Clean Sky for clean skies

04.09.2007

Faced with an unprecedented ecological challenge, the European aviation industry is preparing its future by means of ambitious research programs. Clean Sky is one such program.

an unprecedented ecological challenge

Air transport is today facing up a rapid development, but this can only be sustainable on condition that technical solutions are provided for the ecological and political issues that accompany global warming. “The Clean Sky program is one part of this solution,” explains Valérie Guénon, head of European affairs for the SAFRAN Group Research & Technology department. “It is a seven-year project run by the manufacturers, with the backing of the European Commission. It aims to make air transport more ecological while ensuring that the European aviation industry remains competitive.”

Clean Sky pursues the ambitious objectives set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) for the period 2000-2020: a 50% reduction of CO2 emissions from new aircraft, an 80% reduction of NOx emissions and 50% noise reduction. The aircraft manufacturers are also being asked to design aircraft with an ecological life cycle, from manufacturing thru the maintenance phases to end-of-life recycling.

Projects leading to tangible results

“Clean Sky will be a research project run by the manufacturers that culminates in tangible results,” Valérie Guénon insists. “Large-scale demonstrators will be produced, with flight testing for certain technologies (aerodynamics in particular). As far as engines are concerned, modules or even complete engines will be tested on ground testing facilities."
Six broad research topics, or “ITDs” (ITD = Integrated Technology Demonstrator), have been defined: three concern the vehicle itself (airliners, regional aircraft and helicopters), two deal with crossfunctional issues (engines and systems), and the final one is concerned with the life cycle of aircraft. European manufacturers will be running these ITDs, with SAFRAN, for example, co-directing the one on engines with the British firm, Rolls-Royce. The consistency of the Clean Sky initiative as a whole will be tracked by a “Technology Evaluator” who will quantify the impact on the environment of the combined results of the ITDs.

Adopted by the European Commission

“The European Commission adopted Clean Sky last June,” explains Valérie Guénon. “The project of innovative technologies, that might be applied to future generations of aircraft, was submitted by the European Commission to the European Council, made up of representatives from the 27 Member States."
A reply is expected to come in November. If the Council gives its consent, Clean Sky may go ahead, with a European budget of 800 M€, to be matched by an equivalent sum from the manufacturers and other bodies that are partners in the project. “The European Commission would like Clean Sky to be open to as many participants as possible,” stresses Valérie Guénon. “12% of the total budget will therefore be set aside for the SMEs that sign up for the project.”

Thirteen SAFRAN Group companies to take part in Clean Sky
SAFRAN will be present in every one of the major research areas, or ITDs (ITD= “Integrated Technology Demonstrator”, with a key role in the "Engines" and "Systems" ITDs.
The Group’s companies involved in this program are:
Aircelle, Hispano-Suiza, Labinal, Messier-Bugatti, Messier-Dowty, Sofrance, Technofan, Snecma, Snecma Propulsion Solide, Techspace Aero, Turbomeca, Microturbo, Sagem Défense Sécurité.

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