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Landing on Mars: a unique experience for seven students

Publication Date

13 February 2024

Category

Research

Tag

Space

Student club

Student life

Living in the skin of an analogue astronaut

An incredible adventure awaits Erin, the commander of Crew 311, and her crew of analogue astronauts, made up of 2 female students and 4 male students from ISAE-SUPAERO. From mid-February to mid-March, they will experience an unprecedented human and professional experience in a scientific station dedicated to research into the exploration of the Red Planet.

Several years ago, the American Mars Society set up this base in the Utah desert in the United States. Before them, ten other ISAE-SUPAERO crews took part in the adventure, carrying their share of experimental protocols.

MDRS 2025 mission – CREW 311

Erin, Isolde, Somaya, Meddi, Quentin, Robin and Célyan will be living together for their four-week stay in a single-storey cylindrical cabin measuring 9 m in diameter. There will be a living area, a sleeping area in small cubicles, very limited access to the internet and only extra-vehicular outings outside the cabin for experimental purposes will be possible.

Each member of the crew has his or her own function: scientist, on-board engineer, health and safety officer, astronomer, botanist, journalist. The architecture, equipment and materials are adapted to the crew’s activities. Immersion in the station: two robotic and lunar observatories, a repair and assembly module, two airlocks, one for external sorties with a decompression/compression airlock, the other for joining the station’s modules and in particular the “green hab”, in other words the greenhouse where the botanist works. Three rovers and astronaut suits are also available for spacewalks.

A real scientific mission for the participants

The aim of this simulation of Martian life is to collect a wealth of data that will be useful for the scientific experiments that the crew have been preparing for months. “We’ve been working for over a year with our partners to deploy, develop and test equipment and experimental protocols,” explains Isolde. “We will be launching around ten experimental systems on the base, focusing on three main themes: human factors, astronaut living conditions and equipment testing,” she adds. One of these, the Spaceship France project, is the result of a collaboration with CNES.

Focus on four extraterrestrial experiments

Life assistance AI for astronauts

The AMAIA (Assistant Multifonction pour l’Astronaute par AI/Astronaut Multipurpose AI Assistant) project, developed by CNES in collaboration with students from ISAE-SUPAERO, aims to develop an autonomous artificial intelligence to assist astronauts. The application works without an internet connection, and is integrated into a watch worn by each operator, individually configured in line with their specific needs. It can be used to assist with procedures, such as answering questions about the protocols of other experiments, searching for information in their database, helping to write daily reports, or providing information about environmental conditions (ambient temperature, humidity, etc.). AMAIA will also be able to act as a confidante, sometimes reducing the astronauts’ mental workload.

A rover kit manufactured on the Martian site

Led by the Supaeromoon student club, the Rover en kit project involves designing a rover that is fully assembled and tested on site. The aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of local manufacture on an extraterrestrial base, using tools such as 3D printing. Only the complex electronic parts are transported from Earth, while the structure of the rover is made from materials available on site. A concept designed to reduce the costs and risks associated with space transport while increasing the autonomy of future space stations.

MoovToLearn for the well-being of astronauts

Base of the Mars Desert Research Station (UTAH)

The crew will be testing a non-invasive device designed to improve the psychological well-being and efficiency of astronauts. Sessions combining meditation, light therapy, music therapy and sophrology will seek to stimulate a mental state conducive to problem-solving and limit the effects of microgravity.

In concrete terms, four participants will follow a programme before, during and after the “Mars mission”, while three other participants will form the control group. The results will be measured using questionnaires and psycho-technical tests to assess the impact on their state of mind and performance.

Growing micro-pods to eat and live better on Mars

The station’s greenhouse, called GreenHab, in the hands of Meddi the botanist, will be used to study the impact of micro-pods on the astronauts’ diet and psychological well-being in their Martian environment.

As soon as they return to Earth, the results will be analysed, enabling the partners to enrich their approaches. Clearly, students who are passionate about space exploration will also have experienced an adventure that will shape their study and career plans.

