martes, 31 de octubre de 2017
Electric X-Plane Nears Crucial Battery Test
NASA is preparing to test a redesigned lithium-ion battery module for its first electric propulsion demonstrator, the X-57 Maxwell, as it moves toward a maiden flight planned for early in 2018
aviationweek.com/business-aviation/electric-x-plane-nears-crucial-battery-test
[España] Carbures aprueba saltar al Mercado Continuo en 2018
Nota de Prensa
Madrid, 31 de octubre de 2017. Carbures dispara su facturación, incrementa su capacidad industrial y aprueba saltar al mercado Continuo en 2018. Carbures ha presentado hoy los resultados financieros auditados del primer semestre del año con tres indicadores claros de su balance saneado y de que sigue la hoja de ruta marcada en su proceso de consolidación y crecimiento orgánico: facturación de récord en un semestre, reducción del Ebitda recurrente negativo en dos tercios y rebaja de la deuda. Además de la aprobación de las cuentas del primer semestre del año, el Consejo de Administración de la Compañía aprobó ayer iniciar los trámites necesarios para abandonar el Mercado Alternativo Bursátil y dar el salto para cotizar en el Mercado Continuo en 2018 como paso natural de la Compañía, dado el grado de madurez que ha alcanzado, el incremento de su capacidad industrial y de su volumen de negocio. Esta decisión será sometida a la Junta General de Accionistas de la Compañía para su aprobación final.
La Compañía ha cerrado el primer semestre del año con una facturación de 40,3 millones de euros, un 33 por ciento más que la registrada en el mismo periodo del año pasado (30,2 millones). En línea con su proceso de consolidación empresarial, Carbures ha logrado aumentar su Ebitda recurrente en un 63,6 por ciento, pasando del de -1,5 millones del primer semestre de 2016 a uno de -0,5 millones euros en el mismo periodo de 2017. Una mejora similar ha sido alcanzada en relación a la deuda neta, que ha sido rebajada en casi un 43 por ciento, de los 106 millones de deuda que tenía a cierre de 2016 hasta los 60,8 millones del cierre del primer semestre de 2017. Como consecuencia de la mejora sostenida de los resultados, del exitoso proceso de consolidación empresarial y dada la realidad industrial alcanzada por la Compañía, el Consejo de Administración ha aprobado iniciar los trámites necesarios para abandonar el Mercado Alternativo Bursátil (MAB) y que la Compañía inicie su cotización en el Mercado Continuo en 2018 como paso natural para seguir creciendo.
El Presidente de Carbures, Rafael Contreras, indica: “Nuestros resultados muestran que, en el plano industrial, Carbures va por buen camino. Los datos que hoy presentamos mejoran de forma muy clara los obtenidos hace un año y tenemos previsiones de seguir creciendo a lo largo de este ejercicio y de los próximos”. Por su parte, el consejero delegado, Borja Martínez-Laredo subraya: “Hemos obtenido buenas cifras entre enero y junio, y prevemos que la mejora del EBITDA sea mayor en la segunda mitad de 2017, debido a la naturaleza del negocio de la Compañía, con una acentuada estacionalidad en el segundo semestre, debido principalmente al inicio de producción de proyectos de ingeniería desarrollados en esta primera etapa del año en dos líneas de negocio, Mobility y Aerospace”.
En esta etapa de maduración, Carbures mantiene firme su estrategia de consolidación empresarial e impulso del crecimiento orgánico y pone el foco en los planes de eficiencia y de reestructuración operativa, que ya están teniendo impactos positivos en cuanto a la materialización de nuevas oportunidades. El proceso de reordenación interna y de generación de sinergias que se puso en marcha en 2016 se refuerza en este ejercicio.
Este año, la Compañía logró la confianza de los bancos, con el consiguiente incremento de las líneas de circulante, y eso le ha permitido asumir nuevos pedidos de tecnología, maquinaria de fabricación en materiales compuestos, así como de nuevas piezas y estructuras en composites para los sectores de aviación, automoción y obra civil. Esto se ha traducido en una facturación de récord en el primer semestre del año, hasta alcanzar los 40,3 millones de euros.
Por otro lado, ese proceso de reorganización interna, fundamentado en la optimización de costes y la generación de sinergias, ha derivado en un recorte de dos tercios del Ebitda negativo de la Compañía. Además, Carbures ha logrado también una rebaja muy significativa de la deuda al capitalizar créditos y ha pasado de los 106 millones de euros de deuda neta a cierre de 2016 a los 60,8 millones al cierre del primer semestre de 2017, lo que supone casi un 43 por ciento menos de deuda.
“La Compañía sigue firme en su proceso de consolidación interna, centrada en seguir impulsando su crecimiento orgánico, fundamentalmente por el incremento de la carga de trabajo, de nuestra cartera de pedidos y, en paralelo, el de nuestra capacidad industrial para dar respuesta a esa mayor demanda productiva. Los resultados financieros siguen respaldando nuestra hoja de ruta como Compañía, que ahora tiene una realidad muy distinta a la que teníamos hace apenas un par de años o tres”, destaca Rafael Contreras, Presidente ejecutivo de Carbures.
El Consejo de Administración de la Compañía aprobó ayer por la mañana su salto al Mercado Continuo, que previsiblemente se producirá el próximo año. El Consejo considera que la Compañía ha alcanzado un grado de madurez y de volumen tal que lo procedente en este momento es iniciar los trámites para cotizar en el mercado continuo en 2018. El Presidente ejecutivo de la Compañía, Rafael Contreras, considera que “la etapa en el MAB está ya agotada como mercado para pequeñas y medianas empresas. Nosotros ya tenemos una nueva realidad empresarial como Compañía. Nuestra capacidad industrial es muy distinta, nuestra estructura interna está muy reforzada, y gozamos de un sólido posicionamiento global como fabricante de piezas en materiales compuestos para aviones, coches, trenes y obra civil. El crecimiento registrado en los últimos dos años, nos sitúa en una posición clara de salto al Mercado Continuo como paso natural para seguir creciendo. Algo que, por otro lado, siempre ha estado en nuestra hoja de ruta”. La aprobación de los trasmites del salto al Continuo por parte del Consejo de Administración deberá ser sometida a la Junta General de Accionistas de la Compañía para su aprobación final. “Ha llegado la hora de que la Compañía abandone el MAB, que ha cumplido su función en nuestro desarrollo, mejora y crecimiento, pero ahora ya nos corresponde cotizar en el Continuo”, concluye el Presidente.
Carbures lleva tiempo preparándose internamente, estructuralmente, para cumplir con las mayores exigencias derivadas de la cotización en el Continuo. En este sentido, ha reforzado su equipo gestor en 2017 con las incorporaciones de Borja Martínez-Laredo, como consejero delegado, como CEO, y de Jorge Moreno, el pasado mes de septiembre, como CFO, Director Financiero. La Compañía cumple así con su hoja de ruta y con las máximas exigencias determinadas por las normas de gobierno corporativo, ajustadas ya a las exigencias de la Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) con la intención de cotizar en el Continuo.
Para cumplir los requisitos marcados por la CNMV en materia de Gobierno Corporativo, Carbures ha aprobado un nuevo Reglamento Interno de Conducta.
El consejero delegado de Carbures, Borja Martínez-Laredo, afirma que “mantenemos el objetivo de seguir con el proceso de consolidación empresarial emprendido en 2016, con el objetivo prioritario de seguir creciendo de forma orgánica, aumentando nuestra capacidad productiva, y así dar respuesta a la creciente cartera de pedidos”. Martínez-Laredo afirma que “la cotización en el Mercado Continuo nos aportará un mayor prestigio y transparencia, y también nos abrirá el acceso a otro tipo de inversor, el institucional, y nos generará una mayor cobertura por parte de los bancos de inversión”.
Carbures
es un grupo industrial especializado en la ingeniería y fabricación de
estructuras con materiales compuestos, como la fibra de carbono, para
los
sectores relacionados con la movilidad, como el aeronáutico, la
automoción y el de obra civil. A lo largo de más de una década, Carbures
ha desarrollado una tecnología propia y unos sistemas que le posicionan
como la compañía líder en Europa en la fabricación,
tanto en series largas como cortas, de piezas de fibra de carbono para
los sectores relacionados con la movilidad, así como elementos
estructurales de construcción.
- Factura 40,3 millones en el primer semestre, un 33% más que el mismo periodo de 2016
- El Consejo de Administración ha aprobado iniciar los trámites necesarios para que la Compañía salte del Mercado Alternativo Bursátil al Mercado Continuo en 2018 “como paso natural dada la realidad industrial de la Compañía”.
- Asimismo, el Consejo ha aprobado un nuevo Reglamento Interno de Conducta en línea con las máximas exigencias dispuestas por la Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores.
- El EBITDA negativo se reduce un 63,6% entre enero y junio de 2017, pasando de -1,5 millones de euros a –0,5 millones de euros.
- Carbures ha obtenido en el primer semestre de 2017 una facturación de 40,3 millones de euros, un 33% más que en el mismo periodo del año anterior.
Madrid, 31 de octubre de 2017. Carbures dispara su facturación, incrementa su capacidad industrial y aprueba saltar al mercado Continuo en 2018. Carbures ha presentado hoy los resultados financieros auditados del primer semestre del año con tres indicadores claros de su balance saneado y de que sigue la hoja de ruta marcada en su proceso de consolidación y crecimiento orgánico: facturación de récord en un semestre, reducción del Ebitda recurrente negativo en dos tercios y rebaja de la deuda. Además de la aprobación de las cuentas del primer semestre del año, el Consejo de Administración de la Compañía aprobó ayer iniciar los trámites necesarios para abandonar el Mercado Alternativo Bursátil y dar el salto para cotizar en el Mercado Continuo en 2018 como paso natural de la Compañía, dado el grado de madurez que ha alcanzado, el incremento de su capacidad industrial y de su volumen de negocio. Esta decisión será sometida a la Junta General de Accionistas de la Compañía para su aprobación final.
La Compañía ha cerrado el primer semestre del año con una facturación de 40,3 millones de euros, un 33 por ciento más que la registrada en el mismo periodo del año pasado (30,2 millones). En línea con su proceso de consolidación empresarial, Carbures ha logrado aumentar su Ebitda recurrente en un 63,6 por ciento, pasando del de -1,5 millones del primer semestre de 2016 a uno de -0,5 millones euros en el mismo periodo de 2017. Una mejora similar ha sido alcanzada en relación a la deuda neta, que ha sido rebajada en casi un 43 por ciento, de los 106 millones de deuda que tenía a cierre de 2016 hasta los 60,8 millones del cierre del primer semestre de 2017. Como consecuencia de la mejora sostenida de los resultados, del exitoso proceso de consolidación empresarial y dada la realidad industrial alcanzada por la Compañía, el Consejo de Administración ha aprobado iniciar los trámites necesarios para abandonar el Mercado Alternativo Bursátil (MAB) y que la Compañía inicie su cotización en el Mercado Continuo en 2018 como paso natural para seguir creciendo.
El Presidente de Carbures, Rafael Contreras, indica: “Nuestros resultados muestran que, en el plano industrial, Carbures va por buen camino. Los datos que hoy presentamos mejoran de forma muy clara los obtenidos hace un año y tenemos previsiones de seguir creciendo a lo largo de este ejercicio y de los próximos”. Por su parte, el consejero delegado, Borja Martínez-Laredo subraya: “Hemos obtenido buenas cifras entre enero y junio, y prevemos que la mejora del EBITDA sea mayor en la segunda mitad de 2017, debido a la naturaleza del negocio de la Compañía, con una acentuada estacionalidad en el segundo semestre, debido principalmente al inicio de producción de proyectos de ingeniería desarrollados en esta primera etapa del año en dos líneas de negocio, Mobility y Aerospace”.
En esta etapa de maduración, Carbures mantiene firme su estrategia de consolidación empresarial e impulso del crecimiento orgánico y pone el foco en los planes de eficiencia y de reestructuración operativa, que ya están teniendo impactos positivos en cuanto a la materialización de nuevas oportunidades. El proceso de reordenación interna y de generación de sinergias que se puso en marcha en 2016 se refuerza en este ejercicio.
Este año, la Compañía logró la confianza de los bancos, con el consiguiente incremento de las líneas de circulante, y eso le ha permitido asumir nuevos pedidos de tecnología, maquinaria de fabricación en materiales compuestos, así como de nuevas piezas y estructuras en composites para los sectores de aviación, automoción y obra civil. Esto se ha traducido en una facturación de récord en el primer semestre del año, hasta alcanzar los 40,3 millones de euros.
Por otro lado, ese proceso de reorganización interna, fundamentado en la optimización de costes y la generación de sinergias, ha derivado en un recorte de dos tercios del Ebitda negativo de la Compañía. Además, Carbures ha logrado también una rebaja muy significativa de la deuda al capitalizar créditos y ha pasado de los 106 millones de euros de deuda neta a cierre de 2016 a los 60,8 millones al cierre del primer semestre de 2017, lo que supone casi un 43 por ciento menos de deuda.
“La Compañía sigue firme en su proceso de consolidación interna, centrada en seguir impulsando su crecimiento orgánico, fundamentalmente por el incremento de la carga de trabajo, de nuestra cartera de pedidos y, en paralelo, el de nuestra capacidad industrial para dar respuesta a esa mayor demanda productiva. Los resultados financieros siguen respaldando nuestra hoja de ruta como Compañía, que ahora tiene una realidad muy distinta a la que teníamos hace apenas un par de años o tres”, destaca Rafael Contreras, Presidente ejecutivo de Carbures.
