Capability

Construction and Manufacturing

25 February 2025

Impact on structures

NLR has extensive capabilities to model and simulate various types of impact events, including low and high-velocity impacts, and assess their consequences on damaged structures. Our expertise includes specific knowledge of impact on thick composite components. We also have in-house models for drones and a validated bird impact model, allowing us to predict damage initiation and propagation in different materials and aircraft structures, including metals and composites.

Construction and Manufacturing

25 February 2025

Digital twins

Royal NLR has experience in developing several types of Digital Twins, with partners in the aerospace components manufacturing industry, the Dutch MoD, and aircraft OEMs. To support these activities NLR leverages the availability of research facilities such as the ACM3 Smart Industry Field Lab, several fixed and rotary wings, as well as the RC glider, and unmanned research platforms. We also have a Pipistrel Velis Electro as Digital Twin platform at our disposal, equipped with relevant structural sensors and (flight) data acquisition equipment.

Platform Technology

25 February 2025

Aircraft conceptual design

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 Hybrid Electric Plane
Platform Technology

25 February 2025

Energy performance analysis of aircraft

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.

Sustainability and Environment

25 February 2025

Emission inventory and reduction

NLR’s expertise covers Air Traffic Management (ATM) technology and concepts, aircraft and airport operations, airport and airspace capacity, safety, aircraft and community noise, aviation emissions and impact mitigation options. We have developed and apply powerful and validated tools, for combined aircraft noise, emissions and third party risk calculation around airports (TUNA, LEAS-iT, TRIPAC), and an emissions policy analysis tool for aviation stakeholder analysis (AERO-MS), a virtual community noise simulator (VCNS), and airport tower and ATC fast-time simulators (NARSIM).

Sustainability and Environment

25 February 2025

Airport noise and flight track monitoring

NLR has extensive experience in designing and developing airport noise and flight track monitoring systems. Our expertise encompasses the selection, installation, operation, and maintenance of flight track and noise monitoring systems. Additionally, we offer consultancy services to validate these systems, assess the monitoring of noise complaints, and provide policy support related to airport noise and flight track monitoring.

Training and Simulation

25 February 2025

Aviation blended learning

NLR  offers a comprehensive approach to designing effective blended learning environments for aviation training through our CAPABLE process (Comprehensive Analysis Process for Aviation Blended Learning Environments). This structured process involves a multi-disciplinary team working closely with your experts to analyse your training needs and define corresponding media requirements. By applying CAPABLE within your organisation, we can help you select the most suitable training technologies and media, ensuring a seamless integration into your training environment.

Data Science and Engineering

25 February 2025

Collaborative engineering

NLR has the expertise and capabilities to translate complex technical knowledge into seamless integrated engineering environments. By leveraging our expertise and state-of-the-art tools, including cutting-edge web and security technologies, we facilitate collaboration among multidisciplinary engineers and engineering teams located across different geographical locations. We develop integrated engineering environments for, e.g., engineer design analysis, optimisation studies, modelling & simulation, and virtual testing.

Data Science and Engineering

25 February 2025

Computational mechanics

NLR has extensive experience in virtual manufacturing and testing, utilizing modern finite element software such as ABAQUS to analyse composite and hybrid structures under various loading conditions, including quasi-static and dynamic loading, impact, and post-buckling analysis. We also have expertise in metal additive manufacturing, including distortion and thermal predictions, as well as vibration analysis and topology optimisation of aircraft parts.