“The Red Planet changed me. I’ve grown, learnt and evolved. I now know that science can motivate gigantic projects that are bigger than us and that will continue to inspire us”, says Erin, the commander of “Crew 311”, who was already part of the crew in 2024. The experience inspired her to write the story “Our adventure on Mars”, published by Editions Cépaduès.

Seven ISAE-SUPAERO students set out to conquer Mars in the Utah desert

Publication Date

06 February 2024

Category

Research

Tag

Space

Student club

No manned flight to Mars before 2030? Never mind: every year, students at ISAE-SUPAERO experience life on Mars. Thanks to the American Mars Society. This enables a panel of students from the Institute to experience life on the Red Planet in an astronaut base, the MDRS (Mars Desert Research Station). Crew 293, made up of seven engineering students, are preparing to leave for this scientific station for four weeks, from 18th February to 16th March. The programme for their stay in the United States and Mars includes collecting data for various scientific experiments.

A student at the helm

For the second time, this tenth ISAE-SUPAERO mission will be commanded by a woman: Marie Delaroche, currently on an Erasmus internship at the University of Southampton. A keen space explorer, she was already part of crew 275, which left in 2023. Alongside her, three young women and three young men in their 2nd year of engineering studies will take on the roles of astronomer, scientist, botanist, journalist, health worker and on-board engineer. They are all members of the ISAE-SUPAERO Mars Club, a student association for the popularisation of science centred around the Red Planet and the missions dedicated to its exploration and study.

Like real astronauts, the 293 crew will be carrying out around ten experiments in collaboration with CNES, the University of Florida, CNRS and MEDES. For example, its members will be looking at the influence of the space base environment on astronauts’ stress and cognitive performance (see below). They will also study the benefits of watching virtual reality videos filmed in their respective homes, in order to investigate the facilitation of family intimacy and social support in an ultra-confined environment.

Working with secondary school pupils

During their mission, they will also be experimenting with AI4U, an artificial intelligence that assists astronauts in their daily tasks (environmental measurements, voice recognition, emergency exercises). Finally, they will be conducting a science popularisation experiment in collaboration with secondary school pupils. Inspired by the film Alone on Mars, in which an astronaut grows potatoes on the Red Planet, the aim of this experiment is to compare the growth of plants in Martian soil with that on terrestrial soil.

In short, it’s a real professional experience with a great scientific reputation ahead of them!

Zoom in on… Orbital Architecture, one of the experiments carried out at the station

Initiated during the mission of the previous crew (Crew 275), this experiment is continuing this year with crew 293. The aim of this study is to measure the influence of the environment of a space base on the stress and cognitive performance of astronauts. It requires a major deployment of environmental sensors in the station, as well as sensors and trackers worn by the crew members, who will carry out a whole battery of cognitive and physiological tests during the mission. The study, in collaboration with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, will be carried out in January on board the ISS (International Space Station) as part of the Axiom 3 mission.

Photo credits: Club Mars ISAE-SUPAERO

Air conditioning systems: ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse join forces

Publication Date

22 January 2024

Category

Research

Tag

Chair

DAEP

Partnership

Closer collaboration

Working together to develop air-conditioning systems for the carbon-free aircraft of the future. Partners for 25 years, ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse strengthened their collaboration on 1 January as part of an industrial chair. This initiative, co-financed by the French National Research Agency (ANR), is designed to stimulate cooperation between public and private research bodies. Called CASTOR, “Chair for Radial Turbomachinery Aerodynamics”, it is scheduled to run for 4 years.

The aim? To make progress on the design of radial turbomachinery stages, which are at the heart of the air systems designed by Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and in which ISAE-SUPAERO has cutting-edge skills and research infrastructures.

This work will give rise to three theses, two post-doctorates and the creation of a research engineer post, with the support of teams from the Aerodynamics, Energetics and Propulsion (DAEP) department at ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse. A doctoral student and a post-doctoral fellow are due to arrive at the ISAE-SUPAERO site in February. The total amount of €1.250 million, half from Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and half from the ANR, will be used to finance equipment and subcontracting work.

