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In a hybrid or all-electric aircraft, power electronics is a key component. For example, the power electronics is needed to adapt the voltage level of the sources to the electrical on-board power supply, to generate other on-board voltage levels or to generate the rotating field for electrical machines. Very high gravimetric power densities are necessary to substitute conventional components.

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An aircraft is designed to withstand a variety of load scenarios, including gust loads that exceed several g-loads. These loads influence the design and thickness of the carrying structure of the wing box, with the wing root being the most critical point. By reshaping the wing load distribution, it is possible to reduce the bending moment at the wing root, which can subsequently decrease the thickness of the carrying structure and, therefore, the overall mass of the wing. To effectively reshape the aerodynamic forces, the structure must adapt its flight shape and achieve favorable deformations. The goal is to reduce the angle of attack at the outer wing section, which results from bending and torsion under load. The SE²A Cluster project, HyCoNoS, investigates nonconventional passive load alleviation concepts, particularly the use of large deformations for shape adaptation. However, shape adaptation is limited by the properties of the materials used. At this stage, we are transitioning away from traditional materials and focusing on metamaterials to achieve the desired behavior.

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The solid-state lithium-sulfur battery (SSLSB) is considered one of the promising battery types to meet the requirements of short-range electric aircraft due to its high energy density. However, it shows rapid degradation during operation over repeated cycles, mainly attributed to the polysulfide shuttle effect. Recently, it has been demonstrated that aramid additives can effectively inhibit the polysulfide shuttle and contribute to address this problem. Therefore, this project will investigate the improvement of cycling stability by incorporating aramid additives into the polymer-based binder of sulfur-carbon composite cathodes, based on a high-performance cross-linked polymer electrolyte developed in our group within the first phase of the Cluster of Excellence SE²A.

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Gusts and flight maneuvers cause dynamic loads on aircraft wings that reduce passenger comfort and lead to mechanical deformations of the wings. To counteract these deformations, the wings can either be designed to be stiffer (and thus heavier), or the dynamic loads can be counteracted directly, thereby reducing weight and fuel consumption.

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As aviation advances toward more sustainable solutions, a notable shift of environmental burdens from flight emissions to ground-based airport operations has been observed, especially in hybrid-electric and alternative fuel aircraft systems. This shift highlights the urgent need for airports to implement effective sustainability management practices. In this context, the goal of this project is to develop integrated computational models to apply the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology in order to quantify and identify the potential environmental impacts of the airport operations.

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