Ultra-efficient wing structures

Fraunhofer EMI is researching how new wing coatings can increase resistance to rain, sand and hail damage while reducing fuel consumption.
Fraunhofer EMI is researching how new wing coatings can increase resistance to rain, sand and hail damage while reducing fuel consumption.
Problems with lithium-ion batteries in airplanes are relatively rare. But when they do occur, they can have serious consequences – including fire or explosions.
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.
Clean Aviation is Europe’s leading research and innovation program for transforming aviation towards a sustainable and climate-neutral future.
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).
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.
Human body modeling has been used to optimize the restraint system for babies currently in use in the European airspace.
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Approximately 400,000 privately piloted drones are operated in German airspace. Accidental collisions with an aircraft or a rotorcraft are deemed inevitable.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.