January 14, 2021 - No. 04 In This Issue : LANZATECH AND SKYNRG TO BUILD EUROPE’S FIRST ETHANOL-TO-SAF PLANT : Gentex Announces New Nanofiber Sensing Technology : AOPA PARTNERS WITH ROSS PEROT JR. TO PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL AVIATION SCHOLARSHIPS : Concept for a hybrid-electric plane may reduce aviation's air pollution problem : FRCE explores new laser technology to remove corrosion, coatings : Fiat Chrysler plans to mass produce flying cars by 2023 : Quality Considerations for Aviation Head-up Displays (HUDs) : Honeywell Launches Next-Generation Digital Cabin Pressure Control And Monitoring System For Aircraft : Nokia Shanghai Bell to deploy next-generation network for Airport Authority Hong Kong : How will we achieve carbon-neutral flight in future? : SpaceX's upgraded Cargo Dragon supply ship makes 1st Atlantic splashdown LANZATECH AND SKYNRG TO BUILD EUROPE’S FIRST ETHANOL-TO-SAF PLANT The FLITE consortium, led by SkyNRG B.V. (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.skynrg.com) and with LanzaTech (Skokie, Ill.; www.lanzatech.com) as the technology provider, will build the first-of-its-kind LanzaJet Alcohol-to-Jet-fuel (AtJ) facility. The facility will convert waste-based ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a scale of over 30,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). The project received €20 million in grant funding from the EU H2020 program and is a major milestone on the path to a net zero emission for the aviation industry. Sustainable aviation fuel is critical to reduce emissions from the aviation sector in the coming decades. Ambitious targets are proposed as part of the European Green Deal ‘Sustainable and smart mobility’ policy and the new legislative initiative ‘EU ReFuelEU Aviation’. To meet these targets in the years to come, it is essential that we diversify feedstock and technology options for SAF production. This pre-commercial AtJ production plant will pave the way to implementing SAF production across Europe and around the globe, producing commercially relevant quantities of SAF to support future aviation’s climate targets. The FLITE (Fuel via Low Carbon Integrated Technology from Ethanol) project kick-off was held on December 8th, 2020. The consortium consists of leaders from their respective industries. SkyNRG, a global market leader for SAF solutions, is acting as the project coordinator and managing downstream supply chain development; carbon recycling company, LanzaTech, will be responsible for plant design, construction and operations using the LanzaJetTM AtJ technology; Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest applied research organization, will oversee and distribute communications about the project; energy and sustainability strategy consultancy E4tech, will conduct the life cycle assessment; and the world’s most trusted, valued and peer-reviewed standard for the bio-based economy, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), will support the project through guidance on RSB certification of the facility. Maarten van Dijk, Managing Director SkyNRG: “With the increasing demand for SAF in the future, there is a need to diversify SAF technologies and feedstock. This first of its kind Alcohol-to Jet production in Europe will be an important step in the direction of making sustainable aviation fuel more accessible and scalable, supporting net zero emission ambitions for the aviation industry. SkyNRG is excited to be a part of the FLITE project.” Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech: “Bending the carbon curve requires collaboration and strong partnerships, something the FLITE Consortium exemplifies! We look forward to implementing LanzaJetTM Alcohol-to-Jet technology in Europe. This is an important enabler to expanding production of sustainable aviation fuel and creating a path to a lower carbon future. We are grateful for the Horizon 2020 funding which has made this project possible.” Rolf Hogan, Executive Director, RSB: “This project addresses two key challenges faced by the aviation sector today – rapid decarbonisation and doing so in a sustainable manner. It aims to scale the production of SAF in Europe, and ensure it meets the most stringent sustainability standards. The RSB is proud to support partners to demonstrate sustainability performance and meet regional and global regulatory requirements of EU RED and CORSIA.” https://www.chemengonline.com/lanzatech-and-skynrg-to-build-europes-first-ethanol-to-saf-plant/ Gentex Announces New Nanofiber Sensing Technology ZEELAND, Mich., Jan. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX) today announced the acquisition of a new nanofiber sensing technology capable of detecting a wide variety of chemicals, from explosives to volatile organic compounds, with widespread application in a multitude of industries. Gentex is a long-time supplier of electro-optical products for the global automotive, aerospace and fire protection industries. It’s best known for supplying nearly every major automaker with connected-car technologies and advanced electronic features that optimize driver vision and enhance driving safety. Gentex’s new nanofiber technology can detect a wide variety of chemicals, including explosives, drugs, VOCs, toxic industrial chemicals, amines, and more. The technology and patents were included in Gentex’s 2020 acquisition of the Utah-based startup, Vaporsens, which was founded by University of Utah professor Dr. Ling Zang. Zang invented the technology and launched Vaporsens with assistance from the Partners for Innovation, Ventures, Outreach & Technology (PIVOT) Center at the University of Utah. The core of Vaporsens’ chemical sensor technology is a net of nanofibers approximately one thousand times smaller in size than human hair. Their porous structure allows them to absorb targeted molecules from sampled gas and identify them via changes in their electrical resistance. The technology allows for the rapid detection of target chemicals with high sensitivity in the parts per billion and parts per trillion ranges. “Our new Vaporsens technology can be used in a wide variety of markets and industries, with potential applications for automotive, aerospace, agriculture, chemical manufacturing, military & first responders, worker safety, food & beverage processing, and medical – anywhere chemical sensing is needed,” said Neil Boehm, Gentex’s chief technology officer. Gentex is no stranger to sensing technology. The Company has over 40 years of experience in the commercial fire protection industry, where it pioneered the photoelectric smoke detector, which uses light to “see” smoke particles. The company is currently working with an autonomous vehicle manufacturer on a derivative of this technology to introduce the first smoke detector designed to detect smoke and vape within the vehicle environment. The system consists of a sensing unit placed within the vehicle’s ductwork where it continuously samples the air quality. Once smoke or vape is detected, the vehicle operator could be notified, the vehicle flagged for cleaning, and the offending passenger assessed a fine. “Vaporsens is the perfect complement to our existing smoke detection technology,” continued Boehm. “By combining our smoke and chemical detection technologies we can offer complete, wholistic sensing for the automotive industry and other key markets. In autonomous vehicles, these units will become increasingly important to vehicle operators in order to keep passengers safe and vehicles clean.” Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX) is a supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and electronics to the automotive industry, dimmable aircraft windows for aviation markets, and fire protection products to the fire protection market. Visit the company website at www.gentex.com. https://www.streetinsider.com/Globe+Newswire/Gentex+Announces+New+Nanofiber+Sensing+Technology/17811095.html AOPA PARTNERS WITH ROSS PEROT JR. TO PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL AVIATION SCHOLARSHIPS In its continued effort to introduce future generations to opportunities in aviation, AOPA has joined with noted business leader and aviation record-setter Ross Perot Jr. and The Academy of Aeronautics and Aviation Sciences at V.R. Eaton High School in Fort Worth, Texas, to establish a new series of scholarships for students interested in becoming a professional pilot or aviation technician. The six scholarships will be awarded over the next three years at the academy. AOPA will collect and review scholarships, and administer the scholarship program. “Our mission at AOPA to protect your freedom to fly is especially relevant in ensuring that we set a clear path for future generations of aviators,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “Our work with Ross Perot Jr. and The Academy of Aeronautics and Aviation Sciences brings that vision to life in a very rewarding way.” The public aviation academy at V.R. Eaton High School provides students the opportunity to take dual credit college courses in aviation mechanical technology and/or a professional pilot pathway. Perot is a successful real estate developer and chairman of several companies, is a U.S. Air Force veteran, and undertook the world’s first circumnavigation in a helicopter at the age of 23. Through the Sarah and Ross Perot Jr. Foundation, he is a strong supporter of AOPA and its mission to reinforce high school science, technology, engineering, and math education through aviation. “The Perot family is honored to support students to reach their ambitions in the competitive field of aviation and technology,” Perot said. “This scholarship program reflects North Texas’ strong aviation heritage, and it will help feed the future skilled labor needs of aviation partners at Alliance Texas and throughout the region, while helping students explore the industry and pursue their passions.” “Even after this challenging past year, the aviation industry is forecast to need hundreds of thousands of new pilots and aviation technicians,” Baker added. “It is so important for AOPA to become part of the solution. With the help of generous donations to the AOPA Foundation, AOPA has also awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarship funding to 345 aspiring and enduring pilots over the years.” For more information, contact FTscholarship@aopa.org. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/january/12/aopa-partners-with-ross-perot-jr-to-provide-high-school-aviation-scholarships Concept for a hybrid-electric plane may reduce aviation's air pollution problem At cruising altitude, airplanes emit a steady stream of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, where the chemicals can linger to produce ozone and fine particulates. Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, are a major source of air pollution and have been associated with asthma, respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disorders. Previous research has shown that the generation of these chemicals due to global aviation results in 16,000 premature deaths each year. Now MIT engineers have come up with a concept for airplane propulsion that they estimate would eliminate 95 percent of aviation's NOx emissions, and thereby reduce the number of associated early deaths by 92 percent. The concept is inspired by emissions-control systems used in ground transportation vehicles. Many heavy-duty diesel trucks today house postcombustion emissions-control systems to reduce the NOx generated by engines. The researchers now propose a similar design for aviation, with an electric twist. Today's planes are propelled by jet engines anchored beneath each wing. Each engine houses a gas turbine that powers a propeller to move the plane through the air as exhaust from the turbine flows out the back. Due to this configuration, it has not been possible to use emissions-control devices, as they would interfere with the thrust produced by the engines. In the new hybrid-electric, or "turbo-electric," design, a plane's source of power would still be a conventional gas turbine, but it would be integrated within the plane's cargo hold. Rather than directly powering propellers or fans, the gas turbine would drive a generator, also in the hold, to produce electricity, which would then electrically power the plane's wing-mounted, electrically driven propellers or fans. The emissions produced by the gas turbine would be fed into an emissions-control system, broadly similar to those in diesel vehicles, which would clean the exhaust before ejecting it into the atmosphere. "This would still be a tremendous engineering challenge, but there aren't fundamental physics limitations," says Steven Barrett, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. "If you want to get to a net-zero aviation sector, this is a potential way of solving the air pollution part of it, which is significant, and in a way that's technologically quite viable." The details of the design, including analyses of its potential fuel cost and health impacts, are published today in the journal Energy and Environmental Science. The paper's co-authors are Prakash Prashanth, Raymond Speth, Sebastian Eastham, and Jayant Sabnins, all members of MIT's Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment. A semi-electrified plan The seeds for the team's hybrid-electric plane grew out of Barrett and his team's work in investigating the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal. In 2015, environmental regulators discovered that the car manufacturer had been intentionally manipulating diesel engines to activate onboard emissions-control systems only during lab testing, such that they appeared to meet NOx emissions standards but in fact emitted up to 40 times more NOx in real-world driving conditions. As he looked into the health impacts of the emissions cheat, Barrett also became familiar with diesel vehicles' emissions-control systems in general. Around the same time, he was also looking into the possibility of engineering large, all-electric aircraft. "The research that's been done in the last few years shows you could probably electrify smaller aircraft, but for big aircraft, it won't happen anytime soon without pretty major breakthroughs in battery technology," Barrett says. "So I thought, maybe we can take the electric propulsion part from electric aircraft, and the gas turbines that have been around for a long time and are super reliable and very efficient, and combine that with the emissions-control technology that's used in automotive and ground power, to at least