PROTECT-AIR project: Research on Sustainable PROTECtion Systems for Lightweight and Efficient Air Transport

Project Objectives

The goal of this project is to investigate materials used in aircraft construction to make them lighter, highly conductive, and easily recyclable, allowing them to replace traditional metal meshes. The aim is to enhance the conductivity-to-density ratio without compromising aircraft safety. This involves incorporating non-metallic materials based on conductive nanoparticles into composites, addressing the direct impact of lightning strikes and improving electromagnetic shielding.

PROTECT-AIR aligns with Mission 7 of CDTI, which focuses on sustainability and efficiency in air transport. The experimentation with nanomaterials in different formats will enable the development of an innovative material for application in aircraft fuselages, particularly in critical areas where the highest current flow occurs between the entry and exit points of lightning strikes. This will not only contribute to reducing aircraft weight but also enhance protection against atmospheric electrical discharges.

Call for Proposals

CDTI Science and Innovation Missions 2024

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), through the Science and Innovation Missions Program, has approved the PROTECT-AIR initiative: Research on Sustainable PROTECtion Systems for Lightweight and Efficient Air Transport. The consortium-led project, in which Avanzare participates, has been funded by CDTI.

The project has been financed with European funds from the European Resilience and Recovery Mechanism and supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

Duration

2024 – 2025 (15 months)

Consortium Members

The PROTECT-AIR consortium, led by SOFITEC, consists of five companies, each a leader in its respective industrial sector: two large companies (SOFITEC, CT INGENIEROS) and three SMEs (MENZOLIT, AVANZARE, and ENSATEC). All consortium members have extensive experience in R&D projects and offer complementary expertise in the research areas covered by this project, including the development of materials, design, and manufacturing of advanced, sustainable, and efficient composite structures.

PARTNERS