Salto al Continuo
El Consejo de Administración de la Compañía aprobó ayer por la mañana su salto al Mercado Continuo, que previsiblemente se producirá el próximo año. El Consejo considera que la Compañía ha alcanzado un grado de madurez y de volumen tal que lo procedente en este momento es iniciar los trámites para cotizar en el mercado continuo en 2018. El Presidente ejecutivo de la Compañía, Rafael Contreras, considera que “la etapa en el MAB está ya agotada como mercado para pequeñas y medianas empresas. Nosotros ya tenemos una nueva realidad empresarial como Compañía. Nuestra capacidad industrial es muy distinta, nuestra estructura interna está muy reforzada, y gozamos de un sólido posicionamiento global como fabricante de piezas en materiales compuestos para aviones, coches, trenes y obra civil. El crecimiento registrado en los últimos dos años, nos sitúa en una posición clara de salto al Mercado Continuo como paso natural para seguir creciendo. Algo que, por otro lado, siempre ha estado en nuestra hoja de ruta”. La aprobación de los trasmites del salto al Continuo por parte del Consejo de Administración deberá ser sometida a la Junta General de Accionistas de la Compañía para su aprobación final. “Ha llegado la hora de que la Compañía abandone el MAB, que ha cumplido su función en nuestro desarrollo, mejora y crecimiento, pero ahora ya nos corresponde cotizar en el Continuo”, concluye el Presidente.
Carbures lleva tiempo preparándose internamente, estructuralmente, para cumplir con las mayores exigencias derivadas de la cotización en el Continuo. En este sentido, ha reforzado su equipo gestor en 2017 con las incorporaciones de Borja Martínez-Laredo, como consejero delegado, como CEO, y de Jorge Moreno, el pasado mes de septiembre, como CFO, Director Financiero. La Compañía cumple así con su hoja de ruta y con las máximas exigencias determinadas por las normas de gobierno corporativo, ajustadas ya a las exigencias de la Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) con la intención de cotizar en el Continuo.
Para cumplir los requisitos marcados por la CNMV en materia de Gobierno Corporativo, Carbures ha aprobado un nuevo Reglamento Interno de Conducta.
El consejero delegado de Carbures, Borja Martínez-Laredo, afirma que “mantenemos el objetivo de seguir con el proceso de consolidación empresarial emprendido en 2016, con el objetivo prioritario de seguir creciendo de forma orgánica, aumentando nuestra capacidad productiva, y así dar respuesta a la creciente cartera de pedidos”. Martínez-Laredo afirma que “la cotización en el Mercado Continuo nos aportará un mayor prestigio y transparencia, y también nos abrirá el acceso a otro tipo de inversor, el institucional, y nos generará una mayor cobertura por parte de los bancos de inversión”.
Sobre Carbures
[España] El Centro Español de Metrología fomenta la innovación y la formación en el Plan Estratégico 2017-2020
Nota de Prensa http://www.mineco.gob.es/
- Las principales líneas de actuación van dirigidas a apoyar el proceso de modernización de la industria
El Centro Español de Metrología (CEM), dependiente de la Secretaría General de Industria y Pyme, ha presentado su Plan Estratégico para el periodo 2017-2020. Las principales actuaciones se encaminan a reforzar el servicio a la industria, potenciar la innovación y fomentar la formación de profesionales en el ámbito de la metrología. Begoña Cristeto, secretaria general de Industria y Pyme y presidenta del CEM ha asegurado que «unas mediciones cada vez más precisas y fiables son esenciales para impulsar la innovación y el crecimiento en la economía del conocimiento».
Con el plan 2017-2020, el CEM define y prioriza toda una serie de líneas estratégicas para reforzar su misión. La primera es orientar las actividades de investigación en metrología hacia campos con gran potencial de desarrollo futuro para las empresas. Otros pilares del plan son: el desarrollo de nuevos métodos de medida adaptados a las actuales necesidades, el impulso de la formación de especialistas en Metrología, la potenciación de la transferencia tecnológica, y el fomento de la divulgación sobre esta disciplina científica.
Además, el plan establece prioridades como mantenerse a la vanguardia de las novedades científicas y tecnológicas para que la metrología apoye el desarrollo de la ciencia, industrias, y empresas; reforzar su papel como protector de la salud de los ciudadanos y del interés público; impulsar la I+D+i en metrología conectándola con las demandas de la industria y laboratorios nacionales; y alinearse con los Programas Marco de la Unión Europea, el Plan Nacional de I+D+i y los planes regionales de innovación.
El Centro Español de Metrología (CEM) es la referencia nacional en el desarrollo de los patrones de medida, de aplicaciones técnicas y métodos de medición y en el desarrollo de la regulación de la metrología.
Dentro de su función principal de definir las unidades legales de medida, el CEM tiene encomendadas otra serie de misiones como: desarrollar una adecuada infraestructura nacional de metrología, promover y divulgar la enseñanza de metrología, y armonizar el control metrológico legal para asegurar la protección del medio ambiente.
[España] El programa de apoyo financiero a proyectos de I+D+i en Industria Conectada 4.0 dedicará 100 millones de euros a préstamos
Nota de Prensa http://www.mineco.gob.es/
El Consejo de Ministros ha aprobado el programa de apoyo financiero a proyectos de I+D+i en el ámbito de la Industria Conectada 4.0. La iniciativa concederá 100 millones de euros en préstamos a proyectos dirigidos a cuatro áreas estratégicas para la modernización de la industria: investigación industrial, desarrollo experimental e innovación en organización y procesos. Estas inversiones pueden generar 1.300 puestos de trabajo directos e indirectos. El plazo para realizar las propuestas es de 30 días desde la fecha de publicación en el BOE de la convocatoria.
Algunas de las áreas temáticas que contempla la iniciativa son proyectos para soluciones de negocio y plataformas colaborativas, tratamiento masivo de datos, fabricación aditiva, robótica avanzada, sensores y sistemas embebidos. Lo que supone, en la práctica, investigaciones sobre: aplicaciones que usan la información recogida en la cadena de producción, visualización de datos, nuevos procesos de impresión 3D, robótica colaborativa persona-máquina, y proyectos de realidad aumentada y virtual.
Las iniciativas seleccionadas accederán a préstamos reembolsables a 10 años, (3 de carencia y 7 de amortización) con tipo de interés referenciado al Euribor. Desde la resolución de la concesión se concede un plazo para realizar las actuaciones de dieciocho meses.
Entre los gastos financiables por el programa se encuentran los costes de personal, instrumental, material inventariable, y costes de investigación contractual. El impacto en el empleo se calcula en 5 puestos directos por cada millón de euros de financiación concedida, por lo tanto, entre puestos directos e indirectos se espera la creación de casi 1.300 empleos.
- El programa prevé la creación de 1.300 puestos de trabajo gracias a nuevas inversiones
- Podrán presentarse proyectos de datos masivos, fabricación aditiva, procesos de impresión 3D o robótica colaborativa
El Consejo de Ministros ha aprobado el programa de apoyo financiero a proyectos de I+D+i en el ámbito de la Industria Conectada 4.0. La iniciativa concederá 100 millones de euros en préstamos a proyectos dirigidos a cuatro áreas estratégicas para la modernización de la industria: investigación industrial, desarrollo experimental e innovación en organización y procesos. Estas inversiones pueden generar 1.300 puestos de trabajo directos e indirectos. El plazo para realizar las propuestas es de 30 días desde la fecha de publicación en el BOE de la convocatoria.
Algunas de las áreas temáticas que contempla la iniciativa son proyectos para soluciones de negocio y plataformas colaborativas, tratamiento masivo de datos, fabricación aditiva, robótica avanzada, sensores y sistemas embebidos. Lo que supone, en la práctica, investigaciones sobre: aplicaciones que usan la información recogida en la cadena de producción, visualización de datos, nuevos procesos de impresión 3D, robótica colaborativa persona-máquina, y proyectos de realidad aumentada y virtual.
Las iniciativas seleccionadas accederán a préstamos reembolsables a 10 años, (3 de carencia y 7 de amortización) con tipo de interés referenciado al Euribor. Desde la resolución de la concesión se concede un plazo para realizar las actuaciones de dieciocho meses.
Entre los gastos financiables por el programa se encuentran los costes de personal, instrumental, material inventariable, y costes de investigación contractual. El impacto en el empleo se calcula en 5 puestos directos por cada millón de euros de financiación concedida, por lo tanto, entre puestos directos e indirectos se espera la creación de casi 1.300 empleos.
SINGULAR AIRCRAFT, UAV, considerado Proyecto Estratégico Nacional / SINGULAR AIRCRAFT, UAV, National Strategic Project.
Press Release
SINGULAR AIRCRAFT Proyecto Estratégico Nacional
El Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) ha comunicado, mediante Informe Oficial de 29 de septiembre del año en curso, que la actividad que realiza nuestra compañía Singular Aircraft está considerada de Interés Estratégico Nacional dentro del sector del diseño y desarrollo aeronáutico.
Dicha calificación viene otorgada tras el análisis efectuado por la Dirección General de Comercio de la Memoria de Actividad en la que se describe en detalle la Compañía, los objetivos, proyectos presentes y futuros, así como las Tecnologías aplicadas.
Queremos agradecer la consideración de Proyecto Estratégico Nacional asumiendo la responsabilidad que dicha calificación comporta.
SINGULAR AIRCRAFT National Strategic Project.
The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) has communicated, through an Official Report of 29th September, that the activity carried out by our company Singular Aircraft is considered of National Strategic Interest within the aeronautical design and development sector.
This qualification comes after the analysis made by the General Directorate of Commerce of our Activity Report in which the Company is described in detail, as to the objectives, present and future projects, as well as applied technologies.
We would like to thank the National Strategic Project for assuming the responsibility that this qualification entails.
- MTOW: 4000 kg
- Payload: > 1800 kg
- Endurance: up to 35 hours
- 4 main configurations: Firefighting, cargo, Survaillance & Agriculture
- Ability to customize
miércoles, 25 de octubre de 2017
Des Sukhoi Superjet 100 et MC-21 bientôt livrés par la Russie au Mexique
La livraison de huit avions russes SSJ-100 à la compagnie aérienne mexicaine Interjet sera terminée avant la fin de l’année en cours, tandis qu’à partir de 2021, Moscou pourrait commencer à livrer au Mexique le moyen-courrier dernier cri MC-21, a rapporté aux journalistes le ministre russe de l’Industrie et du Commerce, Denis Mantourov. https://fr.sputniknews.com/international/201710241033581402-avion-livraison-mexique/
France gearing up for HIL (Airbus H160 based) helicopter development
France is likely to issue a preliminary development contract for its hélicoptère interarmées léger (HIL) programme by the end of the year, to allow manufacturer Airbus Helicopters to begin initial risk-reduction activities. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/france-gearing-up-for-hil-helicopter-development-442494/
Boeing Reports Third-Quarter Results; Raises Cash Flow and EPS Guidance
- Revenue of $24.3 billion, including a record 202 commercial aircraft deliveries
- GAAP EPS of $3.06 and core EPS (non-GAAP)* of $2.72 on solid execution
- Strong operating cash flow of $3.4 billion; repurchased 11 million shares for $2.5 billion
- Backlog remains robust at $474 billion, including nearly 5,700 aircraft in commercial airplane orders
- Cash flow and EPS guidance raised; segment guidance updated
full report: http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2017-10-25-Boeing-Reports-Third-Quarter-Results-Raises-Cash-Flow-and-EPS-Guidance
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Has Big UAV Plans for its New Autonomous Systems Research Center
In WSJ:
At the 10,000-square-foot facility, researchers from Caltech’s Division of Engineering and Applied Science, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will collaborate to create the next generation of autonomous systems – advancing drone research, autonomous exploration and bio-inspired systems... continue reading https://www.wsj.com/articles/rule-and-law-in-catalonia-1508799201
press release:
Caltech Launches New Autonomous Systems Research Center
The Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) will unite engineers and scientists from many disciplines to advance research on robotics, drones, driverless cars, and machine learning
On October 24, Caltech will officially open the new Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST), a 10,000-square-foot facility where machines and researchers will work together and learn from one another.
At CAST, researchers from Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science (EAS), Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will collaborate to create the next generation of autonomous systems, advancing the fields of drone research, autonomous exploration, and bio-inspired systems. Researchers will continue pioneering work on technologies ranging from prosthetic legs that use machine learning to automatically adjust to a wearer's gait to a flying, self-driven ambulance.
"The goal is to teach autonomous systems to think independently and react accordingly, preparing them for the rigors of the world outside of the lab," says CAST Director Mory Gharib, Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired Engineering.
The facility will be a living experiment. While engineers construct and test drones, robots within CAST itself will learn to help run the facility—all while being observed by 46 cameras that provide complete coverage of the interior, tracking each robot's motion down to within 100 microns (about the thickness of a human hair).
The CAST team includes more than two dozen engineers and scientists. Instead of developing autonomous systems simply for the sake of advancing the technology, the work will be guided in part by scientists and other stakeholders who would benefit tremendously from autonomous systems. For example, by collaborating with seismologists and first responders, engineers could develop a swarm of flying sentinel drones that automatically activate during an earthquake, rapidly scan damaged areas, and relay information about where there are likely to be injured people in need of medical attention. "The CAST team will also work on the next generation of drones and robots to explore the solar system, including submersible vehicles designed to operate in the ice-covered oceans of Europa, a moon of Jupiter," says CAST steering committee member Woody Fischer, Professor of Geobiology.
