EASN Newsletter - April 2020

EASN News

Communication of the Chairing Team of the 10th EASN International Conference

The time for the 10th EASN International Conference on “Innovation in Aviation & Space to the Satisfaction of the European Citizens” which will take place in Salerno, Italy from the 2nd until the 5th of September 2020, is approaching and we are looking forward to it!

Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic, is a significant factor influencing the progress of organizing as well as carrying out the EASN Conference in upcoming September.

There is no need to mention, that our thoughts are first of all with those who have been affected. The health and safety of participants and staff are our first priority, as well. We are also fully aware of the fact that we have still a long way to go before the difficult times we are all experiencing lie behind us. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the situation through official agencies, such as World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and we are prepared to take any action would be proved to be necessary.

We want to remain optimistic and we are continuously working for one more exciting EASN Conference that will be attended physically in Salerno. Nevertheless, we are also evaluating alternative formats so as to potentially modify our event into a hybrid one, by allowing for a virtual participation, which will give the opportunity to people who cannot attend in person to join the Conference. The EASN Conference official website is continuously updated with any new information and updates of the forthcoming 10^th EASN International Conference are following under this communication in a separate article, as well.

In this context, we would like to encourage all colleagues to continue working on the organization of the technical workshops and the preparation of project dedicated sessions. Kindly let us also remind you that both the abstract submission & the registration process are open.

Life goes on and on and we will do our best from our side to realize one more exciting gathering of the European Aviation & Space community, once normality returns to our everyday life!

Sincerely,

The Conference Co-Chairmen

Prof. Liberata Guadagno, Italy EASN National Contact Point, University of Salerno

Prof. Andreas Strohmayer, EASN Chairman, University of Stuttgart

Prof. Spiros Pantelakis, EASN Honorary Chairman, University of Patras
Clean Aviation Partnership
The EASN Association, being the stakeholder of the European Academia, actively participates to the preparation of the Clean Aviation Partnership. EASN Association is well represented in the high-level Clean Aviation preparation group, involving representatives of all stakeholders of the European Aviation community. Additionally, the Association participates in all the Working Groups (WG) of the partnership, namely:
- The WG “Explore & Mature” pillar with two members, co-chairing
- The WG “Integrate & Demonstrate” with one member, co-chairing
- The WG “Governance” with one member
- The WG preparing the “Clean Aviation SRIA”
Representing and supporting Academia’s interests in the preparation of Clean Aviation, the EASN Association has contributed to a number of aspects which are significant for Academia. To them belong:
- A number of research topics obtained through a bottom-up approach from the EASN members are considered in Clean Aviation. The EASN Association has stressed the need for disruptive research which will close the existing technological gap and reduce the science-to-business lead times for aircraft technologies. The above will allow to meet the challenges of the “European Green Deal” and the FlightPath2050 targets.
- A continuous effort for allocating sufficient budget for research & innovation, where clearly underlined is the need for collaborative research.
- The significance of a realistic dissemination strategy based on the principles of the open access and research data policies. The applied dissemination strategy will be consistent to the European policy pylons, by implementing appropriate codes of conduct.
Updates of the forthcoming 10th EASN International Conference
The 10^th EASN International Conference on "Innovation in Aviation & Space to the Satisfaction of the European Citizens " will take place in Salerno, Italy from the 2^nd until the 5^th of September 2020 and will be a hybrid one. In this context physical presence will be encouraged. Yet, the possibility for virtual participation will be also provided thus offering a convenient option to attend for people who, for any reason, will be not in the position to join physically the event.

