Joint Labs & Projects

If the aeroengine is the technological heart of the aircraft, the control system can be considered as the brain of the engine, equipped with sensors and actuators.

The control system manages the engine’s operation in every phase of the in-flight service, avoiding the risk of stalling, combustor shutdown, over temperature conditions, over speed and over pressure. It also governs the necessary adaptations to sudden changes due to environmental conditions and the maneuvers of the aircraft, ensuring reliable performance.

Its "intelligence" lays in the control unit that, after acquiring different signals both internal and external from the engine, processes them providing the necessary instructions to change the settings. To do this, it uses a network of sensors to "understand" what happens and intervenes with the actuators in order to implement any adjustment. The actuators are driven through electric and fluid systems.

The SICO project focuses on the development of an innovative control system. The goal is the acquisition of multi-disciplinary knowledge, not available today in Apulia nor in Italy, for the creation of a comprehensive control system for aircraft engines characterized by high power and autonomy, also usable for unmanned aircraft.

The main drivers that guide the activities of the Industrial Research and the Experimental Development are:

• the reduction of fuel consumption to minimize the environmental impact and the end-user operating costs of the aircraft
• reliability, to increase the safety of passengers and the reduction of end user maintenance costs of the aircraft
• the increase of the power available for the purpose of a greater operability of the aircraft.

The project activities will be verified through an important experimental campaign that involves the design and construction of two test benches:

• the "Dry Rig" can be defined as a real-time simulator capable of simulating an aircraft engine and its accessories and will be used to test control logics;
• The "Wet Rig" allow to verify the behavior of the control system taking into account both the physical and simulated signals of the engine and accessories.

The SICO Research and Development Project - subject of the Program Agreement between Avio Aero and the Apulia Region – started in May 2016 and will last 4 years. The Avio Aero Laboratory in Bari will be the main activities site.
The loan recognized is of € 16.5 Million euro on a total of € 29.3 Million costs.

The proposed program, both in terms of Industrial Project and Technological R&D Development, foresees total investments of approximately 61 M€, 48 M€ of which related to Industrial Investment Project and 13 M€ circa for investments in Industrial Research and Experimental Development. The provisional financial support granted is approximately 18 M€, 12 M€ of which as a non-repayable on industrial investments and about 6 M€ for R&D Investments expense contribution.

The project, as mentioned above, aims at consolidating and innovating the activities carried out by the Avio Aero Pomigliano d'Arco plant for the production of combustion chambers, the production of turbine blades and for the overhaul of civil engine modules.

In particular, investments in materials asset envisaged is aimed at innovating machining technologies in order to increase production capacity and competitiveness.

Similarly, the Industrial Research and Experimental Development activities aim at the acquisition of strategic know-how:

• On the development of innovative technologies for the combustor, in order to maintain and improve the global technological leadership for the core products;
• In the field of mechanical machining, with expected benefits in the efficiency and productivity of transformation processes for products like the turbine blades being machined at the Avio Aero Pomigliano d'Arco plant;
• On the optimization of industrial technologies for the production and maintenance of turbine components.

With the project proposal, Avio Aero intends to develop innovative technologies, know-how and skills for advanced engine architectures. The total investment for Avio Aero is around 38M€ in 4 years of activities.

Taking in consideration the next generation Small Turboprop architecture, the goal of the project is to make a step change in engine performance reducing economic and environmental impacts.

The main guidelines of the project are:

• Engine system integration with part count reduction using Additive Manufacturing technology
• Advance aero and thermal design of Power Turbine
• Ultra-compact combustor
• Control System development
• GBX in Additive Manufacturing with the achievement of the first engine certification.

ll these goals have as aim:

• The reduction of fuel consumption and operating costs of the propulsion system
• The improvement of reliability and of safety for passengers.