TRINITI aims at developing and demonstrating concepts and methodologies enabling the realization of an integrated multi-material airborne pressure vessel for longterm storage of nitrogen, in particular a halon-free fire extinguishing system employing water-mist and nitrogen. TRINITI’s tank has been conceived to fulfill technical requirements foreseen by the CfP e.g. very low permeation of gases, mechanical loads according to RTCA Do160 Rec. G, good fire-smoke-toxicity (FST) properties, survival of high temperatures, large temperature gradients, as well as resistance against various chemical media. Demonstration multi-material thermoplastic tanks will be fabricated through a combination of processes such as co-extrusion of thermoplastic materials to form a multi-layer and multifunctional thermoplastic material, followed by In-situ consolidation Laser-Assisted Automated Fiber Placement process. The application of highly performing thermoplastic materials combined with advanced automated and out-of autoclave technologies on the one hand will answer to the need for less consuming and faster manufacturing processes (1 stage process), while on the other hand it will ensure reduced weight of the tank, reduced operational costs as well as reduced fuel consumptions and emissions of an aircraft. TRINITI's linerless tank, thanks to the versatility of the Laser assisted AFP antropomorphic robot and possibility to use a dedicate simulation tool to optimise the design of the vessel, is expected to range not less than 10% lighter than their nearest Type IV tanks. A better weight-to-tank capacity ratio, however, is not the only advantage of the high pressure vessel, in fact a significant manufacturing cost flow reduction is expected mainly because the chain of manufacturing processes will be optimized and number of fabrication stages will be reduced. Consortium will aim to reach at the end of the project TRL 6.

An aircraft that can transport between approximately 100-130 passengers, and is intended for short and medium haul flights can be considered to be a Regional Aircraft. The challenge is to improve the passenger experience so that regional aircraft offer a comparable level of inflight comfort, free from noise and vibration, with a comfort level comparable or better than today’s modern jets and with a reliability of service well beyond today’s service into small and regional airports.

Alternative fuels such as hydrogen (H2) are seen as playing a central role in a zero-emission future for aviation, but the level of penetration for H2 will depend heavily on scientific and technological breakthroughs to overcome the challenges posed by H2 powered aircraft. The safe and efficient storage of H2 on-board future aircraft is the essential enabler of H2 technologies and will be one of the most complex aerospace engineering challenges that the industry has ever faced. Improvements to existing state-of-the-art solutions includes a better utilization of the available space for fuel storage, adequate insulation techniques to minimize heat leak, continued safe operations, and a weight reduction through low-weight materials, such as thermoset or thermoplastic composites, all while addressing those materials’ inherent challenges (permeability, microcracking, thermal fatigue). COCOLIH2T consortium led by Collins Aerospace is proposing a disruptive concept focused on reducing the impact of the tank’s weight and volume within an aircraft, while ensuring system safety. COCOLIH2T will not only develop a safe composite and vacuum insulated LH2 tank for the aviation sector but has the ambition to go beyond by designing and manufacturing a conformal tank through novel fabrication technologies enabling a reduction of more than 60% in production energy consumption, at least 50% in production time leading to significantly lower manufacturing costs. Additionally, the proposed structure of the tank, based on a multi-material thermoplastic composite concept, is intended to facilitate aircraft structural integration to support overall system weight reduction compared with conventional tank configurations. The key challenge that COCOLIH2T will tackle is the generation of a feasible and affordable design of a conformal variable section box-shape tank while minimizing the boil-off leakages wherever possible. COCOLIH2T’s overall system will be demonstrated at TRL4 by 2025.

NHYTE project aims at developing and demonstrating concepts and methodologies enabling the realization of innovative integrated aero-structures, made of a new hybrid thermoplastic matrix composite material with multifunctional capabilities. The high-performing material proposed, based on a commercial PEEK-Carbon Fiber Prepreg with addition of amorphous (PEI) films, answers to the needs to have reduced weight and consequently reduced fuel consumptions and emissions on an aircraft, as well as reduced manufacturing and operational costs. Demonstration aero-structures will be fabricated by an innovative working cell implementing an advanced continuous automated production process, including: automated hybrid material fabrication; manufacturing of skin panels by automated fiber placement in-situ consolidation process; fabrication of stringers by continuous forming; component assembly by induction welding. The innovative material, conceived and patented by a partner of the Consortium, is an example of multifunctional composite, since it returns both functions of toughness improvement (multilayer material) and process simplification. This concept on one side will provide an advantage from the structural point of view, in terms of better impact damage performance; while on the other side major advantages will result on processing simplification, in particular including improved cycle times and lower energy consumptions, since it does not require the use of an autoclave curing phase. As of today, its usage has been limited to fabricate panels, only at laboratory level; hence, a suitable improvement finalized to process in industrial environment is needed. Proposed process techniques and assembly will be the first step towards the industrial application of the innovative material. Consortium has set a target for weight saving not less than 5% for primary structures. Further reduction of full life cycle cost is expected from scrape material and end of life structures recycling.