What can batteries withstand? – Dynamic-mechanical characterisation of battery materials

In battery electric vehicles and in the first small electric aeroplanes, energy is stored in conventional batteries, which require installation space and significantly increase the mass of the vehicle. Concepts with structurally integrated energy storage systems, on the other hand, offer a way of compensating for these disadvantages. By combining energy storage and load-bearing structure…

Test infrastructure for cryogenic hydrogen tanks in application-oriented scaling

Half tanks – full understanding in XL!

The UpLift project is developing and testing innovative hydrogen tanks for future short-haul aircraft. The focus here is on weight-saving composite materials, high-performance insulation systems and proof of safety and leak-tightness under real-life conditions. UpLift thus provides aircraft manufacturers, suppliers and decision-makers with a crucial basis for driving forward the climate neutrality of air transport…

Aircraft wing section with adaptive Shock Control Bump (SCB) on a morphing spoiler

Morphing aircraft spoiler for adaptive drag reduction

The transonic cruise flight represents a compromise between the highest possible cruising speed and thus shorter flight time with the lowest possible fuel consumption Aircraft manufacturers and airlines make this compromise in order to operate in a profit-orientated manner, particularly against the background of rising fuel prices and the pursuit of emission reductions in air…

Numerical calculation concept for the evaluation of fibre waviness

Probabilistic simulation in design

Manufacturing defects pose immense challenges for the production of aircraft structures made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). One characteristic type of defect, for example, is undesirable fibre waviness. They have a significant influence on the resulting material properties. Innovative approaches are therefore required in order to fulfil the high quality requirements of modern aviation.…

Half tanks – full understanding!

Hydrogen as an energy source is a promising solution for sustainable andCO2-neutral mobility. The storage of hydrogen as a fuel is an important basis for this. High-pressure tanks are already being used in some applications and are being continuously developed further. For aerospace applications, the storage of hydrogen in liquid form (LH2) is an interesting…

‘Competition for Innovation’ at the Institute for Lightweight Systems

For the first time, we organised the ‘Competition for Innovation’ at the Institute for Lightweight Systems in 2024. The winners of the competition were teams that impressed with innovative technological proposals. These included: the cost-effective and precise production of moulds for fibre composite manufacturing from cardboard, a software solution for the simulation of fibre composites…