Overview
For more than 30 years, simulation has been successfully used in aeronautics and has strongly contributed to technological progress. Well known applications deal with computational fluid and structure dynamics, engine combustion chambers, flight control systems, full flight simulators (integration and training), air traffic control simulators. Yet, a difference in the applications seems to appear based on the principle of real time simulations (simulators) and numerical simulations (simulations).
IMAGE aims at undertaking Research with 5 objectives dealing with simulation and simulators able to interlink non or poorly compatible soft and hardware:
- Final aeronautical products cost reduction (simulation);
- Productivity thanks to system design time reduction (simulation/simulators);
- Faster education thanks to flight simulator coupling with Computer Based Trainers (CBT);
- Cheaper crew training thanks to flight simulator coupling with ATC simulators and CBT;
- Compliance with customers flexibility expectations thanks to virtual product information exchange standardisation effort (simulation/simulators).
Aeronautical engineering industrialists and equipment manufacturers are the targets as final users of the IMAGE generic interconnection and components management.
IMAGE aims at Research and technical activities to implement a generic and universal environment for numerical and interactive simulations, to the benefit of aeronautical industry. Flight simulators are the most visible targets of the proposal.
Funding
Results
IMAGE results are end users validated generic prototyped environment for numerical and interactive simulations optimising aeronautical industry computing investment (Simulators/Simulation).
The results were supposed to be implemented in validation prototypes to confirm the usefulness of the Research. Demonstrations have been organised for multidisciplinary collocated and distributed simulators, distributed simulators coupling for training and education. Dissemination effort, from free of charge developed methodology, opened ways for future product exploitation.
The mid-term milestone addressed simulation environment achievability when compared with project objectives (technical and economical).