Research on a Cruiser Enabled Air Transport Environment RECREATE Final project results of the work performed by the RECREATE partners NLR, DLR, FOI, TUM, TUD, QUB, ZHAW, RKN, NRG FANTASSY Workshop “Next Generation Aircraft Concepts” Stephan Zajac, NLR 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project research receives funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 284741. Cruiser-Feeder concept: an impression Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 2 Why do we seek for new solutions? The air traffic growth challenge One day of air traffic Wikipedia, 2009 Predicted long term growth of world-wide air traffic (FAA, OEMs) Equivalent growth in emissions not acceptable. FAA, 2014 Technological improvements hardly matching the traffic growth. Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 3 Threats to today’s air transport Congestion of airports and air corridors Routes to Asia – closed air spaces? Google Maps Flightmaps24.com Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 FAA The RECREATE project 4 Perspective for solution thanks to Cruiser-Feeder RECREATE concept I offers a long-term solution: Final concept I: cruiser-feeder with nuclear propelled cruiser Capacity MTOW Range / endurance Cruise speed Docking speed Cruise altitude Payload transfer Cruiser 1000 passengers 900000 kg 60000 nm / 1 week M = 0.8 M = 0.7 > 36000 ft Single container station concept (100 passengers each) Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 5 Perspective for solution thanks to Cruiser-Feeder RECREATE concept II is a short-term solution: Capacity Final concept II: Air-to-air refuelling Cruiser Feeder 250 passengers Fuel offload capacity 35000 lb / 3 contacts Range 2500-3000 nm Range / endurance 500 nm / ~4 hours MTOW 100000 kg AAR envelope < 24000 ft, Mach < 0.8 Specific fuel consumption 0.525 AAR procedure 20 min (5 min wet contact) Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 6 The project Nine partners: NLR, The Netherlands DLR, Germany FOI, Sweden TU Munich, Germany TU Delft, The Netherlands Queen’s University Belfast, UK ZHAW, Zurich, Switzerland Nangia Research Associates, UK NRG, Petten, The Netherlands Dr. R. K. Nangia Nangia Aero Research Associates Funded in the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission Project time: August 2011 to January 2015 Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 7 How does Cruiser-Feeder Concept I work? Airworthiness only at unacceptable high weight penalties for fission-based nuclear propulsion Socially not acceptable. Discovery of new nuclear physics required Current research into energy sources E.g. condensed matter physics Wisdom-Larsson theory Compact Fusion Reactor proposed by Lockheed Martin Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project Rings containing superconducting magnets will confine the plasma inside the reaction chamber. Eric Schulzinger/Lockheed Martin 8 How does Concept II work? AAR in regular use by military for decennia However, different requirements for safety and reliability Unconventional configuration has essential benefits: Safety Passenger comfort Thrust requirement for cruiser Pilot training requirements Critical point: stability ->Preliminary design study on aeroelasticity. Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 9 How do the aircraft look like? Conceptual and preliminary design of dedicated cruiser aircraft Reduced wing area at same fuselage volume Reduced Operating Empty Weight reference Dmf = 0% one refuel Dmf = 20.6% two refuels Dmf = 24.9% Conceptual and preliminary design of dedicated tanker aircraft Reduced fuselage Adapted tail configuration Adapted boom layout Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 10 Will they ever be airworthy? CS25 AMC 25.1309 TUD, RECREATE Concept I (Nuclear propulsion cruiser): preliminary System Safety Assessment: With today’s technology no proof of airworthiness by verification with fullscale demonstrators can be made. Proof of airworthiness might be possible with advanced simulation capabilities. Not acceptable for the public Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 11 Will they ever be airworthy? Concept II (AAR): System Safety Assessment Events Initiate approach yes Turbulence level < limit No No yes No flight control system, engine, position determination, autopilot failures No Not relevant yes Approach path and station keeping position < limits No End states No boom flight control system, boom position determination, boom autopilot, boom extension mechanism failures Initiate boom positioning yes yes No Not relevant yes No Boom flight control system, boom position determination, boom yes autopilot, boom extension mechanism failures detected in time Initiate abort No Collision yes yes No No Collision with boom extended Probability must be < 10-9 (follows from simulation) Succesful abort with boom extended Collision