The facility will include an assembly room with an 85-foot-long oval track for walking robots and an aerospace robotics control lab with high-precision flat floor that allows researchers to fly "spacecraft" that have been engineered to hover through high-pressure jets (like a reverse air hockey table) and simulate the frictionless motion of space flight. But CAST's centerpiece is a three-story-tall, wholly enclosed aerodrome—the tallest of its kind—in which to test flying drones. To simulate the ever-shifting environmental conditions that drones face in the real world, the aerodrome includes a 10-foot-by-10-foot wall of 1,296 fans capable of generating wind speeds of up to 44 mph, with a side wall of 324 fans to create a crosswind. The wall is capable of creating a nearly infinite variety of wind conditions for drones to learn to react to—everything from a light gust to a stormy vortex. It can also be tilted 90 degrees to simulate vertical take offs and landings.
"The current state-of-the-art in autonomous systems is very promising on two divergent fronts," Gharib says. "The bodies, or machines and sensors, have become more and more sophisticated and capable. Meanwhile, the algorithms that collect and interpret behavior are increasingly fine-tuned. We plan to bring these two together through a series of 'moonshot' challenges that we will undertake in the coming years."
Like their ambitious namesake that challenged Americans to send a human to the moon in the 1960s, CAST's moonshot goals will require advances in engineering to accomplish feats not yet possible. They include building a robot (guided by a network of flying drone scouts) that can walk from Mexico to Canada without assistance and creating a drone delivery service between Caltech and JPL.
One key goal of CAST is the development of an autonomous flying ambulance for urban applications. Flying vehicles offer significant benefits over their ground-based counterparts: three-dimensional space is easier to navigate safely than two-dimensional space, and there is an advantage to rising above the gridlock that, with 60 percent of the world's populations expected to live in cities by 2030, will only continue to get worse.
"This isn't just as simple as creating a UAV big enough to carry a person. You need a fault-tolerant vehicle that can adapt autonomously to shifting weather conditions and navigate through skies without colliding with other UAVs. You need the best in aerospace engineering, machine learning, GPS-free navigation—and all of it scalable," Gharib says. "It's a huge challenge, but at CAST, we can and will build it."
Corporations and industry members will play a key part in the development of CAST technologies and systems. With the lead sponsorship of Raytheon Company as well as the support of corporations such as AeroVironment, industry partnerships will help fund CAST and the development of the next generations of autonomous systems. Through these partnerships and collaborations, industry members will assist CAST researchers in bringing the resulting products to market faster.
This endowed center was established through the generous support of Foster and Coco Stanback. More information about the CAST facility can be found online at http://cast.caltech.edu.
Vanilla Aircraft UAS Flies More Than Five Days
Weighing just 475 lb. when it took off, Vanilla Aircraft’s VA001 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) landed back at NASA Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia coast on Oct. 23 after staying aloft for... http://aviationweek.com/awincommercial/vanilla-aircraft-uas-flies-more-five-days
From Vanilla Aircraft's web:
Powered by an efficient heavy-fuel engine, the VA001 completed first flight in Feburary 2015, flying autonomously in the national airspace. Additional flight tests have provided validation of the VA001 design and performance projections. In operation, the VA001's unmatched range and 10-day endurance will greatly reduce the operating cost and manpower burden to provide persistent aerial coverage, and will enable new missions previously beyond the capabilities of mid-size UAS. The VA001 is ready for operational demonstrations. Further payload integration is currently underway with Vanilla's customers, and flights are scheduled in 2017 to continue expanding the aircraft's full payload, endurance and altitude capabilities.
Photos and videos: http://www.vanillaaircraft.com/VA001.html
Big Three Gulf Carriers Review Strategies Ahead Of Dubai Airshow
The big three Gulf carriers are slowing growth but will still be huge Airbus and Boeing customers
http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/big-three-gulf-carriers-review-strategies-ahead-dubai-airshow
NASA news: in-flight foldable wings; highly flexible wings; noise reduction; "green" X-Planes
Addaptative foldable wings
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-test-in-flight-folding-spanwise-adaptive-wing-to-enhance-aircraft-efficiency
Highly flexible wings
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/features/highly_flexible_wings_tested.html
Aircraft noise reduction during landing
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/feature/NASA_Tech_Reduces_Airframe_Noise.html
"Green" X-Planes
https://www.nasa.gov/aero/nasa-green-aviation-x-planes
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-test-in-flight-folding-spanwise-adaptive-wing-to-enhance-aircraft-efficiency
Highly flexible wings
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/features/highly_flexible_wings_tested.html
Aircraft noise reduction during landing
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/feature/NASA_Tech_Reduces_Airframe_Noise.html
"Green" X-Planes
https://www.nasa.gov/aero/nasa-green-aviation-x-planes
Airbus working on new Sharklets for A350
Airbus is working on further extending the range of the A350-900 and -1000. The company is quietly testing an extended Sharklet, which will extended the aircraft’s wingspan. An A350-900 test aircraft is flying since last week with the larger Sharklet... continue reading https://leehamnews.com/2017/10/25/airbus-working-new-sharklets-a350/
Aurora Flight Sciences to evaluate NASA electric airliner design
NASA wants to get a second opinion from Aurora Flight Sciences on the system-level performance of a turboelectric-powered commercial aircraft concept for starting the next iteration of a multi-year design process. Continue reading: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aurora-flight-sciences-to-evaluate-nasa-electric-air-442471/
also in aviation week http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/aurora-review-nasa-s-starc-abl-turboelectric-airliner
Underwater sound waves help scientists locate ocean impacts (and thus aircraft crashes)
In New Atlas https://newatlas.com/sound-waves-find-downed-planes/51884/
In Youtube https://youtu.be/IFomVoL92oM
Cardiff University Press Release
Scientists have developed a new method to locate the precise time and location that objects fall into our oceans.
The method, developed by researchers from Cardiff University, uses underwater microphones, also known as hydrophones, to listen for underwater sound waves that are emitted when an object hits the sea surface.
They believe the new method could be used to locate meteorites, satellites or even parts of an aircraft that may have entered the ocean, and could also be used to locate underwater explosions, landslides or the epicentre of earthquakes far out at sea.
The new method, which has been presented in the journal Scientific Reports, relies on the measurement of acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) – naturally occurring sounds waves that move through the deep ocean at the speed of sound and can travel thousands of metres below the surface.
AGWs can measure tens or even hundreds of kilometres in length and it is thought that certain lifeforms such as plankton, that are unable to swim against a current, rely on the waves to aid their movement, enhancing their ability to find food.
When objects hit the sea surface they cause a sudden change in water pressure which leads to the generation of AGWs.
In the first part of their study the team dropped 18 spheres onto the surface of a water tank, at varying distances and heights, and measured the subsequent AGWs that were emitted using a hydrophone.
The team then analysed hours of data from hydrophones off the coast of Western Australia. These hydrophones are operated by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) for detecting underwater nuclear tests, but they can also pick up signals from AGWs.
Using this data, the team were able to validate their method by successfully calculating the time and location of recent earthquakes that had occurred in the Indian Ocean.
“Though we’ve located two points around the time of MH370’s disappearance from an unknown source, we cannot say with any real certainty that these have any association with the aircraft. What we do know is that the hydrophones picked up remarkably weak signals at these locations and that the signals, according to our calculations, accounted for some sort of impact in the Indian Ocean.
“All of this information has been passed onto the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and we anticipate that both now, and in the future, this new source of information could be used in conjunction with a whole of host of other data that is at the disposal of the authorities.”
In Youtube https://youtu.be/IFomVoL92oM
Cardiff University Press Release
Scientists have developed a new method to locate the precise time and location that objects fall into our oceans.
The method, developed by researchers from Cardiff University, uses underwater microphones, also known as hydrophones, to listen for underwater sound waves that are emitted when an object hits the sea surface.
They believe the new method could be used to locate meteorites, satellites or even parts of an aircraft that may have entered the ocean, and could also be used to locate underwater explosions, landslides or the epicentre of earthquakes far out at sea.
The new method, which has been presented in the journal Scientific Reports, relies on the measurement of acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) – naturally occurring sounds waves that move through the deep ocean at the speed of sound and can travel thousands of metres below the surface.
AGWs can measure tens or even hundreds of kilometres in length and it is thought that certain lifeforms such as plankton, that are unable to swim against a current, rely on the waves to aid their movement, enhancing their ability to find food.
When objects hit the sea surface they cause a sudden change in water pressure which leads to the generation of AGWs.
In the first part of their study the team dropped 18 spheres onto the surface of a water tank, at varying distances and heights, and measured the subsequent AGWs that were emitted using a hydrophone.
The team then analysed hours of data from hydrophones off the coast of Western Australia. These hydrophones are operated by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) for detecting underwater nuclear tests, but they can also pick up signals from AGWs.
Using this data, the team were able to validate their method by successfully calculating the time and location of recent earthquakes that had occurred in the Indian Ocean.
Tracking these acoustic gravity waves opens up a huge range of
possibilities, from locating falling meteorites to detecting landslides,
snowslides, storm surges, tsunamis and rogue waves.”
MH370
The team also went one step further and analysed data from the same hydrophones from 18 March 2014 when the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared over the South Indian Ocean.
Between 00:00 and 02:00 UTC when it is thought the plane disappeared, they found two “remarkably weak signals” around the suggested flight path of MH370, both resulting in a relatively large area of uncertainty where there may have been some sort of impact.
The team also went one step further and analysed data from the same hydrophones from 18 March 2014 when the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared over the South Indian Ocean.
Between 00:00 and 02:00 UTC when it is thought the plane disappeared, they found two “remarkably weak signals” around the suggested flight path of MH370, both resulting in a relatively large area of uncertainty where there may have been some sort of impact.
“Though we’ve located two points around the time of MH370’s disappearance from an unknown source, we cannot say with any real certainty that these have any association with the aircraft. What we do know is that the hydrophones picked up remarkably weak signals at these locations and that the signals, according to our calculations, accounted for some sort of impact in the Indian Ocean.
“All of this information has been passed onto the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and we anticipate that both now, and in the future, this new source of information could be used in conjunction with a whole of host of other data that is at the disposal of the authorities.”
martes, 24 de octubre de 2017
Mexican Interjet Wants Joint Venture With Russia to Produce SSJ100 Spare Parts
The second largest operator of Russia's SSJ100 airliners has expressed hope for a joint venture with the plane's manufacturer after signing a document on further development cooperation between the two companies. Continue reading https://sputniknews.com/business/201710231058456539-interjet-wants-venture-ssj100-production/
Boeing, Singapore Airlines Announce Order for 39 Airplanes
- Deal includes 20 777-9s and 19 787-10 Dreamliners
- Ceremony in the presence of President Trump and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Singapore Airlines (SIA) today formally announced a deal for 20 777-9s and 19 787-10s, during a ceremony at the White House.
The order, previously attributed to an unidentified customer, is worth $13.8 billion at current list prices. The value of this sales transaction will sustain thousands of U.S. suppliers and more than 70,000 direct and indirect U.S. jobs during the delivery period of this contract. The airline also has options for 12 additional aircraft, six of each aircraft type.
The signing ceremony, witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, included Singapore Airlines' CEO Goh Choon Phong and Boeing Commercial Airplanes' President & CEO Kevin McAllister. Peter Seah, Singapore Airlines' Chairman, and Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes and other members of the airline and Boeing also were in attendance.
"SIA has been a Boeing customer for many decades and we are pleased to have finalised this major order for widebody aircraft, which will enable us to continue operating a modern and fuel-efficient fleet," said Goh. "These new aircraft will also provide the SIA Group with new growth opportunities, allowing us to expand our network and offer even more travel options for our customers."
Singapore Airlines has more than 50 777s in service and is the launch customer of the 787-10, which is set to deliver in the first half of 2018. With a prior order for 30 787-10s, the airline now has 49 on order, making it the largest customer for this type. A long-range airplane that's efficient at any stage length, the 787-10 will serve the airline's medium-range operations while partnering with the 777-9 for the carrier's long-haul routes. Its subsidiaries SilkAir, Scoot and SIA Cargo also operate Boeing airplanes with the 737 MAX 8 and 737-800, 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners and 747-400 Freighter types in service, respectively.
"Boeing and Singapore Airlines have been strong partners since the airline's first operations 70 years ago and we are thrilled to finalise their purchase of 20 777Xs and 19 additional 787-10 Dreamliners," said McAllister. "Singapore Airlines' order is a testament to the market-leading capabilities of Boeing's widebody airplanes and we look forward to delivering the very first 787-10 to them next year."
With more than 1,280 orders from 70 customers worldwide, the 787 Dreamliner family offers three modern and efficient airplanes that are optimized for markets ranging from 200 seats to over 350 seats. To date, more than 600 787s have entered commercial service. They have flown nearly 200 million people on more than 560 unique routes - including 156 new nonstop routes – while saving an estimated 19 billion pounds of fuel.
The 787-10, the largest family member, adds seats and cargo capacity while offering 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat and lower emissions than the airplanes it will replace. The combination of capability, reliability and efficiency has attracted carriers from around the world, including Asia where the 787-10 will be able to connect all points within Asia at lower seat costs than any other twin-aisle airplane, with the flexibility to also link to Europe, Africa and Oceania.