Developing low-emission air conditioning systems for aircraft

In an aircraft, the air conditioning system regulates the pressurisation, temperature and renewal of the air in the cabin," explains Professor Nicolas Binder from DAEP. In other words, it is essential for passenger safety and comfort. Traditionally, compressed air is drawn from the engines to operate the system. But new carbon-free motorisation systems mean that independent air-conditioning systems have to be designed. To do this, we need to adapt the sizing of the components, which must satisfy new constraints. The research work of the CASTOR Chair is part of this development".

New low-carbon powertrain systems mean that independent air conditioning systems have to be designed. This means adapting the design of components to meet new constraints. The research work of the CASTOR Chair is part of this development.
Nicolas Binder – Lecturer and researcher at DAEP – ISAE-SUPAERO

Radial turbomachines are key components of the air conditioning system manufactured by Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse. They consist of turbine and compressor stages. In their design, it is crucial to finely optimise the shape of the blades to provide the best energy yields. And this applies regardless of the aircraft’s flight phase. “This requires a high degree of operating flexibility, without compromising performance,” explains Nicolas Binder. This design stage is vital if we are to offer aircraft manufacturers air conditioning systems that consume less energy for future low-emission aircraft.

The researchers will be exploring a number of avenues:

unconventional radial turbine configurations will be calculated and tested, to improve efficiency and operating ranges;
compressor stability will be assessed;
efforts will be devoted to advancing numerical and experimental methods.

The research initiated by the CASTOR Chair opens the way to numerous applications beyond the air transport sector. “A huge number of low-carbon systems involve this type of turbomachinery,” emphasises Nicolas Binder.

A win-win partnership

This Chair represents an opportunity for Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse and ISAE-SUPAERO to intensify their collaboration and structure a joint research programme.

It will enable Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse to mobilise and finance over the long term the cutting-edge skills present in ISAE-SUPAERO’s research laboratories, for the benefit of its future products. Thanks to this collaboration, the company will be able to continue to offer key technologies for the decarbonisation of aviation, with more efficient air systems that consume as little energy as possible for future aircraft.

For ISAE-SUPAERO, it symbolises the recognition of the relevance and applicability of the work of its research teams by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. What’s more, the resulting substantial funding will enable the institute to develop its experimental and digital capabilities.

Thumbnail: © Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse SAS

An exceptional scholarship for an innovative project

Publication Date

20 November 2023

Category

Research

Tag

DEOS

Scholarship

Space

Recognition for ambition

ERC programme and "Consolidator" grants

The ERC programme, internationally recognised for its selectivity, supports high-level exploratory research with one ambition: to push back the frontiers of knowledge.

“Consolidator” scolarships are awarded to PhD researchers with between 7 and 12 years’ experience. They represent a major milestone in their careers. Applicants are assessed on the basis of the scientific excellence of their research proposal, the quality of their professional background, and the relevance and feasibility of the project. Only the most promising researchers and projects are selected.

Naomi Morduch’s 5-year, €2.3 million grant will enable her to put together a team of PhD students, researchers and engineers. Together, they will work on an innovative project that will help provide geotechnical models adapted to extraterrestrial environments for those involved in planetary exploration.

GRAVITE programme following on from Naomi Murdoch's space bodies

The GRAVITE project, which will start in 2024 and run for 5 years, is a continuation of Naomi Murdoch’s work on the geotechnics of space objects.

Murdoch, who holds a master’s degree in astrophysics and a doctorate in planetary physics and sciences, has made an active contribution to several international space missions as a planetary scientist in the Space Systems for Planetology and Applications (SSPA) research group at ISAE-SUPAERO. From NASA’s DART, InSight and Mars 2020 missions to ESA’s Hera and JAXA’s MMX, she has acquired recognised expertise.

