The aviation industry wants to become more sustainabale, smart and efficient. The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) is addressing this challenge in the BrightSky project. Professor of Aviation Engineering Konstantinos Stamoulis explains what it entails.
Innovative research for a more sustainable aviation
Substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions and material waste while improving maintenance and repair efficiency: the aviation industry is facing major challenges. Issues that, according to Stamoulis, can only be met through innovative thinking and application.
‘New technologies are available, but need to meet stringent international safety and certification requirements. Given the novelty of the methods, extensive work needs to be done to show their compliance before they can be truly beneficial to the sector.’
Reducing the gap between manufacturing and maintenance
In addition, there is an efficiency-gap between manufacturing and maintenance. ‘The production of aircraft components uses state-of-the-art automation, such as robotic systems and production methods, whereas work in the hangar is often laborious and manual,’ Stamoulis explains.
‘The aim of our research group is to close the gap between fundamental research, methods used in the production industry, and maintenance processes. We do so by transferring knowledge between these levels and facilitating targeted applied research, we accelerate innovation.’
Collaborating with industry in project BrightSky
This is why Stamoulis and his team collaborate with many different academia, universities of applied sciences and research institutes across Europe. One consortium in which they participate is BrightSky, with over ten partners from the Dutch aviation industry, including (amongst others) KLM Engineering & Maintenance, JetSupport and Delft University of Technology.
Their ultimate goal: to be at the forefront in Europe when it comes to sustainability, digitalization and social innovation in their field. ‘We contribute to research in Work Packages 1 (Novel aircraft inspection and repair technologies), 2 (Data-driven decision support) and 5 (VR-enabled digital training). ‘We are basically connecting the dots between fundamental research and solutions that meet the requirements of the industry,’ Stamoulis explains.
BrightSky, now in its third year, is delivering exciting outcomes. For example when it comes to data-driven techniques that enable automated detection and classification of damages in aircrafts and aircraft components.
Improved damage detection
‘We see a potential damage detection precision of 80% and more. Currently, such systems can be used for prototyping and research purposes. Obviously, this is not sufficient, since extensive integration and validation work is needed. However, there are also many more avenues for potential improvement,’ says the aviation-engineering professor. Techniques are currently being validated, with a use case on KLM Engineering & Maintenance aircraft engine blades.
Preditictive maintenance
‘In Work Package 2, we investigate data methods, in close collaboration with KLM E&M,’ Stamoulis continues. ‘Such approaches allow the industry to accurately predict the optimum moment of maintenance, saving money, time and labour.’
Students contribute to the reserach
Students with different backgrounds, including aviation engineering, mechatronics and data sciences are contributing to the research. ‘These include students, lecturer-researchers and post-doctoral researchers of our faculty. In addition, we regularly welcome visiting master students from technical universities across Europe.’
Apart from, but in line with BrightSky, Stamoulis and his team are building a collaboration with the recently established L.INT professorship Industrial Digital Twins. ‘We will investigate data methods for the analysis of historical data of aircraft components that take into account usage, operation conditions and so on,’ he explains.
High technology readiness level
The next step in BrightSky will be to fill the gap between lab-validated prototypes and tools at a high technology readiness level (TRL 4-6, prototype validation and demonstration in relevant or operational environments). ‘We are using this ‘multi-layer approach’ in our research, so that we can integrate the improvements with other innovative technologies and to deliver holistic solutions. For us, this is an obvious step, as our knowledge and expertise cover the whole lifecycle of aircrafts,’ Stamoulis explains.
Digital tools and the future of maintenance
Stamoulis is confident that, within the next 20 years, aviation industry will be able to overcome the challenges it is facing today. ‘The biggest influence will come from the development and implementation of digital tools, such as automated damage detection,’ he says.
‘Within ten years we will close the cycle for maintenance, with help of digital twins. At some point we will even have smart autonomous systems that can collaborate with technicians. However, in order to get there, we need to methodically move forward, maintaining the high safety standard that is expected from the aviation industry.’
Sustainable aircraft systems
According to the aeronautical engineer, sustainable aircraft systems will also become reality within the next decades, though in stages. ‘First, we will see a rise of hybrid aircraft operations: some aircrafts will still fly with regular or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), while short-haul connections might be serviced by electric or hydrogen aircrafts,’ Stamoulis explains.
The introduction of more sophisticated, long haul electric or hydrogen-based aircrafts will take more time. ‘This is due to drastically changing system requirements and configuration designs, including the potential repositioning of engines and passengers.’
A long road to innovation in the aviation industry
Innovation in the aviation industry requires a long breath. It doesn’t make Stamoulis and his team less enthusiastic. ‘In line with BrightSky we have recently submitted several proposals for follow-up research. Step by step, that’s how we will discover exiting new destinations.’
This article was first published on 13 November by AUAS.
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