The ambition of the EU's INDIGO project is to drive forward the path towards sustainable and quiet aviation through innovative aircraft design and new ways of operating medium-haul aircraft close to airports. In order to meet the demand for quiet and low-emission aircraft, especially in the vicinity of airports, the overarching goal of INDIGO is to research, develop and initially validate possible technical solutions. A combination of distributed hybrid electric propeller drives and large aspect ratio wings is to be used. The propulsion system can be operated at low altitudes around and above an airport in either all-electric or SAF mode, or as a combination of both. The upstretched wing has the advantage that aerodynamic efficiency can be increased compared to a comparable aircraft with a smaller wingspan, and it also offers sufficient space to optimally distribute the propellers. Another goal of INDIGO is to predict and minimize propeller noise for the novel distributed propeller concepts.
With a duration of 36 months and an international team of experts in aircraft aerodynamics, aerostructures, propulsion, aeroacoustics, multidisciplinary design, air traffic management and airport operations, the project is well positioned to achieve the following goals:
Development of an innovative concept for a medium-range aircraft with distributed hybrid electric propellers, a large aspect ratio wing, and prediction and minimization of propeller noise for the novel distributed propeller concepts.
Evaluation of different operational concepts from approach and take-off procedures to taxiing on the ground, utilizing the potential flight performance of the new concept.
Investigation of the possible improvements in local air quality and noise pollution with regard to the predicted technology maturity level of the key technologies used.
Improve the current methods used to assess pollution and noise mapping over airport areas to provide more accurate assessments of local air quality and noise and better inform policy makers and air navigation service providers.
The DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology leads the first work package in INDIGO, which involves the development of a fast low-fidelity model and the generation of various possible aircraft concepts. Finally, the most promising concept is selected for further investigation in the following work packages. In addition, more accurate high-fidelity simulations of propeller installation noise and aerodynamic analysis of propeller-wing interaction are being carried out at the institute. The institute is also supporting the project by licensing an aeroacoustic evaluation tool in the simulation chain and by contributing its expertise in aerodynamics and aeroacoustics.
Project
INDIGO - INtegration and Digital demonstration of low-emission aIrcraft technoloGies and airport Operations
Term
2/2023 - 1/2026
Partners
University Carlos III Madrid (Projektleitung)
DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology
University of Strathclyde
Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali
Ruhr University Bochum
University of Bristol
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Barcelona Supercomputing Center
Centro de Referencia de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación ATM
RIGA International Airport
Funding
INDIGO project has received funding from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under the Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement no. 101096055.