A summary regarding the updates of our forthcoming gathering follows:
- The 10^th EASN International Conference will be performed with the kind support of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking, LEONARDO S.p.a and the Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA).
- The event consists of technical presentations structured in dedicated sessions; so far more than 30 sessions have been already shaped up and research results obtained in more than 20 research projects will be disseminated. Furthermore several keynote speeches from distinguished personalities of the European Aeronautics and Space Community will be conducted. The names of the, so far, confirmed Key-Note Speakers and the respective presentation titles are the following:
  - Dr. Marcello Amato | CIRA & EREA's Ηead of the Aeronautical Research Group, with Key Note Lecture on: "PRORA the Italian Programme for Aerospace Research”
  - Mr. Axel Krein | Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking, Executive Director, with Key Note Lecture on: “Clean Sky: towards climate-neutral aviation”
  - Prof. Ing. Leonardo Lecce | Novotech - Aerospace Advanced Technology Srl, CEO & President, with Key Note Lecture on: “Innovation Aspects in Design, Manufacturing and Testing of a Small Seaplane as Personal Transportation Vehicle”
  - Dr. Marco Protti | Leonardo Aircraft Division, VP Advanced Research, with Key Note Lecture on: "The future of aviation: the technology challenges ahead"
  - Dr. Daniele Violato | Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking, Programme Officer, with Key Note Lecture on: "Horizon 2020 Collaborative Aviation Research - an overview of results and impact".
- It is difficult to focus on events in the near future while the world is concentrating on the daily challenges regaining stability. In recognition of this fact caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the abstract submission deadline for the 10^th EASN International Conference as well as the early-bird registration deadline have both been extended until the 20th of June 2020. In the same frame the notice of acceptance & opening of full-paper submission has been shifted to the 10th of July 2020. You are cordially invited to submit your abstract for presentation at the 10th EASN International Conference and ensure your participation by registering here and taking advantage of the Early Bird Registration Fees!
For more information for the Topics, the Key-Dates, the Key Note Speakers and the International Scientific Committee can be found at the official website of the 10th EASN International Conference on “Innovation in Aviation & Space to the Satisfaction of the European Citizens”.
EASN & WEGEMT MoU Agreement

The EASN Association and the European Association of Universities in Marine Technology (WEGEMT) unified their forces and agreed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), based on their mutual willingness to intensify the cooperation in science and technology. The MoU was signed by the EASN Chairman Prof. Andreas Strohmayer and the WEGEMT Chairman Prof. Peilin Zhou.
WEGEMT is a European Association of 40 Universities in 17 countries. It was formed in 1978 with the aim of increasing the knowledge base, and updating and extending the skills and competence of practicing engineers and postgraduate students working at an advanced level in marine technology and related sciences.
The Cooperation under this MoU will serve for the development of a mutually beneficial scientific, technological and organizational cooperation between the two entities in research and education activities, promotion of developments in aeronautics, marine and in general the transport sector, boosting multimodality in transport and disseminating research achievements.

"We are very glad to deepen our collaboration with the European Association of Universities in Marine Technology. It is a partnership that will strengthen our efforts to showcase research and innovation as well as coordination among us with main focus on Aeronautics, Marine and Multimodality" mentions Prof. Andreas Strohmayer, Chair of the EASN Association.

For the first issue of the newsletter of 2020, the EASN Association is pleased to host a common interview of Prof. Peilin Zhou and Prof. Andreas Strohmayer in which they share their viewpoints regarding the EASN-WEGEMT MoU.

Read the full interview on the EASN website by following this link.
9th EASN International Conference Follow Up Activities

The 9th EASN International Conference on "Innovation in Aviation & Space" was successfully held in Athens, Greece from the 3rd until the 6th of September, 2019. The event has been recorded as the largest and most comprehensive gathering of the Association so far, as in total more than 450 participants joined the event. The Conference programme included 360 technical presentations distributed in approximately 70 sessions. Furthermore, 40 HORIZON 2020 projects have disseminated their most recent research results as well as the future trends on the respective technological fields. A remarkable number of full length proceedings papers presented during the 9^th EASN International Conference have been published in the open access MATEC Web of Conferences (eISSN: 2261-236X, indexed in Web of Science-Conference Proceedings Citation Index, Google Scholar, etc.) and acquired a unique DOI number!

The 9^th EASN International Conference Proceedings Issue is the volume 304-2019 (01001-07016) and it can be found on-line here.

Further to the proceedings, a respective number of selected papers presented during the event, has been submitted to be published in accredited scientific journlas following peer review. More specifically, eight papers have been already published in the special issue of the Aerospace - Open Access Journal and eight more are under processing: The Aerospace special issue for the 9th EASN International Conference can be found online here. Six papers are under process for being published in the special issue of Manufacturing Review, whilst eleven and thirteen papers have been accepted in the dedicated issues of the Journal of Aerospace Engineering (JAEAT) and Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology (AEAT) respectively. The three last aforementioned special issues will be published soon.
Best Paper Award of the 9th EASN Conference

Following the review process implemented for all papers published in the 9 ^th EASN International Conference Proceedings and the unanimous decision taken by the Board of Directors of the European Aeronautics Science Network the Organizing Committee of the Conference is pleased to announce the winners of the Best Paper Award presented in the event and published in the proceedings issue.

