The Project

Work Packages

To achieve this the project has been structured into the following work packages:

• WP 1 MANAGEMENT –

  deal with the financial aspect and with program management.

• WP 2 INTEGRATED TAIL CONE SPECIFICATIONS –

  to define the input data necessary to manage the whole technical issues. The different specifications will lead the main technical decisions within the project. An important part of the work will be to define criteria, specifications and requirements which have significant impact on design and objectives.
  

• WP 3 COMPOSITE STRUCTURE DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE –

  will define a preliminary design and analyse the manufacturing process in order to identify real cost drivers. Based on a Design To Cost approach, this work package will have to manage the different results from the other work packages in order to implement innovative processes. The main target is to lower weight and cost by 10 % and 30 % respectively compared with classical composite structures.

• WP 4 INNOVATIVE PROCESS SELECTION –

  will select the best processes that are relevant to solve issues defined in WP2. The selection will be based on preliminary results that prove the potential of each technology concerning each of the technical issue addressed. Preliminary results and the suitabilities of the selected technology will be used for the preliminary structure calculation and design.

• WP 5 MANUFACTURING PROCESS ENHANCEMENT –

  will enhance relevant processes (based on a cost and weight point of view). The main objective of this work package is to enhance the composite properties using suitable novel techniques and technologies such as dry fibre placement, nano-tubes and nano-fillers, through thickness reinforcement automated systems and structural health monitoring embedded sensors. The management of the interaction between fibre placement, infusion and other relevant technologies is an important part of this work package. This will lead to the implementation of a complete manufacturing process, allowing significant improvement in the composite properties.

• WP 6 FULL SCALE PROCESS VALIDATION –

  will deliver low cost and reconfigurable tools that will enable the validation of process applied to a large component. The NRC of the mould is expected to be 30% cheaper than classical industrial solutions. The complex process developed within WP 4 involving a number of technologies will be used to manufacture a full scale mock up in order to validate the technologies at TRL4.

• WP 7 FULL SCALE EXPERIMENTAL TEST -

  will allow a test of the different solutions developed in the previous WPs. The effectiveness of the low weight and low cost architecture will be demonstrated by different element and detail tests such as fire resistance and lightning tests. A global experimental test plan will be implemented in order to check compliance with specifications and will at least prove relevancy of the process.

• WP 8 RESULTS & DISSEMINATION –

  is concerned with the transfer of the work achieved during the project. This website has been constructed in order to present the project to the public and to enable access to appropriate project documentation, such as dissemination papers. Conferences will be organized to present the findings of the project and presentations will be sent to the main aeronautic events.

The project officially started on the 25th May 2009 and will run for 3 and a half years until the 24th November 2012.