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EASN Newsletter - October 2021

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  • EASN's survey on expectations from Horizon Europe’s framework
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    The main aim of the Horizon Europe programme is to tackle climate change. In this context, the contribution expected from the Aviation Sector represents probably one of the biggest challenges in its history. Horizon Europe, which is the main tool for developing the technologies enabling to meet this challenge, entails an appreciable amount of aviation research; it includes mainly the JUs EPCA and SESAR as well as the relevant topics of Cluster 5. Furthermore, aviation will benefit from synergies with other JUs and Clusters addressing primarily other sectors such as the JUs Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, Made in Europe Partnership, Cluster 4 - Digital, Industry & Space, etc. 

    In this context, the following ten distinguished personalities of the European Aeronautical Research Community are sharing with the readers of the Newsletter, their views about and their expectations from Horizon Europe:

    • Mr. Yann Barbaux | Senior Vice President at Airbus and Former Executive Chairman of Aerospace Valley
    • Mr. Bart de Vries | Advisor Operations Strategy at KLM and Co – Chair of ACARE
    • Dr. Hitendra Hirani | Aerospace EU Programme Manager at University of Nottingham and Chief Strategy Officer at University of Nottingham, Italy
    • Mr. Peter Hotham | Deputy Executive Director at SESAR Joint Undertaking
    • Dr. Dietrich Knoerzer | Independent aeronautics consultant in Brussels and a former senior Scientific Officer of the Aviation Unit within the Directorate General for Research & Innovation of the European Commission
    • Mr. Axel Krein | Executive Director of Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking
    • Ir. Joris Melkert | Associate Professor and Director of Education of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology
    • Prof. Spiros Pantelakis | Honorary Chairman of the EASN and Professor Emeritus at the University of Patras
    • Prof. Andreas Strohmayer | Chairman of the EASN and Head of the Department of Aircraft Design in the Institute of Aircraft Design (IFB), at the University of Stuttgart
    • Mrs. Gioia Venturini | Director, Vice-President for International Cooperation and Public Affairs R&T and Innovation of SAFRAN Group

    The set  of the questions addresed to the above-mentioned interviewees, is the following: 

    Question 1 (Q1): In your view, is the aforementioned framework sufficient to achieve the contribution expected from Aviation within the next decade? Which main research achievements should we expect by 2030?

    Question 2 (Q2): In your opinion, are the goals defined by the Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas of the aviation relevant JUs as well as the priorities set in Cluster 5 for Aviation, appropriate and sufficient to make the necessary step by 2030 towards a climate neutral and circular aviation by 2050?

    Question 3 (Q3): What is your view regarding the budget of Horizon Europe assigned for aviation research? Is it adequate? Is in your view the share of budget among the Aviation JUs and the aviation research priorities in Cluster 5 appropriate?

    The answers provided in alphabetical order can be found here. 

  • Interview of Dr. Marcel Rommerts, Head of Unit for Transport Research in CINEA

    Dr. Marcel Rommerts (short CV here) is the Head of Unit for Transport Research in the European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA). CINEA is the successor organisation of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA). Officially established on 15 February 2021, it has started its activities on 1 April 2021 in order to implement parts of certain EU programmes. CINEA plays a key role in supporting the EU Green Deal through the efficient and effective implementation of its delegated programmes, as the new Agency will look at supporting sustainable, green, and decarbonised Europe. CINEA will continue managing the existent projects and start implementing the new 2021-2027 programmes. These include CEF 2 on Transport and Energy and Horizon Europe, adding Climate actions to the existent Transport and energy portfolio. 

    In brief, CINEA’s mission is "to support its stakeholders in delivering the European Green Deal through high-quality programme management that helps to implement projects contributing to decarbonisation and sustainable growth". 

    On the occasion of this new beggining, Dr. Rommerts kindly accepted to share his views with the readers of the EASN Newsletter, regarding the scopes and the challenges of the new Agency CINEA as well as to describe the main policy priorities of the transport R&I. 

