#	Pagina
attuale pagina	/open-h2020/projects/209720/results.html
-1	/open-h2020/per-topic/threedimensional/list/index.html
-2	/open-h2020/per-topic/eusea/list/index.html
-3	/open-h2020/per-topic/nelf/list/index.html
-4	/open-h2020/per-topic/martera/list/index.html
-5	/open-h2020/projects/213610/results.html
-6	/open-h2020/projects/220182/results.html
-7	/open-h2020/per-topic/cosmetical/list/index.html
-8	/open-h2020/per-topic/ikaas/list/index.html
-9	/open-h2020/projects/195991/results.html
-10	/open-h2020/per-topic/nanosurf/list/index.html

Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SABRE (Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency)

Teaser

Summary

Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency (SABRE) is an H2020 funded research project which aims to develop ground-breaking new helicopter blade morphing technologies that will reduce helicopter fuel burn, CO2 and NOx emissions by a projected 5-10%, while also reducing noise emissions. As the aviation sector continues to grow and helicopters are increasingly used to perform a wide range of vital missions in our society, it is important that their environmental impact be minimised. This goal is particularly important in light of the Europe-wide push towards a more environmentally conscious society. The morphing blade technologies developed within SABRE will help Europe to achieve its ambitious aviation emissions goals while also sharpening its competitive edge in the rapidly growing helicopter market. It has support from leading industry figures, Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo Helicopters.

The two primary objectives of the SABRE research program are to develop a range of different morphing concepts which all have significant promise for emissions reductions while also quantifying the potential helicopter emissions reductions achievable through their use. These dual research streams are tightly cross-linked, with the morphing technology development directly informing the rotor level analysis of what the performance achievable, while the rotor level analysis also feeds back where and how to best use the morphing devices to maximise the emissions reductions.

Work performed

The first reporting period of the SABRE program has seen significant progress made towards achieving the objectives of the project. Initial, low-fidelity rotor analysis which considered the morphing concepts in their simplest form showed that the morphing concepts can achieve emissions reductions on the order of 5-11%. This result, while promising, needs to be further informed by details of the aerodynamic, structural, and mass characteristics of the morphing concepts, which is the primary motivation behind the adoption of the dual stream, cross-linked research program. This approach is ambitious in its scope and structure and in its dependency on tight working relationships between partners, but it is already starting to bear fruit. An initial round of surrogate modelling work has captured, to the first order, the performance and mechanical properties of each one of the morphing concepts. These models are being run through extensive analysis sweeps using rotor level comprehensive analysis to identify where on the blade they should be placed to maximise emissions reductions, and how and when they should be actuated. Initial results are very promising and will be presented in detail in the next reporting period. Design and development work of the different concepts is ongoing, with a number of initial prototypes and proof-of-concept demonstrators being built for the concepts and key underlying technologies. To date all of the required deliverables have been submitted and all milestones have been achieved - the research program is on schedule and is actively producing promising results.

Final results

This project has already lead to significant advancements in the state-of-the-art of morphing and adaptive helicopter rotors, with even further progress to come over the remaining two reporting periods. The technology development work is significantly beyond the state of the art, and significant improvements have also been made in the automation, fidelity, and sophistication of the rotorcraft analysis tools available to and developed by the partners. This project has a unique focus on rotorcraft emissions (as opposed to performance or power), and models have been created which will allow for other researchers to adopt a similar focus for their work. The technologies developed are showing good promise in terms of efficacy, with significant development and evaluation activities still to come in the remainder of the project. This project has also forged a strong collaborative relationship between the partner institutions, with clear leadership and a focused approach to achieving our goals. The methods, tools, and technologies developed will be available to advance the vision of greener aviation, and to improve the economy, environment, and research atmosphere of the European community.