Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GAM AIR 2018 (AIRFRAME ITD)

Teaser

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...

Summary

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 (e.g.: Efficient wing technologies, hybrid laminar flow technologies, new production and recycling techniques).

Due to the large scope of technologies undertaken by the Airframe ITD, addressing the full range of aeronautical portfolio (Large passenger Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, Rotorcraft, Business Jet and Small transport Aircraft), the ITD is structured around 3 major Activity Lines:
• Activity Line A: Demonstration of airframe technologies focused toward High Performance & Energy Efficiency (HPE); Related Technology Streams are noted “A”.
• Activity Line B: Demonstration of airframe technologies focused toward High Versatility and Cost Efficiency (HVC); Related Technology Streams are noted “B”.
• Activity Line C: Demonstration of airframe Eco-Design (ECO); Related Technology Streams are noted “C”.

An Activity Line dedicated to “Management & Interface”, noted “M”, completes the high-level WBS.

Work performed

\"High Performance and Energy efficiency (HPE)

Technology maturations continued during 2018. The most significant achievements to be mentioned are as follows:
The tool suite was set up for the analysis of new innovative aircraft architectures and to support the trade-study decision. After the decision gate about Contra Rotating Open Rotor (CROR) of July 2017, the activities dedicated to Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) and CROR configuration” has been reshuffled and redefined.
Significant progress was made on the laminar nacelle. Flight tests and results analysis have started and coating technologies for laminar airflow were significantly matured.
The design of airframe structure demonstrators such as a Large Passenger Aircraft (LPA) door and the Business Jet (BJ) Wing Root Box (WRB) made good progress with Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) mid-2018 and start of detailed design.
The technologies development for Electrical Wing Ice Protection System (EWIPS) for slats is on-going and the conceptual design of innovative movables is now on track. The flight tests for vibration control have been successfully carried out and results analysed.
The study of concepts for the human centred cabin and the office centred cabin significantly progressed and entered into demonstration phase in 2018.


High Versatility Costs efficiency (HVC)

Technology maturations continued during 2018. Significant achievements to be mentioned follow below.
The Wing and Tail Preliminary Design for the Compound Rotorcraft passed a PDR with actions. Internal PDR was successful and Material system has been selected for Small Aircraft Transport (SAT) Optimized Composite Wing Box, with preliminary small scale integral demo
Morphing Winglet design for Regional FTB#2 is fully closed and manufacturing started with first trials for composite parts. WIN-TOOL innovative assembly tooling for morphing winglet has been delivered. Multifunctional Flap design for Regional FTB#2 is fully closed and manufacturing and assembly started.
Several Critical Design Reviews (CDR) were completed. These included: Loop Heat Pipe Ice Protection to be integrated in the Nacelle; Structural embedded antenna; Ice Protection based on Induction; and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electrical generation and distribution.
Finally, good progress was made in other technology development areas such as: Morphing Leading Edge technology (Leading Edge target shapes computed); Out of Autoclave (OoA) composite Outer Wing Box (OWB) Thermoplastics in situ Consolidation and Liquid Resin Infusion (LRI) characterization tests (detail level closed and progressing at panel levels); Additive manufactured parts for the door demonstrator (detailed design launched and manufacturing of mock-ups initiated for process optimisation); Regional Composite Fuselage detailed design in progress and Tests on elements (Level L2) and on sub-components (Level L3) in progress. For Regional Cabin Interiors, the Preliminary definition of the aircraft interfaces for each major aircraft cabin item and first key comfort analysis performed based on the most important selected variables.


Eco-Design

With respect to “Technology Development”, the most promising and relevant technologies selected entered into development and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data collection started. Collaboration with ECO TA was efficient.
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Final results

In Clean Sky 1, a more efficient wing with natural laminar flow, optimised control surfaces and control systems have been demonstrated. Also, novel engine integration strategies have been derived and tested, and innovative fuselage structures investigated.
Progress towards the 2020 targets is significant but efforts remain necessary - in particular for the most complex and challenging requirement on new vehicle integration – to reach these objectives and start towards the 2050 SRIA goals. 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: Further important gains can be obtained combining:
- Weight-optimized use of composites on very high aspect ratio wings,
- Cost effective production of laminar wings and use of hybrid laminar flow technology,
- Full scale demonstration of the aero efficiency of low cost wings and of high-lift wing concepts.
• Developing fuselages with optimized usage of volume and minimized weight, cost and environmental impact. Step changes in efficiency and environmental impact are expected from:
- Optimized shapes of fuselage and cockpit,
- Optimized use of metallic and composite materials,
- New integration of components and systems, as well as advanced integrated structures.
• Developing an enhanced technology base in a transverse approach towards airframe efficiency to feed the demonstrators on synergetic domains such as:
- Efficient wing technologies,
- 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.