Open Digital Environment for Hybrid-Electric Regional Architectures

Project Information

ODE4HERA

Grant agreement ID: 101140510

DOI

10.3030/101140510

EC signature date 15 December 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 8 788 686,25

EU contribution

€ 6 902 528,88

Coordinated by

DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ODE4HERA (Open Digital Environment for Hybrid-Electric Regional Architectures)

Reporting period: 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Hybrid-electric Regional (HER) aircraft imply far higher complexity than conventional configurations while involving new aircraft technologies and broader collaboration across the value/supply chain. State-of-the-art digitalization techniques limitations put at risk the achievement of the 2035 HER Entry-Into-Service (EIS) target. To address these challenges, the Open Digital Platform (ODP) developed in ODE4HERA will combine Model-Based system Engineering (MBSE), Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization (MDO), Simulation Data Management (SDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technologies and extend them with novel open interfaces, formats, smart model and data transformation technologies efficiently handling and processing HER configurations complexity, including frontload verification at design stage and virtualized validation for improved virtual certification.

ODE4HERA aims to setup a novel Open Digital Environment to accelerate the development of future Hybrid Electric Aircraft configuration. The project high-level goal is further subdivided into the following Technical Objectives (TO):
• TO1: To develop an open and formal description of the Open Digital Platform and associated methodologies enabling the adoption through the entire HER value/supply chain.
• TO2: To implement an Open Digital Platform supporting the development of hybrid-electric regional aircraft that is neutral with respect to proprietary solutions, allowing the integration of them in the process but not depending on a single specific commercial software.
• TO3: To integrate seamlessly HER technologies developed in the CA HER Pillar projects and available at the start of the project.
• TO4: To provide guidelines, methods and tools for the integration of block models which will be developed in the future and not integrated in the platform during the ODE4HERA project

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The main activities in the first year of ODE4HERA projects focused on the setup of both the management and the technical activities. Although, the main technical developments are expected in the second year of the project, two running Proof of Concepts (PoCs) have been developed in the first 10 months as early prototypes of the ODE4HERA platform, the so-called Open Digital Platform (ODP). In addition, the PoCs are used to guide the definition of the platform architecture and specific technical solution implemented in the final version of the ODP.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

1. Tailored to HER complexity: the current state-of-the-art digitalization techniques target conventional aircraft configurations and the associated limitations put at risk the 2035 HER Entry-Into-Service (EIS) target. The ODE4HERA project aims to be the first to deliver a comprehensive and industry-ready platform tailored to the unprecedented level of complexity of HER configurations. This is achieved combining MBSE, MDO, SDM and PLM technologies and extending them with novel open interfaces, formats, smart model and data transformation technologies.

2. Unmatched level of interoperability: the ODE4HERA project aims to be the first to enable full interoperability through the entire HER value/supply chain: different commercial or open-source applications can be integrated in the platform to fulfil a specific task without the entire development process being completely dependent on a single proprietary platform. The injection of this new level of interoperability in the aviation industry and research environment is enabled by the open-access developments released by the ODE4HERA project:
a. the formal description of the implemented platform, the Solution-Neutral Architecture, is made publicly available in order to foster the adoption of the proposed approach through the entire HER value/supply chain;
b. the user interface as well as all the interfaces between the MBSE, MDO, IV&V, SDM and PLM capabilities and the Open Digital Platform are made publicly available.
c. the platform employs open standards and format for data and process definition already available, e.g. FMI, reqIF, SysML, CPACS, etc…, and investigate the needs and possibility to have additional standards tailored to HER applications.

3. Extended, consistent and traceable data continuity: the ODE4HERA project aims to be the first to seamlessly connect, trace and check complex models and map them to the huge amount of data generated throughout the entire HER development process by different organization using different tools. The MBSE-MDO connection is therefore upgraded to industry standards and extended to cover the interaction between MDO and V&V activities. The virtual verification and validation module is integrated in the overall process for improved virtual test definition and management, and to facilitate system modification after tests. The configuration management combined with the digital continuity and automated requirements verification will ensure the mandatory traceability supporting rigorous verification and validation enabling hybrid and virtual certification.

ODE4HERA Open Digital Environment