For the past 10 years, the study of the behaviour and mechanical properties of the surface of planetary bodies has been at the heart of its research. Today, in both terrestrial geophysics and planetary exploration, different techniques are used to determine the mechanical properties of a soil in situ. “With the GRAVITE project, our aim is to test the limits of existing techniques and develop new models that take into account the diverse nature of planetary surfaces and the reduced-gravity environment. To do this, we are going to develop a variable-gravity machine”, explains the researcher.

With this machine at the cutting edge of planetary science, the team will be able to carry out experiments in a vacuum and under a wide range of gravity conditions, down to levels a thousand times weaker than Earth’s gravity, to simulate the surfaces of small bodies (asteroids, comets, small moons, etc.). The researcher’s aim is to provide those involved in planetary exploration with geotechnical models adapted to extraterrestrial environments.

Meteorite impact reveals new insights into Mars

Publication Date

26 October 2023

Category

Research

Tag

DEOS

Space

InSight mission: new insights into Mars

A molten layer at the end of the Martian mantle

A study recently published in the journal Nature, involving scientists from CNRS, IPGP, ISAE-SUPAERO and Université Paris Cité, proposes a new scientific model to enhance our understanding of the interior of the Red Planet.

In the summer of 2021, analysis of the initial data from the InSight mission enabled an estimate to be made of the internal structure of Mars, suggesting that this planet, like its neighbour Earth, is made up of a crust, a silicate mantle and a metallic core. But the recording of a meteorite impact on 18 September 2021 has called these initial results into question. By studying the propagation times of the waves generated by this impact, an international team led by Henri Samuel, a CNRS researcher at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, and involving scientists from CNRS, ISAE-SUPAERO and Université Paris Cité, with support from CNES and ANR, has revealed the presence of a molten layer at the base of the Martian mantle.

A smaller, denser core than previously envisaged

This discovery has important implications for our understanding of the interior of Mars. In previous studies, the interface between the solid and liquid regions of Mars was interpreted as the boundary between the silicate mantle and the metallic core. However, this new study shows that it is actually the interface between the solid mantle and the liquid basal layer of this mantle. The presence of such a basal layer implies a metallic core 150 to 170 km smaller (i.e. a radius of 1650±20 km), denser (i.e. 6.5 g/cm3) and with fewer light elements (oxygen and sulphur, carbon and hydrogen) than in previous estimates. This hypothesis is more compatible with data from the analysis of Martian meteorites and experiments conducted at high pressure to reproduce and study the minerals present in the interior of planets.

The discovery of this stratification of the mantle, which contrasts with the structure of the Earth, is a further step towards understanding the evolution of Mars. Mélanie Drilleau, research engineer at ISAE-SUPAERO and co-author of the study, explains that “Mars probably experienced an early stage of magma ocean, the crystallisation of which produced a stable layer at the base of the mantle, highly enriched in iron and radioactive elements. The heat released by the latter generated a basal layer of molten silicates located above the core, covered by a thinner partially molten layer”.

This discovery also provides an answer to one of the great enigmas of the planet Mars: why did its magnetic field die out 500 to 800 million years ago, while the Earth’s is still active? Henri Samuel explains: “This liquid layer at the base of the mantle isolates the metallic mantle from the rest of the planet, preventing it from cooling and creating a dynamo. If the source of the magnetic field cannot come from inside the planet, then external sources must have existed in Mars’ distant past, such as energetic impacts, or core movements generated by gravitational interactions with ancient satellites that have since disappeared”.

Converging data on the evolution of Mars

This new structural model, published on October 26th 2023 in the journal Nature, is more realistic in the light of all the geophysical data, and also provides a coherent explanation of the evolution of Mars since its formation.

Highlighting the stratification of the Martian mantle elucidates the hitherto unexplained abnormally slow propagation of the diffracted waves from the September 2021 meteorite impact by their trajectory in the lower, completely melted part of the silicate layer at the base of the mantle, where seismic velocities are low.

