The EREA Vision on High Priority Research Axes Towards ATS 2050
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28TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE AERONAUTICAL SCIENCES THE EREA VISION ON HIGH PRIORITY RESEARCH AXES TOWARDS AIR TRANSPORT SYSTEM 2050 Muriel Brunet1, Alte de Boer2, Volker Gollnick3, Steffen Loth4, Graciano Martinez5, Dennis Nieuwenhuisen6 ONERA1, NLR2, DLR3, DLR4, INTA5, NLR6 [email protected];[email protected];[email protected];[email protected]; [email protected];[email protected] Keywords: configuration, propulsion, subsystems, automation, airport Abstract Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda to be prepared by the Advisory Council for Aviation Europe is writing the future of its air transport research and innovation in Europe (ACARE). In in the new Strategic Research and Innovation this open context of building the future of Agenda. In this open context of building the aviation, the research centres have a key role in future of aviation, the research centres have a providing their vision independently of any key role in providing their vision independently economic interest. Therefore, the association of of any economic interest. Therefore, the the European Research Establishments in association of the European Research Aeronautics (EREA) has decided to provide to Establishments in Aeronautics (EREA) is the European commission and to the committed to provide to the European aeronautical community in general its vision on commission and to the aeronautical community the 2050 Air Transport System (ATS) and in general its vision on the 2050 air transport consequently its recommendations on high system and its recommendations on high priority research axes to be funded in order to priority research axes to be funded in order to pave the way towards 2050. pave the way towards 2050. The study briefly presented here has investigated five Following a first study providing a high level interdependent technological domains identified vision on the ATS 2050 [2], EREA has as priority and common ones to any scenarios conducted a second phase of this study on the of the future: aircraft configurations, on-board ATS 2050 in order to go more deeply in the sub-systems, propulsion systems, airport and the promising break-through technologies roadmap automation issue of the air transport system. [3]. Therefore, the study has investigated five interdependent technological domains identified in the first phase as priority and common ones 1. General Introduction to any scenarios: revolutionary aircraft Europe is preparing aviation 2050. Indeed, the configurations, on board subsystems, propulsion European Commission is preparing Horizon systems, airport and the automation issue of the 2020 through the Common Strategic Framework ATS. Programme for research and innovation that will be the next main instrument for funding 2. Challenges and objectives to reach 2050 research in Europe. The part dedicated to the transport domain and more specifically the In accordance with challenges identified in the aeronautics chapter is under preparation through Europe's Vision for Aviation [1], the EREA the Strategic Transport Technology Plan, the study investigated revolutionary ideas within the Flightpath 2050 report of the High Level Group five major technological domains of the ATS on Aviation Research [1] and finally the 1 M. BRUNET, A. DE BOER, V. GOLLNICK, S. LOTH, G. MARTINEZ, D. NIEUWENHUISEN with regard to the following non ordered list of studies must always consider integration with objectives: different levels of the air transport system. • Environmental impact: noise, chemical The two following paragraphs highlight emissions, recycling different single aircraft technologies and some • Passenger aspects: mobility choice, promising aircraft configurations, which might affordability, comfort contribute to the Flightpath 2050 challenges. • Safety: accident rate reduction • Industrial competitiveness (design and production methodologies) 3.2. Key single technologies for innovative • Performance: Increase of transportation configurations capacity/performance 3.2.1 Drag reduction The five domains, that are Aircraft configurations, Propulsion, On board • Increased wingspan: wingspan is the subsystems, Towards full automation? and main parameter controlling vortex- Airport are successively presented in the induced drag. Slender, high-span wings following chapters. (i.e. high aspect ratio) generate less vortex-induced drag, but may result in a heavier wing structure. Early jet 3. Aircraft configurations transports favoured wing aspect ratios of around 8. This requires stronger structures to carry the resulting bending 3.1. Shaping the future and torsional moments without increasing the structural mass. Tuning The configuration of civil aircraft has