enable semielectrified planes." Flying with zero impact Before airplane electrification had been seriously considered, it might have been possible to implement a concept such as this, for example as an add-on to the back of jet engines. But this design, Barrett notes, would "kill any stream of thrust" that a jet engine would produce, effectively grounding the design. Barrett's concept gets around this limitation by separating the thrust-producing propellers or fans from the power-generating gas turbine. The propellers or fans would instead be directly powered by an electric generator, which in turn would be powered by the gas turbine. The exhaust from the gas turbine would be fed into an emissions-control system, which could be folded up, accordion-style, in the plane's cargo hold -- completely isolated from the thrust-producing propellers. He envisions the bulk of the hybrid-electric system -- gas turbine, electric generator, and emissions control system -- would fit within the belly of a plane, where there can be ample space in many commercial aircraft . In their new paper, the researchers calculate that if such a hybrid-electric system were implemented on a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320-like aircraft, the extra weight would require about 0.6 percent more fuel to fly the plane. "This would be many, many times more feasible than what has been proposed for all-electric aircraft," Barrett says. "This design would add some hundreds of kilograms to a plane, as opposed to adding many tons of batteries, which would be over a magnitude of extra weight." The researchers also calculated the emissions that would be produced by a large aircraft, with and without an emissions control system, and found that the hybrid-electric design would eliminate 95 percent of NOx emissions If this system were rolled out across all aircraft around the world, they further estimate that 92 percent of pollution-related deaths due to aviation would be avoided. They arrived at this estimate by using a global model to map the flow of aviation emissions through the atmosphere, and calculated how much various populations around the world would be exposed to these emissions. They then converted these exposures to mortalities, or estimates of the number of people who would die as a result of exposure to aviation emissions. The team is now working on designs for a "zero-impact" airplane that flies without emitting NOx and other chemicals like climate-altering carbon dioxide. "We need to get to essentially zero net-climate impacts and zero deaths from air pollution," Barrett says. "This current design would effectively eliminate aviation's air pollution problem. We're now working on the climate impact part of it." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/miot-cfa011321.php FRCE explores new laser technology to remove corrosion, coatings Removing coatings and corrosion from aircraft components often requires abrasive blasting, sanding and hazardous chemicals to prepare the surfaces for rework. Engineers and artisans at Fleet Readiness Center East recently observed a demonstration of a quicker, more efficient way to clean these parts for repair, using laser light to remove corrosion and coatings from containers and aircraft components. FRCE’s Advanced Technology and Innovation Team and Materials Engineering Division have been working for some time to bring laser ablation technology to the facility, because the laser system is quicker, cleaner and safer than traditional methods of metal cleaning, according to team members. Recently, the team and other FRCE engineers, maintenance professionals and interested parties had the opportunity to see a handheld laser ablation system demonstration. “Plastic blasting and mechanical removing with sanders are similar processes, but they create a lot more dust and waste,” said Chase Templeton, FRCE robotics, support equipment, and wiring technology lead engineer. “This laser ablation system basically cooks and bakes off all the organic substances of the paint, so the only thing that is removed are the heavy metals that are not converted into carbon dioxide or water vapor.” The laser ablation system sends nanosecond-length pulses of light onto the surface to be cleaned. When the contaminants absorb the light, they either turn into a gas or the pressure removes the particles from the surface, leaving the bare metal clean and ready for coating without damaging its structural integrity. In addition, any waste that is generated is pulled into a vacuum with a HEPA filter, which makes laser ablation an environmentally friendly cleaning method. “Any time you have plastic media blasting or some of these other processes, the waste that’s produced is considered hazardous waste. It’s very expensive to remove and to dispose of,” said Templeton. “With this process, the only hazmat that you have to deal with is the filter and the media that’s collected into the HEPA filter. There’s a whole lot less waste, and it’s a whole lot safer for the environment, a whole lot cheaper for our facility – just benefits all around.” During the demonstration, several groups of maintenance artisans, engineers, Marines from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and Coast Guardsmen from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, donned laser safety glasses to watch as representatives of Adapt Laser stripped paint from a large aircraft engine can. Volunteers, many of them dressed for the office, carefully passed the 1,000-watt laser unit over the storage container, removing swaths of paint from the metal. Participants remarked that the laser system was cleaner, quieter and less cumbersome than plastic media blasting methods, which would make it safer for artisans to operate. “If we were to do something like laser ablation, we would remove the artisan from those hazardous environments. Before, it’s a process that’s going to take longer. You have your chemicals and blast media, you’re not as precise, you have ergonomic injuries from repetitive motions,” said Steven Lofy, materials engineer. “With the laser, all you have to do is bring in safety glasses.” Artisans say the laser system is much quieter than abrasive blasting, which will make the process safer for employees’ hearing than current cleaning methods. “Right now, you can’t be understood when you’re blasting,” said Chad Richards, aircraft examiner. “With laser ablation, you can have someone right beside you talking. Personnel from FRCE’s packaging and preservation shop were the first to try the laser ablation system, and they gave it high marks for efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness. “Right now, given the maintenance for the blasting booth that we have, this will save money all the way around,” said Bridget Wilkins, production supervisor. “It will save a lot in blasting material, paying for the hazmat, removal of the material and the maintenance on the machine itself. So I think it’s an excellent way to go, and I would really hope we consider it.” If the laser ablation technology is adopted at FRCE, the plan would be to start small. “The first step would be getting one of these handheld systems for use in the packaging and preservation shop to use on engine cans, possibly on some ground support equipment, and then plan to move