    Read the full interview on the EASN website by visiting the following link and watch a short video animation to learn about all of CINEA programmes and activities! 

  • Si-Cluster & EASN MoU Agreement

    The Hellenic Space Technologies and Applications Cluster (si-Cluster) and the EASN Association agreed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in order to better serve the common interest and their mutual willingness to intensify the cooperation in between.  The MoU was duly signed on the 7th July 2021, by the Chairman of Si-Cluster Dr. Jorge-A. Sanchez-P. and the Chairman of the EASN Prof. Andreas Strohmayer. 

    Si-Cluster is an emerging, industrially-led and user-driven innovation cluster in Greece, with a sizeable potential to compete worldwide in the challenging and fast-growing sector of space technologies and applications. Currently, the si-Cluster consists of more than 55 members -including both large businesses and SMEs- while it is expanding rapidly not only its industrial base but also its cooperation ties with all the innovation ecosystem actors, including academia, research institutes, European, regional and central governmental and other stakeholders involved in this demanding technological field.

    The Cooperation under this MoU will serve for the development of a mutually beneficial scientific, technological and organizational cooperation between the two entities in aerospace activities, promotion of developments in aerospace and popularizing the achievements and research in all areas of aerospace. Thematic areas covered by this MoU include but are not limited to academic, scientific, technological, industrial and entrepreneurship activities related to Aviation, Space and Aerospace. 

    "We are very glad to strengthen our cooperation with the Hellenic Space Technologies and Applications Cluster. It is a partnership that will boost our efforts to showcase research and innovation as well as coordination among us with main focus on Aerospace" mentions Prof. Andreas Strohmayer, Chair of the EASN Association.

  • 12th EASN Conference on Innovation in Aviation & Space for opening New Horizons

    The EASN Association and the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) are glad to announce the 12th EASN International Conference on "Innovation in Aviation & Space for opening New Horizons" which will take place in Barcelona, Spain from the 18th until the 21st of October 2022. Dr. Jordi Pons Prats, who is EASN’s National Contact Point in Spain, will be in charge for UPC to co - chair our upcoming event. 

    We are working on organizing an in-person 2022 EASN Conference and we are excited and looking forward to meeting colleagues and friends again in Barcelona.

    The aim of this yearly gathering is dual:

    • To act as a forum where innovative ideas, breakthrough concepts and disruptive technologies are presented with the aim to establish new research partnerships and possible synergies,
    • while in parallel be the place for disseminating the knowledge and results achieved and discussing on current trends and future needs in the frame of research projects of the Aviation and Space field.

    The previous 11th EASN International Conference, which, due to the COVID pandemic, was held virtually, was attended by more than 420 participants from various disciplines.

    Like its predecessors, the 12th EASN International Conference on "Innovation in Aviation & Space for opening New Horizons" will include a number of Plenary Talks by distinguished personalities of the European Aviation and Space sectors from the academia, industry, research community and policy makers. It will also include Thematic Sessions, along with Technical Workshops where evolving ideas, technologies, products, services and processes will be discussed.

    Furthermore, the conference is expected to be a major European Dissemination and Exploitation event of Aviation and Space - related research. The majority of the currently running research projects will exploit the 3-days technical program to present their activities and achieved goals, discuss on current trends and future needs of the Aviation and Space - related research and try to identify possible synergies with each other.

    Additionally, a number of policy development projects will also find the floor to present the strategic priorities of the European aviation sector.

    In this frame, you are cordially invited to join us and be part of this year's conversation of the European Aviation & Space community!

  • EASN is now on LinkedIn!

    We are glad to announce that the EASN Association has a new LinkedIn page. Our aim with this page is to approach a larger professional audience as well as to keep our members up-to-date on the activities of the EASN network. EASN LinkedIn page will be regularly updated with news about not only its activities but also any relevant industry news too. If you are a LinkedIn member please, follow our page and share the relevant information within your peers.

    Visit and Follow EASN's new LinkedIn profile here!

EASN supported projects: Latest news and achievements

  • SAFELAND was launched in July 2020 and aims at supporting flight and landing of single pilot operated aircrafts, in case of pilot incapacitation.

