Project description
Tools for reduced aeroacoustics and aeroelastic instabilities in aviation
Direct aviation emissions constituted 3.8 % of total CO2 emissions and 13.9 % of transport emissions in the EU in 2017. To achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the EU must mitigate all aviation impacts and emissions, encompassing CO2, non-CO2, noise, and manufacturing. One approach to reducing CO2 emissions is by decreasing airframe structural weight. The EU-funded FALCON project aims to enhance the design capabilities of the European aircraft sector by developing predictive tools for fluid-structure interaction (FSI) phenomena. The project targets the reduction of aeroacoustics and aeroelastic instabilities, leading to improvements in specific noise emissions. Fifteen public and private institutions with diverse expertise, including research institutions, SMEs, and aircraft suppliers, collaborate on the project.
Objective
Direct aviation emissions accounted for 3.8% of total CO2 emissions and 13.9% of the emissions from transport in the EU in 2017, making it the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions after road transport. In addition, the growing amount of air traffic means that many EU citizens are still exposed to high noise levels. Intensified research and innovation activities are therefore needed to reduce all aviation impacts and emissions (CO2 and non-CO2, noise, manufacturing) for the EU to reach its policy goals towards a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
One of the main levers to decrease CO2 emissions is to reduce the airframe structural weight. As an answer, FALCON’s ambition is to enhance the design capabilities of the European industrial aircraft sector, focusing on fluid-structure interaction (FSI) phenomena to improve the aerodynamic performances of aircraft (unsteady loads). Specifically, FALCON aims to develop high-performance, predictive and multi-disciplinary tools for FSI in aeronautics, in order to reduce the aeroacoustics and aeroelastic instabilities using multi-fidelity optimization. This will also benefit to specific noise emissions generated by flexible and mobile airframe structures when exposed to both low and high-speed fluid flows.
To achieve its ambitious goal, FALCON assembles a unique interdisciplinary environment of fifteen public and private institutions and their affiliated entities (from renowned research institutions to SMEs and aircraft high-tier suppliers and integrators) to cover all the required scientific and know-how expertise. Building upon three industrial testcases and tight links with key European partnerships such as Clean Aviation, FALCON delineates a high-impact/low-risk proposal that will significantly contribute to the digital transformation of the European aircraft supply chain.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanics
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaeronautical engineering
- social sciencessocial geographytransport
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
13284 Marseille
France