Dr. Yaroslav Dvirnyk, Dr. Dmytro Pavlenko and Dr. Radoslaw Przysowa are the winners of the best published paper entitled "Determination of serviceability limits of a turboshaft engine by the criterion of blade natural frequency and stall margin" and we would like to congratulate and thank them for their outstanding work!

The winners will receive a voucher for free publication, in the AEROSPACE journal following a peer review, with the kind support of MDPI as well as a free Membership to the EASN Association for one year. A short interview of the winners regarding their work and their experience at 9 ^th EASN International Conference the can be found here.
EASN joins ISE as a full member

Recognizing the benefits of joining forces and making our voice stronger in the European research community, the EASN Board of Directors took the decision to join the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) as a full member.

The Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) is an independent platform of European Learned Societies and Research Organizations operating within different disciplines and across sectors. ISE supports all fields of science at a European level, involves researchers in the design and implementation of European science policies, and advocates strong independent scientific advice in European policy making. EASN is represented in the General Assembly of ISE by Prof. Elena Jasiuniene (Kaunas University of Technology) and Dr. Helge Pfeiffer (KU Leuven).
Postponement of the EASN International Workshop on Space

Following increased concerns about the COVID-19 virus, the EASN Association has taken the unpleasant but necessary step to postpone the EASN International Workshop on Space: “Implementing the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Space: The Academia Response”.

The Workshop was planned to be held on April 3^rd 2020, at the RWTH Aachen. The new date will be announced in due time.

Participants who have been invited to attend the Workshop and expressed their intention to participate will be informed once the event is rescheduled. More information will be announced through the EASN Association website.
4th EASN SAB meeting & 25th EASN BoD meeting

On the 1st and 2nd of April 2020 the 4th EASN Stakeholders Advisory Board (SAB) meeting and the 25th EASN BoD meeting took place respectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the originally planned physical meetings were finally held virtually. The discussion was focused on the progress of shaping the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and the involvement of EASN in the preparation of both the Aviation and Space Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA).

The next meetings of both the BoD and the SAB are planned to take place aside of the 10th EASN International Conference, early September in Salerno, Italy.

EASN supported projects: Latest news and achievements

iFACT (iodine Fed Advanced Cusp field Thruster) project was successfully launched in Friedrichshafen, Germany in January 2020. Funded by the European Commission as part of its Horizon 2020 Programme, the €2M project will run for 24 months.

iFACT aims to further develop iodine as alternative propellant for electric propulsion by creating a European ground test infrastructure, further development of the Advanced Cusp Field Thruster (ACFT) principle, and generating a detailed iodine - material compatibility library.

The unique thruster principle paired with the use of iodine as propellant and a tailored feeding architecture has the potential to significantly change the space sector. The iFACT subsystem enables a serious reduction of subsystem mass, in particular the dry mass required for the propellant feeding along with the cost and volume savings of the propellant itself.

The project will foster the use of iodine for in space propulsion by tackling main questions, marks such as iodine corrosion impacts to the satellite platform through extensive material testing; it further aims to develop an iodine compatible cathode/neutralizer including a dedicated investigation towards calcium aluminate as potential low work function emitter candidate. Due to the creation of an independent European iodine compatible test infrastructure especially tailored for long firing tests, the development of iodine based propulsion systems will be enhanced even for parties that are not participating in the iFACT project directly.

With iFACT, Europe can become the leader with respect to iodine as xenon successor as well as a provider of efficient, but very low-cost electric propulsion subsystems. With this in mind iFACT has the ambition to enable future European small satellite constellations.

The project is coordinated by Airbus Germany and involves 7 partners with different areas of expertise from several European States. The iFACT partners are Airbus France, EASN-TIS (Belgium), University of Southampton (UK), Fraunhofer IKTS (Germany), Aerospazio Technologie (Italy), University of Giessen (Germany) and EnduroSat (Bulgaria).

For more information and updates, please visit the iFACT official website and connect with iFACT social media: Twitter | LinkedIn
SLOWD (SLOshing Wing Dynamics) was launched in September 2019 and aims to investigate the effect of sloshing on the dynamics of wing structures carrying fuel through the development of experimental, numerical and analytical methods and use sloshing to reduce loads from gusts and turbulence.