forward once the research is complete,” said Templeton. “At that point, we would start working on components, work up to the next step – maybe unmanned aerial vehicles – then work toward our final goal, which would be to clean a full aircraft using a robotic laser ablation system.” With all of its benefits, the laser ablation system is expensive; handheld units cost between $400,000 and $500,000. FRCE engineers say they expect the system would pay for itself in the long run, with reduced costs for purchase and disposal of hazardous materials, as well as the benefits of quicker turnaround time, improved worker safety and decreased environmental hazards. The next step for the ATI Team is to develop a cost benefit analysis that would lead to the procurement of the handheld laser ablation system. Team members say the demonstration was a positive step toward adopting the laser ablation technology at FRCE. “I think it was a perfect 10. We had various different groups come down, we had leadership, we had various artisans, we had Marines come in, we had Coast Guard guys, and everybody had great feedback for us,” said Templeton. “Some people walked out of here wanting to buy a system that day, if that tells you anything about how well it was received. I think we’re on the right track to help everybody out and move forward with this project.” https://www.dcmilitary.com/tester/news/local/frce-explores-new-laser-technology-to-remove-corrosion-coatings/article_2635684f-0d17-5978-96a8-48d0052d2645.html Fiat Chrysler plans to mass produce flying cars by 2023 Detroit will finally build those flying cars we were promised. On Jan. 12, the electric aviation company Archer announced it is partnering with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to mass-produce its aircraft starting in 2023. The manufacturing arrangement with one of the world’s largest automakers, ostensibly the first of its kind, promises to presage other electric aviation startups’ attempt to crack the massive market for short-haul electric aviation. Archer, along with rivals such as Joby and Beta, is building a vertical take-off and landing aircraft intended to provide “faster, sustainable, and affordable urban transportation.” These electric aircraft straddle the line between airplane and helicopter: Multiple electric rotors allow aircraft to take off or land similar to a helicopter, and rotate for airplane-like horizontal flight. Archer’s vehicle is expected to carry up to four passengers at speeds of 150 mph for 60 miles. Future battery technology could extend that range significantly. “We’re building the world’s first all-electric commercial airline,” claims Brett Adcock, Archer’s co-founder, who sees “incredible demand” for short affordable urban flights between 20 to 100 miles at prices competitive with UberX, about $3 to $6 per passenger mile. The 60-person Archer team is based in Palo Alto, California with investors including Marc Lore, the CEO of Walmart eCommerce. Solving the manufacturing dilemma One of electric aviation’s greatest challenges (beyond safety certification) is mass production. Designing a working prototype is now table stakes in this industry. As Tesla found out, heavy manufacturing at scale can easily bankrupt even the most well-funded companies. To solve this problem, Archer turned to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), which produces about 4 million cars per year at its 100 manufacturing facilities and 40 R&D centers. FCA described it as a mutually beneficial arrangement: It gains experience electrifying vehicles (where it lags behind), and Archer gains access to low-cost manufacturing expertise. FCA already helped design the aircraft’s cockpit and will allow the production of “thousands of aircraft” per year, according to a company spokesperson. The first aircraft is scheduled to be revealed in early 2021 with the first public flights in 2024. Delays are likely given the complexity of launching, literally, a new vehicle. But the announcement fulfills the initial prediction made last year by John Hansman, director of MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation: “You’ve seen some shakeup in electric aviation, but also see it get closer to reality” in 2020, he said. “It’s clear there will be the emergence of a new class of electric airplanes. In 2021, you’ll see hybrid and battery aircraft in service or close to being in service.” Adcock predicted the electric aviation industry would gravitate toward its vertical integration model. The auto manufacturing partnership gives Archer that deep manufacturing integration it needs, while theoretically allowing Archer to retain control over product design and manufacturing that allows it to stand out in a highly competitive market. Archer will brand the aircraft under its name. “It’s a competitive advantage and incredible opportunity to control the product,” says Adcock. https://qz.com/1956157/fiat-chrysler-plans-to-mass-produce-flying-cars-by-2023/ Quality Considerations for Aviation Head-up Displays (HUDs) We have all seen the dramatic air combat sequence in movies—with a target sight, virtual guides help the pilot aim his weapon and lock on before firing. Those on-screen guides appear in the projections of a head-up display (HUD), so-called because the pilot’s head remains up with eyes on the outside environment, rather than down toward a screen or instrument panel. A HUD is any transparent display that gives a pilot a seamless view of critical flight information, projected directly in the pilot's line of sight (e.g., on a screen just inside the windshield). This allows the pilot’s eyes to remain focused outside the aircraft—the HUD’s virtual images may appear to be projected a distance in front of the aircraft, so that the pilot does not have to change focus to the HUD screen itself (this screen may be only centimeters away) or to look elsewhere for critical information (such as an instrument panel in the cockpit). Aviation HUDs are designed so that flight information appears to be on the same visual plane as objects in the environment, so pilots don’t need to refocus their eyes when looking back and forth between projections on the screen and the exterior environment. Rudimentary HUDs were first developed for World War II aircraft and became widely used in military applications during the 1960s. The first civil application of the technology was introduced in 1993.1 Today, these systems are common in both military planes and large commercial jets. The Boeing 787 is the first large commercial aircraft to offer a HUD as standard equipment, using a Rockwell Collins head-up guidance system. Conventional HUDs display virtual shapes and symbols that provide weather, navigational, and other information, collectively referred to as "symbology". The symbology can include aircraft position information like altitude, a horizon line, heading & flight path, turn/bank & slip/skid indicators, radar data, and airspeed, along with other data from the plane's avionics and instrumentation (HUDs on military aircraft may also display information such as an attack target, weapons status, etc.) HUDs are particularly useful if visibility conditions are poor. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now allows pilots to make landings in “no natural vision” (zero-visibility) situations as long as there is an "enhanced flight vision system" (EFVS) installed, for example, an aircraft HUD system, or a helmet-mounted display (HMD) for the pilot.2 HUD System Components To operate effectively, a HUD system typically includes the following components: A computer that receives data (including real-time metrics from the aircraft system sensors, avionics instrumentation, and satellite data). A transparent display screen, called a combiner. Typically made of glass or plastic, the combiner reflects information towards the pilot’s eyes without obstructing the exterior view through the windshield or blocking the passage of ambient light. A control panel that allows the pilot to select various display options and data to be displayed. A projector that projects the assembled images onto the combiner screen. Modern HUD systems have eliminated overhead projector units and instead are able to generate images directly on the display screen. First-generation HUDs used a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display to generate images on a phosphor screen. Many HUDs still in use today are CRT displays, but the phosphor screen coating degrades over time. Next-generation HUDs introduced the use of solid-state light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), modulated by a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen to display images. Many commercial aircraft today use this type of HUD. Third-generation aviation HUDs use optical waveguides that produce images directly in the combiner, without the need for a projection system. Some of the latest HUD systems use a scanning laser, which can display images and video on a clear transparent medium, such as a windshield. HUD makers are also beginning to work with imaging technologies like liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), digital micro-mirrors (DMD), and Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) to reduce the size, weight, and complexity of HUD systems. The next generation of HUD technology adds synthetic terrain or infrared video information to further enhance the display, as part of a broader category of EFVS that includes conventional HUDs. Human Factors in Aviation HUDs The study of human factors is about understanding human behavior and performance. In the aerospace industry, discussion of human factors often focuses on the element of human error in accidents and system failures. Here, “human factors” refers to specific aspects of human capabilities and performance such as visual perception. Consideration of innate human characteristics and responses helps with optimal design of systems that will be used by humans (the discipline of human-centered design). Well-designed equipment and the quality of systems and components help reduce human factors as a causal element in poor performance and accidents. For humans, the eyes (and the associated optic system and visual processing centers of our brain) are the most important source of information we use to assess and understand the world around us. Human vision has driven much of the evolution in cockpit technology. “In contrast to the complicated, gauge-based systems of the past, the electronic flight displays of today’s modern airliners are testament to advances in human factors engineering.”3 Some of the most important human factors considerations include: Focus & Accommodation. For the eye to “register a sharply focused image, certain structural alterations are required depending on the focal length or distance to the object of interest. The process of adapting focal length from a distant object to a near point is known as visual accommodation and involves three separate, but coordinated functions—lens accommodation, pupil accommodation, and convergence. The speed at which accommodation occurs varies between individuals and with age but it is generally a split-second affair.”3 Accordingly, a display configuration that requires the pilot to switch focal point from near (display screen) to far (exterior landscape) could potentially diminish the pilot’s performance, not enhance it. Visual Attention.Our brains are only able to process a limited amount of visual information simultaneously. We have visual working memory that helps process and buffer the information we take in, effectively “metering” competing stimuli. However, focusing on specific items also blocks out others, potentially causing an “attentional blindness.” This selectivity is essential for a human’s ability to operate in complex environments but also potentially dangerous when flying an aircraft. “To efficiently attend to various information sources, and appropriately balance their time between focused and divided attention, pilots are taught the process of ‘scanning’, or attending briefly to each information source sequentially in a systematic fashion.”3 HUD displays reduce complexity by overlaying visual information on the exterior environment, making it easier to take in both types of visual input at once. Color and Contrast. Correct color and contrast values in a HUD display are essential for usability and safety in all operating conditions. The human eye is very sensitive to color and luminance (brightness). We are more sensitive to contrast than absolute luminance, allowing us to see accurately over a wide range of lighting conditions. High contrast (for example, black text on a white page) is easier to perceive than shades of gray. Successive contrast is the effect on our perception in a dynamic situation when shifting our eyes between one or more objects or views in succession. For example, looking at bright cockpit lights then transferring attention to a dark sky causes reduced perception because our eyes take longer to adjust to the darker view. HUD systems typically use green light for their display symbology because the human eye is most sensitive to these wavelengths. Design Factors Constructing an effective HUD system relies heavily on the design of the display itself. Considerations about the size, form factor, lighting, and more must be carefully evaluated. Factors include: Field of View (FOV) – FOV is the scope of the angle (vertical, horizontal, and diagonal) that a display captures and transmits back to the pilot. For example, a combiner with a narrow FOV might show only a runway; a wider FOV could include more information around the perimeter of the runway, allowing the pilot to see peripheral objects like another plane approaching from the side. Parallax – Because human eyes are separated by a slight distance, each eye receives a slightly different image, which is combined in our brains to create our binocular vision. Parallax errors occur when the image presented on a HUD does not align eye-to-eye. A HUD image needs to be clearly viewable by one or both eyes. This issue is typically addressed by collimation. Collimation – The human eye can focus on only one point at a time, thus HUD images need to be collimated: the projected light rays need to appear parallel out to infinity, rather than appear to converge at a point on the physical display screen. With collimation, a pilot does not need to refocus to view both projected symbols and the outside environment since both appear to be on the same “infinite plane.” In time-sensitive and safety-critical maneuvers such as