The 777X, builds on the passenger-preferred and market-leading 777, and will be the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jet in the world, with the latest innovative technologies, including the most advanced, fuel-efficient commercial engine ever. Opening new growth opportunities for airlines, the 777-9 will have the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial airplane. The 777-9 seats 400-425 passengers with a range of 7,600 nautical miles (14,075 km) and is the only twin-engine available of its size.
[Science Journal] FLUID MECHANICS The turbulent cascade in five dimensions
To the naked eye, turbulent flows exhibit whirls of many different sizes. To each size, or scale,
corresponds a fraction of the total energy resulting from a cascade in five dimensions: scale,
time, and three-dimensional space. Understanding this process is critical to strategies for
modeling geophysical and industrial flows. Continue reading: science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/357/6353/782.full.pdf
corresponds a fraction of the total energy resulting from a cascade in five dimensions: scale,
time, and three-dimensional space. Understanding this process is critical to strategies for
modeling geophysical and industrial flows. Continue reading: science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/357/6353/782.full.pdf
KC-390 returns to base early after stall test [feedly]
Crew on an Embraer KC-390 requested an early return to base after the aircraft lost significant altitude during a stall test earlier this month.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/kc-390-returns-to-base-early-after-stall-test-442426/
-- via my feedly newsfeed
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/kc-390-returns-to-base-early-after-stall-test-442426/
-- via my feedly newsfeed
Navy sceptical of RAND aircraft carrier suggestions | THAAD handed over to USFK | Egypt to discuss Rafales, covettes, and human rights with France [feedly]
Navy sceptical of RAND aircraft carrier suggestions | THAAD handed over to USFK | Egypt to discuss Rafales, covettes, and human rights with France
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/navy-sceptical-of-rand-aircraft-carrier-suggestions-thaad-handed-over-to-usfk-egypt-to-discuss-rafales-covettes-and-human-rights-with-france-2-038217/
-- via my feedly newsfeed
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/navy-sceptical-of-rand-aircraft-carrier-suggestions-thaad-handed-over-to-usfk-egypt-to-discuss-rafales-covettes-and-human-rights-with-france-2-038217/
-- via my feedly newsfeed
Project Loon's internet balloons fire up over Puerto Rico [feedly]
When Hurricanes Maria and Irma tore through Puerto Rico last month, Alphabet's X lab was quick to answer the call, gaining approval to launch its Project Loon balloons over the storm-ravaged island to provide residents with emergency internet service. Following a successful launch, the balloons have now been switched on and are already providing hard hit parts of the population with connectivity.
.. Continue Reading Project Loon's internet balloons fire up over Puerto Rico
https://newatlas.com/project-loon-balloons-puerto-rico/51854/
-- via my feedly newsfeed
.. Continue Reading Project Loon's internet balloons fire up over Puerto Rico
https://newatlas.com/project-loon-balloons-puerto-rico/51854/
-- via my feedly newsfeed
NASA's ion thruster for Mars mission breaks records
PR
ANN ARBOR—An advanced space engine in the running to propel humans to Mars has broken the records for operating current, power and thrust for a device of its kind, known as a Hall thruster.
The development of the thruster was led by Alec Gallimore, University of Michigan professor of aerospace engineering and the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering.
Hall thrusters offer exceptionally efficient plasma-based spacecraft propulsion by accelerating small amounts of propellant very quickly using electric and magnetic fields. They can achieve top speeds with a tiny fraction of the fuel required in a chemical rocket.
"Mars missions are just on the horizon, and we already know that Hall thrusters work well in space," Gallimore said. "They can be optimized either for carrying equipment with minimal energy and propellant over the course of a year or so, or for speed—carrying the crew to Mars much more quickly."
The challenge is to make them larger and more powerful. The X3, a Hall thruster designed by researchers at U-M, NASA and the U.S. Air Force, shattered the previous thrust record set by a Hall thruster, coming in at 5.4 newtons of force compared with 3.3 newtons. The improvement in thrust is especially important for crewed mission—it means faster acceleration and shorter travel times. The X3 also more than doubled the operating current record (250 amperes vs. 112 amperes) and ran at a slightly higher power (102 kilowatts vs. 98 kilowatts).
The X3 is one of three prototype "Mars engines" to be turned into a full propulsion system with funding from NASA. Scott Hall, a doctoral student in aerospace engineering at U-M, carried out the tests at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, along with Hani Kamhawi, a NASA Glenn research scientist who has been heavily involved in the development of the X3. The experiments were the culmination of more than five years of building, testing and improving the thruster.
NASA Glenn, which specializes in solar electric propulsion, is currently home to the only vacuum chamber in the U.S. that can handle the X3 thruster. The thruster produces so much exhaust that vacuum pumps at other chambers can't keep up. Then, xenon that has been shot out the back of the engine can drift back into the plasma plume, muddying the results. But as of January 2018, an upgrade of the vacuum chamber in Gallimore's lab will enable X3 testing right at U-M.
For now, the X3 team snagged a test window from late July through August this year, starting with four weeks to set up the thrust stand, mount the thruster and connect the thruster with xenon and electrical power supplies. Hall had built a custom thrust stand to bear the X3's 500-pound weight and withstand its force, as existing stands would collapse under it. Throughout the process, Hall and Kamhawi were supported by NASA researchers, engineers and technicians.
"The big moment is when you close the door and pump down the chamber," Hall said.
After the 20 hours of pumping to achieve a space-like vacuum, Hall and Kamhawi spent 12-hour days testing the X3.
Even small breakages feel like big problems when it takes days to gradually bring air back into the chamber, get in to make the repair and pump the air back out again. But in spite of the challenges, Hall and Kamhawi brought the X3 up to its record-breaking power, current and thrust over the 25 days of testing.
Looking ahead, the X3 will at last be integrated with the power supplies under development by Aerojet Rocketdyne, a rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer and lead on the propulsion system grant from NASA. In spring 2018, Hall expects to be back at NASA Glenn running a 100-hour test of the X3 with Aerojet Rocketdyne's power processing system.
The project is funded through NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnership, which supports not just propulsion systems but also habitat systems and in-space manufacturing.
Gallimore is also the Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and a professor of applied physics. Kamhawi is also Hall's NASA mentor as part of the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. The $1 million upgrade of the test facility in Gallimore's lab is funded in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, with additional support from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and U-M.
More information:
ANN ARBOR—An advanced space engine in the running to propel humans to Mars has broken the records for operating current, power and thrust for a device of its kind, known as a Hall thruster.
The development of the thruster was led by Alec Gallimore, University of Michigan professor of aerospace engineering and the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering.
Hall thrusters offer exceptionally efficient plasma-based spacecraft propulsion by accelerating small amounts of propellant very quickly using electric and magnetic fields. They can achieve top speeds with a tiny fraction of the fuel required in a chemical rocket.
"Mars missions are just on the horizon, and we already know that Hall thrusters work well in space," Gallimore said. "They can be optimized either for carrying equipment with minimal energy and propellant over the course of a year or so, or for speed—carrying the crew to Mars much more quickly."
The challenge is to make them larger and more powerful. The X3, a Hall thruster designed by researchers at U-M, NASA and the U.S. Air Force, shattered the previous thrust record set by a Hall thruster, coming in at 5.4 newtons of force compared with 3.3 newtons. The improvement in thrust is especially important for crewed mission—it means faster acceleration and shorter travel times. The X3 also more than doubled the operating current record (250 amperes vs. 112 amperes) and ran at a slightly higher power (102 kilowatts vs. 98 kilowatts).
The X3 is one of three prototype "Mars engines" to be turned into a full propulsion system with funding from NASA. Scott Hall, a doctoral student in aerospace engineering at U-M, carried out the tests at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, along with Hani Kamhawi, a NASA Glenn research scientist who has been heavily involved in the development of the X3. The experiments were the culmination of more than five years of building, testing and improving the thruster.
NASA Glenn, which specializes in solar electric propulsion, is currently home to the only vacuum chamber in the U.S. that can handle the X3 thruster. The thruster produces so much exhaust that vacuum pumps at other chambers can't keep up. Then, xenon that has been shot out the back of the engine can drift back into the plasma plume, muddying the results. But as of January 2018, an upgrade of the vacuum chamber in Gallimore's lab will enable X3 testing right at U-M.
For now, the X3 team snagged a test window from late July through August this year, starting with four weeks to set up the thrust stand, mount the thruster and connect the thruster with xenon and electrical power supplies. Hall had built a custom thrust stand to bear the X3's 500-pound weight and withstand its force, as existing stands would collapse under it. Throughout the process, Hall and Kamhawi were supported by NASA researchers, engineers and technicians.
"The big moment is when you close the door and pump down the chamber," Hall said.
After the 20 hours of pumping to achieve a space-like vacuum, Hall and Kamhawi spent 12-hour days testing the X3.
Even small breakages feel like big problems when it takes days to gradually bring air back into the chamber, get in to make the repair and pump the air back out again. But in spite of the challenges, Hall and Kamhawi brought the X3 up to its record-breaking power, current and thrust over the 25 days of testing.
Looking ahead, the X3 will at last be integrated with the power supplies under development by Aerojet Rocketdyne, a rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer and lead on the propulsion system grant from NASA. In spring 2018, Hall expects to be back at NASA Glenn running a 100-hour test of the X3 with Aerojet Rocketdyne's power processing system.
The project is funded through NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnership, which supports not just propulsion systems but also habitat systems and in-space manufacturing.
Gallimore is also the Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and a professor of applied physics. Kamhawi is also Hall's NASA mentor as part of the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. The $1 million upgrade of the test facility in Gallimore's lab is funded in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, with additional support from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and U-M.
More information:
TECNAM STRENGTHENS ITS PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND WITH CORPORATE SUBSIDIARY
TECNAM Aircraft s.r.l. of Capua, Italy, is proud to announce that it has newly established a corporate presence in Australia. The company’s worldwide Sales Director, Mr Walter Da Costa, made the announcement today, saying that it will be managed by its Australian Sales Team.
“After many years of successful operation, and with a brand-new product line to be offered in General Aviation, TECNAM has decided to confirm its presence in Australia and to sell and support its products directly”, Mr Da Costa said.
The company has prepared its marketing strategy, which will be in two parts. The first is its long-established and highly respected 600kg MTOW Light Sport Aircraft product line, which can be registered in the Recreational Aviation Australia area or VH with CASA. TECNAM will spearhead this entry into the market with its high-performing P2008 model, which has great looks, an impressive history of durability and is the ideal aircraft for all types of operations from personal flying to training.
Mr Da Costa said that management of the Light Sport Aircraft fleet, along with the management and supply of all spare parts, will be carried out by Mr Bruce Stark, a long-term representative of TECNAM products in Australia.
TECNAM is also announcing its entry into the certified Australian General Aviation market with the introduction of three new models. The P2006T is an outstanding light twin aircraft operating Rotax engines and it provides an ideal platform for Twin IFR training, as well as personal twin-engine transport. In addition, the company is offering a Special Mission Platform (SMP), which will be highly suitable for customs and police operations, fire management and border protection, capable of carrying top levels of surveillance equipment in its specially prepared structure.
TECNAM will also introduce the P2012 Traveller, a twin-engine, eleven-seat, Lycoming-powered commuter aircraft that will be very effective in the service of Australian requirements for rapid, economical, intermediate-range operations which have regional passenger loadings.
The P2010 will be managed by Mr Allan Bligh, who is one of Australia’s most respected aircraft sales representatives, together with his long-term associate, Mr Spencer Ferrier of Sydney.
“We are really proud to commence our corporate presence in Australia with such a strong and capable sales team,” Mr Da Costa said. “The introduction of our heavier aircraft in the VH category will make a strong mark in Australian aviation and we look forward to serving the Australian travelling public with our well-proven, advanced design, economical fleet.”
“The future of any successful company is ‘relentless innovation’ of the product and the business plan. In the 17 years I have been associated with TECNAM Italy, this has been the culture of the company and its staff. I look forward to being part of the new team in the Australian and New Zealand”. Said Bruce Stark
As the late Professor Luigi Pascale, co-founder of the company with his brother, has said so often: “Designing and building aeroplanes is not just a job, it is an extension of our passion for flying.”
TECNAM has been constructing aircraft for more than 70 years, starting with its first design, the P48, in 1948. Since then the company, based in Capua, Italy, has grown to be the world’s second-largest General Aviation aircraft manufacturer. Its dedication to reliability, quality manufacture, innovation and ruggedness is proudly based upon its motto, “Our customers are our friends”.
Boeing’s Machinists and robots start building first 777X, but challenges remain | The Seattle Times
Boeing has started production of its next new airplane, the 777X, scheduled to fly in 2019 and enter service in 2020. An executive on Monday called it "a change in the history of how we manufacture" — but the change is proving difficult.
lunes, 23 de octubre de 2017
MC-21 prototype is already at Zhukovsky for certification tests
http://www.rusaviainsider.com/mc-21-prototype-arrives-zhukovsky-certification-tests/
https://youtu.be/TFcDImoeKe0
Press release:
http://eng.irkut.com/press-centre/news/2243/
On October 17 2017, the first test MC-21-300 aircraft flew from the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant to the airfield of Flight Research Institute n.a. M.M. Gromov (Ramenskoye, Moscow Region), to continue flight tests.
The aircraft flew nonstop 4 500 km for 6 hours at the altitude of 10 000 meters.
Mr Oleg Kononenko, the Hero of Russia, the test pilot and the flight crew commander, noted: “The flight went in standard mode. All aircraft systems operated without failures.”