The prime concern of this very dedicated consortium for the first months was the successful launch of the project and of the respective technical activities as well as the realization of the initial interactions among the partners.

On the 11th and 12th of February 2020 the SLOWD Consortium successfully conducted its M6 Progress Meeting in Rome, Italy. The two-day project meeting was hosted by the project partners, Sapienza University and CNR - INstitute of Marine engineering, on their premises. Partners representing all SLOWD Consortium organisations gathered in the Italian capital to present the latest scientific and technical achievements, discuss the overall progress of the project, exchange ideas and agree on the next steps. The fruitful meeting ended with a guided tour of the CNR INM labs and facilities.

Close collaboration between partners will continue online until the next face-to-face meeting in September 2020.

For more information, regular updates and impressive video footage of the SLOWD experimental tests please visit the SLOWD official website as well as the SLOWD social media: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook.
RUMBLE project has entered the third and final year of its lifetime, dedicated to the production of the scientific evidence requested by national, European and international regulation authorities to determine the acceptable level of overland sonic booms and the appropriate ways to comply with it.

So far RUMBLE has performed two flight test campaigns in Russia to gather experimental data on sonic boom propagation on the ground and in buildings. In addition RUMBLE has designed and set up sonic boom simulators used for assessing the public acceptability of reduced sonic boom and is conducting extensive studies of sonic boom propagation in various types of atmosphere and buildings. The project is also in close collaboration with ICAO in support of the European position regarding supersonic flight over land.

In the meantime, the RUMBLE consortium successfully organized the 4th Progress Review and Advisory Board Meeting at the premises of Dassault Aviation in Paris, France. Following the Progress Review meeting that took place on the 9th of December where the Work-Package leaders exchanged information about the main progress and achievements of their respective WPs, the RUMBLE Advisory Board meeting was a great opportunity for members to provide their valuable viewpoint and recommendations on the project. The feedback provided by these key-experts is also expected to greatly support RUMBLE towards its contribution to a regulatory standard for low sonic boom at the ICAO.

The close collaboration between partners will continue online until the next face-to-face meeting.

For more information and regular updates of the project, please connect with RUMBLE official website and RUMBLE social media accounts: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook.
With a few days to go before the project’s completion, the ICARUS-SW team was investigating the technical and economic feasibility of ICARUS-SW tool, a future software tool for describing and analysing thermodynamically stable nanocrystalline alloys. The current technical configuration of ICARUS-SW tool is in the form of a mathematical code and therefore refers to a technology readiness level of 3. However, researchers are continually refining the model and searching the best routes in order to enhance the tool’s technology readiness level and bring a final product to the market of thermodynamic calculation software.
Although there are several commercial CALPHAD software products available on the market for simulating and modelling the thermal stability of alloys, ICARUS-SW tool is unique in that it offers nano-specific calculations taking grain boundaries into consideration as well as the possibility of describing a material’s nanostructure. This can result in the development of novel families of materials with unprecedented properties and performances for a wide range of applications such as in the fields of: aerospace, catalysis and energy production, tools and machinery production, etc.
The EU funded ICARUS-SW project will enable the ICARUS-SW tool to move its technology closer to market-readiness by: delivering a detailed market analysis; developing a business plan; finalising analysis of technological feasibility; and defining IPR and funding strategies.
If you would like to learn more details on our activities, check the ICARUS-SW website.
The SARAH (Increased Safety & Robust Certification for ditching of Aircrafts & Helicopters) project has now reached the end of its three and a half - year lifetime and so far all planned activities run as initially foreseen in the project roadmap, while all important milestones have already been achieved. SARAH team of experts is pleased to see that surprising results were accomplished. Strong progress was achieved especially with regard to the simulation of ditching of helicopters performed by high-fidelity methods and regarding the extensive test-program which delivered significant data to the consortium.

On the 23rd and 24th of March 2020, the SARAH Consortium conducted its Final Progress and Review Meeting which was scheduled to be held in Brussels, Belgium, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak and in order to ensure the safety of the stakholders the meetings have been performed virtually. The partners all allong with the Project Officer and the reviewers, discussed and summed up the outcomes of the research activities and the conclusions. The final results met the requirements of the project’s concept, allowing for the successful conclusion of the SARAH activities.

