Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative: strategy updated, demonstrators confirmed (22/12/2010)
Lettre d´information de la part de la JU CleanSky
Clean Sky, the European Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), co-funded by the European Commission and the aeronautic industry, was started in 2008. Deriving from the ACARE agenda and dedicated to greening the air transport, particularly through a strong reduction of carbon emissions and noise, it is by far the largest European aeronautic R&T programme ever, with a total budget of 1600 M€, up to 2017.
It mostly addresses demonstration of integrated technologies at system level, on ground or in flight. It involves most of the aeronautic industries and research centres of Europe.
The activities are organised through six platforms: the Integrated Technology Demonstrators (ITD), the environmental outputs of which are monitored thanks to a common set of models, the "Technology Evaluator".
The Clean Sky Joint Undertaking, in charge of the coordination of all projects, started operating autonomously in November 2009. A staff of 20 was appointed, under the authority of the Executive Director, Eric Dautriat. This team reports to a Governing Board, currently chaired by Marc Ventre from Safran and composed of representatives of the European Commission and of the private members of the JTI.
Seven calls for proposals were already launched, at an average rate of one every three months. More than one-third of the topics – which are meant to contribute to the elaboration of the demonstrators – were won by SMEs, and more than another third by Research bodies.
A significant part of these SMEs are newcomers in the field of European research. These results show the ability of this JTI to widen the basis of research and innovation.
In parallel, the Joint Undertaking has updated the Programme strategy, thanks to the outcome of the two first years of activity within Clean Sky members. The content and the schedule of a wide range of demonstrators were revisited, from the demonstration of a natural laminar wing for a commercial aircraft, to the integration of a Diesel engine on a light helicopter, to the full scale testing of innovative composite structures.
The scientific and technological orientations set out at the origin of the programme were confirmed.
A focus was made in this strategy update on an outstanding project in Clean Sky: the Open Rotor, which could fit the next generation of single-aisle commercial aircraft, as well as future large regional aircraft. Due to the step-change in environmental performance expected from such an engine, but also the complexity of technological issues to be solved, two parallel projects are running up to the ground demonstration in order to mitigate the risks. The confirmation of the feasibility of the technology and final commitment to flight test within the Clean Sky timescale is foreseen in 2012.
The target date for this flight demonstration is 2015, consistent with the currently anticipated market readiness. This implies ground tests, the objectives of at least one of which be a flight readiness test, within 2014. The Open Rotor installation on a regional aircraft will also be optimized through dedicated aerodynamic tests.
Most of the other large demonstrators – for regional aircraft technologies, rotorcraft, systems, eco-design, large commercial aircraft and also other engine architectures such as an improved geared turbofan – also range from 2013 to 2015.
In the meantime, some "quick wins" will be available: for instance, the flight test of a novel air intake acoustic treatment has just started.
A first output of the Technology Evaluator will be available in 2011: it will provide the forecast of the Clean Sky selected technologies´ impact at mission level, airport level and fleet level, with dedicated models.
Contacts:
Contact: Hélène BARBIER, Communication Officer
Tel: +32 -2-221 81 59 helene.barbier@cleansky.eu