Furthermore, for several older seismic events, the wave arrival times measured at the surface of Mars are compatible with shear wave reflections on the molten layer (located several tens of kilometres above the metallic core) and not at the core-mantle interface as previously assumed.

Finally, the presence of this layer of silicates helps to explain the trajectory observed due to the Martian moon Phobos. The upper, partially molten part of the basal layer effectively dissipates the deformations generated by the gravitational attraction of Phobos. On the other hand, the solid mantle above this layer is stiffer and not very seismically attenuating, as suggested by the detection on the surface of Mars of waves associated with seismic events of relatively low magnitude.

OPEN SCIENCE ISAE-SUPAERO: ISAE-SUPAERO science in the open air!

Publication Date

20 October 2023

Category

Research

Tag

Science

Scientific publication

Thesis

The new ISAE-SUPAERO showcase

OPEN SCIENCE ISAE-SUPAERO is the Institute’s new web platform designed to promote the theses of our doctoral students and to deposit and distribute our scientific publications. The site also gives Internet users access to a wealth of information on our scientific instruments and technological platforms.

The platform is free and accessible to everyone, from the general public to insiders in the world of scientific research.

Theses

The collection includes theses defended at the Institute since 1975.
The full text is only available if the doctor has authorised distribution.

Publications

ISAE-SUPAERO researchers deposit their publications on this platform.

This open access repository aims to:

Facilitate the sharing of publications within a legal and sustainable framework;
Improve the visibility of research and preserve the Institute’s scientific output;
Monitor publications and develop research indicators.

Scientific instruments and technology platforms

The collection of scientific instruments includes heritage items from ENSICA and ISAE-SUPAERO dating back to 1950. Our technology platforms present the scientific instruments specific to our fields of research.

The open science movement

Open science is a movement that seeks to make scientific research and the data it produces accessible to everyone at all levels of society.

ISAE-SUPAERO’s researchers are working on establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

Publication Date

10 October 2023

Category

Research

Tag

DCAS

Space

Return of manned missions to the Moon

ISAE-SUPAERO is conducting a wide range of research projects aimed at improving our understanding of the Moon, developing spacecraft and life support systems, optimising the use of resources available in situ, and limiting the environmental impact of lunar missions.

Involvement in the renewal of lunar seismology

In order to anticipate the potential effects of a meteorite impact or an earthquake on the Moon’s surface, seismology research is being carried out around the development of instruments designed to probe the vibrations of the lunar soil, as well as the first few metres beneath the Moon’s surface. The Space Systems for Planetology and Applications research group is notably involved in the renewal of lunar seismology through the Farside Seismic Suite (FSS) instrumental suite, supplied by JPL/NASA, which will deploy sensors on the far side of the Moon by 2025.

The research group to which Raphaël Garcia belongs – a researcher in planetary geophysics – is also involved in the Lunar Quake Service, which will be responsible for detecting earthquakes and meteorite impacts using the data collected, as well as producing imagery of the Moon’s interior based on this data.

Preparing for a lasting presence on the Moon

Although manned flights to the Moon are currently only envisaged for a few days, research is nevertheless being carried out to enable a permanent presence on the Moon one day. Among the obstacles to a long-term presence, the question of radiation is the subject of a thesis by ISAE-SUPAERO, studying the various possible protection solutions.

Funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and TRAD Tests & Radiations, in cooperation with INSERM, Yulia Akisheva’s thesis – directed by Yves Gourinat, professor of material structures – is studying the ability of materials available on the lunar surface to protect astronauts from cosmic rays. Regolith in particular has been identified as a preferred resource for the construction of habitacle linings capable of protecting against radiation. Other types of materials, metals or liquids, particularly those rich in hydrogen, are also being studied.

Through various simulations, this research aims to understand how radioactive particles are deposited and to assess the doses ingested by the body in order to measure the effectiveness of the materials studied in terms of protection. A particle accelerator simulation will be carried out in early 2024 to test the prototypes resulting from this research as closely as possible to real-life conditions.

