Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The TheMa4HERA project takes on the huge challenge of on-board thermal management that comes with the introduction of hybrid electric power and propulsion systems in Regional and Short and Medium Range aircraft. This will be achieved through development, design and testing at TRL 5 of wide range of innovative technologies from Air Supply, to Air Conditioning, Systems Thermal Management to Cabin Air Distribution. Whereas today’s thermal management systems need to handle a heat dissipation of about 35-50kW, tomorrow’s hybrid electric regional aircraft will have to handle heat dissipation in the range of 300 to 1.000kW! With a consortium composed out of all key aerospace players in the market of thermal management, this project will address almost all currently known thermal management technologies. Multiple two-way interactions loops with TRA-01 will be established integration requirements and feedback constraints and validation results, to allow for further aircraft architecture optimization iterations. Through the development of a full digital twin, the project will be able to simulate and optimize component level requirements for any given aircraft architecture. This architecture will be taken from the EXACT project, adjusted and refined throughout the project, to eventually reflect the final Hybrid Electric Aircraft architecture. The project will validate and demonstrate its results in a full-scale demonstration test facility at Fraunhofer IBP. With the further refined models, that will be available by then, the project will also be able to calculate the achievements towards the Expected Outcomes, in particular the environmental footprint. The Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation actions will make sure that all necessary stakeholders will also be supportive to the EIS of the first Hybrid Electric Regional Aircraft relying on TheMa4HERA thermal management technologies.

Precooled hydrogen fuelled hypersonic engines offer the capability to achieve Mach 5 terrestrial transport and enable single stage to orbit reusable launch vehicles. This concept is set to revolutionise access to space, potentially delivering a ten-fold cost reduction compared to current launch systems. Key to propulsion efficiency is a unique precooler developed by Reaction Engines. There is very little experience globally in the integration of such devices into hypersonic propulsion systems, and a previous TSB feasibility study highlighted some important potential flow inefficiencies. This project will undertake CFD modelling and experimental measurements to provide understanding of the flow through the precooler installation. It will use this to design, manufacture and test an optimised cowl and centrebody aimed at improving the precooler installation aerodynamics. This study is critical to gain future private investment in this ground-breaking technology, aiding innovation in line with NSTS.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Building a sustainable and climate neutral future for aviation is an inevitable requirement for a society with increasing mobility needs. If we are to stabilise the global temperature below the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement, rapid action is to be taken. MINIMAL will contribute to a radical transformation in air transport by providing disruptive ultra-efficient and low-emission technologies that will, in combination with the aviation ecosystem, sustainably reduce the climate impact of aviation. The MINIMAL project will, through an unprecedented effort between European engine OEMs, world leading atmospheric physics scientists, and lead researchers in combustion and propulsion, attack the major sources of non-CO2 and CO2 emissions in aeroengines. This will be accomplished with the introduction of climate optimised new propulsion systems based on composite cycle engine technology, that provides unparalleled flexibility with respect to operations, and that has the potential to eliminate the large sources of effective radiative forcing by 2035: 80% reduction from contrails, 52% reduction from net-NOx, and 36% fuel burn reduction resulting in 36% to 100% CO2 reduction, depending on the fuel used. Results will allow assessing the interdependencies between non-CO2 and CO2 effects already during the early stages of aero-thermal-mechanical design and converge into engine options that have minimum climate impact. The findings are supported by numerical (TRL 2) and experimental (TRL 3) proof of concept of Low-NOx opposed-piston constant volume combustion technology with pre-micromixing of hydrogen. In MINIMAL we understand the urgency and aim for maximum impact. Aggressive, but realistic roadmaps will be outlined together with regular exchanges in major industry research centres to develop these technologies into products and bring them to in 2035-2040.