Construction and Manufacturing

Liquid hydrogen LH2 composite tank system
Sustainability and Environment

04 July 2023

R&D case: Liquid hydrogen composite tanks for aircraft

Hydrogen has been identified as a key priority to achieve the European Green Deal for a sustainable economy. By converting the construction of the hydrogen tank from existing metallic solutions to composites, the liquid hydrogen (LH2) composite tank will achieve weight savings that enable the advancement of liquid hydrogen as a sustainable fuel source for […]
Construction and Manufacturing

26 June 2023

NLR and ECOMAT join forces in the field of innovative and sustainable aviation

During the Paris Air Show, the German ECOMAT and Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding. With this, the two parties want to combine their scientific and business expertise with regard to lightweight constructions, hydrogen developments, materials research and virtual product development in the aircraft manufacturing industry. The 54th International Paris Air Show […]
Construction and Manufacturing

11 April 2023

Innovative solutions from a new technology for sustainable aviation

Royal NLR is aiming to improve two things at the same time: saving weight for aviation structures and speeding up their production processes. NLR is therefore exploring a relatively new technology called large-scale additive manufacturing of fibre-reinforced thermoplastic materials. Sustainable aviation is a hot topic nowadays and it is being addressed with the main focus […]
Maintenance and Repair

05 April 2023

Better predictions of metal fatigue in engineering structures

Fatigue of metals can cause premature failure of components and structures that are subject to cyclic loading. To avoid that risk, designers still employ a theory from the 1960s. Royal NLR has now come up with a new equation for calculating the growth rate of cracks under cyclic loading better. The proof of this has […]
Construction and Manufacturing

04 April 2023

R&D case: MovAbles for Next generaTion Aircraft (MANTA)

The challenge The objective was to manufacture three Ti-6Al-4V flaperon ribs by Direct Energy Deposition (DED). With conventional manufacturing processes, it can be very costly or even impossible to produce components with such complex shapes. However, DED is also challenging due to various features inherent in the design: bulky thin parts, asymmetric geometry, overhanging features […]
Construction and Manufacturing

10 February 2023

R&D case: STUNNING: the world’s largest known thermoplastic aircraft structures

The Clean Sky 2 Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator (MFFD) with its 8.5 meter long composite-made fuselage section with an approx. 4 meter diameter gives a glimpse of what a next-generation aircraft could be. This typical section of a single aisle aircraft fuselage is completely produced from thermoplastic. Now, Royal NLR’s STUNNING project is turning heads as […]
NLR Fibre Placement Machine
Construction and Manufacturing

07 February 2023

One of the world’s largest thermoplastic aerostructures successfully completed

Advanced thermoplastic composite technology and smart robotics will significantly reduce weight and manufacturing cost of future aircraft. Now the Clean Sky 2 Thermoplastic Fuselage Demonstrator (MFFD) lower half has been delivered. At 8m by 4m it’s one of the largest known thermoplastic assemblies in the world. It allowed the project to investigate thermal and positioning […]
Construction and Manufacturing

23 January 2023

Need for energy efficient structures calls for more durable composite structures

Advanced composites are gaining ground in many areas, especially aerospace, automotive and renewable energies, as they are lightweight and help to save energy. What is still missing are accurate and fast pre-production methods to optimise the durability of such large-scale composite structures. The aim of the newly launched EU-funded project D-STANDART is therefore to develop […]
3D metal print - noise-reduction liner
Sustainability and Environment

20 January 2023

R&D case: Aircraft Noise Reduction Technologies and Related Environmental Impact (ARTEM)

The challenge In recent years, improving energy efficiency (i.e. fuel consumption) and emission reduction have led to increased engine sizes and bypass ratios. These modifications create a crucial noise issue due to the emission of low-frequency noise and the size and effectiveness limitations of the current noise-absorbing structures (liners). The solution This project explored innovative […]