{"id":460109,"date":"2023-10-17T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=460109"},"modified":"2023-10-17T06:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T04:30:00","slug":"a-mathematicians-search-for-sustainable-aviation-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/a-mathematicians-search-for-sustainable-aviation-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"A mathematician\u2019s search for sustainable aviation solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>He\u2019s a mathematician, a chess player and the father of three children: meet Johan Kos, a principal R&amp;D engineer principal with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlr.org\/\">NLR<\/a>, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre. Close on thirty years ago, he made the switch from the academic world to the aerospace sector. Since then, Johan has been working behind the scenes on new technologies for making aviation more sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"io-block io-block__summary\"><ul><li>Johan Kos, a senior R&amp;D engineer at the Royal NLR, is working on sustainable aviation technologies;<\/li><li>He led the TRANSCEND project, which focused on alternative aircraft fuels and propulsion methods;<\/li><li>Johan believes mathematical models play a crucial role in conveying clear messages for industry and policy decisions.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One example of that is the European Clean Sky 2* project&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlr.org\/news\/decarbonisation-of-european-aviation-under-threat\/\">TRANSCEND<\/a>, for which Johan took the initiative and had the role of project leader. The project, which NLR carried out together with TU Delft, looked at how alternative aviation fuels and new aircraft propulsion techniques \u2013 including propulsion using liquid hydrogen \u2013 could help reduce the environmental impact of aviation. The conclusion was harsh but clear: a shortage of European raw materials for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will inhibit green aviation in Europe from 2035 onwards. This shortage means that emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 will only be forty per cent lower than in a scenario in which aircraft are flying solely on fossil kerosene, whereas sufficient availability of SAF could double that percentage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting a clear message out there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It shows very nicely why Johan loves his work so much. \u201cWe now know that making green raw materials available has to be made a priority. Mathematical models can genuinely help create a clear message and get it out into the open, where European policymakers and companies can do something with it. That\u2019s indispensable, particularly when several options are on the table and it\u2019s not certain what their impacts and consequences will be \u2013 as is the case right now for sustainable aviation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/johan-kos-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-460116\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A dedicated chess coach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thinking things through and analysing them \u2013 two crucial facets that permeate not only his work but also his hobby. In his free time, Johan is a dedicated chess aficionado and coach. He has been playing chess since he was ten and now shares his love of the game with children of all ages, who he gives coaching sessions for once a week. \u201cI really like being able to pass on my love of the game to the next generation. It\u2019s a target group who sometimes find it difficult to fit in with other hobbies. If they\u2019re enthusiastic about it when they head home, I\u2019m delighted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From a mathematician to an aerospace engineer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Johan\u2019s career began as a mathematician, when he got his doctorate in 1995 from VU University Amsterdam on time-dependent problems in linear operator theory. During that period, he took a series of courses about mathematical system theory and control theory; the general field of application for modelling systems using various techniques was something that intrigued him in particular. Browsing through a newspaper, he saw a job advert from NLR and decided to apply.&nbsp;One thing led to another. When Johan started at NLR in 1995, he knew absolutely nothing about aviation technology. He had no idea how an aircraft was built, let alone what role research projects&nbsp;played. Thirty years later, that has changed; as a principal engineer, he has handled several projects \u2013 some of them international \u2013 and he finds his job getting more interesting every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked if anything ever goes wrong, his answer is clear. \u201cAll the time. When you\u2019re doing research, you\u2019re always feeling your way in the dark to some extent \u2013 you never know beforehand what the results are going to be. But that\u2019s what makes our work so interesting, creating a clear understanding and getting the best results. On top of that, it\u2019s a sector where there\u2019s a lot of momentum. Ten years ago, I wouldn\u2019t have thought for a moment that hydrogen was going to play such a big role. In the aviation sector, we\u2019re working on a new revolution: flying on liquid hydrogen with fuel cells and electric propulsion, or by direct combustion. This aim is for the first aircraft to hit the major markets by 2035. I\u2019ll be sixty-seven then, so it\u2019d be nice if that happens before I retire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link advgb-dyn-00bedc02\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/using-data-to-comply-with-noise-standards-and-regulations\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"Using data to comply with noise standards and regulations\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">Using data to comply with noise standards and regulations<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">When Ellen van Leeuwen started as a data analyst at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) at age twenty-one, she and the secretary were the only women in the department. Over thirty years later, she still works there \u2013 now as a principal engineer \u2013 and she is surrounded by more and more women. <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sustainability as a priority<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The efforts to hit sustainability targets mean that sharing knowledge and collaborating are indispensable. \u201cNow more than ever,\u201d says Johan. \u201cWorking together is the only way we\u2019ll keep pushing the boundaries of technology.