R&D Projects
Free Field Technologies is actively involved in the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) which is the European Union's main instrument for funding research in Europe. FP7 is a key tool to respond to Europe's needs in terms of jobs and competitiveness, and to maintain leadership in the global knowledge economy. This programme will last seven years from 2007 untill 2013.
One key asset of the FP7 is the European added value of the projects which are carried out by consortia including participants from European and even other countries. Taking part in one FP7 project requires flexibility and mobility.
Free Free Technologies is currently involved in the following projects:
PARNAS - Partnership for Numerical Acoustic Simulation of aero-engines:
The PARNAS project focuses on an important industrial application (reduction of aircraft engine noise using optimized acoustic liners designed). This project will investigate fundamental mathematical aspects of the related simulation techniques (FEM, DGM, PUM) and will build upon three successful FP5 and FP6 research projects where some technological components have been developed and where the partners have learned to work together. Exchanges will be organized between five teams in four countries with extensive expertise and skills in the related domain as researchers, developers and users of the underlying technology.
PARNAS aims at developing new techniques (PUM), further validating and enhancing recently introduced techniques (DGM) and deploying existing techniques in industry (FEM).
The PARNAS project is coordinated by Free Field Technologies.
Start date: 2010-06-01
End date: 2014-05-31
Read more about PARNAS ...
ATCOME - Advanced Techniques in Computational Mechanics:
As the range of phenomena that need to be simulated in engineering practice broadens, the limitations of conventional computational methods, such as finite elements (FE), finite volumes or finite difference methods, have become apparent. There are many problems of industrial and academic interest which cannot be easily treated with these classical methods.
To overcome the limitations of classical methods, several advanced discretization techniques (mesh-free methods, extended/generalized FE or Dicontinuous Galerkin methods) have recently become very popular in the research community. However, despite their high potential and the important effort devoted to them in the last decade, advanced techniques require still very much attention to reach the popularity of conventional techniques for industrial applications. In fact, engineers are usually not trained in these techniques.
The purpose of the ITN (Networks for Initial Training) research project is to advance in the development and analysis of advanced techniques, with special attention to particular industrial applications of interests in the framework of computational mechanics.
The ATCOME project is coordinated by the Universitat Politecnica de Cataluniya (SP).
Start date: 2010-01-01
End date: 2013-12-31
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OPENAIR - OPtimisation for low Environmental Noise impact:
The OPENAIR project focuses on the source noise reduction of both engine- and airframe noise, with the aim to generate solutions that will bring a 2,5 dB improvement towards the ACARE objectives.
Reducing noise from aircraft operations perceived by airport neighbouring communities is a major challenge facing the aircraft manufacturing industry, social society and the air transport business. By adopting a whole aircraft approach based on the latest developments in active / adaptive technologies, flow control techniques and advances in computational aero-acoustics applied to the major causes of noise at source, OPENAIR aims to deliver a step change in noise reduction, beyond the SILENCE(R) achievements.
The OPENAIR project is coordinated by Snecma.
Start date: 2009-04-01
End date: 2013-03-31
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CRESCENDO - Collaborative and Robust Engineering using Simulation Capability Enabling Next Design Optimization:
CRESCENDO will develop the foundations for the Behavioural Digital Aircraft (BDA), taking experience and results from VIVACE, and integrating these into a federative system and building the BDA on top of them. Main components of the BDA are: the Model Store, the Simulation Factory, the Quality Laboratory, and the Enterprise Collaboration Capabilities. It will be validated through use cases and test cases concerning Power Plant Integration, Energy Aircraft, Thermal Aircraft and Value Generation design problems and viewpoints during the preliminary design, detailed design, and test and certification phases of a generic aircraft product life-cycle.
The BDA will become the new backbone for the simulation world, just as the Digital Mock-up (DMU) is today for the Product Life-cycle Management (PLM) world. This is considered a challenging area for research and innovation for the next decade. Hence, the CRESCENDO results will provide the aeronautics supply chain with the means to realistically manage and mature the virtual product in the extended/virtual enterprise with all of the requested functionality and components in each phase of the product engineering life cycle. CRESCENDO will make its approach available to the aeronautics supply chain via existing networks, information dissemination, training and technology transfer actions.
The CRESCENDO project is coordinated by AIRBUS (FR) along with 59 partners from industry, research institutes, universities and technology providers.
Start date: 2009-05-01
End date: 2012-04-30
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ADVITAC- Advanced Integrated Composite Tail Cone:
New requirements and ecological policies for greener aircraft have led the aeronautic industry to consider new approaches for aircraft development and manufacture. The aircraft tailcone appears to be a strategic component for reducing aircraft noise, fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide emission notably because of its integrated Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The project s central focus is to design and manufacture lightweight multi-layer/multifunction and smart composite tailcone in a fasteners-less fully integrated structure made with a fully integrated and automated process, allowing significant cost saving.
The ADVITAC project is coordinated by Daher Aerospace (FR) along with partners from research institutes, universities, technology providers and industry.
Start date: 2009-05-25
End date: 2012-11-24
Read more about ADVITAC ...
Past EC projects which Free Field Technologies participated in: