Spanish Aerospace:
Leaders at Every Altitude

Download PDF

As a participant in the European Union's Clean Sky research program to develop state-of-the-art technology for future aircraft, Aernnova is partnering with other aerospace companies, universities, and research centers to design a new wing that will help cut down on the use of fuel. The airflow over a wing typically becomes turbulent, which adds to drag (and thus to fuel consumption). Wing designers strive to reach the ideal of laminar flow, that is, uninterrupted turbulence-free flow over the wing. "But it's hard to keep laminarity," explains Motos, "as it's affected by hard-to-control parameters, such as waviness from manufacturing or assembly, or [turbulence] induced by flight deformations."

The Clean Sky consortium is working on developing wings that can be manufactured and assembled within ever more precise tolerances, creating significantly better-controlled surfaces. This should help decrease turbulence and increase fuel efficiency.

Sener, which has major engineering and manufacturing projects in both the aircraft and space sectors, has been designing composite manufacturing installations for Airbus plants in Illescas, Spain and Stade, Germany. These installations will feature automatic production of wing "stringers," wing structures more than 100 feet long. "The challenge was to design a machine that's totally automatic," says Quintana, "starting from quality raw material, through cutting and molding, and then placing the structure in the precise location."

Quintana also points out the importance of guaranteeing the safety of composite parts in an industry more used to evaluating traditional metal. "Every new change requires a great deal of testing and proving before it's introduced in the market," he stresses. So Sener's researchers are modeling how composite materials behave under impact.

Aernnova's Motos explains that although his company still designs and builds metal parts for aircraft, the company's research focuses extensively on advanced materials. "We're betting on composites, and we're continuing to define lines and areas of research in the field," Motos says, as new Boeing and Airbus planes already employ about 50 percent composites in the plane by weight—more than 70 percent by volume. "We believe [composites] are here to stay."

Increasing the use of composites in large-scale structures is only one way to increase overall fuel efficiency. Madrid-based ITP, a top world producer of low-pressure turbines that power fans within aircraft engines, is making innovations in the design, manufacturing, and repair of their parts. The company recently designed a new lightweight turbine model, which is based on a new aerodynamic design and uses lighter materials. This model reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 15 percent. Instead of composite materials, these new engines incorporate advanced metal alloys that are light and can withstand extremely high temperatures, up to 1600° C.

Iberia Mantenimiento specializes in maintenance and overhaul of aircraft, for Spanish airlines and for international companies such as British Airways, Continental, and Royal Nepal; it is also certified by General Electric and Rolls Royce to repair their engines. Iberia Mantenimiento is developing new programs to detect corrosion of metallic structures, programs including sensors that can detect water before it causes corrosion, and others that discover damage to composite structures. Most recently, the company conducted a complete overhaul for Airbus, transforming a civilian aircraft into a military tanker, by dismantling the aircraft, completely renovating its internal structure, and adding additional sensors and controls. "We completed the project in just 16 months, which I believe is the world record," says Saúl Martín, Iberia Mantenimiento's shared services and special projects manager.

« Back 1 2 3 4 Next »