landings, eliminating even the brief time it takes a pilot to refocus from the digital projection to the outside view can be vital. A collimator is a key component of high-quality HUD systems. Eyebox – To enable collimation and clarity of the display, the user’s eyes cannot be too far outside of an optimal viewing position, defined as the head motion box or “eyebox” area of the HUD system. Move to far left/right, up/down, and the image may not display clearly or fully, or may be distorted. Modern HUDs allow some freedom of movement within an eyebox of roughly 5 inches lateral by 3 inches vertical by 6 inches longitudinally (front to back). For a quality HUD, the pilot needs to be able to view the entire display as long as one eye is inside the eyebox. Luminance/contrast – A HUD must adjust luminance and contrast depending on ambient lighting (sunlight, night conditions, weather, etc.) to ensure readability under all conditions. Boresight – Aircraft HUD components need to be precisely aligned with three axes of an aircraft, so that data on the display conforms to the plane’s real position in space—that is, relative to the artificial horizon. This alignment process is called boresighting. This is typically done to an accuracy of ±7.0 milliradians (±24 minutes of arc) and may vary across the HUD’s FOV. Scaling – The images displayed on the HUD must be scaled to overlay the outside view with a 1:1 relationship with respect to the flight path, (pitch and yaw scaling, landscape details, etc.). “For example, objects (such as a runway threshold) that are 3 degrees below the horizon as viewed from the cockpit must appear at the −3° index on the HUD display.”4 Quality Regulations Because of their use in real-time flight situations, the visual performance of HUD systems is critical. The FAA has issued several Advisory Circulars on topics related to HUD displays and electronic flight displays. Among many operational considerations, the agency specifies parameters related to a display’s size, resolution, symbology line width, luminance (in all light conditions), contrast ratio, chromaticity, grayscale, response, refresh rate and update rate, defects (such as element defects and stroke tails), reflectivity/glare, and the size of the flight deck viewing envelope. For more detailed specifications, refer to the FAA Advisory Circulars: AC-25-11B– Electronic Flight Displays AC 90-106A– Enhanced Flight Vision Systems AC-25_1329-1C– Approval of Flight Guidance Systems AC-20-167A– Airworthiness Approval of Enhanced Vision System, Synthetic Vision System, Combined Vision System, and Enhanced Flight Vision System Equipment Testing Head-Up Display Quality How can aerospace manufacturers ensure that HUD equipment and systems are designed effectively to mitigate human factors, address the design and functional considerations, and adhere to FAA guidelines? A rigorous display testing regimen must be put in place. Thorough design and quality control inspection ensures that HUD projections are properly aligned and clear for in-focus binocular viewing, and that light and colors are vivid enough to be clearly discernible from surroundings in any lighting condition. Low-quality projections put aircraft at risk if operators are unable to interpret poorly projected objects in the viewing area of the display. This can lead to misinterpretation, loss of critical environmental data (such as navigation, object proximity, and other alerts), and pilot distraction. To accurately assess these elements, an optical measurement device and complementary test and measurement software is used to inspect HUD projections at several points within the eyebox area (to account for the scope of potential viewing angles). Radiant Vision Systems has provided the leading solutions for conventional display, near-eye-display (NED), and HUD testing in consumer electronics, automotive, and aerospace industries, with equipment advantages that optimize testing speed and simplicity. In contrast to test methods that use spot meters (for instance, spectroradiometers) or traditional human inspection, Radiant’s HUD test platform is an all-in-one, automated system that relies on imaging to evaluate an entire display for all photometric (light, color, contrast) and dimensional requirements (defects, distortion, ghosting) in sequence. Radiant’s ProMetric® Imaging Photometers and Colorimeters have been applied in testing environments to measure see-through display technologies from OLED to waveguide, using a range of projection methods. Want to know more? Let us show you how Radiant imaging photometers and colorimeters solve several test and measurement challenges in the aerospace industry. See a demo of Radiant’s automated HUD test and measurement solution. For more information, visit www.RadiantVisionSystems.com. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2021/01/13/quality-considerations-aviation-head-displays-huds/ Honeywell Launches Next-Generation Digital Cabin Pressure Control And Monitoring System For Aircraft PHOENIX, Jan. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) has introduced the next generation of its Cabin Pressure Control and Monitoring System with applications in both commercial and military aircraft. This new version of the system is all-electric, lighter-weight, and available now for business and regional aviation as well as tactical or military trainer-sized aircraft. The Cabin Pressure Control and Monitoring System (CPCMS) helps maintain and monitor the air pressure inside an aircraft. It can be found onboard any aircraft that flies high enough to require air pressurization, including commercial and business jets as well as military aircraft. It regulates the air that is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft to maintain a safe and comfortable environment while flying at high altitudes. It also manages the rate of pressure change to avoid passenger discomfort during climb and descent. "After listening to our customers, it was clear the industry required an update because most systems being used today rely on decades-old technology," said Tom Hart, vice president and general manager, Air & Thermal Systems, Honeywell Aerospace. "We acted quickly and developed a new digital system that is significantly lighter, more reliable and less costly to certify than products on the market today." This new fourth-generation version of the system is all-electric and has built-in test capability to detect and report any failures or issues, including for the back-up manual portion of the system. Along with the improved system reliability, there is also less system maintenance for the airplane operator. This system further improves sensor accuracy and response rate performance, resulting in more comfortable pressure control. The system can serve a wide variety of aircraft, offering customers the ability to customize the control software to best fit their needs. The entire system weighs less than six pounds, is 30% lighter than its predecessor and has a new and smaller digital controller that allows it to be fit for future upgrades. Honeywell has won a contract with Piaggio Aerospace to provide the new CPCMS for its integration into the new P.180 Avanti Evo aircraft configuration, currently under development. The products will start delivery in the third quarter of 2021 and the first planes with the new system are expected to enter service in the first half of 2022. From the first cabin pressure regulator on the Boeing B-29 until now, Honeywell has over 75 years of experience with pressure control systems, with over 20,000 systems flying globally on aircraft today. Honeywell's legacy as an avionics manufacturer and integrator also helps ensure proper system operation and a smoother path to aircraft certification. For more information on Honeywell's pressure control systems, visit aerospace.honeywell.com. About Honeywell Honeywell Aerospace products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft. The Aerospace business unit builds aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity systems, mechanical components and more. Its hardware and software solutions create more fuel-efficient aircraft, more direct and on-time flights and safer skies and airports. For more information, visit www.honeywell.com or follow us at @Honeywell_Aero. Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honeywell-launches-next-generation-digital-cabin-pressure-control-and-monitoring-system-for-aircraft-301207409.html Nokia Shanghai Bell to deploy next-generation network for Airport Authority Hong Kong Espoo, Finland – Nokia Shanghai Bell today announced that Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will deploy a new, high-bandwidth, mission-critical Nokia IP/MPLS network to support tower operations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). In addition to provision of packet-based IP routing solutions, Nokia will support and manage migration of legacy non-IP aviation applications to the new network. Nokia will also supply a range of operational aviation-specific professional services for network design, architecture, integration and deployment. Upon deployment completion in 2021, Nokia will deliver long-term support and maintenance. The Nokia solution will increase existing data capacity throughput for aviation control systems and ensure smooth and safe operation of aircraft movements throughout the airspace and ground control. It will equip AAHK with a robust, secure communications infrastructure for its critical data, enabling it to operate with optimal levels of efficiency and safety, and to easily accommodate anticipated growth in aircraft movements. Mervyn Harris, Head of Air Traffic Management, Nokia Cloud and Networks Services, said: “As we deploy this robust next-generation network, not only will we complete a flexible, seamless migration of legacy applications but we will also deliver HKIA wide-ranging benefits that include increased passenger capacity, reliability and ease of expansion. “Nokia possesses extensive experience in mission-critical IP networking with air navigation service providers (ANSPs) elsewhere in the world. This enables us to deliver an unparalleled combination of technical skills and domain expertise, which is essential to provide the highest levels of network availability, performance and safety for such a high-profile airport.” Nokia will partner with Shun Hing Systems Integration, a subsidiary of the renowned Hong Kong-based Shun Hing Group, to deliver the project. Shun Hing Systems Integration has extensive experience in design, project management, installation, maintenance of telecommunication and transport infrastructure related systems. S.F. Chan, Assistant General Manager, Shun Hing Systems Integration Co., Ltd. said: “This project is an important step in plans to expand the airport’s operations, enabling it to take advantage of IP networking to modernize aviation communications.” Nokia’s ANSP communications solutions maintain security, reliability and service continuity. Providing highest possible resilience to failure and resistance to external interference, they also support seamless legacy services migration while simultaneously adding new services that enhance ANSP capabilities. Nokia has delivered mission-critical IP networking systems to ANSPs in Ireland (IAA) and Italy (ENAV). About Nokia for Industries Nokia has deployed over 1,300 mission-critical networks with leading customers in the transport, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale and public sector segments around the globe. Leading enterprises across industries are leveraging our decades of experience building some of the biggest and most advanced IP, optical, and wireless networks on the planet. The Nokia Bell Labs Future X for industries architecture provides a framework for enterprises to accelerate their digitalization and automation journey to Industry 4.0. Nokia has also pioneered the private wireless space with many verticals, and now has over 220 large enterprise customers deploying it around the world. About Nokia We create the critical networks and technologies to bring together the world’s intelligence, across businesses, cities, supply chains and societies. With our commitment to innovation and technology leadership, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we deliver networks at the limits of science across mobile, infrastructure, cloud and enabling technologies. Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities we need for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia. https://www.streetinsider.com/Globe+Newswire/Nokia+Shanghai+Bell+to+deploy+next-generation+network+for+Airport+Authority+Hong+Kong/17820706.html How will we achieve carbon-neutral flight in future? Carbon-neutral aviation is possible, but in future, aircraft are likely to continue to be powered by fossil fuels. The CO2 they emit must be systematically stored underground. This is the most economical of various approaches researchers have compared in detail. It is politically agreed and necessary for climate protection reasons that our entire economy becomes climate-neutral in the coming decades -- and that applies to air travel, too. This is a technically feasible goal, and there are numerous ways to achieve it. ETH Professor Marco Mazzotti and his team have now compared the options that appear to be the easiest to implement in the short and medium term and evaluated them according to factors such as cost-effectiveness. The ETH researchers conclude that the most favourable option is to continue powering aircraft with fossil fuels in future, but then remove the associated CO2 emissions from the atmosphere using CO2 capture plants and store that CO2 permanently underground (carbon capture and storage, CCS). "The necessary technology already exists, and underground storage facilities have been operating for years in the North Sea and elsewhere," says Viola Becattini, a postdoc in Mazzotti's group and the study's first author. "The approach may become a cost-competitive mitigation solution for air travel in case, for example, a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system were imposed on emissions from fossil jet fuels, or if governments were to provide financial incentives for deploying CCS technologies and achieving climate goals," says ETH professor Mazzotti. Directly or indirectly from the air Basically, there are two ways to capture CO2: either directly from the air or indirectly at a site where organic material is burned, for example in a waste incineration plant. "Roughly speaking, half of the carbon in the waste burned in municipal