Platform Technology

Building on our expertise in thermal analysis and testing, NLR offers a wide range of services and facilities for thermal analysis and testing, including qualified R&D and test engineers, thermal vacuum chambers, thermal laboratories, and specialised test facilities such as the THETA hydrogen test facility and the Two-Phase Test Facility. Our facilities are part of our environmental test facilities, allowing us to provide a complete one-stop test campaign. We collaborate with leading companies such as NanoSpace/REALTECHNOLOGIE AG and have access to a broad range of software tools, including ESATAN, ThermXL, Abacus FEA, Matlab, Mathcad, and Labview. Our customers include major players such as AMS02 (CERN), NASA, ESA, Stork Fokker Elmo, ASML, Thales, Bradford Engineering, and Dutch Space. One of our notable successes is the development of the Tracker Thermal Control Cooling system for AMS02, a two-phase cooling system that has been operating successfully on the International Space Station (ISS) since May 2011.

NLR offers 'beyond state-of-the-art' computational physics solutions to complex aerospace problems. With a multidisciplinary approach, we combine our computational expertise with experimental disciplines across the entire lifecycle of an aerospace vehicle (aircraft, rotorcraft, rocket, drone/UAS/UAV, etc.).

NLR has a long track record in aircraft multidisciplinary design and optimisation, compiled from collaborations with international industrial and research partners. Our expertise includes conceptual design and sizing methodologies for conventional and hybrid-electric propelled aircraft, as well as corresponding efficient and integrated tooling, such as MUCH - a multidisciplinary conceptual design platform for hybrid electric aircraft. Additionally, we possess advanced aircraft propulsion and mission modelling capabilities, enabling us to provide comprehensive expertise for the development of innovative aircraft concepts.

NLR has a long term expertise in aircraft performance modelling and simulation, following a multidisciplinary approach that combines knowledge from various fields to provide comprehensive insights. Through active collaboration with European research and industrial partners in relevant research projects, we have developed and continuously improved our methods for energy performance analysis of novel aircraft. Our expertise includes efficient tooling for mission performance and scenario analysis of aircraft with hybrid electric propulsion (MASS), with models of various complexity levels, depending on the needs.

NLR offers a comprehensive range of capabilities to support the analysis and testing of structural elements and structures subjected to acoustic loads. Our expertise includes fast analytical and accurate numerical methods to predict resonant frequencies, as well as methods to determine the acoustic load on your structure. We also have the capability to manufacture steel or composite structural elements and structures and to instrument them with strain gauges for endurance tests on a shaker.

NLR can help optimise the aerodynamics of a ship's superstructure to reduce exhaust gas nuisance above the flight deck, ensuring a safer and more efficient operating environment. We can also support the integration of air operations early in the ship design phase, ensuring optimal operational capabilities on small vessels or frigates, while prioritising flight safety. Additionally, our expertise enables us to determine Ship-Helicopter Operational Limits (SHOL), providing valuable insights to maximise safety and performance.