IcePass project introduces an innovative way to carry electricity. Traditional electric harnesses groups a limited number of cables together. In the leading edge, the space is very limited and the routing design tend to present complex solutions. The innovative concept implemented consists of arranging the harness not in a cylindrical way but by putting all the cables in a flat pattern disposition. With this flat configuration, all the cables are installed inside a tailor made electric raceway. It acts as integrated support structure suppressing the need of other installations. The raceway is replaceable by means of screws enabling the mount / dismount operations easily. The manufacturing technology selected for the raceway is additive manufacturing, which enables to manufacture complex shapes and tailor made applications.
IcePass also introduces an innovative way of connecting harnesses in movable parts. The solution usually adopted is to give extra length to the wires enabling the parts to move without the interference of the cable. This solution is not ideal because the harness is free to move in an uncontrolled way. IcePass implements, along with the raceways, the use of electrical slip ring connectors in the movable parts. They enable to turn freely one side of the connector from the other enabling smarter solutions suppressing the extra length of the harnesses and releasing the harness from possible torsion stresses. This solution improved significantly the performance of the shielding system power and monitoring feed lines.
At last, IcePass project has shown evidence that the electric actuation of a high-lift device is feasible without impact on performance. The project designed, manufactured and installed a full electric actuation system that was able to deploy and retract the Krueger Flap of the HLFC-WIN demonstrator in total fulfillment of its requirements.
The implementation of all these innovative contributions is a key issue whose demonstration on the GBD helped alleviate the lack of space in the HLFC leading edge. Likewise, it paves the way to reduce industrialization risks in the introduction of the HLFC solutions in a new generation of greener and electrical aircrafts.
The impacts at the end of the project are:
COMPETITIVENESS:
+ Better peerformace of the aircraft by a reduction of weight in the electrification of the IPS and Shielding systems and by a reduction of the space required for overall electrification lines compared to traditional ones.
+ Cost reduction related to manufacturing of harnesses and to the time for assembly, inspection or substitution of harnesses.
ENVIRONMENTAL: less fuel consumption and CO2 emissions due to a positive contribution to the drag reduction of the HLFC wing demonstration, due to the employ of additive manufacturing, which reduce material wastes and due to the contribution of IcePass to make possible the electrification of aircrafts
SOCIAL: Creation of qualified jobs free of gender bias, which have a direct correlation to improvement of living standards
INNOVATIION: Development of and European Industrive in Additivie Manufacturing
