Research

SMAUG — what is happening, if an aircraft collides with a drone?

© Fraunhofer EMI

Validated simulation models give a deep insight into possible collisions of airplanes and helicopters with drones.

With the increasing availability of drones to a wider public, the probability of a collision with an airplane or a helicopter increases. A comprehensive understanding of the impact event is therefore an essential requirement to simulate and assess possible collisions. 

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Clean Aviation launched

Clean Aviation is Europe’s leading research and innovation program for transforming aviation towards a sustainable and climate-neutral future.

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LOKI-PED – Using Laptops, Tablets and Smartphones more safely in flight

The risks associated with laptops, tablets and smartphones used by passengers in flight are assessed within the LOKI-PED project, funded by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

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“Collision with drones”: presentation by Markus Jung at the AIAA SciTech Forum

© Fraunhofer EMI

The issue of vulnerability of aircraft structures in collision with drones is a concern for the aviation industry. Markus Jung of Fraunhofer EMI gave a digital presentation on this problem at the AIAA SciTech Forum of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics on January 4, 2022.

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Human body modeling of infants — restraint systems in airplanes

© Fraunhofer EMI

Human body modeling has been used to optimize the restraint system for babies currently in use in the European airspace.

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On the track of aerosols — Fraunhofer vs. Corona

© Adobe Stock

What role do respiratory aerosols play in the corona pandemic, how do they spread indoors, and what protective measures help effectively?

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Drone alert: Are privately piloted drones a threat to aviation?

© Adobe Stock

Approximately 400,000 privately piloted drones are operated in German airspace. Accidental collisions with an aircraft or a rotorcraft are deemed inevitable.

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Additively manufactured aircraft component

© Fraunhofer EMI

The goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions boosts aviation research. The newly gained freedom of design in additive manufacturing and the potentially careful use of resources by direct generation of the structural material render this new technology particularly interesting for sustainable and light-weight aircraft components. However, the safety and reliability of all components and systems are an absolute priority in aviation.

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Contested airspace drones pose threat to air traffic

© Drohne: Adobe Stock; Hekikopter: MEV Verlag

The growing number of drones increases the risk of collisions in airspace. How high is the risk of such a collision? At Fraunhofer EMI, we investigate this question. A software tool will evaluate the effects of different collision scenarios.

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Simulation of ice and hail

© Fraunhofer EMI

Hail can lead to extensive damage on primary structures of aircrafts. In the framework of the EU project Clean Sky 2, Fraunhofer EMI has analyzed the modelling of ice impactors from an experimental and numerical perspective.

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Additive manufacturing for lightweight, robust and sustainable aircraft components

© Fraunhofer EMI

The sustainable use of resources and consistent or even increased safety are the main objectives in the eco efficient, safe, and sustainable aviation of the future.

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Dynamic crack propagation

© Fraunhofer EMI
Der Hopkinson Bar am Fraunhofer EMI.

At Fraunhofer EMI, a novel experimental setup for measuring fracture mechanical parameters under dynamic loading using the Hopkinson Bar has been developed. Thus, significant contributions to the safety of new generations of airplanes can be made.  

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Clean Sky 2

Funded by Clean Sky 2.

Aviation is supposed to generate lower emissions, be more fuel-efficient and more friendly to the environment – this is the goal of leading aviation enterprises and research institutions within the EU Project “Clean Sky”. Clean Sky wants to develop technologies which decisively contribute to more environmentally compatible aircraft and lower-emission air traffic.

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Fraunhofer EMI conducts bird-strike simulations for “Racer“, the new high-speed helicopter by Airbus Helicopters

© Airbus Helicopters

For the new high-speed helicopter “Racer” by Airbus Helicopters, Fraunhofer EMI conducted analyses to calculate the required material thicknesses to ensure bird-strike-resistant structures.

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