Page 23 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2016 publication

Summer 2016 European Energy Innovation 23
engine demonstrator (October
2014) – ALPS introduces a composite
fan structure in large 3-shaft engines,
used on long-range aircraft.
• The regional turboprop flight test
(July 2015) – here an entire panel
of the aluminium upper fuselage is
replaced by an innovative composite
multi-layer panel containing optical
fibres and electrical sensors/
actuators for in-flight measurements.
• Bluecopter (July 2015) – this features
matured technologies with the
objective of reducing the drag of
an Airbus Helicopters’ H135 by
optimising the design of parts of the
shape.
• Multi Criteria Departure Procedure
(July 2015) – trajectory optimisation
allows the Flight Management
System to compute an optimised
set of parameters during the
initial climb phase just after take-
off, targeting a reduction of CO2
emission, a reduction in perceived
noise, or a combination of both.
• COPPER Bird (July 2015) – this
demonstrates the feasibility of more
electrical architectures for innovative
test equipment and systems for
regional aircraft, helicopters and
business jets. Upcoming tests are
expected to show benefits in terms
of emissions’ reduction.
• The Open Rotor (September 2015)
– this new propulsion concept is
expected to enable reductions of
over 30 to 35% in fuel burn and CO2
emissions per passenger-km. This
is the most ambitious step towards
CO2 reduction to date.
Clean Sky’s environmental objectives
are now confirmed by the Technology
Evaluator as virtually achieved: ‘virtually’ moving forward on this is our Award
because the concrete inclusion of
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
AVIATION
the demonstrated technologies into
products is now pending. In addition,
more than 600 participants have now
come through the doors of the ‘closed’
club - including more than 250 SMEs,
one third of which have fewer than ten
employees.
Meanwhile, Clean Sky 2 was started,
with more than twice the budget
of Clean Sky 1. Building on its
predecessor’s success, Clean Sky
2 aims to achieve a higher level of
technology integration at aircraft
level and to raise the maturity level
of systems incorporating these new
technologies. The programme has
gathered an impressive momentum
in its first ‘extended year’ of operation will be requested to manage the living
(from July 2014 to the end of 2015).
There have already been two Calls
for Core Partners and three Calls for
Proposals, resulting in more than
200 new members and partners,
including many newcomers, joining the
community.
Clean Sky is developing beyond
Clean Sky. This means that besides the
management of Clean Sky 1 and 2, the
Programme is widening its scope for
the benefit of these very programmes,
in particular by building synergies
with the EU Structural and Investment
Funds managed by National Authorities
and Regions. Ten Memoranda of
Understanding have been signed in
one year with ten states or regions, and
some have already started to bear fruit.
Clean Sky beyond Clean Sky also
means taking advantage of the focus
on Demonstrators, which is giving an
unequalled momentum to research,
to encourage lower-TRL, bottom-up
initiatives including the involvement
of PhD students in projects, and also
to create more bridges between SMEs
and academia. An example of us
for the Best PhD thesis in the field of
Aeronautics within a Clean Sky project –
the ceremony will take place during the
Clean Sky conference at ILA Berlin Air
Show on 1st of June 2016.
…In seven years from now, we or
our successors will be preparing the
final assessment of Clean Sky 2. My
personal forecast is as follows: no
doubt Clean Sky 3 will already be on
track, because three is also a magic
number in fairy tales. A seamless,
inclusive programme across the entire
technology readiness levels (TRL) scale
will have been agreed, establishing
the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking as the
‘common house’ of EU research for
aircraft technology. The programme
priorities of the programme, bringing
flexibility and openness. An adapted
governance will allow upstream
research to be guaranteed a continued
funding flow. In seven years’ time,
the synergies with Structural Funds
will be well-established and reaping
local, regional rewards, and an eco-
system of aeronautical research will be
firmly rooted in the regional breeding
grounds. At the other end of the
spectrum, international cooperation
with countries like Canada and Russia
will have concretised in selected
relevant fields.
A renewed technical ambition will
confirm European aeronautics as the
most innovative in the world – the only
way to keep its leading position in
the global competition. New, game-
changing architectures will be flown.
No doubt, the European Union bodies
and the industry, hand in hand, will
allow the necessary resources to be
continuously invested in this rewarding
industrial sector. l
CONTACT DETAILS
More on Clean Sky can be found on
www.cleansky.eu