\u201d This joint approach can be seen clearly in the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nlr.org\/news\/one-of-the-worlds-largest-thermoplastic-aerostructures-successfully-completed\/\" target=\"_blank\">STUNNING<\/a>&nbsp;project, in which Johan is the project coordinator for NLR\u2019s part. The consortium, which includes GKN Fokker, TU Delft and SAM|XL, is working with Airbus and numerous European partners to study the use of thermoplastic composite for constructing the fuselage of a new generation of large aircraft for short-haul and medium-range flights, targeting producing at least sixty to a hundred aircraft a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I work in a sector where there\u2019s a lot of momentum. Ten years ago, I wouldn\u2019t have thought for a moment that hydrogen was going to play such a big role. <\/p>\n<cite>Johan Kos<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>These thermoplastic composites are carbon fibre-reinforced plastics that are heated under pressure to temperatures of four hundred degrees and then cooled (consolidation) to give the products their final properties. That is a much higher process temperature than is used for thermoset composites, which are currently widely used in the fuselages of larger planes. The sector is banking on the new thermoplastics, though. \u201cThe material should provide the same strength and lifespan as aluminium, but it\u2019s a lot lighter and that lets planes fly more sustainably and efficiently,\u201d explains Johan. The aim is to reduce the fuselage weight by more than ten per cent. On top of that, thermoplastic parts can be welded together, which is a major plus point compared to thermoset composites that always have to be joined mechanically, which increases the production costs and adds to the weight. Furthermore, the curing of thermoset composites is an irreversible chemical process, which makes recycling awkward. That is not the case for thermoplastics, so reusing this type of material is easier.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link advgb-dyn-36af7c16\"><a href=\"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/en\/making-it-work-sustainable-aviation\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"Making it work: sustainable aviation\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/app\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Josvankan.jpg\" style=\"max-width: 150px; max-height: 150px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">Making it work: sustainable aviation<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">In the series \u2018NLR People\u2019, we show you who the experts at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre are, what drives them, and what they are working on behind the scenes. In this first episode: Jos Vankan, principal scientist at the Collaborative Engineering Systems department.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An unforgettable phone call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The cooperation resulted in a thermoplastic lower half of a fuselage eight metres in length and four metres wide \u2013 the biggest thermoplastic object ever made for aviation. NLR made the skin of the lower half as a single piece. \u201cWe started automated placement of the skin in its correct shape. It consists of layers of narrow strips of carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic, laid in different directions. Without our partners \u2013 DLR and the EMOTION consortium (TU Munich, Ostseestahl and Alpex) \u2013 the consolidation step would never have worked. Their innovative consolidation mould and autoclave helped us develop our knowledge further of how to make large objects from thermoplastics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as developing the large fuselage part, NLR has worked with GKN Fokker and Airbus on the technology for making, simulating and testing local reinforcement of fuselage components, welding technology based on induction heating and technology for integrating systems into the fuselage. The moment when Johan got a call from Germany (where the skin was being consolidated by NLR in an autoclave belonging to DLR) saying that they had managed to create the object is one that he won\u2019t forget in a hurry. \u201cIt was during the coronavirus epidemic, so unfortunately I wasn\u2019t able to be there in person. I went and had a look a week later though, with the people involved from Airbus and the EMOTION consortium.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The complete multifunctional fuselage demonstrator is expected to be ready at the beginning of 2024, once the upper and lower halves have been welded together. \u201cWe can genuinely look forward to commercial aircraft being made using these thermoplastic structures. That\u2019s what\u2019s so nice about working for NLR: you\u2019re doing research, but you really do see it applied in practice too. Our research can become the future of production.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>He\u2019s a mathematician, a chess player and the father of three children: meet Johan Kos, a principal R&amp;D engineer principal with NLR, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre. Close on thirty years ago, he made the switch from the academic world to the aerospace sector. Since then, Johan has been working behind the scenes on new technologies [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1744,"featured_media":493683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-partner.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26049],"tags":[39602,70581,1024,48777,79631],"location":[6763],"article_type":[6758],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[],"class_list":["post-460109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobility","tag-aerospace","tag-duurzaamheid-2","tag-luchtvaart","tag-nlr","tag-nlr-people","location-netherlands","article_type-interview"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":"In the series \u2018NLR People\u2019, we show you who the experts at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre are, what drives them, and what they are working on behind the scenes. In this episode: Johan Kos.","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Aafke Eppinga","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/aafke-eppinga\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/johan-kos.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mobility<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mobility<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Aerospace<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">duurzaamheid<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">luchtvaart<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">NLR<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">NLR People<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Aerospace<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">duurzaamheid<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">luchtvaart<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">NLR<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">NLR People<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 years ago","modified":"Updated 2 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on October 17, 2023","modified":"Updated on October 17, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on October 17, 2023 6:30 am","modified":"Updated on October 17, 2023 6:30 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1744"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=460109"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=460109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}