ADAPTABLE, COMPACT AND MAINTENANCE-FREE COOLING SYSTEMS FOR ONBOARD EQUIPMENT

Project Information

COOLSOE

Grant agreement ID: 882831

DOI

10.3030/882831

Project closed

EC signature date 26 November 2019

Start date 1 December 2019

End date 31 May 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

CEDRION CONSULTORIA TECNICA E INGENIERIA SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - COOLSOE (ADAPTABLE, COMPACT AND MAINTENANCE-FREE COOLING SYSTEMS FOR ONBOARD EQUIPMENT)

Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2020-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Current aircrafts, such as a modern commercial transport one, have electrical and electronic equipment’s intended for their good operation. This equipment is usually equipped with cooling systems, that make it possible to control its inside temperature, in order to prevent them from overheating. However, due to the increase in both the power density and the number of components of the new electrical and electronic equipping used in modern airplanes (More-Electric Aircraft), the temperature of the electronic systems tends to increase significantly. For this reason, the electronic equipment of avionic systems requires more and more to be operated at well controlled temperatures. Moreover, and although electrical systems are highly efficient, the sheer magnitude of on-board power demand and unique design aspects of on-board aviation systems lead to considerable thermal management challenges (listed on the technology roadmap for Research Theme 5 of NASA’s Fundamental Aeronautics Program). This poses significant challenges to the thermal management system, as it must remove the total capacity of waste heat with minimal temperature rise at a minimum of weight and volume. Therefore, CEDRION's overall objective is to overcome these limitations in a sector as important as aeronautics.

Within this feasibility study, CEDRION has worked with aeronautical companies to deepen the impacts of introducing new improved and scaled versions of the COOLSOE device in the aeronautical market, and their effects in both the costs structure and the business model, as well as CEDRION has carried out a market study to correlate the costs with the company’s growth strategy to meet the demand.

Conclusions of the action

Working on cooling devices based on the Corona Effect was initially considered as an opportunity to diversify the activity from drones, but after the market analysis carried out, the challenge of aeronautical sector was revealed. Key marketing actions have been identified, and conducted, and a sales plan has been defined. A deep competitor analysis has been developed, and the new SWOT analysis has helped CEDRION on better understanding of the current situation clarifying targets and strategies. IP strategy has been updated, and CEDRION has applied for a PCT patent protecting the core of its technology.

The COVID 19 has impacted on the plans, but CEDRION has been able to keep working on the technology, on the market and on the financial resources.

CEDRION is aware of the challenge that the project involves but focusing on customer’s needs, offering the right solutions, and with the best fellow travelers, the company will be an international reference in the development of cooling systems for aeronautical on-board electronics.

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

Technology

CEDRION has evolved the technology, from small devices of 0,8 W of capacity to the new ones able to support 20 W. From the thermal exchange point of view, these devices can give the same thermal resistance with half the volume and the weight for the same consumption than fan assisted heatsinks. The devices are also completely silent and have and fully adaptable to any shape.

From the moving air perspective, devices almost 10 times lighter and with the same advantages of silent, not vibration and flexibility than actual fans.

These characteristics are very important in the aeronautic sector, where reducing the weight and increasing the passenger comfort is a must.

Market

In fact, CEDRION has been selected in the BizLab, the acceleration program of Airbus, where it has implemented two proofs of concept to validate the performance of the technology within two areas of Airbus.

And CEDRION is one of the finalists of the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge, in the category of most promising aeronautical deep tech start-up. Hello Tomorrow, is an international event that will have its final in Paris in December 2020, it has been delayed due to the corona virus.

We have also had meetings with aeronautics electronic manufacturers, especially for radars and electronics inside the cabin, because the actual refrigeration systems are based on fans that are very noisy. Due to the noise, they must put the systems inside special really expensive sound isolated boxes.

Our market study includes the reports from Market analysts like Deloitte or Oliver Wyman that forecasts the aeronautical market will recover by the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.

Manufacturing

CEDRION will not be able to manufacture the devices in a short-medium term, so to be able to complete the offer, and to be able to certificate the devices, CEDRION has partnered with a national company, that is a TIER 1 and TIER 2 vendor of Airbus and also is TIER 1 on the automotive and naval sectors. This agreement will allow CEDRION to have the products on the market in less time than doing it by itself and will take advantage of the experience of FAGOR in the certification process.

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)

Aeronautics is one of the European Union´s (EU) key high-tech sectors, which accounts for: 543,000 jobs and a turnover of close to EUR 162 billion. Thus, the significant effect that this has on the European economy through profits and job creation underpins the importance of this industry. In addition, the EU is a world leader in the production of civil aircraft, including helicopters, aircraft engines, parts and components. Its direct contribution to economic prosperity is a measure of its success in pioneering the “knowledge society” that the EU is now urgently seeking to achieve. In this context, and driven by the concepts “More Affordable, Safer, Cleaner and Quieter”, the industry is working on more competitive aircraft designs with new electrical and electronic equipment’s (approach described as the ‘More-Electric Aircraft').

By overcoming the thermal management challenge described, the future of European aeronautics will see airplanes becoming safer, more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In fact, it is estimated that there will be a demand for approximate 26,000 jet airlines and cargo aircrafts to meet the growing air traffic worldwide, as well as there will be demand for 1,300 new airplanes annually. In aeronautics industries, furthermore, attention is paid on size and weight of cooling devices without compromising on performance aspects.

CEDRION faces the thermal challenge by researching, developing and producing new cooling devices (COOLSOE devices) based on the Corona Discharge Effect. These new devices can extend the useful life of high-power on-board electronics by 30%, since they can offer 10 times less weight, volume and energy consumption for the same cooling power in comparison with present cooling devices. This fact can increase drones flight capacity and payload by 20%, while reducing aircraft electronic elements maintenance costs by 25%. In other words, the Corona Discharge phenomenon in which they are based on, makes possible to develop better cooling devices in terms of technical, environmental and cost savings characteristics.