    The project particularly focusses on the ground side and especially on the role that Air Traffic Management (ATM) could have in managing the transition from a single pilot operated flight to reduced or absent contribution of the onboard pilot to landing. SAFELAND investigates the interaction of a ground-based pilot operating through a remote cockpit position with onboard automation and air traffic controllers to manage the flight. The SAFELAND consortium has already accomplished their overarching goal to define the SAFELAND Final Concept for Single Pilot Operations (SPO) in case of pilot incapacitation during flight, available on the project’s website as a public deliverable. Currently halfway through its lifetime, the SAFELAND partners are working towards simulation exercises for the validation of the SAFELAND concept and procedures.

    On September 2021, SAFELAND’s Final Concept was presented at the 11th EASN International Conference, at a dedicated session about “Remotely piloted aircraft systems: SESAR Joint Undertaking”. Read more

    Additionally, the consortium intends to participate to the 11th SESAR Innovation Days virtual conference, a benchmark event in air traffic management (ATM) exploratory research. 

    Last but not least, the SAFELAND Intermediate Review meeting with SESAR Joint undertaking took place virtually, giving the chance for a fruitful dialogue. Objectives of the meeting were to meet with the project team, to update on the progress of the project, to discuss questions and concerns and, if needed, to find solutions. During the meeting, constructive feedback was given by the project officer and the external reviewers, and after an appraisal of the actions undertaken, SAFELAND was rated as "well on track", successfully passing the review!

    Connect with SAFELAND through its official website and networks and stay updated!

    LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

  • The EU-funded iFACT (iodine Fed Advanced Cusp field Thruster) project is working to further develop an iodine-based ion propulsion system by establishing an efficient European ground test infrastructure, further advancing the “Advanced Cusp Field Thruster” (ACFT) technology, and generating a detailed iodine - material compatibility library.

    But what has the consortium been up to since our last update? The iFACT team successfully reached the important 1000 hours milestone of continuous operation of the iodine Fed Advanced Cusp Field Thruster (iFACT). Multiple kilograms of iodine have been fed through the thruster already. Thus, they are on track to finally provide experimental evidence that the Airbus thruster technology meets the performance and efficiency needs without presenting performance degradation over several thousand hours of operation. This means that it is possible to use iodine as a propellant, without coping with undesired challenges like clogging or material incompatibilities. Iodine could replace the noble gas xenon that is used today in space to control probes and satellites with an ion-drive, thus reducing the overall operational costs and being a more efficient and competitive alternative in terms of fuel cost, mass, and volume savings on board.

    The iFACT team now is performing a 3000h lifetime test of the 300W thruster fed by iodine to discover the subsystem’s lifetime expectancy and iodine compatibility. The test is taking place in a brand-new facility provided by AEROSPAZIO in Italy. The thruster subsystem has been exclusively developed by AIRBUS and the iFACT team and funded by the European Commission, internal R&T, and DLR.

    On the 3rd of September 2021 the project coordinator, Dr. Franz Georg Hey, spoke at the 11th EASN Virtual International Conference as part of the “EPIC SRC projects joint session: iFACT, NEMESIS, GIESEPP, EDDA” panel. The virtual session was a successful online gathering of the GIESEPP, EDDA, NEMESIS, and iFACT research projects, which are all under the EPIC-SRC umbrella, and gained the opportunity to foster links among them and learn more details about each other’s research activities. The iFACT presentation from the event has been uploaded to the Dissemination Section of the website.

    Important results are disseminated through the iFACT official website. To stay updated- follow www.epic-ifact.eu

  • From a satellite kit ... to a functioning assembled satellite.

    The “orbital factory” envisioned by PERIOD (PERASPERA In Orbit Demonstration) project will pioneer construction of major components such as antenna reflectors, assembly of spacecraft components and satellite payload replacements, directly in space. This is the precursor to future manufacturing of large structures in orbit. Producing directly on orbit will revolutionize the way space systems are designed, built and operated.

