Civil aviation faces a mounting conflict between the rapid growth of traffic demand and the increasingly clear need to reduce emissions of the long-lived greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. Use of hydrogen fuel may contribute to the resolution of this conflict. This paper reviews the problem and introduces the current European research.
This article deals with some considerations behind the Spanish government support for innovation in the aeronautical sector as well as a brief description of the implementation of such support. A case of the results of this support is also presented.
The Euopean project, ENHANCE, coordinated by EADS Airbus, is a large, single and cohesive R&D initiative in the field Concurrent Engineering aimed at improving European Aeronautical industry competitiveness. It addressed the joint call ‘Concurrent Engineering in Aeronautics’ issued by the European Commission. The project duration is 3 years. ENHANCE started in February 1999. Its total budget is 38.2 million, half funded by the European Commission. ENHANCE first results are presented here.
In 1998, motivated by the need to improve aviation safety procedures and regulations in order to keep pace with the steadily growing volume of air traffic, the Joint Aviation Authorities launched its Joint Safety Strategy Initiative. In this talk, the main features of that initiative and its constituent activities are described.
Alloys based on the intermetallic compound orthorhombic titanium aluminide have the potential to replace steels, nickel and titanium alloys for some aero-engine component applications. The introduction of orthorhombic alloys could result in reduced weight and higher operating temperatures for engines. This in turn would lead to higher thrust-to-weight ratios and greater fuel efficiency. The Brite-Euram-funded programme EPROTAC is developing processing routes for orthorhombic alloy components with properties which are superior to current alloys.
This paper starts with a description of the UK government programme for civil aircraft research, followed by examples of work in the major sectors of the industry. TRW Aeronautical Systems is the example from many equipment companies in the UK, Airbus UK reports on the national activity on civil wings and Rolls-Royce reports on its activity on large civil turbofan engines.
An overview of civil aeronautics research activities in Italy is given, with an emphasis given to the contribution of Italian research to international programmes, particularly concerning the Framework Programmes of EU, where an increasing Italian participation is marked, although the Italian industry is not part of Airbus. A perspective of future objectives and programmes is also given.
Within the French Ministry of Transports, the Civil Aeronautics Directorate (DPAC) contributes, along with Industry, to defining national policy for the aeronautical sector. Through its national aeronautical research programme, the main objectives of DPAC is to increase competitiveness and scientific excellence in order to generate higher levels of sustainable growth and productivity in today's economy.
This presentation gives an overview of the Swedish National R&TD efforts in aeronautics. The scope is to look both a little bit backwards and see what has been achieved, and to look into the future.
Aeronautics Days 2001 saw an important innovation relative to previous Community conferences - the introduction of an International Forum. This stream of the parallel sessions was devoted to accounts of aeronautical research programmes in various countries and some international organisations.
The present article is the text of the speech delivered by Alfredo Roma at the opening session of the 10th ACI-Europe annual assembly held in Rome in June 2000, on the central theme ‘Global Alliances and Privatisation’. Here he reviews the main factors to be taken into consideration in order to optimise airport development in Europe within the framework of the ongoing civil aviation liberalisation and privatisation processes.
This presentation offered an individual view, based on a consideration of the ICAO process for regulating aircraft emissions, and the speaker's experience as a CAEP member since 1996. It concluded that regulation which is conservativey based on available technology, with a strong emphasis on minimum cost, will not contribute enough to achieving the sustainable development of aviation in Europe. Further measures will be needed.
This research is aimed at obtaining experimental data on contamination of the atmosphere by emissions from aircraft engines in cruise flight conditions, to establish and improve models of the physical and chemical processes which take place in the aircraft wake and in the general zone of air traffic corridors. An Su-24 ‘sounder’ aircraft equipped with an air sampling and collection system has been established to obtain the necessary atmospheric samples in flight, and procedures have been developed for performing the research flights. Techniques have also been developed for chemical analysis of the samples.
MAGENTA is the ‘Model for Assessing Global Exposure to the Noise of Transport Aircraft’ which is under development for use in cost-benefit studies of aircraft noise mitigation measures undertaken by ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Project (CAEP). Essentially the model calculates the numbers of people exposed to significant levels of aircraft noise around the world's jet airports. Designed to handle variables under three strands of a ‘balanced approach’ to noise abatement (at source, by operational means and by land-use controls), its first major application has been to evaluate the benefits of tightening noise certification limits and phasing out noisier aircraft from service. These, and the associated costs, were considered by CAEP in January 2001. This paper reviews briefly the methodology and application of the model together with its future development potential.
Air transport will continue to grow. It has a good relative safety record but public perception focuses on total accidents rather than relative safety. This has led to the setting of ambitious new safety targets for air transport, whose attainment will require improved knowledge of causes of accidents and better understanding of the effects of new technologies and procedures. Human factors and operational environments are key elements while aircraft design, construction and maintenance, together with ATC operations and accident mitigation, also play important roles. During the Aerodays a variety of projects relating to these matters were presented.
One of the most promising routes to increase capacity at over-crowded European airports is to reduce the separation distances between aircraft on landing and take-off, or vertical separations in densely flown en-route sectors. Separations are necessary to avoid the risk of encountering a wake from a preceding aircraft - and hence are vital for flight safety. This is becoming even more critical with the advent of very-large transport aircraft. This article explains the characterisation of wave vortices, and explores the European Projects looking at the problem.
The European programme HITS constitutes the first attempt to reduce the thermal conductivity of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) for industrial applications through engineered coating microstructures and new chemistries. This article provides an overview of the work carried out and presents examples of the results achieved.
CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastics) fuselage structures are expected to be realized with future generations of aircraft. Going into the postbuckling regime with these structures requires improved, fast and reliable procedures for analysis and design of stiffened fibre composite panels. The EC project POSICOSS, which was started in the year 2000, develops such procedures. This article deals with the main objectives of the project, the theoretical and experimental work to be carried out, and with first results.
An approach to increase the material removal rate, to lower the cutting forces, to eliminate necessary hand finish and to assure an improved component accuracy, is to implement the high speed flank milling technology for manufacturing processes. The presented paper analyses the flank milling process. A special consideration is given to the issue of tool deflection and its dependency on the applied process parameters. Further subject is the development of advanced tool path generation for optimised tool positions minimising gauges and stock material as well as reducing the risk of collisions.
Passenger growth at many of Europe's airports is being driven by expansion of connecting traffic. The major airlines are increasing the effectiveness of their hubbing activities through improved flight scheduling, commercial partnerships and alliances, the utilisation of regional jet aircraft and high speed rail feeders. This article examines these key developments and considers the implications for different airports.
