Germany and Canada have introduced a new cooperative research and development programme to develop quieter aircraft cabins and fireproof composite fibre components.

The three-year programme is part of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s (BMBF) New High-Tech strategy.

The programme will receive a total of €12m in funding from the governmental and commercial entities of both Germany and Canada, with each country contributing 50% of the total value.

“German and Canadian researchers seek to co-investigate the potential of new sound-absorbing insulation or the acoustic meta-materials as a standard approach to reduce in-flight noise.”

Jointly coordinated by Hamburg’s ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research and Canada’s CRIAQ research consortium, the programme will involve a total of 20 partners, which includes a number of companies, universities and research institutions.

According to Hamburg Aviation, while aircraft engines are now quieter, noise and vibration continue to be shifted to the inside of the aircraft via the outer skin of the fuselage, particularly during take-off.

Therefore, German and Canadian researchers seek to co-investigate the potential of new sound-absorbing insulation or the acoustic meta-materials as a standard approach to reduce in-flight noise.

Acoustics Lab at Hamburg’s ZAL Centre of Applied Aeronautical Research will be used to test the project, which is being led by ZAL and Mecanum.

3M Canada, Airbus, École de TechnologieSupérieure, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hutchinson Aerospace, National Research Council Canada, and Université de Sherbrooke are also involved in the project.

The research seeks to develop new fireproof composite components for aircraft cabin, as well as try to further optimise the current production methods of composite materials for the cabin.

Led by Hamburg’s Comprisetec and Canada’s Kruger Biomaterials, the research also includes Exakt Advanced Technologies, Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg University of Technology, Pultrusion Technique, Polytechnique Montréal, and École de Technologie Supérieure Montréal as partners.