evolved spanwise lift distribution with movable little since the 1920s. Almost without exception, trailing-edge devices is promising. There passengers have been transported in a tubular could be a potential 10% fuel burn fuselage, with the empennage at the rear and the improvement if airport terminal layouts engines mounted either under the wings, or at allowed for increased wingspan in future the rear. Although major advances in aircraft configurations, but this should aerodynamics and flight control systems have be balanced against increased aircraft contributed greatly to improving the mass and operational flexibility. performance of the classic configuration, the advent of new design materials and design • Wingtip Devices: the right choice of processes, along with a far better understanding wingtip device and its integration into of the aerodynamic and structural interactions the aircraft is a key research area. The that occur in different phases of flight, are aim is to maximise efficiency in cruise, driving some radical ideas for the future. where drag reduction is crucial. Winglets are the most popular wingtip It is now therefore possible to consider some of device, and are already in used on some the enabling technologies needed for aircraft. Other designs include the wing revolutionary configurations and identify grid, wingtip sails and spiroid, as well as potential technical solutions and their the wingtip turbine, which can recover integration within the overall air transportation some of the energy losses caused by system. Since these perspectives and their vortex-dependent drag and use it to drive related technologies are closely linked, a system a generator. Wingtip devices could bring integration-oriented approach must be taken. cruise fuel savings of up to 10%. Whether they are single subsystem technologies or completely new aircraft configurations, 2 THE EREA VISION ON HIGH PRIORITY RESEARCH AXES TOWARDS AIR TRANSPORT SYSTEM 2050 • Wetted Surface Area: vertical extremely smooth surfaces presents tailplanes are sized for ensuring lateral challenges. Forward-swept wings are stability, crosswind landings and beneficial for achieving natural laminar complying with one engine-inoperative flow at relatively high Mach numbers safety requirements. For modern fly-by- and can also help to prevent fuselage wire aircraft lateral stability can be boundary layers from interfering with relaxed and sizing becomes dependent the wing leading edge flow. Natural on the one-engine-out scenario. Double- laminar flow can be applied to hinged rudders can reduce tailplane area components with slightly swept leading by as much as 15%, which might edges, such as engine nacelles. Hybrid produce a 0.5% fuel burn reduction. This laminar flow can be achieved by could be increased by passive or active embedding perforated suction panels flow control devices to further increase into the leading edges of highly-swept rudder efficiency. wings and tail surfaces for aircraft flying faster than Mach 0.7. New structural • Turbulent Boundary Layer Drag: technologies like morphing leading current transport aircraft achieve almost edges may enable the generation of lift fully turbulent boundary layer flow over at low speeds for take-off and landing all wetted surfaces. Although the physics with a laminar flow wing. Other design of fully turbulent flow is well options would reduce parasitic drag due understood, there are still opportunities to external roughness and wakes due to to reduce turbulent boundary layer drag. windscreen design, windscreen wipers, V-grooved riblets have shown rain rims over doors, inlet and exhaust substantial reductions in skin friction. ducts, and door handles etc. Wind-tunnel and flight testing have 3.2.2 Mass reduction indicated potential aircraft fuel burn savings of up to 2%. In-service trials • Integrated structural design: revealed premature wear of riblet films, composite materials and manufacturing however - an area of continued research. technologies allow for the design of Controlling turbulent boundary layers more integrated structures with fewer with smart Micro-Electro-Mechanical- fasteners, reducing weight. Other Devices (MEMs) on all surfaces holds advantages compared to metals include real potential. A more detailed fatigue damage resistance, corrosion understanding of unsteady turbulent resistance and thermal insulation. These substructures and how to modify these materials' drawbacks are, in general, actively to achieve drag reduction needs their sensitivity to impact, limited to be developed. Because experiments damage tolerance properties and low are very difficult to perform, pure electrical conductance. Composites aerodynamics research needs to be already represent up to 50% of the complemented by continued effort on structural weight for the most modern