Mr Yuri Slyusar, the President of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Irkut Corporation said: “Today we open the new milestone of MC-21 program. Ahead, there is a continuation of flight and ground tests, introduction of new aircraft samples into test program, certification and initiation of serial production. Together with Irkut Corporation, a number of UAC enterprises, our partners from Rostec Corporation, and leading foreign companies participate in the MC-21 program. This program moves our enterprises to the new technological level and ensures the professional growth of our specialists.”
Mr Oleg Demchenko, the First Vice-President and the Chief Designer of Irkut Corporation said: “Flight tests of MC-21 aircraft performed at Irkutsk Aviation Plant, together with the long flight (from Irkutsk to Ramenskoye) prove declared aircraft characteristics. Since today, tests will be continued at Flight Test and Development Facility of Yakovlev Design Bureau. The new hangar with the new up-to-date complex for collection, processing, and storage of information, obtained during flight and ground tests, had been built for MC-21 basing.”
MC-21-300 new generation aircraft with capacity of 163 to 211 passengers targets the most massive segment of aviation market.
MC-21 aircraft provides passengers with the qualitatively new level of comfort, due to the biggest fuselage diameter in the category of narrow-body aircraft. This design decision significantly widens private space of each passenger, ensures free passage of passenger and service trolley over the aisle, and shortens airport turnover time. Natural lighting of the passenger cabin is enhanced due to big windows. Comfortable air pressure and advanced microclimate is maintained in the aircraft.
MC-21 aircraft features an innovative ergonomic pilot cabin.
High demands for comfort and economic effectiveness of the aircraft pushed forward introduction of advanced technical solutions in aerodynamics, engine-building, and avionics.
MC-21 aircraft is superior to existing counterparts in terms of flight-technical characteristics and efficiency.
The major contributor to the enhancement of flight-technical characteristics of the aircraft is the wing made of polymer composite materials, the first-in-the-word one developed for narrow-body aircraft with the capacity of over 130 passengers. The share of composites in MC-21 design exceeding 30% is unique for this category of aircraft.
For the first time in the history of Russian aircraft manufacturing, the airliner is offered to the customers with two options of power plant - PW1400G of Pratt & Whitney Company (USA) or PD-14 of United Engine Corporation (Russia). New-generation engines feature reduced fuel consumption, low noise and hazardous emissions. MC-21 aircraft meets prospective environmental requirements.
Calculated reduction of direct operational costs for MC-21 is 12-15% lower than for counterparts.
The initial portfolio of firm orders for 175 MC-21 aircraft provides utilization of production capacity in the coming years. All firm contracts are prepaid.
The Russian enterprises are the integrators of the major aircraft systems. During implementation of MC-21 program, the competence centres have been established in Russia for development and manufacturing of components made of composite materials. With the purpose of introduction of new technologies, the radical modernisation of manufacturing facilities of Irkutsk Aviation Plant (the affiliate of Irkut Corporation) and a number of aviation-building and related enterprises has been implemented.
The major participants of the MC-21 program are: Irkut Corporation, an affiliate of UAC, as the head contractor, the enterprises of UAC, Rostec State Corporation, and foreign companies.
Currently, the first test aircraft undergoes flight tests, the second test sample underdoes static tests in TsAGI. Four more samples are being built at Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Starting next year, they will be gradually introduced into the test program.
Two-class layout capacity 163 seats (16 business + 147 economy)
Dense layout capacity 211 seats
Maximum take-off weight 79 250 kg
Maximum payload 22 600 kg
Maximum flight range 6 000 km
Dimensions
Length 42.2 m
Wing span 35.9 m
Height 11.5 m
In July 2007, the Board of United Aircraft Corporation made a decision on the start of works on the program of creation of MC-21 short-medium range aircraft, with Irkutsk Corporation designated as the developer.
In August 2007, Irkut Corporation revealed the concept and the business-plan of the MC-21 project as the family of short-medium range aircraft.
In December 2008, tenders were announced for development and supply of the MC-21 systems.
In 2008, full-scale state funding of the program was started. Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAP) began implementation of the comprehensive program of technical re-equipment, directed to preparation for MC-21 manufacturing, financed from the state budget, own funds, and the loan of Sberbank of Russia.
During 2009, negotiations with potential suppliers of components were performed, so that by December the list of suppliers of the systems was mainly defined.
In 2009, the tests of separate items of similar design were started. The extensive test program is being continued by now, at more than 100 benches, including four integrative ones. In particular, testing and finishing of aircraft systems, on-board equipment, and elements of aircraft's structure are performed.
In 2010, preliminary design project was approved, the key technical and technological decisions were made, the major solutions on after-sale support and integrated logistics were determined.
On 6 June 2010, by the Order of The President of the Russian Federation, Irkut Corporation was designated as the only contractor of the State Orders for creation of MC-21 aircraft family.
In 2013, development of design documentation for base version was completed, mastering of aircraft manufacturing was started.
In 2014-2016, a number of new production facilities were put into operation at IAP, within the frame of technological preparation for manufacturing. In particular, installation of the aggregate and final assembly line was finished.
On 8 June 2016, the rollout of the first test MC-21-300 aircraft designated for flight tests was implemented.
On 28 April 2017, the first flight test MC-21-300 aircraft was transferred from the final assembly shop to the IAP flight test division.
On 13-19 May 2017, MC-21-300-0001 aircraft performed taxiing and speed runs within the frame of preparation for the maiden flight.
On 25 May 2017, the Methodical Council of Experimental Aviation On Flight Tests issued the approval for the maiden flight of MC-21 aircraft.
On 28 May 2017, MC-21 performed the maiden flight.
On May-October 2017, flight tests of MC-21-300 aircraft were performed at IAP.
On 17 October 2017, MC-21-300 test aircraft flew to Ramenskoye airport for further flight tests at Flight Test and Development Facility of Yakovlev Design Bureau, where the new up-to-date complex for collection, processing, and storage of information, obtained during flight and ground tests, had been built.
Please, refer for details to http://mc21eng.irkut.com/program/
https://youtu.be/TFcDImoeKe0
Press release:
http://eng.irkut.com/press-centre/news/2243/
On October 17 2017, the first test MC-21-300 aircraft flew from the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant to the airfield of Flight Research Institute n.a. M.M. Gromov (Ramenskoye, Moscow Region), to continue flight tests.
The aircraft flew nonstop 4 500 km for 6 hours at the altitude of 10 000 meters.
Mr Oleg Kononenko, the Hero of Russia, the test pilot and the flight crew commander, noted: “The flight went in standard mode. All aircraft systems operated without failures.”
Mr Yuri Slyusar, the President of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Irkut Corporation said: “Today we open the new milestone of MC-21 program. Ahead, there is a continuation of flight and ground tests, introduction of new aircraft samples into test program, certification and initiation of serial production. Together with Irkut Corporation, a number of UAC enterprises, our partners from Rostec Corporation, and leading foreign companies participate in the MC-21 program. This program moves our enterprises to the new technological level and ensures the professional growth of our specialists.”
Mr Oleg Demchenko, the First Vice-President and the Chief Designer of Irkut Corporation said: “Flight tests of MC-21 aircraft performed at Irkutsk Aviation Plant, together with the long flight (from Irkutsk to Ramenskoye) prove declared aircraft characteristics. Since today, tests will be continued at Flight Test and Development Facility of Yakovlev Design Bureau. The new hangar with the new up-to-date complex for collection, processing, and storage of information, obtained during flight and ground tests, had been built for MC-21 basing.”
###
The New-Generation MC-21-300 commercial aircraft
MC-21-300 new generation aircraft with capacity of 163 to 211 passengers targets the most massive segment of aviation market.
MC-21 aircraft provides passengers with the qualitatively new level of comfort, due to the biggest fuselage diameter in the category of narrow-body aircraft. This design decision significantly widens private space of each passenger, ensures free passage of passenger and service trolley over the aisle, and shortens airport turnover time. Natural lighting of the passenger cabin is enhanced due to big windows. Comfortable air pressure and advanced microclimate is maintained in the aircraft.
MC-21 aircraft features an innovative ergonomic pilot cabin.
High demands for comfort and economic effectiveness of the aircraft pushed forward introduction of advanced technical solutions in aerodynamics, engine-building, and avionics.
MC-21 aircraft is superior to existing counterparts in terms of flight-technical characteristics and efficiency.
The major contributor to the enhancement of flight-technical characteristics of the aircraft is the wing made of polymer composite materials, the first-in-the-word one developed for narrow-body aircraft with the capacity of over 130 passengers. The share of composites in MC-21 design exceeding 30% is unique for this category of aircraft.
For the first time in the history of Russian aircraft manufacturing, the airliner is offered to the customers with two options of power plant - PW1400G of Pratt & Whitney Company (USA) or PD-14 of United Engine Corporation (Russia). New-generation engines feature reduced fuel consumption, low noise and hazardous emissions. MC-21 aircraft meets prospective environmental requirements.
Calculated reduction of direct operational costs for MC-21 is 12-15% lower than for counterparts.
The initial portfolio of firm orders for 175 MC-21 aircraft provides utilization of production capacity in the coming years. All firm contracts are prepaid.
The Russian enterprises are the integrators of the major aircraft systems. During implementation of MC-21 program, the competence centres have been established in Russia for development and manufacturing of components made of composite materials. With the purpose of introduction of new technologies, the radical modernisation of manufacturing facilities of Irkutsk Aviation Plant (the affiliate of Irkut Corporation) and a number of aviation-building and related enterprises has been implemented.
The major participants of the MC-21 program are: Irkut Corporation, an affiliate of UAC, as the head contractor, the enterprises of UAC, Rostec State Corporation, and foreign companies.
Currently, the first test aircraft undergoes flight tests, the second test sample underdoes static tests in TsAGI. Four more samples are being built at Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Starting next year, they will be gradually introduced into the test program.
MC-21-300 Flight Performance
Dense layout capacity 211 seats
Maximum take-off weight 79 250 kg
Maximum payload 22 600 kg
Maximum flight range 6 000 km
Dimensions
Length 42.2 m
Wing span 35.9 m
Height 11.5 m
MC-21 Program: Brief Timeline
In July 2007, the Board of United Aircraft Corporation made a decision on the start of works on the program of creation of MC-21 short-medium range aircraft, with Irkutsk Corporation designated as the developer.
In August 2007, Irkut Corporation revealed the concept and the business-plan of the MC-21 project as the family of short-medium range aircraft.
In December 2008, tenders were announced for development and supply of the MC-21 systems.
In 2008, full-scale state funding of the program was started. Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAP) began implementation of the comprehensive program of technical re-equipment, directed to preparation for MC-21 manufacturing, financed from the state budget, own funds, and the loan of Sberbank of Russia.
During 2009, negotiations with potential suppliers of components were performed, so that by December the list of suppliers of the systems was mainly defined.
In 2009, the tests of separate items of similar design were started. The extensive test program is being continued by now, at more than 100 benches, including four integrative ones. In particular, testing and finishing of aircraft systems, on-board equipment, and elements of aircraft's structure are performed.
In 2010, preliminary design project was approved, the key technical and technological decisions were made, the major solutions on after-sale support and integrated logistics were determined.
On 6 June 2010, by the Order of The President of the Russian Federation, Irkut Corporation was designated as the only contractor of the State Orders for creation of MC-21 aircraft family.
In 2013, development of design documentation for base version was completed, mastering of aircraft manufacturing was started.
In 2014-2016, a number of new production facilities were put into operation at IAP, within the frame of technological preparation for manufacturing. In particular, installation of the aggregate and final assembly line was finished.
On 8 June 2016, the rollout of the first test MC-21-300 aircraft designated for flight tests was implemented.
On 28 April 2017, the first flight test MC-21-300 aircraft was transferred from the final assembly shop to the IAP flight test division.
On 13-19 May 2017, MC-21-300-0001 aircraft performed taxiing and speed runs within the frame of preparation for the maiden flight.
On 25 May 2017, the Methodical Council of Experimental Aviation On Flight Tests issued the approval for the maiden flight of MC-21 aircraft.
On 28 May 2017, MC-21 performed the maiden flight.
On May-October 2017, flight tests of MC-21-300 aircraft were performed at IAP.
On 17 October 2017, MC-21-300 test aircraft flew to Ramenskoye airport for further flight tests at Flight Test and Development Facility of Yakovlev Design Bureau, where the new up-to-date complex for collection, processing, and storage of information, obtained during flight and ground tests, had been built.
Please, refer for details to http://mc21eng.irkut.com/program/
Certification of the Rig’N Fly automatic oil platform approach mode for the H175
London, Airbus Helicopters has received EASA certification for the Rig’N Fly (Rig Integrated GPS approaches with eNhanced Flyability and safetY) for its H175 super medium helicopter.
Already certified for the H225, this avionics upgrade enhances the H175’s offshore mission capability providing fully automatic rig approaches. The automated mode also reinforces flight safety by allowing the crew to focus on the flight parameters and the external environment.
“With 19 helicopters now in operation, the H175 continues to evolve to meet the demanding Oil & Gas industry mission needs,” said Marc Allongue, head of the H175 programme. “This automatic approach procedure is a key element to increase the reliability and safety of our customers’ offshore operations. Thanks to the Rig’N Fly mode, their approaches to and take-offs from platform-based helipads will be safer and simpler.”
Rig’N Fly uses a combination of sensors (GPS, barometric altimeter, radar altimeter, weather radar, etc.) to provide enhanced flight precision and situational awareness for automatic rig approaches. The system also includes offset approaches, which can be tailored according to weather conditions and oil rig environment for the safest, standardized approach, placing the helideck in the most easily visible position for the crew.
