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AIRFRAME ITD

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GAM AIR 2018 (AIRFRAME ITD)

Période du rapport: 2019-01-01 au 2019-12-31

The Airframe ITD targets significant gains in the following areas:
• Introducing innovative/disruptive configurations enabling a step-change in terms of efficiency,
• Developing more efficient wings,
• Developing fuselages with optimized usage of volume and minimized weight, cost and environmental impact,
• Developing an enhanced technology basis in a transverse approach towards airframe efficiency to feed the demonstrators on synergetic domains.
"High Performance and Energy efficiency (HPE)
With respect to Innovative Aircraft Architecture, further analyses have been done to decompose the different benefits/losses of several Boundary Layer Ingestion concepts (BLI). The final Novel high performance configuration down-selection workshop for short to medium range airliner (SMR) and Bizjet (BJ) missions has been held mid-November. At the end of 2019, all the activities on virtual Modelling for certification have been kicked-off.
With respect to Advanced Laminarity, BJ mock-up incorporating Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) nacelle and Horizontal Tail Plane has been delivered in Q2 and has been tested in Q3. BLADE 2019 F/T campaign has been completed in August and analysis activities have been carried out until the year end. Activities are also ongoing on the post-processing of low speed WTT carried out in January on an innovative Hybrid Laminar Flow Control concept combining a passive anti-contamination device and an active micro-perforated suction panel.
With respect to High Speed Airframe, wing root box composite spars Preliminary Design Review (PDR) has been passed early July, and Critical Design Review (CDR) is planned early 2020; manufacturing of demonstrator parts and test articles has also started. Co-cured multi-spar flaperon detailed design has been realized, and the CDR has been passed in November. CDR for cargo doors structural demonstrators has been passed and manufacture of assembly jigs has been started.
With regards to Novel Control, activities dealing with EWIPS (Electrical Wing Ice Protection System) integration on a BJ slat have continued: after the BJ slat CDR in May 2019, the 2 heater mat sets have been delivered, controlled and then bounded on the slat skins (EWIPS BJ slat IWT planned in November 2020). With respect to “Active Load Control”, load attenuation around 5-6% along the wing span has been reached by advanced digital control design on a Generic Business Jet; WTT are in preparation for 3D wing shape Gust Load Alleviation tests validation.
With regards to Novel Travel Experience, activities on Crew Operations / Smart Galley have been re-shaped with two work streams: normal operation (service) and abnormal operation (safety). For the Cabin Rest Area, 3D-modelling for chosen concept has been completed, as well as wooden mock-up; production and assembly of prototype has been launched. 3D definition of the BJ Office Centred Cabin mock-up has been completed and the CDR has been held mid-December.

High Versatility Costs efficiency (HVC)
With respect to Next Generation Optimized wing, RACER’s Wing PDR, CDRs have been conducted and manufacturing phase has started. First batch of Small Scale Integral Demonstrators and Lower Skins have been manufactured, inspected and assessed for SAT Optimized Composite Wing Box. FTB#2 Morphing Winglet is in final assembly phase. Morphing Leading Edge System-level analysis and design of kinematics and actuation system have been completed including redundant actuator.
With respect to Optimized high lift configurations, the Loop Heat Pipe Anti Ice System was manufactured and delivered of the heat transport passive system. Flying Test Bed #2 (FTB#2) for Multifunctional Flap was delivered to REG IADP. The test campaign was completed for CFRP Liquid Resin Infusion technology up to subcomponents level for highly integrated wing box covers and spars. CFRP Thermoplastic In Situ Consolidation technology test pyramid, for wing covers, was achieved up to design details level and initiated for the subcomponents. The CDR for the down-selection of the high lift concept for Small aircraft was held end of July 2019.
With regards to Advanced Integrated Structures, structural embedded Antenna functional tests have been performed for 1 panel. For the integration of the Ice Protection system based on induction technologies, all the Icing Wind Tunnel Tests were performed. For HVDC electrical generation and distribution, the design was frozen for 15 kW. Critical Design Review for Ergonomic Cockpit has been passed and manufacturing of the final Ergonomic Mock-up Cockpit is now almost finished. For SHMS technologies, first composite panels have been manufactured. For SAT jigless, fatigue tests for phase 1 and 2 were performed and the specification of 3rd fatigue test phase has been done.
With regards to Advanced Fuselage, RACER’s Tail CDR has been passed for Component and Tooling. First parts are manufactured. Tilt Rotor V-Tail PDR has been passed for Tail Fin and Nacelle, weight optimization design has been performed for the rest. Fuselage structural components testing is on-going; tool drop impacts have been executed on curved composite stiffened panel and 2 window frames have been tested. Refinement of the Major Cabin Interiors Items 3D Models and preliminary stress analysis has been performed.

Eco-Design (ECO)
With respect to “Eco-Design Management and ECO TA Link”, the partners delivered Simplified LCI Technology Descriptions collected for ECO TA Milestone Q2 – Progress Report on LCI Data. A Demonstrator Synthesis Report update was produced, summarizing roadmaps and confidence levels for 19 Eco-Design demonstrators. Approximately 85 Technologies will deliver LCI data from Airframe ITD to ECO TA core group. There is a good progress in data collection sheet delivery at technology level in 2019.
In the “Eco-Design for Airframe” work package, the technology development is on track to prepare the demonstration phase which will start 2021. Mainly fuselage parts (thermoplastic, thermoset, metallic) and interior parts (seating structures, seating cushions, lightweight furniture (drawer box, handrail) will be investigated, and a composite aircraft wheel for landing gear systems will be demonstrated.
In the “New Materials and Manufacturing” work package, the work is in the finalization phase. The activities linked to efficient manufacturing, additive manufacturing efficient testing, cobotics and other assisted manufacturing technologies collected LCI data and developed a tool for technology efficiency evaluation."
The Airframe ITD targets significant gains in the following areas:
• Introducing innovative/disruptive configurations enabling a step-change in terms of efficiency;
• Developing more efficient wings;
• Developing fuselages with optimized usage of volume and minimized weight, cost and environmental impact;
• Developing an enhanced technology base in a transverse approach towards airframe efficiency to feed the demonstrators on synergetic domains such as:
- Efficient wing technologies,
- Natural Laminar Flow and Hybrid Laminar Flow technologies,
- New production and recycling techniques,
- Progress on certification processes and associated modelling capacities which will be key to facilitate the market access of future step changes.

All those streams have shown feasibility to be developed into a more complex and demanded structural components to be used into Clean Sky 2 platforms.