is assumed Probability must be < 10-9 Collision is assumed Probability must be < 10-9 Only automated! Simulations for System Safety Model showed compliance up to medium turbulence and one engine out failure No safety-showstoppers Full evaluation of CS-25, MIL-HDBK 516B and JSSG-2009 EASA All Weather Operations (CS-AWO) and Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) USAF Roadmap Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 12 How can air-to-air refuelling be automated? Pro-Approach (Initiation) Zone Receiver Tanker Approach RF RF Radio Contact Zone Astern Hold Zone Astern Hold Transponder Active Camera Markers Rendezvous EKF GPS GPS Receiver Receiver Pre-Approach IMU Departure IMU Data Link Development of flight control systems for cruiser, feeder and refuelling boom, including: Sensors, data fusion, simulated actuators, controllers Tested using flight simulation, including external influences: turbulence, and failure conditions Developed systems perform AAR manoeuvres well up to medium turbulence. Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 13 How does the traffic change? DLR TrafficSim ~2800 flights in 48 hrs per scenario opimize cruiser routes for fuel consumption feeder routes and schedules network interruptions resulting delays and alternate landings More point-to-point, less hub and spoke Transatlantic Scenario Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project Europe-China Scenario 14 Can it be profitable? QUB, Star Alliance flights analyzed P2P with and without AAR H&S with and without AAR P2P with and without AAR H&S with and without AAR 15 Operating Cost Fuel Burn Approximately 9% fuel and 14% operating cost savings compared to baseline of current operations. However, Available Seat Miles (ASM) go up on some routes without proportional cost or fuel increase. So the CEOs are with us, what do the pilots think? Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 15 What do the pilots think? Pilot reaction Relative Position Indicators Safety margin estimator 2 phases of flight simulator experiments 4/16 crews of commercial airline pilots, partially with military AAR experience. GRACE (ASD) and GECO (BS) in real time coupled experiments Almost all pilots felt it to be safely implementable, with little extra training Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 Human Machine Interface next to Primary Flight Display The RECREATE project 16 Is there relief for the climate? TUD analysis through aircraft design Fuel: substantial fuel and consequently CO2 reduction Noise: Lower high-intensity noise (impact on costs), average noise levels about the same. Particle matter: Less emission at cruiser airport, overall impact very difficult to assess Non-CO2 emission, contrails: Reduction per flight, however more flights Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 17 Are we sure on these figures? optimistic: Top down, statistic analysis pessimistic: Bottom-up, aircraft design driven analysis still impressive compared to any technological improvement Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 Cruiser only 21% Efficient tanker -5% Realistic tanker -12% Bottom-up analysis: 9% - 16% Top down analysis: 23% The RECREATE project 18 What is the significance in the aerospace business? More point-to-point – ‘AAR Tomorrow’ Newly designed aircraft required AAR is enabler for more advanced cruiser-feeder concepts + + + + + Intercontinental + + Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 + The RECREATE project + 19 Where do we stand now? Feasibility study of RECREATE has been a great success: No technical show-stoppers More certainty on airworthiness and certification More certainty on the benefits More certainty on the required aircraft Organisation of air traffic Boom configuration Automatisation Human factors Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 20 How do we get it implemented? Tell the story: Press: Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 Aviation community: Workshop Bristol 2014 25 papers and counting: New media: www.cruiser-feeder.eu The RECREATE project 21 How do we get it implemented? Business cases for air transport organisations, aircraft fuel providers and other stakeholders Adapt international law: ICAO member states Adapt rulemaking: EASA, FAA, ATC Demonstration of key technologies Demonstration of operation for a single route Initial investment by governments, EU, China Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 22 Civil AAR: an impression Amsterdam, 26 January 2015 The RECREATE project 23 Research on a Cruiser Enabled Air Transport Environment (RECREATE) Thank you for your attention. The RECREATE project research receives funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 284741. This publication reflects only the authors' views. The European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
© Copyright 2024