Share this page :

Village Entreprises 2023, a look back in pictures!

Publication Date

14 December 2023

Category

Company

Tag

Career

Internship

Meeting

Partnership

Companies present:

Accenture
AdaCore
Air France
Akkodis
Alteia
ALTEN
ArianeGroup
Ascendance
ATR
AURA AERO
Bain & Company
Capgemini Capgemini Engineering
Collins Aerospace
Daher
DGSE
DyCSyT
EasyMile
ELDA TECHNOLOGY
EMBRYA SAS
Expleo Group
EY
GMV
HeadMind Partners
JoliBrain
Liebherr
MBDA
Mews Partners
French Ministry of Defence DGA – Direction générale de l’armement
NAVAL GROUP
Oresys
Parrot
PwC
ROB’OCC
SII
Sopra Steria
Tata Technologies
Viraj H2
Volocopter

Building tomorrow’s sky together

Publication Date

06 October 2023

Category

Institute

Tag

Partnership

Meeting with José Navarro Martin

What motivated you to join this scheme at ISAE-SUPAERO?

I’ve always wanted to get closer to academia and its research, and pass on what I’ve learned in industry. The pause in aeronautical activities during the pandemic and the French government’s recovery plan, which focuses on sustainable development, gave me this opportunity.

What project did you work on?

My secondment concerned the mechanical behaviour of composite materials in a harsh environment and their behaviour under thermomechanical stress derived from the use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel stored at cryogenic temperatures.

The aim was to propose a numerical model for analysing and predicting the behaviour of the material up to failure under static load, taking into account the requirements in terms of thermal cycling, permeability, damage tolerance and possible ageing due to direct contact with hydrogen.

We have developed a mesoscopic Finite Element (FE) model of the behaviour of a carbon fibre laminate, taking into account the effect of cooling and mechanical loading in the formation of microcracks. These microcracks create leak paths through the material that increase the permeability to hydrogen gas under pressure.

What have you gained from this collaboration in scientific and human terms?

On a human level, the whole team at the Department of Mechanics of Structures and Materials (DMSM), and especially my tutors, Laurent Michel and Yves Gourinat, gave me a very warm welcome. Despite working conditions that are still difficult in 2021, my integration into their team was complete from day one and the work was carried out in a friendly atmosphere. I was also able to help teach group tutorials for the engineering course and supervise internships and integration projects linked to hydrogen on the Specialised Master’s programme. The contact with the students has given me a great deal on a personal level. These collaborations have also enabled me to forge links with the other industrialists on site, thanks to the same recovery plan.

From a scientific point of view, I learnt an enormous amount about how to approach a problem without being driven by the need for immediate results, which is sometimes too prevalent in industry. I was also able to acquire skills in damage modelling and simulation that are not always available on a day-to-day basis in a design office whose main task is to design concrete products.

How will your collaboration with the Institute continue?

Unfortunately, the loan will come to an end at the end of the maximum two-year period stipulated by the French National Research Agency (ANR). However, the scientific and teaching collaboration will continue.

The subject of decarbonisation and hydrogen-powered aircraft is more topical than ever, and Airbus still needs to unlock the existing scientific barriers to the development of a lightweight fuel tank in line with the requirements derived from its use in the aeronautical field. I will also be continuing my collaboration with ISAE-SUPAERO as a part-time lecturer in this field.

More generally, what do you think of this collaboration between Airbus and ISAE-SUPAERO?

Research into the use of hydrogen in aeronautics is only just beginning. The arrival of specific laboratory equipment for tests in a cryogenic environment at the Institut Clément Ader from next year will enable us to apply and make progress on the characterisation and modelling of phenomena linked to the cryogenic use of composite materials. This secondment has enabled me to forge very important links with the researchers, teacher-researchers and staff at the DMSM and the ICA. I hope that, as in the film Casablanca, this will be just “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”.

A programme leading to certification for integrating hydrogen into aviation

ISAE-SUPAERO, Capgemini Engineering and EuroSae have developed a CapH2 certified executive education course dedicated to the integration of hydrogen in current and future aircraft architectures. ISAE-SUPAERO is responsible for coordination and scientific leadership, Cap Gemini for industrial project management and EuroSae for operational project management.

Operational since 2022, it is aimed at professionals in the aeronautical sector to help them make the transition to energy-efficient aviation. The first class (72 engineers) took the course during the 2022-2023 academic year and obtained their certificate in June 2023.

For Yves Gourinat, Professor of Structural Physics at ISAE-SUPAERO and scientific coordinator of the CapH2 course, the aim of the programme is to train and certify engineers from major European aerospace companies, giving them a global vision of the transformations to be made and the many technological challenges to be met.

Hydrogen is emerging as an effective alternative for reducing the environmental impact of the aviation sector. But this element, stored in liquid form, is difficult to handle because of its very low temperature and its fugacity. Its low density also requires 4 times more storage volume than paraffin.