By providing a repeatable path computation, the ability to couple the Automatic Flight Control System along with the flexibility to take environmental elements into account, Rig’N Fly reduces the workload of the crew, while enhancing situational awareness.
The H175 upgraded avionics suite also include advances in the Synthetic Vision System - offering a better display resolution and decluttering capability- and in the Helicopter Terrain Avoidance System, which optimises crew alerting time. Approach-deviation alerts have also been improved while enhancement of the maintenance functions and associated ground tools allow for better detection of failures and simplification of data downloading.
The Air France A380 which suffered an engine failure is to be flown back with only 3 operating engines.
The @airfrance #A380 which suffered an engine failure is to be flown back with only 3 operating engines. Some notes about how that is done.. pic.twitter.com/XGe9FQ9Waf— Captain Dave (@DaveWallsworth) 10 de octubre de 2017
More info:
NASA Relearning Lost X-plane Skills With Low-Boom Demo
- Bids to build NASA’s Low Boom Flight Demonstration X-plane submitted in September
- Single-seat, single-engine demonstrator scheduled to begin flight testing in fiscal 2021
- Designed to produce a reduced sonic boom of 70-75 PLdB through airframe shaping
- Goal is community response data to support lifting ban on supersonic flight overland
Photos: NASA
Podcast: A Trio of Pentagon Combat Aircraft Competitions
Aviation Week’s U.S. defense editors discuss pending battles for three new military airframes. The U.S. Navy has just issued a request for proposals for its MQ-25 UAV; the U.S. Air Force’s Jstars program is suddenly in limbo and its T-X trainer competition is delayed, while multiple competitors for that program jockey for position.
http://aviationweek.com/defense/podcast-trio-pentagon-combat-aircraft-competitions
US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert
If the order comes, the B-52s will return to a ready-to-fly posture not seen since the Cold War
http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2017/10/exclusive-us-preparing-put-nuclear-bombers-back-24-hour-alert/141957/
Boeing ponders restart of 767-300ER passenger line
Sources indicate that the prospect of restarting the 767-300ER passenger line could serve as interim lift until the prospective entry-into-service of the Boeing New Midrange Aircraft, now commonly called the 797, for the Middle of the Market sector. Continue reading https://leehamnews.com/2017/10/19/boeing-ponders-restart-767-300er-passenger-line/
Found Ultra Rare Footage Showing A B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Dropping A 30,000-Pound Bunker Buster Bomb [feedly]
We Have Found Ultra Rare Footage Showing A B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Dropping A 30,000-Pound Bunker Buster Bomb
https://theaviationist.com/2017/10/20/we-have-found-ultra-rare-footage-showing-a-b-2-spirit-stealth-bomber-dropping-a-30000-pound-bunker-buster-bomb/
https://theaviationist.com/2017/10/20/we-have-found-ultra-rare-footage-showing-a-b-2-spirit-stealth-bomber-dropping-a-30000-pound-bunker-buster-bomb/
NASA 'Pinpoints' Cause Of Earth's Recent Record Carbon Dioxide Spike
Study Cites El Niño-Caused Drought In Some Tropical Regions
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=e606b8e4-06e7-4e73-8f5e-9719202df98b
FMI: www.nasa.gov/oco2
U.K. MOD Introduces Mini-Drones For Surveillance
In AeroNews
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=86a0d68e-9ee4-44fb-847f-7616e00366fd
MOD press release
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autonomy-of-hazardous-scene-assessment-phase-2-minerva
Winners announced in the latest round of the Autonomy of Hazardous Scene Assessment (AHSA) Defence and Security Accelerator competition which will change the way chemical and bio-hazards are investigated.
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=86a0d68e-9ee4-44fb-847f-7616e00366fd
MOD press release
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autonomy-of-hazardous-scene-assessment-phase-2-minerva
Winners announced in the latest round of the Autonomy of Hazardous Scene Assessment (AHSA) Defence and Security Accelerator competition which will change the way chemical and bio-hazards are investigated.
Part of the Government’s innovation initiative, the project is funded
jointly by the Ministry of Defence science and technology portfolio and
by the Home Office.
The overall competition is worth nearly £3 million over 18 months. Run through the Defence and Security Accelerator, working with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), AHSA, to be known during phase 2 as ‘MINERVA’, is a competition to tackle the challenge of assessing scenes at incidents and on operations involving hazardous chemical or biological materials.
With a potential benefit to defence and security operations at home and abroad, the competition intends to help bring the conceptual designs into being, demonstration and eventual use, more quickly than usual.
Phase 1, which ran for 6 months until July 2017, funded 18 development projects and was worth £1.37million. Four of those initial phase 1 winners were then selected to develop their concepts further in this second phase. Early prototypes will be demonstrated by October 2018. Just over £1.6 million total funding was awarded to the following phase 2 winners:
“With continued involvement and demonstration with the user community, we aim to mature this emergent capability over the next 12 months to test the ‘art of the possible’ and accelerate this into the hands of the prospective users for further operational evaluation, both for MOD and the Home Office.”
For more information visit AHSA or ‘MINERVA’.
The overall competition is worth nearly £3 million over 18 months. Run through the Defence and Security Accelerator, working with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), AHSA, to be known during phase 2 as ‘MINERVA’, is a competition to tackle the challenge of assessing scenes at incidents and on operations involving hazardous chemical or biological materials.
With a potential benefit to defence and security operations at home and abroad, the competition intends to help bring the conceptual designs into being, demonstration and eventual use, more quickly than usual.
Phase 1, which ran for 6 months until July 2017, funded 18 development projects and was worth £1.37million. Four of those initial phase 1 winners were then selected to develop their concepts further in this second phase. Early prototypes will be demonstrated by October 2018. Just over £1.6 million total funding was awarded to the following phase 2 winners:
- BMT Defence Services, with an unmanned aerial vehicle which has gas-sensing technology
- Horiba MIRA, which has a robot with its own neural networks which can deploy on decontamination missions
- Loughborough University, with a pocket-sized drone which can search for chemicals
- Snake Eyes, by Autonomous Devices Limited, which can be posted through a letter box and relay 3D images of a space and can detect chemical agents.
“With continued involvement and demonstration with the user community, we aim to mature this emergent capability over the next 12 months to test the ‘art of the possible’ and accelerate this into the hands of the prospective users for further operational evaluation, both for MOD and the Home Office.”
For more information visit AHSA or ‘MINERVA’.
Rocket motor for Ariane 6 and Vega C is cast for testing. It the largest solid-propellant rocket motor ever built in one segment.
PR
The first full-scale model of the rocket motor that will propel Ariane 6 and Vega-C into orbit has been cast and filled with inert propellant for testing at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
The P120C is the largest solid-propellant rocket motor ever built in one segment.
Each P120C will hold over 140 tonnes of propellant in a carbon fibre casing almost 11.5 m long and about 3.4 m in diameter. It is derived from Vega’s current first stage motor, the P80, which holds 88 tonnes of propellant.
The design builds on existing expertise and lessons learned with Vega’s P80, and it increases Vega performance with Vega-C. Two or four P120Cs will be strapped onto Ariane 6 as boosters for liftoff.
The model casing, shipped this summer from Avio in Italy, took about 36 hours to fill with inert propellant blended at Europe’s launch base in Kourou.
Using non-ignitable fluid that has a similar density to the real propellant meant that engineers could safely test all the new equipment and procedures.
Filled and sealed, the fluid in the casing could stabilise, cool and harden – the curing process – which took 10 days.
Further tests on the motor, now horizontal, will confirm that it is ready to be integrated with other structures in January.
These tests are a step towards casting active propellant in November with a P120C development motor that will be static fired in April.
Vega-C is expected to debut in mid-2019, increasing performance from Vega’s current 1.5 t to about 2.2 t in a reference 700 km polar orbit.
Ariane 6’s maiden flight is planned for 2020. This new launch vehicle will be gradually phased in to succeed Ariane 5.
Mars: living under its surface? Scientists testing in mines and lava tubes
If there are habitable conditions on Mars, they may be underground. Scientists from around the world are now testing how to search for life in extreme environments by venturing a kilometre beneath the surface in a UK mine. ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer has joined the expedition.
For two weeks, nearly 30 scientists and instrument specialists are venturing deep below for the fifth Mine Analogue Research sortie.
“Some of the most exciting places for planetary exploration are way below our feet,” notes Charles Cockell, head of the UK Centre for Astrobiology.
One day, explorers could live underground in lava tubes or caves in the Moon and Mars because they offer ideal environments for human outposts.
Just like some regions of the Red Planet, the Boulby mine in northeast England features brines that could host microbial life.
“I did not imagine that highly concentrated salt solutions could be a good place to start searching for traces of life,” remarked Matthias from underground.
“These features are completely new to me. There is so much you can learn on Earth about other planets.”
Down in the mine, Matthias is using life-detection equipment, drills and cameras for robotic and human exploration.
One of his tasks is to follow the performance of a robotic hammer that could one day be part of a Mars rover. It would help to sample a hostile planetary surface, exposing fresh surfaces for the search of life.
There are some ‘guests’ from ESA’s ExoMars mission that is gearing up for landing a rover on the Red Planet in 2020. The prototypes of a high-resolution camera and a package of sensors to measure water vapour are also exploring the deep darkness.
Next stop: Lava tubes
ESA’s Pangaea geology course will continue the work next month in the Mars-like landscapes of Lanzarote, Spain.
The volcanic features and tunnels created by flowing lava on the island will be a perfect setting for a team of astronauts, spacewalk experts, engineers and scientists to study tools and sampling techniques for exploring other planets.
Some of the tools used in the mine sorties will be put to the test for geology research and investigating lava tubes.
Pangaea’s five-day November test campaign will include 50 people, 14 experiments, 18 organisations and four space agencies.
ESA press release
World’s first floating wind farm has started production
https://youtu.be/PUlfvXaISvc
Hywind Scotland, the first floating wind farm in the world, has started to deliver electricity to the Scottish grid. Today the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, officially opens the wind farm.
The 30MW wind farm, operated by Statoil in partnership with Masdar, is located 25 kilometers offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and will power approximately 20,000 households.
“Hywind can be used for water depths up to 800 meters, thus opening up areas that so far have been inaccessible for offshore wind. The learnings from Hywind Scotland will pave the way for new global market opportunities for floating offshore wind energy. Through their government's support to develop the Hywind Scotland project, the UK and Scotland are now at the forefront of the development of this exciting new technology. Statoil looks forward to exploring the next steps for floating offshore wind,” says Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president of the New Energy Solutions business area in Statoil.
In an opening event in Aberdeen today the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon officially opens the world’s first floating wind farm.
“I am delighted to open Hywind Scotland—the world’s first floating wind farm. Hywind will provide clean energy to over twenty thousand homes and will help us meet our ambitious climate change targets.”
“This marks an exciting development for renewable energy in Scotland. Our support for floating offshore wind is testament to this government’s commitment to the development of this technology and, coupled with Statoil’s Battery Storage Project, Batwind, puts us at the forefront of this global race and positions Scotland as a world centre for energy innovation,” says the First Minister.
The onshore operations and maintenance base for Hywind Scotland is located in Peterhead, while the operations center is located in Great Yarmouth. Linked to the Hywind Scotland project Statoil and partner Masdar will also install Batwind, a 1MWh Lithium battery storage solution for offshore wind energy.
Battery storage has the potential to mitigate intermittency and optimise output.
Crown Estate Scotland leases seabed to renewables developers and works to encourage development and attract investment. Sian Wilson of Crown Estate Scotland said:
“It’s fantastic to see Hywind Scotland up and running. The project is a great success for the teams at Statoil and Masdar and for Scotland, where floating wind could really flourish due to our accessible deeper waters. We are committed to continuing our work to encourage floating offshore wind projects, which will in turn drive down costs, benefitting the whole sector—as well as the climate and consumers.”
In recent years, there have been significant cost reductions in both the onshore and bottom fixed offshore wind sectors. Floating wind is expected to follow a similar downward trajectory over the next decade, making it cost competitive with other renewable energy sources.
“Statoil has an ambition to reduce the costs of energy from the Hywind floating wind farm to € 40-60 €/MWh by 2030. Knowing that up to 80% of the offshore wind resources are in deep waters (+60 meters) where traditional bottom fixed installations are not suitable, floating offshore wind is expected to play a significant role in the growth of offshore wind going forward,” says Rummelhoff.
Mohamed Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, is pointing to that future opportunities are already being assessed.
“Masdar has a long-standing commitment to renewable energy in the United Kingdom, and we are immensely proud to deliver our first project in Scotland alongside our partners,” says Al Ramahi.
“Hywind Scotland is showing that floating wind technology can be commercially viable wherever sea depths are too great for conventional fixed offshore wind power. This opens up a number of new geographies, and we are already looking at future opportunities with our partners, building on our existing international portfolio in onshore and offshore wind energy, and solar power,” he says.
Hywind Scotland is adding to Statoil’s strong UK presence, and over the last few years Statoil’s footprint has grown in the UK. In Aberdeen over 1500 are employees in the final phase of commissioning the Mariner oil field, one of the largest upstream UKCS developments in the last ten years, due to come onstream in 2018.
Statoil already has a sizeable renewables portfolio with an offshore wind portfolio with the capacity of providing over 1 million homes with renewable energy. Statoil operates the Sheringham Shoal wind farm in the UK, which has been in production since 2012.
