Fraunhofer designs green technologies for aviation: With the Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) "Clean Sky", a European consortium of 86 partners from industry and research representing 16 nations has set the goal to advance aviation‘s model ECO position and to uncouple the growth of this industry from rising fuel emissions. In addition to consequent claims such as reducing CO2 and NOX emissions by half or to one fourth respectively, the noise of airplanes should also be cut by half.

With the dedicated support of Fraunhofer, the components of the so-called "ground pollution", which is becoming increasingly important, are addressed: Each part of an aircraft is to be subjected to a better ecobalance from production to disposal.

In this context, the researchers develop environmentally sound methods, processes, procedures, and materials for the design, production, operation, and recycling of aircrafts. Alongside leading aviation enterprises such as Airbus, Alenia, Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation, EADS-CASA, Eurocopter, and many more, Fraunhofer holds a seat on the Governing Board of the program. Fraunhofer IBP coordinates all Fraunhofer activities for Clean Sky. At Fraunhofer you will find a networked and committed team of scientists with sound expert knowledge of aviation. We take on the challenge to consider the entire product life cycle (resources, manufacturing, maintenance, and monitoring) and together with our clients shape important guidelines represented in an ECO strategy.

ECO DESIGN: Solutions for the product life in a holistic ecobalance

- Bio materials, high performance and commodity composite materials, solutions for their product life in an ECO managed dimension (Fraunhofer ICT, Fraunhofer IBP, Fraunhofer IGD)

- Socio-economic, technology cooperation: Aero Africa (Fraunhofer ICT)

- Noise Reduction for the wing, progressive calculation and  validation at the model: CAA dictated flow control and testing (Fraunhofer IBP), rapid impacting CFD pre-design (Fraunhofer IGD), seamless leading edge control for laminar wing configuration model (Fraunhofer LBF)

- Thermal Test Bench (Fraunhofer IBP)

MRO: Maintenance, repair, overhaul ensure a long life cycle for high-quality products

Mock-up of a light aircraft as feasibility study for future integrated structural health monitoring (SHM), innovative wing structures able to optimally adapt to aerodynamic requirements as well as a nanomaterial-based deicing system (Fraunhofer LBF)

SURFACES: Material-specific treatment of important light construction materials

- The riblet "sharkskin" coating lowers wall friction resistance. It has the potential to reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, and costs. The application of the coating on large, 3-dimensional, curved surfaces is possible using this method (Fraunhofer IFAM).

- Movement and deformation analysis microDAC® for measuring deformations. Integration of active materials into fiber-reinforced materials for realizing actuators for active flow manipulation (Fraunhofer ENAS).

COMFORT: Comfort for passengers and staff in the cabin

Comfort for passengers and staff in the cabin: The „Fraunhofer Low Pressure Flight Test Facility“ FTF model
analyzes the conditions inside an airplane (Fraunhofer IBP).

SURFACES AND JOINING TECHNOLOGY: Material-specific treatment of important light construction materials

The dodecahedron of the Fraunhofer IFAM will be used to demonstrate joining techniques (adhesive bonding technology, bolting technology, and hybrid methods), surface pre-treatments, functional plasma coatings, and functional paint coatings adapted to relevant materials (e.g. CFRP, GFRP, GLARE®, and aluminum). Other main topics include corrosion protection, structural reinforcement, and an adhesive repair patch for CFRPs. The automated joining and assembly of large FRP structures, including on a 1:1 scale, covering joining technologies, precision processing of materials, assembly and plant technology, measuring technologies, and robotics are core areas of expertise of the Fraunhofer Project Group Joining and Assembly FFM of the Fraunhofer IFAM at the new Forschungszentrum CFK Nord (Research Center CFRP North) in Stade (Fraunhofer IFAM).

STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING: Sensor development for structural health monitoring

Fraunhofer IFAM develops load sensors, which can be deposited directly on surfaces or into components by use of direct write technologies. Direct write technologies allow a flexible deposition of customized sensor structures on different surfaces, including metals, polymers or composite structures, respectively. As an architecture network, printed individual sensors will be connected to an overall system. The sensor technology will be used for structural health monitoring – a complete and continuous observation of the whole system in the aircraft, but also in any other application area (Fraunhofer IFAM).