sciences and employs high-risk/high-impact interdisciplinary research offering a potential for future economic impact or market creation:-For future designs, this high increase of the performances will lead to less energy needed for the aircraft propulsion using any means of propulsion system (including sustainable aviation fuels, electric or hybrid-electric propulsion and H2-propulsion). This results in reduced fuel storage requirements and thus lighter aircraft, of high importance for aircraft using H2-propulsion. Therefore, BEALIVE’s impact goes far beyond the end of the project towards 2050. Ability to build a Short and Medium Range aircraft using H2 will be a major breakthrough in aeronautics, securing Europe’s position as one of the leaders in the civil aviation market. BEALIVE technology will highly contribute to EU industry efforts towards Zero-Emission of civil aircraft in horizon 2030. The considerable noise reduction outcome of BEALIVE with emphasis in take-off and landing will allow transferring measurement techniques to testing activities for rotary-wing aircraft, highly interesting Leonardo Helicopters. Thus the economic impact will make a significant difference in the EU and international aviation market-based measures. The partners will use their networks in the European aeronautical industry (Airbus, RRD, Dassault Aviation, Leonardo, …) and in other industrial sectors (EDF, Hydrodynamics, automobile, …) to promote the results to further increase the economic impact. BEALIVE will contribute to the creation of jobs in the aeronautical industry for new aircraft wings and in the AI domain- High impact related to climate change or the environment: The energy reduction foreseen will lead to less fuel consumption and therefore cleaner air quality and reduction of pollutants (CO2, NOx and SOx emissions, solid particles). Thanks to the use of the “live-skin”, the use of H2 as “fuel” for Short and Medium Range aircraft becomes closer. Thus BEALIVE will largely contribute to ACARE’s European Commission targets (DG MOVE/ DG RTD, Flightpath 2050: “Carbon-neutral growth starting 2020 and a 50% overall CO2 emission reduction by 2050”, a 90% reduction in NOx and noise emissions reduced by 65%. BEALIVE will contribute to the “More Electric Aircraft” with new power electronic devices, low energy systems and innovative power management, conformal to Clean Aviation impact vision for 2030 and 2050-Systems for Green Operations. BEALIVE will have a large impact on environmental noise pollution especially in the vicinity of urban areas. This multidisciplinary project brings scientists from very different fields working together and creates a network around the new discipline of Bio-Aeronautics and new career opportunities in the fields of drones, rotary wing aircraft, naval hydrodynamics, wind turbines, new aircraft design.