incinerators comes from fossil sources, such as plastic that has been produced from petroleum. The other half is organic material, such as wood or wood products like paper and cardboard," Mazzotti says. From a climate action perspective, capturing and storing the share of carbon that has fossil origin is a zero-sum game: it simply sends carbon that originated underground back to where it came from. As to the share of carbon from organic sources, this was originally absorbed from the air as CO2 by plants, so capturing and storing this carbon is an indirect way to remove CO2 from the air. This means CCS is a suitable method for putting carbon from fossil aviation fuels back underground -- and effectively making air travel carbon-neutral. In their study, the ETH scientists were able to show that indirect carbon capture from waste incineration gases costs significantly less than direct carbon capture from the air, which is also already technically feasible. Synthetic fuels more expensive As a further option, the scientists investigated producing synthetic aviation fuel from CO2 captured directly or indirectly from the air (carbon capture and utilisation, CCU). Because the chemical synthesis of fuel from CO2 is energy-intensive and therefore expensive, this approach is in any case less economical than using fossil fuel and CCS. Regardless of whether the CO2 is captured directly or indirectly, CCU is about three times more expensive than CCS. ETH Professor Mazzotti also points out one of CCU's pitfalls: depending on the energy source, this approach may even be counterproductive from a climate action perspective, namely if the electricity used to produce the fuel is from fossil fuel-fired power plants. "With Switzerland's current electricity mix or with France's, which has a high proportion of nuclear power, energy-intensive CCU is already more harmful to the climate than the status quo with fossil aviation fuels -- and even more so with the average electricity mix in the EU, which has a higher proportion of fossil fuel-fired power plants," Mazzotti says. The only situation in which CCU would make sense from a climate action perspective is if virtually all the electricity used comes from carbon-neutral sources. More profitable over time "Despite this limitation and the fundamentally high cost of CCU, there may be regions of the world where it makes sense. For example, where a lot of renewable electricity is generated and there are no suitable CO2 storage sites," Becattini says. The ETH researchers calculated the costs of the various options for carbon-neutral aviation not only in the present day, but also for the period out to 2050. They expect CCS and CCU technologies to become less expensive both as technology advances and through economies of scale. The price of CO2 emissions levied as carbon taxes is likely to rise. Because of these two developments, the researchers expect CCS and CCU to become more profitable over time. Infrastructure required The researchers emphasise that there are other ways to make air travel carbon-neutral. For instance, there is much research underway into aircraft that run on either electricity or hydrogen. Mazzotti says that while these efforts should be taken seriously, there are drawbacks with both approaches. For one thing, electrically powered aircraft are likely to be unsuitable for long-haul flights because of how much their batteries will weigh. And before hydrogen can be used as a fuel, both the aircraft and their supply infrastructure will have to be completely developed and built from scratch. Because these approaches are currently still in the development stage, with many questions still open, the ETH scientists didn't include them in their analysis and instead focused on drop-in liquid fuels. However, the researchers emphasise that CCS, too, requires infrastructure. The places where CO2 can be captured efficiently and where it can be stored may be far apart, making transport infrastructure for CO2 necessary. Science, industry and politics will have to work hard in the coming years to plan and build this infrastructure -- not only for CO2 from aviation, but also for emissions from other carbon-intensive sectors such as chemicals or cement. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113100810.htm SpaceX's upgraded Cargo Dragon supply ship makes 1st Atlantic splashdown A SpaceX Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft returned to Earth from the International Space Station Wednesday (Jan. 13), splashing down off the coast of Florida for the first time ever. The Dragon CRS-21 mission, SpaceX's 21st space station cargo delivery for NASA, launched Dec. 6, 2020, with 6,400 lbs. (2,903 kilograms) of supplies and science equipment for the seven-person crew of Expedition 64. After a one-day delay due to bad weather at the splashdown zone, the upgraded vehicle autonomously undocked from the space station for the first time on Tuesday (Jan. 12), and it splashed down west of Tampa about 35 hours later, at 8:26 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 13 (0126 Jan. 14 GMT). While previous Dragon cargo missions have ended with parachute-assisted splashdowns in the Pacific, the newly upgraded version of SpaceX's cargo vessel is designed to land in the Atlantic Ocean, closer to the science processing center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The CRS-21 mission was not only the first to land near Florida, it was also the first to autonomously dock at, and undock from, the International Space Station. Previous Cargo Dragons have relied on astronauts operating the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple the spacecraft and berth it with the orbiting lab. Other space cargo delivery vehicles, like Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft and Japan's H-II Transfer Vehicle, are intentionally destroyed at the end of their missions; space station astronauts fill the capsules with trash, then use Canadarm2 to send them off toward Earth, and they safely burn up in the atmosphere. SpaceX's Dragon, however, is a reusable spacecraft designed to safely deliver science experiments back to Earth from the space station. The Dragon CRS-21 mission returned with more than 4,400 lbs. (2,000 kg) of "valuable scientific experiments and other cargo," NASA officials said in a statement. "The upgraded cargo Dragon capsule used for this mission contains double the powered locker availability of previous capsules, allowing for a significant increase in the research that can be delivered back to scientists," NASA added. "Some scientists will get their research returned quickly, four to nine hours after splashdown." Some of the scientific cargo on board includes engineered heart tissue, organoids grown from human stem cells, biofilms that could corrode stainless steel, zero-g fiber optics and more. SpaceX is planning to launch its next Dragon cargo resupply mission, CRS-22, in May of this year. The company's Crew Dragon capsule is currently docked with the space station and is expected to return to Earth with its four-person crew in May as well. The next Dragon launch will be another Crew Dragon, which is scheduled to launch the Crew-2 mission with another four astronauts in March. https://www.space.com/spacex-upgraded-dragon-crs-21-atlantic-splashdown Curt Lewis