Limiting the environmental impact of lunar missions

In addition to crew safety, there is also the question of the environmental impact of space missions, and in particular the management of space objects in lunar space. There is currently no system for tracking and monitoring debris in lunar orbit. The increase in the number of lunar missions could rapidly lead to heavy pollution, especially as natural clean-up is out of the question, as the atmosphere near the Moon is too thin to allow this.

Research work is being carried out as part of the Advanced Space Concepts chair created in 2017 on the initiative of ISAE-SUPAERO, Airbus and Ariane Group. The aim is to develop the study of future space concepts from a systems and architecture perspective, through research and teaching projects within a Space Advanced Concepts laboratory (SACLab).

This is the focus of Paolo Guardabasso’s thesis, funded by ESA and Thalès Alenia Space and supervised by Gregoire Casalis – Dean of Research and Pedagogical Resources – and Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez – Professor of Space Systems. This work involves simulating the environment of lunar and cislunar debris, based on different scenarios of future lunar traffic.

Aviation and Climate: an assessment of transition scenarios for sustainable aviation compatible with the Paris Agreement

Publication Date

06 October 2023

Category

Research

Tag

Aeronautics

DCAS

Decarbonization

Sustainability

The researchers have just completed their study, providing a comprehensive review of updated elements based on an analysis of more than 350 scientific publications in the scientific journal Progress in Aerospace Sciences. “The aim is to provide the key elements needed to assess whether a transition scenario envisaged for aviation could be considered sustainable in the context of the Paris Climate Agreement, which came into force in 2016,” explains Nicolas Gourdain.

Maturity and effectiveness of solutions

The main contribution of their recent work is the detailed identification of technological levers for reducing CO2 emissions and mitigating non-CO2 related effects. In particular, it highlights the degree of maturity of solutions and promising areas such as mitigating the effect of condensation trails. Future aircraft architectures and the associated fleet renewal, as well as the energy sources envisaged, are studied from the priority angle of measuring the effectiveness of solutions.

At the same time, prospective scenarios for the transition of aviation are studied. A comparison of the methodologies proposed by different academic sources is carried out by the researchers with regard to modelling and the assessment of environmental sustainability. Some applications are illustrated using the AeroMAPS tool developed at ISAE-SUPAERO, which the researcher Thomas Planès describes as “a tool for modelling transition scenarios taking into account the components of air transport, the associated impacts and the many interactions”.

Their analysis highlights the uncertainties surrounding the feasibility of these trajectories, particularly those of the most ambitious scenarios, which are based on strong assumptions about technological and political compromises. “Our work also provides food for thought on the concept of sustainability in aviation, and has led us to consider the need for a multidisciplinary approach in future forward-looking models,” explains Florian Simatos.

This work is one of ISAE-SUPAERO’s contributions to the Institute for Sustainable Aviation (ISA). The ISA aims to become a scientific research tool capable of combining climate projections for the aviation sector with a wide range of disciplines, including economics, law, regulation and sociology.

In a special issue dedicated to sustainable aviation, the scientific journal Progress in Aerospace Sciences, a benchmark in the field of aeronautics, has published a scientific article on the “Aviation and Climate” report in its enhanced version.

Ion propulsion, the genesis of emerging research

Publication Date

19 September 2023

Category

Research

Tag

DAEP

A matter of encounters

Can scientific curiosity, human encounters and chance be decisive factors in exploring a line of research hitherto neglected by the scientific community?

The work currently being carried out by Nicolas Binder in the Aerodynamics and Propulsion Department (DAEP) seems to support this hypothesis.

A specialist in fluid dynamics and aeronautical propulsion, the researcher first became interested out of scientific curiosity following the research work of a student engineer, Nicolas Monrolin (E2015).

“We weren’t working on the incremental aspects of a conventional engine, we were beyond that, and I was curious to see what would happen next”, Nicolas tells us. Then he kept in touch, because they got on well together and because their research work focused on breakthrough propulsion systems.

