The H2ELIOS project started this year to develop a cryogenic hydrogen storage tank for aviation. It also represents Aciturri's first role as leader and coordinator in a first-level Clean Aviation project. The project aims to develop an aircraft liquid hydrogen tank demonstrator that will make zero-carbon aviation feasible with minimum weight impact and safety ratings equivalent to today's aircraft.

In addition to coordinating the H2ELIOS consortium, Aciturri is leading the demonstrator's design and engineering integration activities. An initial concept feasibility review milestone took place in 2023, and together with the partners, the architecture of the tank monitoring and control equipment inside the tank was defined.

Also, the company is involved in the generation of the manufacturing processes of the external tank and the assembly of the complete demonstrator. During this year, in this respect, participation in the competitions has been carried out, contributing to the conceptual design phase with a robust vision of the processes involved.

With important links and synergies with the H2ELIOS project, Aciturri also participates in the Clean Aviation NEWBORN project, also started in 2023. This project aims to develop a complete demonstrator, from tank to propeller, of a fuel cell-based aircraft propulsion system. This technology allows a 100% reduction of polluting gases (it only emits water). The company is leading the work package for hydrogen supply to the fuel cells via a tank with highly integrated hydrogen management system components.

2023 saw the definition of an overall architecture for this management system, allowing for efficient use of thermal energy with an impact on weight and consumption savings.

HERWINGT

Within the framework of Clean Aviation, started in 2023, HERWINGT is developing an innovative wing for the future hybrid-electric regional aircraft, contributing to the overall goal of reducing fossil fuel consumption, CO² emissions and other pollutant gas emissions.

The company is actively participating in this project as part of a consortium of 28 companies, including OEMs such as Airbus, Leonardo and Fokker and OPIs from several European countries.

Aciturri's contribution focuses on developing a new process for the wing leading edge anti-erosion protection and on the design and manufacture of the thermoplastic part of the flap. Both activities started in 2023 with the first decisions on the tests to be carried out on the anti-erosion protection and the first concurrence meetings between different partners and departments to initiate the first design concepts and material selection.

In addition, the company is leading the integration of a technology demonstrator of a wing control surface with different high-integration technologies. This surface will further deploy dry fiber technology, with the challenge of integrating leading edge and structure into a single part. Many conceptual design optimization studies defining the most efficient architecture were performed in 2023. Tests on the process manufacturability have also been carried out, which will be used in the future development of a technology demonstrator.

Within the framework of Clean Aviation, FASTER H2 aims to develop an aircraft airframe demonstrator with a high level of integration based on the use of thermoplastic materials, materials identified as sustainable, both for their reusability and for the manufacturing technologies used to process them, such as in-situ consolidation. Infusion processes targeting high production rates will also be developed and validated based on bio-based resins, focusing on sandwich panels, integrated double-curved cladding configurations using LRI technology, and pick-up fittings using RTM technology.

The company has worked on several lines of action during 2023, designing a demonstrator with a stiffened panel configuration with double curvature, analyzing the manufacturing capabilities with thermoplastic material and in situ consolidation process (IsC), and defining the manufacturing process of the reinforcements. In addition, infusion sandwich panel manufacturability tests have also been carried out.

The CRETAN project follows the CRYOCOMP project to develop liquid oxygen tanks for space applications. It is the company's first development carried out in direct collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency).

The project's objective is to complete the Phase B development of an integrated V-type liquid oxygen and kerosene tank for the second stage of a medium-sized space launcher. Progress was made during 2023 on the tank's sizing and analysis and on the significant technical challenges involved in the manufacturability of a highly complex element such as the one we intend to evolve, which provides many competitive advantages over the tanks currently available on the market.

The project should be completed by 2024, and full-scale demonstrators should be produced and tested in 2025. This will validate the concepts applied and allow the next phase of flight certification to be launched.

The TIANA project, a continuation of AERCOST, aims to study advanced manufacturing technologies and materials with high-added value. By optimizing the industrial manufacturing and assembly line, TIANA will contribute to increasing manufacturing rates above the state of the art and reducing the unit cost of aerostructure manufacturing.

Throughout 2023, the company has been working on several action lines, researching automated manufacturing solutions with automatic taping and press forming for high-load and very-high-curvature frames, designing a modular concept for a belly fairing and defining the manufacturing process for sandwich structures with dry fiber and infusion technology.

The PTA approved this project in its 2023 call. It is sponsored by the CDTI and supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

The r-LightBioCom project was launched in 2023 within the framework of the Horizon Europe program and specifically within the scope of Cluster 4. It aims to reduce the environmental impact of new lightweight, high-performance composite materials. Due to their inherent recyclability, the project will focus on their production and operational life and disposal at the end of their lifetime.

The r-LightBioCom consortium, led by Aitex, is made up of the industrial companies Aciturri, Acciona Construcción and the Centro Ricercje FIAT, together with the Universities and Research Centres, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Hochschule Kaiserslautern, Coventry University, Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, DLR and CIDAUT, as well as the companies AEP Polymers, Feyecon and FECSA.

Aciturri, as the end user of the developed materials, will design and manufacture a demonstrator based on aeronautical requirements. During the project's first year, commercial material requirements were outlined to the material developers to obtain higher-quality recyclable materials for the demonstrator.