solar impulse exhibition (eng)
TRANSCRIPT
Promoting clean technologies to fight climate change
Exploring beyond boundaries of
current knowledge
Bringing hope to inspire present and future generations
Breaking barriers to show new ways
of doing and thinking
Demonstrating a major advance in materials,
lightweight technology and energy efficiency
Providing innovative solutions to face challenges of our time
Inventing the future through the power
of innovation
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TWO PIONEERS, A TEAM, AN AIRPLANE ACHIEVINGTHEIMPOSSIBLEAROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT FUEL
EXPLORATION TO CHANGE THE WORLD
> How to handle very long-duration flights and anticipate all scenarios?
> How to react to changing weather conditions and find the best route?
> How can the pilot fly through the night on battery energy alone before the next sunrise allows him to continue on track?
> How will the pilot manage to cross the oceans when the flight conditions at the end of the route are unpredictable?
> How will the systems behave on an aircraft as innovative as this one?
AT EACH STEP, RENEWED SUSPENSE...
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THE
PIL
OTS
THEFLYINGEXPLORER,inanunpressurizedandunheatedcockpitforverylongflightdurations,willhavetodemonstrateoutstandingenduranceandvigilanceinspiteofextremeconditions.
THEPILOTS
ALONE IN THE SKY
Tailor-made autopilot incorporatingaflight-
envelopemonitoringsystemcapableofalertingthepilotthroughvibrationsonhisarms
Daily requirement for nourishment 2.4kg(5.2lbs.)offood, 2.5l(84.5oz.)ofwater and1l(33.8oz.)of sportsdrinks
Fatigue management through self-hypnosis
andmeditationtechniques
Living space of 3.8 m3
fittedwithacouchetteseatwithintegratedtoilet
Intelligent nylon fiber usedinpilot’sclothingfor astablebodytemperature
Live satellite connection totheMissionControlCenter
Resting strategy about12x20mins
duringa24hcycleoverunpopulatedareas
Tests of vigilance carriedout4timesaday
Human endurance foraflightlasting 5consecutivedays andnights
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THEPILOTS
Never before has one family had such an impact on the world of exploration as Auguste, Jacques and Bertrand Piccard : the exploration of the stratosphere, the conquest of the ocean depths and the first Round-the-World balloon flight.
TRADITION OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION
Auguste PiccardThepressurizedcapsule,andthefirstascentintothestratospherein1931,reachingheightsof16,000meters.FirstmantowitnessthecurvatureoftheEarthwithhisowneyes,thisphysicistpavedthewayformodernaviation.
Jacques PiccardThebathyscaphe,andthedeepestdiveevertothebottomoftheMarianaTrench.Inventorofthefirstpassengersubmarine.AworthysuccessortoCaptainNemo,pioneerofscientificecology,committedtotheprotectionofoceansandlakes.
Bertrand PiccardFirstevernon-stopflightaroundtheworldinaballoon,longestflightinbothdistanceanddurationinthehistoryofaviation.Anexplorerwithahuman-orientedvisionwhopromotesthepioneeringspiritandinnovationineverydaylife.
Foroveracentury,thisSwissfamily,drivenbyadeepconcernforhumanityandtheneedtopreservetheplanet,hasbeenstrivingtopushbacktheboundariesofwhatisknownandpossible.
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THEPILOTS
André BorschbergAnengineerbyeducationandagraduateofMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,AndréBorschberghassolidexperienceincreatingandmanagingcompanies,aswellasinflying.Hispassionforaviationandhisinterestininnovativesolutionshaveledhimtomanagetheprojectandheadthetechnicalteam.
Bertrand PiccardBornintoadynastyofpioneersandscientists,BertrandPiccard,amedicaldoctor,explorerandlecturer,achievedthefirstevernon-stopRound-the-Worldballoonflight.InitiatorofSolarImpulse,hebroughttogetherthepartnerstofundthisproject.Linkingsciencewithadventuretopromotecleantechnologies,hedevelopstheproject’sphilosophyandoutlinesitssymbolicandpoliticalreach.
