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Hybrid-Electric Regional FUSelage & Empennages

Project description

Regional aircraft for a greener future

The aviation industry faces significant pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as climate change accelerates. Regional aircraft contribute a substantial share of these emissions, necessitating urgent action. Transitioning to hybrid-electric technology offers a promising solution, but significant design challenges remain. Innovations in fuselage and empennage structures are essential to make this transition viable. In this context, the EU-funded HERFUSE project will develop advanced designs for the fuselage and empennages of Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft (HER). It focuses on materials, manufacturing, and system integration to enhance performance while reducing emissions. By collaborating with the HERA project, HERFUSE aims to create effective solutions that support the aviation sector’s shift toward more sustainable operations.

Objective

The aim of HERFUSE proposal is to design innovative fuselage and empennages suitable for the future Hybrid-Electric Regional aircraft (HER) that will contribute to the overall target to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) emissions. HERFUSE will study the challenges on fuselage and empennages layout, material, components, manufacturing and assembly derived by integration of the relevant fuselage systems for HER as defined in the SRIA for a Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft and in HER-01 topic. HERFUSE integrates features and components necessary to regional hybrid-electric propulsion and complementary systems as well as improves weight, durability, aerodynamic efficiency and operational issues. The technologies and solutions matured in this project shall be aligned and feed with models, analyses and actual test data HERA project on regional aircraft (HORIZON-JU-CLEAN-AVIATION-2022-01-TRA-01). HERFUSE technologies, manufacturing and assembly of critical components will make feasible achieving the targeted performance gains of HER enablers such as low GHG energy sources (batteries and fuel cells), their storage (probable liquid in hydrogen case), their distribution and management, operational and safety features, thermal management provisions, electrical and thermal insulation. Technical solutions set by the HERFUSE will contribute then to the overall target and studies performed at aircraft level in HERA to reduce emissions. Namely, HERFUSE integration requirements will be concurrent and complementary to the aircraft-level ones set into HERA.

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Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-JU-IA - HORIZON JU Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-Clean-Aviation-2023-01

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Coordinator

LEONARDO - SOCIETA PER AZIONI
Net EU contribution
€ 7 196 435,56
Address
PIAZZA MONTE GRAPPA 4
00195 Roma
Italy
Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost
€ 10 399 079,73

Participants (30)

Partners (1)