These characteristics will therefore have an impact on the aircraft’s architecture, structures, materials and systems engineering, but also on regulations, compatibility with airport structures, etc. The use of this neo-fuel means that the aeronautical industry must take account of technological and societal changes.

One of the keys to success is increasing the skills of professionals in the sector. The CapH2 training programme responds to this by offering a 77-hour course including lessons and team projects based around three concepts: the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), the transformation of a 50-passenger commuter aircraft, and the cryogenic flying wing.

ISAE-SUPAERO’s many years of research into hydrogen and the aeronautical transition mean that the scientific aspect of the course can be integrated into a systems and interdisciplinary approach.

Staffing services: a win-win solution

Publication Date

15 September 2023

Category

Research

Tag

Partnership

Provision of personnel

Meeting with Quentin Bausière

What motivated you to join this scheme at ISAE-SUPAERO?

The pandemic compromised many research and development projects at Airbus, including the one I was involved in, which was stopped in December 2020. As a result, I started looking for a new technical challenge. The opportunity to take part in a 2-year academic research project came along at the same time and was just what I was looking for. Above and beyond a project specific to ISAE-SUPAERO, I wanted to take part in an exciting, ambitious project with real added value for my personal and professional development.

What project have you been working on?

I worked on the VIRTUOSE (VIRTUal testing of aeronautical compoSite structurEs) project on the study of composite aeronautical structures under complex loading. The project is being led by the Institut Clément Ader (ICA) and Joël Serra, a research engineer and winner of the Lopez-Loretta prize for excellence in academic research and a former student and doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAERO.

The aim of this research is to develop mechanical dimensioning methods to reduce the number of tests to be carried out during the development of a composite material aircraft structure. The aim is to combine numerical analyses with highly instrumented tests in order to improve the prediction of structural behaviour, so as to optimise structures and be more reactive in the design process.
I worked on both the development of the tests and their operation and modelling techniques. Working on all aspects of the project, from planning to carrying out the tests and using the results, was very valuable.

What have you gained from this collaboration in scientific and human terms?

This collaboration has enabled me to be in contact and exchange ideas with researchers of a high scientific and technical level. The testing equipment at the ICA is at the cutting edge of experimental techniques and enabled me to combine technical and scientific aspects. What’s more, the proximity of the researchers and the exchanges in various fields gave me an insight into fascinating research topics. Collaboration is really the key and the source of progress within the laboratory.

This collaboration will continue with your project. Do you think that this scheme could be extended to other research projects?

I will continue to be part of the VIRTUOSE project, in which Airbus is a major partner, until its end in May 2024. The test campaigns are underway and the participation of an Airbus employee means that we can work together to achieve the set objective and use these tests in companies.

These systems can be applied in other institutes or other academic research laboratories. In my opinion, it is in the interests of industry to work closely with researchers, so that they can continue to innovate. Researchers also have an interest in being in contact with manufacturers to understand their problems and their environment, so that they can support them in their technical and scientific challenges. The aeronautics industry is facing a number of technical and environmental challenges, and this is the ideal field in which to tackle them.

On a more personal note, what have you gained from working with us?

I’m very pleased with this collaboration and I’d like to thank both institutions for giving me this opportunity. I hope to maintain links with my partners at ISAE-SUPAERO, the Department of Mechanics and Structure of Materials (DMSM) and, more generally, the ICA, in the future to exchange ideas and make the most of this collaboration.

A multi-tutorial collaboration

Christophe Bouvet is a professor at ISAE-SUPAERO. He teaches the mechanics of aeronautical structures and materials, and in particular the dimensioning of composite structures. He is the ISAE-SUPAERO referent and has been working closely with Quentin Bausière for the past 2 years as part of the Virtuose project (VIRTUal testing of aeronautical composiSite structurEs) on the study of composite aeronautical structures under complex loading.

This is the project carried out thanks to Joël Serra’s winning of the Lopez Loreta prize, worth €1m, in 2019. This prize follows on from the ANR VERTEX award obtained in 2013 by Bruno Castanié, following his thesis, defended in 2000, during which he developed a multiaxial testing machine for composite sandwich structures.

This project is being carried out within the Institut Clément Ader, with contributions from the laboratory’s various supervisory bodies.

The main participants in this project are Joël Serra, ISAE-SUPAERO research engineer, Bruno Castanié, INSA Toulouse professor, Christophe Bouvet, ISAE-SUPAERO professor, Jean-Noël Périé UPS research professor, Quentin Bausière, Airbus engineer, Jean-Charles Passieux, INSA Toulouse professor and numerous students and doctoral students. It is therefore an example of the complementarity that a multi-tutored CNRS laboratory like the ICA can provide!

ISAE-SUPAERO expands its collaboration with TU Delft on sustainable aviation

Publication Date

17 April 2023

Category

Research

Tag

Decarbonization

Partnership

Sustainability

The cooperation between the two organisations in terms of the transition of the aerospace sector is fully in line with the priorities of both countries in terms of sustainable mobility.

