The integration of novel propulsion technologies presents a formidable challenge in the field of aviation. Uncertainties pervade every phase of aircraft development, from initial design to operational deployment. These uncertainties cast shadows over safety and efficiency.
Traditional approaches struggle to grapple with the complexity and unpredictability inherent in these technologies. With this in mind, the EU-funded DEMOQUAS project aims to revolutionize the field with its pioneering framework of uncertainty quantification (UQ) and holistic aircraft/engine design tools.
By navigating uncertainties across design, manufacturing, and operations phases, the project will enhance safety and decision-making. With a focus on six industrially relevant test cases, the project aims to elevate UQ methods, while mitigating simulation time constraints and enhancing accuracy.
To achieve its main goal, the project will build on the following main objectives:
• Perform detailed characterization of uncertainties across all life cycle phases of aircraft development; the selected application will be a turboprop aircraft exploiting the potential of alternative fuels such as hydrogen and SAF;
• Employ and further develop methods for uncertainty quantification (UQ), when novel propulsion technologies are considered;
• Verify and validate the UQ methodologies via multiple testing campaigns;
• Deliver an innovative UQ framework for aviation, that will contribute to the elimination of potential flaws in the development chain of futuristic propulsive components, and, which could put these technologies at risk.
• Promote the project's benefits via targeted synergies with other projects at European, national and international level.
The objectives of DEMOQUAS are neither limited to the results emerging within its life cycle, nor to the overall ambition of the technologies developed. The project will contribute to the overall strategy of enhancing sustainability for contemporary propulsion systems across different market applications,
starting from low-speed and expanding to high-speed aircraft configurations.
The success of this project will contribute towards the EU’s goal of maintaining a high level of transport safety for its citizens (‘zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050’). The DEMOQUAS principle will demonstrate its high contribution to establishing resilience in Europe’s transport systems to prevent, mitigate and recover from disruptions. The foundational development of DEMOQUAS, namely the establishment of a unified UQ-framework will constitute a key advancement in Research and Innovation activities, underpinning the three safety pillars: technologies, regulations and human factors. Hence, the project’s core impact will be materialized accordingly. This will be achieved through the concentrated efforts to promote its activities as critical to optimizing safety and making clear how each decision taken at the different life cycle phases, will affect the final outcome of a futuristic product.