Two men, both pioneers, innovators and pilots, are the driving force behind Solar Impulse : Bertrand Piccard with his avant-gardist vision and André Borschberg with his entrepreneurial and managerial experience.
DUAL CONTROL
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THE
AIR
PLA
NE
THEPOWEROFINNOVATIONthefirstairplanewithperpetualenduranceabletoflydayandnightwithoutanyfuel.
THEAIRPLANE
A REVOLUTIONARY PROTOTYPE
Weight ofafamilycar 2,300kg(5,070lbs)
Unpressurized and unheated cockpit
forasolopilot
Maximum power 4enginesof13.5kw
(17.4hp)
Maximum indicated air speed of90km/h(49kts)
Maximum cruising altitude of8,500m(27,000ft)
Average power over 24 h ofasmallmotorcycle
17,248 photovoltaic solar cells only135micronsthick, thewidthofahair
Wingspan ofaB-747JumboJet
72m(236ft)
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THEAIRPLANE
2010 Solar night flightswiss flightsAchievingthefirsteversolar-powereddayandnightflight.
2011 European flightsUnderthepatronageoftheEuropeanUnion,SolarImpulsecompleteditsfirstinternationalflighttoBrussels.SpecialguestatParis-leBourgetInternationalAirShow,theworld’smostfamousaeronauticalgathering.
2012 Destination MoroccoFirstinter-continentalflightacrosstheMediterranean,2,500km(1,553miles),supportingthevisionaryprogramoftheKingofMoroccotobuildtheworld’slargestsolar-thermalpower-plant.
2014 SI2 test flightsFirstsuccessfultestflightsoftheSolarImpulse2Round-the-Worldairplane.
First to fly day and night on solar energy without fuel
16 FAI World Records in aviation
2013 Across America Acoast-to-coastflightacrossAmerica:5,650km(3,510miles)fromSanFranciscotoNewYorkCity.BertrandPiccardandAndréBorschbergwereinvitedtospeaktotheEconomicandSocialCouncilattheUnitedNations.Overcomingnumerouschallengesalongthewaydemonstratedthereliabilityofthetechnologyandshowedtheteam’sresourcefulness.ImportanttrainingfortheRound-the-WorldFlight.
MILESTONES
2015 The longest solo flight in an airplaneHavingleftAbuDhabiinMarch,SolarImpulseflew20’000kmin8stagestoHawaii,completingabouthalfoftheround-the-worldflightandthelongestsolodurationeverinanairplane:5consecutivedaysand5nights.
2016:Flight around the world...to be continued
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THEAIRPLANE
Solar Impulse brings together an entire family of companies and individuals who share the project’s pioneering spirit, guarantee its feasibility and help spread its message.
A SHARED MINDSET
Support of prestigious personalitiesallcommittedtoenergyandenvironmentalproblemsandenthusiasticpromotersofthisinspiringchallenge.
Committee of patrons Joseph Ackermann Buzz AldrinYann Arthus-Bertrand Sir Richard BransonJames CameronPaulo CoelhoPeter DiamandisJean-Louis ÉtienneAl Gore Nicolas HulotErik R. Lindbergh SAS le Prince Albert II de MonacoHubert Reeves Robert SwanJean Verne Don WalshRichard WieseElie Wiesel
“A weapon […] to show the need to power our world on clean energy. ” Sir Richard Branson
“A great way to attract attention to the issue of solar energy. ” James Cameron
“A giant step forward sending a strong message to people around the world. ” Ban Ki-Moon
Amongthem: Solvay Omega Schindler ABB Google Swiss Confederation Altran Bayer Swiss Re Corporate Solutions MoetHennessy Swisscom Nestlé Research Masdar Principauté de Monaco Semper Clarins Victorinox Air Liquide Dassault Systemes Mc Kinsey & Company EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology)
Some 80 partners and 100 consultantshelpmaketheadventurepossible.Theyprovidefinancingandexpertadvice,andhavejoinedforcestodreamupnewtechnologicalsolutions.