The agreement will begin with a pilot project focusing on optimising the weight and aerodynamic performance of aircraft, which, alongside traditional safety issues, is a major area of research for sustainable aviation.

Three theses will be launched, focusing on:

New bio-inspired composite materials,
aerostructure design methods that minimise the amount of waste produced,
innovative composite assembly techniques to better anticipate potential failures.

This work will make use of AI, digital twins and additive manufacturing, and will be supported by life-cycle analyses. The three PhD students will be co-supervised by ISAE-SUPAERO and TU Delft, and will work in both Toulouse and Delft.

The agreement also provides for intensified collaboration between the two institutions on European innovation projects. Companies from both countries will be able to participate in the funding of these projects.

This new cooperation agreement was signed by François Alabrune, the French ambassador to the Netherlands, and Eva Voûte (TU Delft), in the presence of Sylvie Retailleau, the French Minister for Higher Education and Research, and Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science. At the same time, other agreements were also signed between Dutch organisations and leading French research establishments, such as CEA with TNO, INRIA with CWI, IFREMER with Wageningen University, ENSM with the STC group and a joint declaration between INRAE and Wageningen University.

Meeting with Sylvain D’Hoine, Executive VP – Space at CS GROUP

Publication Date

10 March 2023

Category

Institute

Tag

Partnership

Meeting with Sylvain D'Hoine

Could you tell us about CS GROUP’s activities and business lines?

CS GROUP is an innovative mid-sized company undergoing a major transformation. We are now moving to a larger scale, particularly in the space sector, with the integration of HE SPACE last January, which will enable us to strengthen our positions in this sector in Europe; but also by integrating the Sopra Steria group, which we will be joining on 1 March 2023. By combining our strengths, we are creating a European leader in digital services and critical systems in the defence & security, aeronautics, space, energy and cyber security sectors.

In the space business that I represent, we act as a link between institutional customers or prime contractors and new players in the space sector, offering them innovative space applications or systems. The sector’s traditional players have complex requirements and specifications, and we respond to these very precise specifications. On the other hand, for New Space, our teams are more focused on products or services. CS GROUP has the capacity to serve this world of New Space and traditional players thanks to its 40 years of experience in the field, which is what we call Smart Space!

Finally, CS GROUP embarked on an open source approach at a very early stage. For the past 10 years, it has been offering products based on components developed by a communitý of engineers, researchers, industrialists and startups in the sector, and which are now being massively adopted by major industrial and scientific players in the space sector both in the context of studies and operational systems. Examples include OREKIT, the most widely used space mechanics library in the world, and OTB for image processing.

Why did you decide to sign a partnership agreement with ISAE-SUPAERO?

First of all, ISAE-SUPAERO has a strong link with our two core businesses of aeronautics and space, and the Institute’s teaching in these two fields is widely recognised!

We have a lot of managers and employees who come from the school and we wanted your students to get to know our company better and what it can offer them. It’s less natural for them to turn to us than to large organisations, even though we create systems that are at least as complex on exciting projects, and there are great career opportunities within CS GROUP. The average age is 31, and it’s important for us to train and support young graduates. There’s a good mix between junior and more experienced employees, and the notion of passing on knowledge is vital.

What are your expectations and objectives in this partnership?

We want to increase our recruitment and integration capacity, but also widely distribute the open source heritage I mentioned earlier.

CS GROUP is characterised by its dual technical and business skills and a strong culture of innovation. We’re looking for people with IT development skills, and the teams will specialise in the business areas as they gain experience.

We are looking for engineers with IT development skills in our various business areas, who will be able to work on systems integration and operational procedures, and progress to technical manager or architect positions.

Village Entreprises 2023, a look back in pictures!

Related Content

Building tomorrow’s sky together

Meeting with José Navarro Martin

What motivated you to join this scheme at ISAE-SUPAERO?

What project did you work on?

What have you gained from this collaboration in scientific and human terms?

How will your collaboration with the Institute continue?

More generally, what do you think of this collaboration between Airbus and ISAE-SUPAERO?

A programme leading to certification for integrating hydrogen into aviation

Related Content

Staffing services: a win-win solution

Provision of personnel

Meeting with Quentin Bausière

What motivated you to join this scheme at ISAE-SUPAERO?

What project have you been working on?

What have you gained from this collaboration in scientific and human terms?

This collaboration will continue with your project. Do you think that this scheme could be extended to other research projects?

On a more personal note, what have you gained from working with us?

A multi-tutorial collaboration

Related Content

ISAE-SUPAERO expands its collaboration with TU Delft on sustainable aviation

Related Content

Meeting with Sylvain D’Hoine, Executive VP – Space at CS GROUP

Meeting with Sylvain D'Hoine

Could you tell us about CS GROUP’s activities and business lines?

Why did you decide to sign a partnership agreement with ISAE-SUPAERO?

What are your expectations and objectives in this partnership?

Related Content