RETROFIT

Reduced Emissions of TRansport aircraft Operations by Fleetwise Implementation of new Technology

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The RETROFIT project will analyze the possibilities and attractiveness to retrofit the large existing fleet of commercial airliners with new technical solutions. A new generation of airliners is only at the horizon. Existing aircraft still have a long life to serve. But the operational environment is changing. Airlines are confronted with emission trading limits, new noise rules, increasing fuel prices and new safety and security demands. Aircraft need to operate in a new ATM environment where older aircraft cannot comply with the new ATM standards. Furthermore the passengers expect to enjoy the highest levels of comfort possible. The project will address the stakeholder requirements first. Based on that it will investigate current and future technology options to retrofit existing aircraft. The need to perform additional research to make retrofits attractive will be addressed as well as the question if specific research activities should be integrated in the Framework programs. The issue of design for retrofit will be addressed. Special attention will be given to certification as modified aircraft should be accepted as derivatives of existing types in order to keep certification time and cost as low as possible. A cost benefit analysis will be made based on existing airline fleets and potential applications of new technical solutions. It will result in an assessment which airplanes can be retrofitted with what new technologies. Furthermore an assessment will be made about funding mechanisms for promising business cases. The results of the project will be widely disseminated. Promising cases can lead to a substantial economic activity in many European countries.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Scientists are developing recommendations to enhance research into new aircraft technologies that are compatible with retrofitting of the existing fleet. Long-service lifetimes highlight the critical importance of such technologies.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The aerospace sector is confronted with increasingly stringent regulations regarding emissions, noise and security, combined with increasing passenger demands for comfort and safety. Although numerous technical advances in aircraft design are on the horizon, the long-service life of existing aircraft highlights the need to ensure that improved technologies are in keeping with retrofit of the existing fleet of commercial aircraft.

The EU-funded project 'Reduced emissions of transport aircraft operations by fleetwise implementation of new technology' (Retrofit) is addressing this critical need. Scientists are evaluating stakeholder requirements, existing and future technologies, certification issues and cost benefits. Armed with up-to-date and comprehensive data, they are providing recommendations to guide technology uptake and the sustainable retrofitting of existing aircraft.

Following a workshop with stakeholders, researchers developed an inventory of candidate present and future technologies compatible with retrofit. These were then evaluated in light of certification to determine if proposed changes are feasible or if certification becomes a bottleneck to implementation. Three promising mature retrofit technologies were subjected to a cost-benefit analysis.

The first technologies comprised avionics designed for compatibility with technology and operational guidelines developed by the ambitious 'Single European Sky ATM research' (SESAR) project to meet future capacity and air safety needs. Scientists also evaluated new high bypass-ratio engines for existing A320 aircraft and technology for taxiing by internal power.

Retrofit results to date have led to numerous recommendations, among them specific issues to be addressed by EU-funded research programmes. First, any project to develop technology for new aircraft should include a work package addressing the potential for retrofitting. Second, the European Commission should stimulate research on virtual testing and encourage virtual certification to decrease the time and cost of certification of aircraft retrofitted with new technology. Finally, specific retrofit topics should be encouraged by including feasibility studies, maturing technologies and integration of retrofit technologies in the next call of the research and technology development (RTD) Framework Programme.

Retrofit is expected to enhance the uptake of new and beneficial technologies in existing aircraft by focusing on those compatible with retrofit of the existing European commercial fleet. Such action will have important benefits for the airline industry, consumers and the environment.