The Dudgeon offshore wind farm in the UK, also operated by Statoil has now been completed and is also in production. In 2016 Statoil also acquired 50% of the Arkona offshore wind farm in Germany, which will deliver power in 2019. Statoil recently announced the acquisition of a 40% share in the construction ready 162MW Apodi solar asset in Brazil.
Press Release
Hywind Scotland, the first floating wind farm in the world, has started to deliver electricity to the Scottish grid. Today the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, officially opens the wind farm.
The 30MW wind farm, operated by Statoil in partnership with Masdar, is located 25 kilometers offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and will power approximately 20,000 households.
“Hywind can be used for water depths up to 800 meters, thus opening up areas that so far have been inaccessible for offshore wind. The learnings from Hywind Scotland will pave the way for new global market opportunities for floating offshore wind energy. Through their government's support to develop the Hywind Scotland project, the UK and Scotland are now at the forefront of the development of this exciting new technology. Statoil looks forward to exploring the next steps for floating offshore wind,” says Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president of the New Energy Solutions business area in Statoil.
In an opening event in Aberdeen today the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon officially opens the world’s first floating wind farm.
“I am delighted to open Hywind Scotland—the world’s first floating wind farm. Hywind will provide clean energy to over twenty thousand homes and will help us meet our ambitious climate change targets.”
“This marks an exciting development for renewable energy in Scotland. Our support for floating offshore wind is testament to this government’s commitment to the development of this technology and, coupled with Statoil’s Battery Storage Project, Batwind, puts us at the forefront of this global race and positions Scotland as a world centre for energy innovation,” says the First Minister.
The onshore operations and maintenance base for Hywind Scotland is located in Peterhead, while the operations center is located in Great Yarmouth. Linked to the Hywind Scotland project Statoil and partner Masdar will also install Batwind, a 1MWh Lithium battery storage solution for offshore wind energy.
Battery storage has the potential to mitigate intermittency and optimise output.
Crown Estate Scotland leases seabed to renewables developers and works to encourage development and attract investment. Sian Wilson of Crown Estate Scotland said:
“It’s fantastic to see Hywind Scotland up and running. The project is a great success for the teams at Statoil and Masdar and for Scotland, where floating wind could really flourish due to our accessible deeper waters. We are committed to continuing our work to encourage floating offshore wind projects, which will in turn drive down costs, benefitting the whole sector—as well as the climate and consumers.”
In recent years, there have been significant cost reductions in both the onshore and bottom fixed offshore wind sectors. Floating wind is expected to follow a similar downward trajectory over the next decade, making it cost competitive with other renewable energy sources.
“Statoil has an ambition to reduce the costs of energy from the Hywind floating wind farm to € 40-60 €/MWh by 2030. Knowing that up to 80% of the offshore wind resources are in deep waters (+60 meters) where traditional bottom fixed installations are not suitable, floating offshore wind is expected to play a significant role in the growth of offshore wind going forward,” says Rummelhoff.
Mohamed Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, is pointing to that future opportunities are already being assessed.
“Masdar has a long-standing commitment to renewable energy in the United Kingdom, and we are immensely proud to deliver our first project in Scotland alongside our partners,” says Al Ramahi.
“Hywind Scotland is showing that floating wind technology can be commercially viable wherever sea depths are too great for conventional fixed offshore wind power. This opens up a number of new geographies, and we are already looking at future opportunities with our partners, building on our existing international portfolio in onshore and offshore wind energy, and solar power,” he says.
Hywind Scotland is adding to Statoil’s strong UK presence, and over the last few years Statoil’s footprint has grown in the UK. In Aberdeen over 1500 are employees in the final phase of commissioning the Mariner oil field, one of the largest upstream UKCS developments in the last ten years, due to come onstream in 2018.
Statoil already has a sizeable renewables portfolio with an offshore wind portfolio with the capacity of providing over 1 million homes with renewable energy. Statoil operates the Sheringham Shoal wind farm in the UK, which has been in production since 2012.
The Dudgeon offshore wind farm in the UK, also operated by Statoil has now been completed and is also in production. In 2016 Statoil also acquired 50% of the Arkona offshore wind farm in Germany, which will deliver power in 2019. Statoil recently announced the acquisition of a 40% share in the construction ready 162MW Apodi solar asset in Brazil.
Press Release
Snow removal on airfields: Automated Mercedes-Benz Arocs trucks clear the way
Daimler Press Release:
On the site of the former Pferdsfeld airbase, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles demonstrates the practical application of automated snow removal operations at airports based on a specific customer requirement.
Martin Daum, the Daimler AG Board of Management member responsible for Daimler Trucks, emphasises: "We are not just talking about new technologies, we are bringing them onto the road. Step by step we are developing our very latest assistance systems even further – with a view to automated driving. We are currently working on the implementation of two specific use cases: Firstly automated driving in quite normal traffic on motorways – with the clear aim of relieving driver workload and significantly improving safety. And secondly driverless operation in enclosed areas to significantly improve productivity. With today's demonstration of automated snow clearance on an airfield, we are once more reinforcing our claim to technological leadership."
Under the project name "Automated Airfield Ground Maintenance“ (AAGM), four Mercedes-Benz Arocs tractor units demonstrate automated airfield clearing in a remote-controlled convoy. The benefits are obvious: Airfield clearances are hard to predict and thus difficult to plan, especially in winter. This makes snow removal units operated with pinpoint precision by a single vehicle operator to remove snow from runways especially crucial when extreme weather strikes without warning during the winter months, and they require no additional vehicle and staff scheduling.
The project was established in close cooperation between Lab1886, the Daimler innovation incubator, Daimler Trucks and Fraport AG. Lab1886 actively supports the transformation of Daimler AG from an automotive manufacturer to a mobility provider, and works closely with the Daimler CASE initiative. CASE – � these letters shape the future of mobility and are an integral part of the corporate strategy of Daimler. They stand for the fields of connectivity (Connected), autonomous driving (Autonomous), flexible use (Shared & Services) and electric powertrains (Electric).
"The mission of Lab1886 is to develop new innovative business models for Daimler. The Fraport project is a great example in this regard. It shows how we bring together innovations with specific customer needs to develop new markets“, says Susanne Hahn, Head of Lab1886.
"As one of the first airports worldwide, we are pleased to be contributing our know-how to this innovative project. It enables us to examine autonomous control of heavy winter service equipment in the especially challenging winter conditions of an airport. We hope to obtain findings that will help us to plan the future deployment of equipment even more precisely and efficiently under sudden wintry conditions. Our commitment once again underlines the role of Fraport AG as an innovation driver in a wide range of areas," says Mathias Dudek, head of Infrastructural Facility Management at Fraport AG.
Based in Frankfurt/Main, Fraport AG operates one of the world's largest air traffic hubs. The objective of the joint testing activities is the implementation of state-of-the-art telematics-based vehicle control technology in areas not accessible to the public. This is one of the key aspects in which the new application differs from the technology milestones in the area of autonomous driving developed and realized for practical testing by Daimler to date. The Highway Pilot and the Highway Pilot Connect system presented for platooning are designed for use on public roads.
In addition to a comprehensive set of requirements on automated operating machines, Fraport also supplies the snow removal equipment for this unparalleled test. Among the equipment are four so-called sweeper blowers of the kind already in operation today as semitrailers towed by still conventional Mercedes-Benz tractor units.
Premiere for the "Remote Truck Interface" (RTI)
The four Arocs test vehicles are equipped with the new Remote Truck Interface (RTI) for remotely controlling vehicle functions and exchanging data. The RTI is the centrepiece of the new technology, for which Daimler can draw on a significant pool of knowledge and engineering from projects such as the advanced Highway Pilot and Highway Pilot Connect systems.
All vehicles are fully interlinked via the RTI by means of telematic systems, all operate automated and all are able to lead or follow in the vehicle convoy. Specifically, this means that a convoy leader chooses a random unit from a fleet of available semitrailer combinations and defines this as the "lead truck". He then uses a control panel to define the number and sequence of the other convoy vehicles, and conducts a pre-operation inspection of his and all other semitrailer combinations.
What sounds simple is actually just as simple in practice. However, the complexity of the software behind it is enormous. All vehicles are equipped with dual GPS tracking (DGPS) and of course state-of-the-art vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V communication) technology.
In addition, the interplay of the innovative RTI and the remote control unit provides extremely fast and not least secure date exchange among vehicles. To make this work in real time, a full data exchange between the vehicles and the main control unit of the RTI takes place every 0.1 seconds. The transmissions in the area of V2V communication are based on the "Digital Short Range Communication DSRC“ technology.
Looking ahead: automated driving offers a wide range of possible applications
The automated snow removal convoy comprises four vehicles during the test phase and can be expanded to up to 14 units. It paves the way for further applications. In addition to other airports that have already signalled interest in such precision work machines for automated runway maintenance, solutions for a wide variety of applications are feasible thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Remote Truck Interface.
"This opens up new possibilities for our customers: High-precision manoeuvring procedures of conventional trucks, remotely controlled by the driver outside the cab – for example, positioned at the rear of the vehicle with a perfect view of the manoeuvres – are possible, as is unmanned driving in mines, at container terminals or other closed-off sites", says Martin Zeilinger, Head of Advanced Engineering at Daimler Trucks.
The tasks of the automated Arocs in AAGM (Automated Airfield Ground Maintenance) test operations
In the case of the demonstration of the Arocs tractor units, the Remote Truck Interface connects the vehicle with the outside world. The control functions for track guidance and operation of the convoy are housed in additional external control units such as the track computer, the operating panel and the wireless interface. Specifically this means that the automated Arocs trucks are able to perform the following functions:
"An important component of the RTI control unit is the integrated safety concept. This means that all vehicle functions are monitored. The safety routine is executed as soon as an error occurs. In this way we can ensure that the vehicles can be stopped safely and quickly if needed, and can then simply be operated manually", Zeilinger adds.
The test operations: snow removal equipment must offer highly flexible responses
In the past, airport operators have had to keep the required removal and cleaning equipment in an operational stand-by condition. The lead times for relatively rare and usually short-lived bad weather periods tie up major capacities.
On the other hand, an airfield requires consistent and thorough clearing operations even when just a little bit of snow covers the ground. On such sites, the snow must be cleared to one side over a width of up to 60 metres in a single pass. In the case of Frankfurt Airport today, up to 14 vehicles drive in a convoy with the appropriate overlap.
This means the snow is "passed on" from the front to the rear from one vehicle to the next. As a result, the snow load increases from vehicle to vehicle, and the performance requirement for the individual snow removal units rises sharply from front to rear. Furthermore, the staggered driving also makes high-precision guidance crucial for the quality of the clearing pattern. All this necessitates highly dissimilar requirements on the performance of each snow removal vehicle.
Efficient operations thanks to automated snow removal machines
In the case of Frankfurt-Main airport, the convoy must keep the runways and taxiways free from snow and ice as a precisely staggered formation. To date, snow clearance machines have worked their way along metre by metre under poor visibility conditions in darkness and fog, with snow constantly being thrown up by the vehicles driving ahead.
The poor visibility often leads to increasing distances between vehicles, opening up the convoy and extending the time it takes to clear a runway. Moreover, poor visibility can lead to the outer vehicles damaging the runway marker lights, which are very expensive to repair.
In the test of the autonomously operating snow removal trucks of Daimler, a predefined snow removal programme – under the constant control of a convoy leader – specifies the routes, direction and speed. The person in the lead vehicle of the removal convoy in charge of the demanding task enjoys relatively good visibility of the swaths to be cleared ahead of the lead and the trailing vehicles.
The swaths to be cleared are predefined with the goal of a high-precision clearing trajectory. This means the routes to be driven are always specified cartographically and are followed with pinpoint precision thanks to a differential GPS system – accuracy: three centimetres – by the lead vehicle as well as the other convoy vehicles thanks to constant target/actual comparisons.
A high level of flexibility is also a must for snow clearance operations on airfields. That is why the convoy leader – owing to suddenly identified and then immediately required deviations from the digitally specified clearing path – is able to take over the routing personally at any time.
To this end, the convoy leader has the classic controls - steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal - at his disposal in each Arocs – and thereby full control over the vehicle. The trailing vehicles then immediately and fully automatically adopt the target paths resulting for them from the change of the route of "vehicle 1".
All-wheel drive Arocs 2045 AS 4x4 as the basis for the snow-clearing semitrailer combination
The prototype convoy from Advance Engineering presented now comprises four individual vehicles initially. The basis is provided by all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2045 AS production tractor units from the robust Grounder product range, equipped with the latest OM 470 LA engine generation certified to Euro VI standards with an output of 315 kW (428 hp) and producing 2100 Nm of torque. At a brisk speed, most of the mass of snow is thrown to the side by a fully hydraulic, three-section snow plough measuring eight metres in width.
The finishing surface clearing touches are carried out by a sweeper, a so-called sweeper blower. It is towed as a semitrailer and powered independently of the tractor unit by a six-cylinder engine from Mercedes-Benz installed at the rear of the semitrailer.
The entire tractor/semi-trailer combination is 23 metres long and weighs 25 tonnes in operational condition. The tractor unit, which was reinforced in the area of the snow plough mounts, accounts for about ten tonnes, the plough blade adds two tonnes to the total weight, the semi-trailer with the sweeper blower has a gross weight of 13 tonnes.