    Approaching the mid term of its lifetime, PERIOD is now focusing on fine-tuning the mission objectives and the ambitious demonstration concept. From the factory accommodation at the Bartolomeo platform of the International Space Station (ISS) and the operational architecture concept up to the maturation of the selected In Space Manufacturing and Assembly (ISMA) technologies and the benchmarking of the Standard Interconnects (Sis), the PERIOD team is working towards updating and upgrading the different elements of this mission.

    In parallel, having the permanent objective to improve the customers awareness on ISMA, the PERIOD project keeps open discussion links with the involved stakeholders through its participation in a number of conferences, workshops and events. In this way, a transparent information and an open dialogue on the capabilities, risks and mitigations of ISMA is being ensured.

    For more information visit the official website of the project: https://period-h2020.eu/

    Connect with us in Twitter & LinkedIn.

  • The Consortium of the DOMMINIO H2020 Project is thrilled to announce the organization of the 1st DOMMINIO Open Workshop, to be held virtually on the 30th of November 2021 | 10:00 – 14:00 CET.

    This insightful event will provide a great opportunity for interested audience to delve into the cutting-edge science and technology of DOMMINIO. Panelists representing industrial and academic stakeholders will present the latest advances on the thematics of thermoplastics, additive manufacturing, and digital manufacturing.

    Panel by:

    Paolo Cassis, CARACOL

    Sergio Gusmeroli, Politecnico di Milano

    Sebastiaan Wijskamp, ThermoPlastic composites Research Center (TPRC)

    The session will be followed by partner presentations of DOMMINIO results, particularly covering the following aspects of the project:

    • Modelling and simulation
    • Multifunctional aerostructures (SHM, de-icing, digital twin)
    • Additive manufacturing technologies

    More information on the event agenda and registration guidelines to be released soon through the DOMMINIO website and social media pages: LinkedIn | Twitter

  • The wings of large civil passenger aircrafts are highly flexible structures that house the fuel tanks but can deform significantly when atmospheric turbulence or gust is encountered. The EU funded Horizon 2020 SLOWD (SLOshing Wing Dynamics) project aims to investigate in-depth the effect of sloshing on the dynamics of the wing structures, carrying fuel, through the development of experimental, numerical and analytical methods; and eventually to take advantage of the dissipative effect of sloshing to reduce loads from gusts and turbulence.

    Since our last update in June, SLOWD team of experts has achieved remarkable research progress. Work Package 3 (WP3), dedicated to “Fluid Dynamics”, was successfully finalised. This WP was to set the gold standard for high resolution slosh-induced damping simulation (which includes violent structural induced vertical slosh). Due to the key importance of this objective to the aerospace industry, particular emphasis was put on simulation speed, accuracy, and the rigour with which these were quantified. As such three separate CFD codes were significantly enhanced viz. the research code AQUAGPUSPH as well as two industrial codes; SPH-Flow® and Elemental®. This for the purpose of accurate violent slosh damping prediction. Significant enhancements to industrial codes were required due the vast array of physics prevalent in violent slosh fluid impacts, such as turbulence, compressibility, and surface tension. In conjunction with this, the equations with which to definitively compute this phenomenon were developed and refined via a carefully coordinated joint effort. The results of this WP as well as the project’s overall achievements have led to several publications in prestigious peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings which can be accessed at the SLOWD ZENODO Community.

    On September 2, 2021, the SLOWD team made 7 very interesting presentations at this year’s 11th EASN International Conference, presenting the research carried out and findings to date, during a SLOWD- dedicated session. If you are interested in discovering more about the SLOWD latest technology developments and new innovations, visit the project’s YouTube channel in which you may find exciting videos of their experimental activities.

    Connect with SLOWD through its official website and networks and stay up to date!

    LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube |ZENODO| ResearchGate

  • The DOMMINIO project – “Digital method for imprOved Manufacturing of next-generation MultIfuNctIOnal airframe parts” was launched on January 20, 2021, aiming to develop a methodology to ensure cost-effective, efficient and sustainable manufacturing of high quality multifunctional and intelligent airframe parts, based on: Robotized technologies (ATL, FFF), Advanced simulation tools, On-line process & quality monitoring, Structural Health monitoring (SHM) methods enabled by real time data-driven fault detection. Funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Programme and part of the 2018-2020 call for Mobility for Growth (MG), DOMMINIO will run for 42 months.

    Over the course of the second semester of the project’s duration, the second DOMMINIO milestone will be achieved by the end of October 2021, after the definition of the following project aspects:

    1. Functional specifications, materials and process dataset
    2. Specifications of scenarios for lab-scale validation
    3. MDO and MRO framework

    At the same time, the consortium has been working in the frame of:

    • Process numerical modelling and multifunctional prototypes design
    • Functional materials engineering and manufacturing systems
    • On-line process control for high-quality automated manufacturing

    DOMMINIO’s preliminary results have been presented at the 11th EASN Virtual International Conference as a project overview presentation, and as a poster presentation at the Trends in Nanotechnology International Conference (TNT) 2021.

    On November 30th, 2021, the 1st DOMMINIO Open Workshop will take place virtually! The agenda will include presentations from industrial and academic stakeholders on thermoplastics, additive manufacturing, and digital manufacturing along with presentations of DOMMINIO results regarding modeling & simulation, multifunctional aerostructures, and additive manufacturing technologies. A round table discussion will close the event providing an excellent opportunity for the audience to expand their knowledge into the cutting-edge science and technology of the DOMMINIO project.

    For more information and regular updates of the DOMMINIO project visit the DOMMINIO official website and DOMMINIO social media pages: LinkedIn | Twitter

Coordination and Support Actions: Latest news

  • TRA VISIONS 2022 Special Honorary Award now opened!

    The registration for nominators for the special honorary award has been opened. This special  award is for honoring a “very” senior researcher who is about to complete or has already completed their career and has, throughout the years, demonstrated groundbreaking and future-oriented views and research in the field of transport (all modes). To propose an outstanding researcher please follow the link.

    The registration/submission deadline for the 2022 Young researcher competition has been extended to 31st December 2021. The competition is aimed at university and technical institute students pursuing bachelor, master and PhD degrees. This competition represents an opportunity for young researchers to showcase their work on an international stage at the 2022 Transport Research Arena (TRA 2022) event in Lisbon, Portugal. The 2022 Senior Researcher competition is also running (submission deadline: November 30th 2021) and is aimed at senior researchers who have contributed with significant innovative ideas and concepts, based on results from EU-funded projects in the field of transport (Road, Rail, Waterborne, Airborne, Cross – modality). For further information, please visit http://www.travisions.eu. 

  • The UMA3 (Unique Materials for Advanced Aerospace Applications) H2020 Coordination and Support Action, is a 36 month long project which was launched in September 2020. The project is centered around creating an excellence centre around the UNIMI-FMSE (University of Miskolc), which increases scientific excellence and knowledge. The project also aims at establishing a value chain of knowledge in the specific areas of powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing and high-performance PVD nanocoatings. Two training seminars have already been held. The first (April 27th - 29th 2021) detailed the general administration of EU projects, emerging concepts regarding the aviation industry and brainstorming sessions entitled as “Next horizon for Europe: the new research and innovation programme''. The second one (July 5th – 7th 2021) discussed intellectual property rights and commercial exploitation with experts and entrepreneurs involved from the commercial sector. The training seminar was titled as “Training in innovation”.

    You may visit the UMA3 website for more information as well as follow the project on social media (Twitter and LinkedIn) to stay updated with its latest news and activities.

  • Proposals for aviation research projects in Horizon Europe will have to demonstrate how the proposed project will meet the new requirements of Open Science in EU-funded research.
    The recently finished project OSCAR investigated how European aviation research could do so and become more “open”, while maintaining the edge in an extremely competitive high-tech industry.
    Spoiler: It is possible for many RTD projects to meet the new demands for more Open Science, without actually revealing critical knowledge or causing a lot of additional work. For more information how OSCAR might help you with the Open Science aspect for your Horizon Europe project, feel free to contact martin.spieck@thelsys.de.