Then, in 2018, the researcher attended the brilliant thesis defence of his former student, now at the IMFT. A week after his thesis supervisor, Franck Plouraboué called ISAE-SUPAERO looking for a high-speed wind tunnel. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, he finally came across Nicolas Binder, the person in the lab interested in this disruptive work.

This thesis was the starting point for the creation of a real multi-physics electro-hydro-dynamics unit at DAEP. For me, at first it was a matter of scientific curiosity, then we started to work together, setting up projects in twos and then in threes with the Institut P' in Poitiers. We finally joined the European IPROP consortium on ionic propulsion with the École Polytechnique, the Van Kármán Institute in Belgium, the University of Milan, which was leading the project, and other Italian universities, to develop a complete line of research, and that's when things started to take off.

Nicolas Binder

The Institute as a benchmark in conventional propulsion

Expertise in conventional propulsion is one of the strengths of the Turbomachinery and Propulsion research group at DAEP. This expertise provides a reference base for assessing the performance of experiments.

The principle of ionic propulsion is to create a plasma around two electrodes of different sizes, between which a high voltage is applied. Ions escape from this plasma and are accelerated by the intense electric field towards the second electrode. These ions undergo a large number of collisions with the neutral air molecules, which slow them down, creating an ion cloud between the two electrodes. This electrically charged zone is the source of the thrust force applied to the electrodes. The aim of this research is to understand all the parameters that currently make this process ineffective. For the moment, this device generates a drag greater than the thrust it induces at modest flight speeds. There is a lot of work to be done on this subject to increase thrust density at low speeds, and above all to see if it develops favourably at high speeds, as the equations seem to show.

There is a chance that the thrust process is activated by the presence of the external flow at high speed, but we still need time to develop the measuring instrument, because this is truly exploratory research. Trying to measure this thrust at high speed has never been done before, and this test bench here at ISAE-SUPAERO is unique.

Nicolas Binder

IPROP, a European project to take things further

The IPROP project is part of the Horizon Europe Pathfinder framework, and aims to raise the level of maturity of atmospheric ion thrusters for aeronautics. Ionic thrusters, which have no moving parts, offer robustness and silent propulsion. This is an emerging field of investigation in the context of the electrification of aircraft and low-carbon air transport.

In the European consortium, ISAE-SUPAERO is responsible for the high-speed experimental part and is working closely with IMFT and Franck Plouraboué, who specialises in numerical simulation. In addition to this collaboration, the École Polytechnique is working on a new electrode device capable of sending more ions into the flow in an attempt to increase thrust density. These electrodes will be tested on the ISAE-SUPAERO test bench to carry out ambitious electric field measurements and laser measurements of the flow.

The French team is in charge of the external velocity coupling part of the flow and the development of new electrodes. Each team is developing its own specific area of expertise, which will be brought together at the ISAE-SUPAERO facility. Indications are beginning to emerge, and the trends are encouraging, but they are not yet precise enough to be published.

The other universities are working on the design of a small-scale demonstrator incorporating these optimised propulsion systems. Ultimately, the aim of the project is to design a full-scale stratospheric airship with a high degree of autonomy using solar-powered ion thrusters. These airships could replace many satellite functions, such as telecommunications or telediction, at lower cost and with the advantage of being recoverable, all with a reduced environmental impact.

If the initial results prove encouraging, it will then be possible to launch research into co-propulsion. The ionic system could be coupled to a conventional propulsion system, switched off at take-off and activated at altitude in cruise mode when thrust requirements are lower. It could reduce the need for internal combustion engines, whose efficiency could be greatly improved. But there are certainly many applications that we haven't yet thought of, which could be envisaged at high speed and high altitude.

Nicolas Binder

The study of this technology opens up a wide scientific field covering fundamental research into ion production, its coupling with airflow, electrode optimisation, aircraft integration, and even more if chance gets involved.

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!