HYLENA-Hop On will investigate and mature (TRL2 to TRL3) an electrical power distribution solution supporting the development of an innovative, highly efficient, hydrogen powered electrical aircraft propulsion concept being developed in HYLENA. This concept is based on the integration of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) with turbomachinery in order to use both the electric and thermal energy for improved propulsive efficiency. HYLENA-Hop On sets out to overcome both the known and unknown technical challenges associated with electrical power distribution, protection and coordination, as well as the integration of the electrical motor and Motor Control Unit by focusing on the following key aspects: • Power Distribution Unit (PDU) concept including latest technologies. • Electric Motor and Motor Control Unit design studies and possible development directions targeting improved efficiency of the novel HYLENA hybrid propulsion architecture. • Innovative resilient and coordinated power management strategies. • Reliability assessment framework for electrical power distribution systems applicable to hybrid aircraft propulsion architectures including SOFC. This complementary work will accelerate the availability of an electrical power distribution solution bringing HYLENA one step closer to ground demonstration phase and thereby supporting HYLENA’s path towards climate neutral aviation. EATON’s participation in the HYLENA project will not only introduce a new dimension of expertise complementing HYLENA’s objectives, but will also reinforce the project’s outreach. It will enhance EATON’s visibility and knowledge on EU funded collaborations. Moreover, it will create the opportunity to break up existing silos, to enhance the development of new networks and to increase the permeability for talents between Czech and European organisations which are well established in the European funding landscape, thereby strengthening a pan-European innovation ecosystem.

HYLENA will investigate, develop and optimize an innovative, highly efficient, hydrogen powered electrical aircraft propulsion concept. This is based on the integration and combination of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) with turbomachinery in order to use both the electric and thermal energy for maximisation of propulsive efficiency. This game-changing engine will exploit the synergistic use of: a) an electrical motor: the main driver for propulsion, b) hydrogen fueled SOFC stacks: geometrically optimized for nacelle integration, c) a gas turbine: to thermodynamically integrate the SOFC. This concept will achieve significant climate impact reduction by being completely carbon neutral with radical increase of overall efficiency for short and medium range aircrafts. The HYLENA methodology covers on: - SOFC cell level: experimental investigations on new high-power density cell technologies - SOFC stack level: studies and tests to determine the most light-weight and manufacturable way of stack integration - Thermodynamic level: engine cycle simulations of novel HYLENA concept architectures - Engine design level: exploration, through resilient calculation and simulation, of the best engine design, sizing and overall components integration - Overall engine efficiency level: demonstration that HYLENA concept can reach an efficiency increase of more than 50 % compared to state-of-the-art turbofan engines - Demonstration level: a decision dossier for a potential ground test demonstrator to prove that the concept works in practice during a second phase of the project The HYLENA consortium consists of one aircraft manufacturer (Airbus), 3 universities and 2 research institutes covering the expertise in aircraft design, propulsion system design, SOFC technology, hydrogen combustion and climate impact assessment. This project is fully complementary to Clean-Aviation to investigate a low level TRL concept and bring it to TRL3 in 42 months prior to a demonstrator in phase 2.

COMANOID investigates the deployment of robotic solutions in well-identified Airbus airliner assembly operations that are laborious or tedious for human workers and for which access is impossible for wheeled or rail-ported robotic platforms. As a solution to these constraints a humanoid robot is proposed to achieve the described tasks in real-use cases provided by Airbus Group. At a first glance, a humanoid robotic solution appears extremely risky, since the operations to be conducted are in highly constrained aircraft cavities with non-uniform (cargo) structures. Furthermore, these tight spaces are to be shared with human workers. Recent developments, however, in multi-contact planning and control suggest that this is a much more plausible solution than current alternatives such as a manipulator mounted on multi-legged base. Indeed, if humanoid robots can efficiently exploit their surroundings in order to support themselves during motion and manipulation, they can ensure balance and stability, move in non-gaited (acyclic) ways through narrow passages, and also increase operational forces by creating closed-kinematic chains. Bipedal robots are well suited to narrow environments specifically because they are able to perform manipulation using only small support areas. Moreover, the stability benefits of multi-legged robots that have larger support areas are largely lost when the manipulator must be brought close, or even beyond, the support borders. COMANOID aims at assessing clearly how far the state-of-the-art stands from such novel technologies. In particular the project focuses on implementing a real-world humanoid robotics solution using the best of research and innovation. The main challenge will be to integrate current scientific and technological advances including multi-contact planning and control; advanced visual-haptic servoing; perception and localization; human-robot safety and the operational efficiency of cobotics solutions in airliner manufacturing.

The main objectives are to propose R&D activity to reduce cost and increase ramp up production of composite parts for structural application on aerospace products. These objectives are fully in line with objectives of the call MG1.8. European partners consortium is composed with end user (AIRBUS Group) and research laboratories (DLR, Stuttgart University, Delft University) and a dissemination expert partner (EASN). All selected partners have a strong experience with aerospace research activity. To fulfill the proposal objectives, the main technical topics that will be addressed are new low cost materials, new efficient heating concepts for composite curing, new forming process for large and thick parts, new low cost assembly processes, new environment around the mold (reusable bagging, reusable de-molding agent) and out of autoclave manufacturing concepts. Certification cost reduction for new issues such as sparking characterization during lightning strike impact will also be addressed. As one of the key points of this project is to propose new low cost concepts for composite part production, a specific workpackage will be dedicated to cost analysis of developed solutions and comparison with existing state of the art cost of composite parts. Most promising results will be integrated in a composite validation elements produced by the partners to give more credibility to the results. To get the maximum outputs from this project, the activity is distributed between different partners according to their expertise on the topic they will address. We have an important result exchange phase during the validation element definition and manufacturing activity. Globally for the developed technologies a TRL between 4 and 5 is foreseen at the end of EFFICOMP project.

Since the early days of aviation, barometric pressure measurements have been a simple and robust method for altimetry. Two drawbacks exist though: there is no direct reference to terrain, and the constant variations in pressure caused by the weather lead to increased vertical profile variability restricting capacity and flight efficiency in today’s high traffic density. One goal of Green-GEAR thus is to investigate the environmental potential of geometric altimetry enabled by satellite navigation, increasing safety and eliminating waste of airspace by removal of the transition layer and supporting more environmentally friendly climb and descent operations. With the safety case for the change of separation definition already open, not only integration of manned aviation with drones (that are already using geometric altimetry in current operations) can be addressed but Green-GEAR will also look at the potential for increasing capacity through reduced vertical separations enabled by geometric altimetry. Last but not least the project, will investigate the potential of environmentally driven route charging, with new mechanisms for charging airspace users to incentivise minimum climate impact. Route charging will reward those who avoid volumes of airspace with a high climate impact and disincentivise flight planning through high demand sectors / flight altitudes except where it optimises environmental benefit overall, while being cost neutral to airspace users and passengers on average. Added capacity in the “greener” volumes of airspace enabled by reduced vertical separations limits necessary flight plan modifications, furthering acceptance of the approach. The combination of these three topics in Green-GEAR not only raises substantial synergies and ensures a harmonised approach; it also allows to identify and solve possible interoperability issues quickly and to mature the interdependent solutions in sync, reducing time to market for any and all of them.