Innovation as a tradition: Daimler Trucks is the leader on the road to autonomous driving
Mercedes-Benz has traditionally taken the lead in new safety and assistance systems, and in improving the driver-friendliness of commercial vehicles. The same applies to networking and automated driving. Know-how accumulated over decades is the basis for developments such as the Highway Pilot and Highway Pilot Connect, on the road to automated driving.
The Future Truck 2025 presented in 2014 with the Highway Pilot system was the answer to the challenges of the future: increasing traffic, inadequate infrastructure, growing cost pressure and shortage of drivers. Based on the current Mercedes-Benz Actros and its numerous, improved assistance and telematic systems, it ushered in a new era for road goods transport.
Only one year later, the Freightliner Inspiration Truck continued to write history. Its technology is based on the Future Truck 2025, but adapted to suit North American operating conditions. The Freightliner Inspiration Truck was the world's first automated driving truck to have operating approval for the public roads of Nevada.
Shortly afterwards, Daimler Trucks opened up a new chapter in Europe: in autumn 2015, a standard Mercedes-Benz Actros with the Highway Pilot was given approval for public roads as a test vehicle. It is permitted to drive on all German autobahns in semi-automated mode. This means that the vehicle drives automated, but the driver must constantly monitor the system and be able to take over control at any time.
While the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 was a concept vehicle, the transition to series production technology has proved successful in the form of the Mercedes-Benz Actros with the Highway Pilot. It demonstrates the everyday suitability of automated driving.
As early as 2016, three Actros trucks with the Highway Pilot Connect took to the roads: the technology allows electronic docking by vehicles on motorways and long-distance highways, also known as "platooning". During the cross-border European Truck Platooning Challenge, Daimler Trucks was able to demonstrate the advantages of electronic vehicle-to-vehicle networking on the journey to Rotterdam. In truck platooning, connectivity and automated driving increase safety for trucks driving in convoy, relieve driver workload and improve fuel efficiency by reducing distances between vehicles.
- Self-driving snow removal vehicles in test operations with Fraport
- Premiere of the latest Mercedes-Benz "Remote Truck Interface" technology
- Real-time data sharing among all vehicles
- Airfield clearance requires high-precision driving: the Arocs makes it possible
- Proven series-production technology is the basis for advanced innovative solutions
On the site of the former Pferdsfeld airbase, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles demonstrates the practical application of automated snow removal operations at airports based on a specific customer requirement.
Martin Daum, the Daimler AG Board of Management member responsible for Daimler Trucks, emphasises: "We are not just talking about new technologies, we are bringing them onto the road. Step by step we are developing our very latest assistance systems even further – with a view to automated driving. We are currently working on the implementation of two specific use cases: Firstly automated driving in quite normal traffic on motorways – with the clear aim of relieving driver workload and significantly improving safety. And secondly driverless operation in enclosed areas to significantly improve productivity. With today's demonstration of automated snow clearance on an airfield, we are once more reinforcing our claim to technological leadership."
Under the project name "Automated Airfield Ground Maintenance“ (AAGM), four Mercedes-Benz Arocs tractor units demonstrate automated airfield clearing in a remote-controlled convoy. The benefits are obvious: Airfield clearances are hard to predict and thus difficult to plan, especially in winter. This makes snow removal units operated with pinpoint precision by a single vehicle operator to remove snow from runways especially crucial when extreme weather strikes without warning during the winter months, and they require no additional vehicle and staff scheduling.
The project was established in close cooperation between Lab1886, the Daimler innovation incubator, Daimler Trucks and Fraport AG. Lab1886 actively supports the transformation of Daimler AG from an automotive manufacturer to a mobility provider, and works closely with the Daimler CASE initiative. CASE – � these letters shape the future of mobility and are an integral part of the corporate strategy of Daimler. They stand for the fields of connectivity (Connected), autonomous driving (Autonomous), flexible use (Shared & Services) and electric powertrains (Electric).
"The mission of Lab1886 is to develop new innovative business models for Daimler. The Fraport project is a great example in this regard. It shows how we bring together innovations with specific customer needs to develop new markets“, says Susanne Hahn, Head of Lab1886.
"As one of the first airports worldwide, we are pleased to be contributing our know-how to this innovative project. It enables us to examine autonomous control of heavy winter service equipment in the especially challenging winter conditions of an airport. We hope to obtain findings that will help us to plan the future deployment of equipment even more precisely and efficiently under sudden wintry conditions. Our commitment once again underlines the role of Fraport AG as an innovation driver in a wide range of areas," says Mathias Dudek, head of Infrastructural Facility Management at Fraport AG.
Based in Frankfurt/Main, Fraport AG operates one of the world's largest air traffic hubs. The objective of the joint testing activities is the implementation of state-of-the-art telematics-based vehicle control technology in areas not accessible to the public. This is one of the key aspects in which the new application differs from the technology milestones in the area of autonomous driving developed and realized for practical testing by Daimler to date. The Highway Pilot and the Highway Pilot Connect system presented for platooning are designed for use on public roads.
In addition to a comprehensive set of requirements on automated operating machines, Fraport also supplies the snow removal equipment for this unparalleled test. Among the equipment are four so-called sweeper blowers of the kind already in operation today as semitrailers towed by still conventional Mercedes-Benz tractor units.
Premiere for the "Remote Truck Interface" (RTI)
The four Arocs test vehicles are equipped with the new Remote Truck Interface (RTI) for remotely controlling vehicle functions and exchanging data. The RTI is the centrepiece of the new technology, for which Daimler can draw on a significant pool of knowledge and engineering from projects such as the advanced Highway Pilot and Highway Pilot Connect systems.
All vehicles are fully interlinked via the RTI by means of telematic systems, all operate automated and all are able to lead or follow in the vehicle convoy. Specifically, this means that a convoy leader chooses a random unit from a fleet of available semitrailer combinations and defines this as the "lead truck". He then uses a control panel to define the number and sequence of the other convoy vehicles, and conducts a pre-operation inspection of his and all other semitrailer combinations.
What sounds simple is actually just as simple in practice. However, the complexity of the software behind it is enormous. All vehicles are equipped with dual GPS tracking (DGPS) and of course state-of-the-art vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V communication) technology.
In addition, the interplay of the innovative RTI and the remote control unit provides extremely fast and not least secure date exchange among vehicles. To make this work in real time, a full data exchange between the vehicles and the main control unit of the RTI takes place every 0.1 seconds. The transmissions in the area of V2V communication are based on the "Digital Short Range Communication DSRC“ technology.
Looking ahead: automated driving offers a wide range of possible applications
The automated snow removal convoy comprises four vehicles during the test phase and can be expanded to up to 14 units. It paves the way for further applications. In addition to other airports that have already signalled interest in such precision work machines for automated runway maintenance, solutions for a wide variety of applications are feasible thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Remote Truck Interface.
"This opens up new possibilities for our customers: High-precision manoeuvring procedures of conventional trucks, remotely controlled by the driver outside the cab – for example, positioned at the rear of the vehicle with a perfect view of the manoeuvres – are possible, as is unmanned driving in mines, at container terminals or other closed-off sites", says Martin Zeilinger, Head of Advanced Engineering at Daimler Trucks.
The tasks of the automated Arocs in AAGM (Automated Airfield Ground Maintenance) test operations
In the case of the demonstration of the Arocs tractor units, the Remote Truck Interface connects the vehicle with the outside world. The control functions for track guidance and operation of the convoy are housed in additional external control units such as the track computer, the operating panel and the wireless interface. Specifically this means that the automated Arocs trucks are able to perform the following functions:
- Control: engine start/stop
- Control: parking brake
- Vehicle lateral control: steering
- Vehicle longitudinal control: engine control (throttling up and down)
- Vehicle longitudinal control: service brake
- Powertrain management: transmission (engage start-off gear, all gear changes, engage neutral)
- Powertrain management: activation and deactivation of the differential locks
- Peripherals: lights including turn indicators, rotating beacons and much more
- Special functions: body control; here: control of the mounted sweeper blower
"An important component of the RTI control unit is the integrated safety concept. This means that all vehicle functions are monitored. The safety routine is executed as soon as an error occurs. In this way we can ensure that the vehicles can be stopped safely and quickly if needed, and can then simply be operated manually", Zeilinger adds.
The test operations: snow removal equipment must offer highly flexible responses
In the past, airport operators have had to keep the required removal and cleaning equipment in an operational stand-by condition. The lead times for relatively rare and usually short-lived bad weather periods tie up major capacities.
On the other hand, an airfield requires consistent and thorough clearing operations even when just a little bit of snow covers the ground. On such sites, the snow must be cleared to one side over a width of up to 60 metres in a single pass. In the case of Frankfurt Airport today, up to 14 vehicles drive in a convoy with the appropriate overlap.
This means the snow is "passed on" from the front to the rear from one vehicle to the next. As a result, the snow load increases from vehicle to vehicle, and the performance requirement for the individual snow removal units rises sharply from front to rear. Furthermore, the staggered driving also makes high-precision guidance crucial for the quality of the clearing pattern. All this necessitates highly dissimilar requirements on the performance of each snow removal vehicle.
Efficient operations thanks to automated snow removal machines
In the case of Frankfurt-Main airport, the convoy must keep the runways and taxiways free from snow and ice as a precisely staggered formation. To date, snow clearance machines have worked their way along metre by metre under poor visibility conditions in darkness and fog, with snow constantly being thrown up by the vehicles driving ahead.
The poor visibility often leads to increasing distances between vehicles, opening up the convoy and extending the time it takes to clear a runway. Moreover, poor visibility can lead to the outer vehicles damaging the runway marker lights, which are very expensive to repair.
In the test of the autonomously operating snow removal trucks of Daimler, a predefined snow removal programme – under the constant control of a convoy leader – specifies the routes, direction and speed. The person in the lead vehicle of the removal convoy in charge of the demanding task enjoys relatively good visibility of the swaths to be cleared ahead of the lead and the trailing vehicles.
The swaths to be cleared are predefined with the goal of a high-precision clearing trajectory. This means the routes to be driven are always specified cartographically and are followed with pinpoint precision thanks to a differential GPS system – accuracy: three centimetres – by the lead vehicle as well as the other convoy vehicles thanks to constant target/actual comparisons.
A high level of flexibility is also a must for snow clearance operations on airfields. That is why the convoy leader – owing to suddenly identified and then immediately required deviations from the digitally specified clearing path – is able to take over the routing personally at any time.
To this end, the convoy leader has the classic controls - steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal - at his disposal in each Arocs – and thereby full control over the vehicle. The trailing vehicles then immediately and fully automatically adopt the target paths resulting for them from the change of the route of "vehicle 1".
All-wheel drive Arocs 2045 AS 4x4 as the basis for the snow-clearing semitrailer combination
The prototype convoy from Advance Engineering presented now comprises four individual vehicles initially. The basis is provided by all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2045 AS production tractor units from the robust Grounder product range, equipped with the latest OM 470 LA engine generation certified to Euro VI standards with an output of 315 kW (428 hp) and producing 2100 Nm of torque. At a brisk speed, most of the mass of snow is thrown to the side by a fully hydraulic, three-section snow plough measuring eight metres in width.
The finishing surface clearing touches are carried out by a sweeper, a so-called sweeper blower. It is towed as a semitrailer and powered independently of the tractor unit by a six-cylinder engine from Mercedes-Benz installed at the rear of the semitrailer.
The entire tractor/semi-trailer combination is 23 metres long and weighs 25 tonnes in operational condition. The tractor unit, which was reinforced in the area of the snow plough mounts, accounts for about ten tonnes, the plough blade adds two tonnes to the total weight, the semi-trailer with the sweeper blower has a gross weight of 13 tonnes.
Innovation as a tradition: Daimler Trucks is the leader on the road to autonomous driving
Mercedes-Benz has traditionally taken the lead in new safety and assistance systems, and in improving the driver-friendliness of commercial vehicles. The same applies to networking and automated driving. Know-how accumulated over decades is the basis for developments such as the Highway Pilot and Highway Pilot Connect, on the road to automated driving.
The Future Truck 2025 presented in 2014 with the Highway Pilot system was the answer to the challenges of the future: increasing traffic, inadequate infrastructure, growing cost pressure and shortage of drivers. Based on the current Mercedes-Benz Actros and its numerous, improved assistance and telematic systems, it ushered in a new era for road goods transport.
Only one year later, the Freightliner Inspiration Truck continued to write history. Its technology is based on the Future Truck 2025, but adapted to suit North American operating conditions. The Freightliner Inspiration Truck was the world's first automated driving truck to have operating approval for the public roads of Nevada.
Shortly afterwards, Daimler Trucks opened up a new chapter in Europe: in autumn 2015, a standard Mercedes-Benz Actros with the Highway Pilot was given approval for public roads as a test vehicle. It is permitted to drive on all German autobahns in semi-automated mode. This means that the vehicle drives automated, but the driver must constantly monitor the system and be able to take over control at any time.
While the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 was a concept vehicle, the transition to series production technology has proved successful in the form of the Mercedes-Benz Actros with the Highway Pilot. It demonstrates the everyday suitability of automated driving.
As early as 2016, three Actros trucks with the Highway Pilot Connect took to the roads: the technology allows electronic docking by vehicles on motorways and long-distance highways, also known as "platooning". During the cross-border European Truck Platooning Challenge, Daimler Trucks was able to demonstrate the advantages of electronic vehicle-to-vehicle networking on the journey to Rotterdam. In truck platooning, connectivity and automated driving increase safety for trucks driving in convoy, relieve driver workload and improve fuel efficiency by reducing distances between vehicles.