    For more information visit the OSCAR official website.

Other latest news and achievements

  • D-JOINTS’ partner Cranfield University and the researcher Mehdi Asareh, was present at the Sampe Europe 21 conference. Mehdi gave his presentation on the electrical and mechanical behaviour of copper tufted CFRP composite joints as part of the technical activities performed in D-JOINTS project. 

    The TWI coordinated project is funded as part of the Clean Sky initiative under GA 887042. The collaborative consortium also includes Topic Manager Evektor, Cranfield University and Brunel University London.

    More information can be found at the D-JOINTS official website.

  • PADICTON project aims to develop an accurate and functional Design for Manufacturing (DfM) strategy for Additively Manufactured (AM) aerospacecomponents that can be utilised in conjunction with design tools to optimise weight and manufacturability of the produced part designs. The simulation approach for optimal printing and distortion minimisation is shown in Figure 1. The TWI is coordinating this funded project as part of the Clean Sky initiative under GA 864819. The collaborative project includes topic manager Airbus and consortium; Brunel University London, FDM Digital Solutions and e-Xstream. More information can be found through the PADICTON official website.

  • TCTool Consortium has recently published a peer-reviewed scientific paper, which describes the technical activities performed in the project. The reader will have the opportunity to learn about the development of three individual yet well-integrated tooling systems that will be used for the assembly of a multifunctional thermoplastic fuselage. The full version of the paper can be found here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00170-021-07829-2.

    The TWI coordinated project is funded as part of the Clean Sky initiative under GA 865131. The collaborative consortium also includes topic manager GKN Fokker, Brunel University London, London South Bank University, Acroflight Ltd and FADA-CATEC.

    More information can be found in the TCTool official website.

     

  • UCS technology for corrosion detection in aircraft being tested on the Cantabrian and Atlantic coasts.

    The U-CROSS project enables monitored displays to launch exposure testing under real atmospheric conditions.

    The U-CROSS project is calibrating ultrasonic corrosion sensors (UCS) for real-time detection of localised corrosion on aluminium alloys, intending to study anti corrosion primers and the depletion of inhibitors. This project, coordinated by CIDETEC Surface Engineering, and integrated by DASSAULT AVIATION, INSA Lyon, MISTRAS, TITANIA and UBFC, aims to validate the technology developed.

    In order to test the UCS technology in a realistic scenario, consistent with the exposure environment of aircraft in service, CIDETEC Surface Engineering and TITANIA have set up two atmospheric stations at their facilities. In these stations, an environmental exposure test will be carried out for at least 18 months in two different corrosive environments: the Cantabrian coast (CIDETEC) and the South-Atlantic coast (TITANIA).

    Both stations, which are fully operational with atmospheric sensors and acquisition equipment in place, include a frame with a wooden structure in which the samples and the demonstrators for the exposure testing will be installed.

    Two years after it was launched, the project, with a budget of € 1.5 million, is now at the halfway point and it have released already some results from indoor tests in laboratory conditions. The environmental exposure test will mark the success of U-CROSS project, thanks to which the aviation industry will be able to solve one of its greatest problems: maintenance and inspection costs. Thus, early corrosion detection will allow future damage to be preventively corrected, saving aviation companies considerable costs.

    In the image below you may see the U-CROSS consortium visiting the outdoor exposure rig during the 5th Progress Meeting at TITANIA’s facilities (South-Atlantic coast).

     

  • The AISA (AI Situational Awareness Foundation for Advancing Automation) SESAR ER project is in the second year and now the experiments with air traffic controllers are in the focus of the activities. Besides the project is finishing the machine learning and knowledge engineering related tasks, some of the related deliverables are already available at the AISA website. 

    The team: University of Zagreb is the coordinator, and the consortium is: Johaness Kepler University of Linz, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Skyguide and Slot Consulting.

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