Unfortunately and due to the concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19), the SARAH Consortium has decided to cancel the physical SARAH Final Dissemination Event. The SARAH Final Dissemination Event that has been scheduled for the 25th of March in Brussels as well, aimed to present and discuss the final outcomes and lessons learned within SARAH, as well as to establish and promote comprehensive roadmaps for technology regarding next generation aircraft and helicopter and to foster the trustworthiness of aviation services. Participants who have confirmed their seat, will be informed about alternative ways of implementing this event with virtual tools i.e. webinars.

More information will be announced soon through the SARAH official website. Important results are continuously disseminated through the SARAH scientific papers, the collection of which is available in SARAH dedicated ZENODO community.
The EU funded collaborative research project “Future propulsion and integration: towards a hybrid/electric aircraft”- FUTPRINT50 was officially launched on January 1^st, 2020 while its Kick-Off Meeting was held on January 23rd in Brussels, Belgium. The project will run until December 2022 with the aim to develop technologies and configurations for a commercial hybrid-electric regional airliner for up to 50 passengers that could enter service in 2035-40.

FUTPRINT50 researchers target to address the current challenge for disruptive technologies development in aircraft design that will sustain the Carbon Neutral Growth commitment towards FlightPath2050. To accomplish this, open-source design tools, hybrid-electric configurations and reference data sets will be generated and shared with the community in an effort to accelerate the development for future electrified aircraft. Additionally, researchers will deliver road maps not only for technology but also for regulation, so as to enable market, technology and legal readiness for entry into service of a hybrid-electric aircraft in 2035-40.

Apart from the above the project team is particularly proud to have included in its plans the FUTPRINT50 Academy through which communication links between the project and the European Academia will be pursued. Future engineers along with the supervision of university professors and the mentoring of FUTPRINT50 partners will perform Bachelor/Master Theses on key themes identified within the project. Further interaction with FUTPRINT50 activities will be ensured through the organization of web-conferences/seminars and physical workshops.

If you would like to learn more details on our activities, check the FUTPRINT50 Press Release. To stay updated with all our latest news, please follow us on social media! Twitter | LinkedIn

Coordination and Support Actions: Latest news

Here it is! After three intense years, the H2020 Coordination and Support Action RINGO (Research Infrastructures Needs Gaps and Overlaps) has come to an end. Thanks to the 19 partners of the project (including the Advisory Board), the continuous interaction with the European Commission and the involvement of more than 150 experts from the whole aviation arena, the main goals of the project have been fully achieved. A comprehensive and detailed map of more than 350 aviation infrastructures is now available to the community also in interactive mode on http://www.ringo-project.eu/ri-maps/.

Through surveys, almost 20 workshops, interviews, more than 150 RI “Needs“ (required to achieve the Flightpath 2050 goals), have been identified and clustered in 15 thematic fields, also specifying the current available European capabilities and gaps in terms of needed infrastructures. Analysis on budgeting needs at European level, as well as suggestions of new funding schemes and business and operational models to be implemented, to fulfill the future challenges, represent a further major output of the project. Keep in touch with RINGO to have access to the main deliverables!

Find updated information: RINGO Official website | LinkedIn | Twitter
Having completed the bilateral discussions with 5 countries/world players in aviation (USA, Canada, China, Japan & Russia) and concluding also with the assessment of the other countries of its perimeter, ICARe project is ready to issue the final set of recommendations for future international cooperation in civil Aviation Research and Innovation. The recommendations will give higher attention to those in line with the principles of the “European Green Deal”. A public version will be also made available by the end of May 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the final communication & dissemination event of the project which was planned to take place in the frame of ILA Berlin (13-14 May 2020) has been cancelled. The ICARe consortium is currently examining alternative scenarios in order to publicly communicate the achievements of the project. The objective is to give the floor to high level representatives from the international stakeholders, the EC Administration, and the European aviation to “virtually” present their position with regards to international cooperation in aviation research.

More information can be found at the ICARe official website and ICARe Social Media accounts: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

EASN Newsletter - April 2020

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EASN News

Communication of the Chairing Team of the 10th EASN International Conference

Clean Aviation Partnership

Updates of the forthcoming 10th EASN International Conference

EASN & WEGEMT MoU Agreement

9th EASN International Conference Follow Up Activities

Best Paper Award of the 9th EASN Conference

EASN joins ISE as a full member

Postponement of the EASN International Workshop on Space

4th EASN SAB meeting & 25th EASN BoD meeting

EASN supported projects: Latest news and achievements

Coordination and Support Actions: Latest news