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THE
AD
VEN
TUR
E
PIONEERINGFORPROGRESSANDSUSTAINABILITYanexplorationintothefuture,demonstratinghowcleantechnologiesandrenewableenergiescanachievetheimpossible.
THEADVENTURE
THE ROUTE
Flights lasting 4 or 5 days forthePacificandAtlanticcrossings,ina3.8m3cockpit
Approximately 36,000 kilometers/22,000 miles
Necessity to fly in favorable weather withouttoomuchwind,with
minimalrainfall,andwithescaperoutesincaseofunexpectedcircumstances
More than 500 flying hours inanairplanewithnopolluting
emissions
An epic in 12 stages fromMarchtoAugust2015
A support team of 60
Pilots taketurnstofly successivelegs
Continuous transmission of data betweenmeteorologists,
mathematicians,airtrafficcontrollersandplanningengineerstoselectatrackthattakesaccountofallconstrainingparameters
An eastbound route in the northern hemisphere UnitedArabEmirates– ArabianSea–India– Myanmar–China–Pacific
Ocean–UnitedStatesofAmerica–AtlanticOcean–SouthernEuropeor
NorthAfricaandback tothepointofdeparture
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THEADVENTURE
In permanent contact via satellite with the airplane, the Mission Control Center (MCC) is the pilot’s “guardian angel ”.
In search of the most suitable patterns for the Round-the-World route, several thousand flights have been simulated since 2005, taking account of varying meteorological conditions.
ThePrincipalityofMonacoalongsidethePrinceAlbertIIFoundationhoststhemissioncontrolcenter.Whenflightsareinprogress,theflightparametersarere-calculatedtwiceaday,takingintoconsiderationtheprevailingweathersituationandamountofsunshine.Flightaltitudesandtrackareoptimizedtoensureenoughon-boardstoredenergytoflythroughthenight.
Mathematicianscalculatetheflightparameters,takingintoaccountmeteorologicaldata,amountofsunshineandairtrafficrestrictions.
MISSION CONTROL CENTER
Twentyspecialistsanticipateeverypossiblescenarioandtransmitinformationenablingthepilottofollowtheoptimumflightplanandcompletehismissionsuccessfully.
Capcomisresponsiblefordirectvoicecommunicationswiththepilot.
Engineersdrawuptheflightplanandmonitortheaircraft’stechnicaldata.
Air Traffic Controllerscoordinatetheflighttrajectorywithregionalcontrolcentres.
Flight Directormanagestheteam,andtogetherwiththepilot,takesthemainstrategicdecisions.
MeteorologistsMeteorologistsanalyzetheweatherforecaststofindasuitablewindowfortheflight,aswellasafavourablerouting.
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THEADVENTURE
Configuration and structureMechanicalandaeronauticalengineers,physicists,specialistsinstructures,aerodynamics,anddesignandcomputationtools,allwellfamiliarwithcompositematerialtechnology,joinedforcestofinalizethestructureofthesolarairplane.
Different nationalities, different professions, different skills, but all of them share the vision of clean technologies making the world a better place.
THE TEAM
Energy and propulsion Theelectricalengineerstookonthechallengeofachievingmaximumefficiencyforthelowestpossibleweight,andensuredoptimalenergyusebymanaging,processing,storingandregulatingtheenergychainfromthesolarcellstothepropellers,anddevelopingtheenginesandhigh-performancebatteries.
Production workshop Inthishigh-tech,futuristicproject,empiricismcannotwork.Eachcomponentofthesolarairplanehastopassseveralteststobecertifiedas“fittofly“.Asmallhighly-skilledteampresidesoveralltheseessentialtests.
Project coordination Theseengineershavemasteredseveraldisciplines,includingthelatestconstructiontechniques,aerodynamics,thermodynamics,projectmanagement,systemsengineeringandnumericalsimulation.
Flight testingAtestpilotjoinstheengineersforaircrafttesting,firstonthegroundandtheninflight.inordertocertifytheprototypeaccordingtothecivilaviationrequirementsandprepareitfortheflightmissions.
Logistic & ground crewForeachstageoftheRound-the-Worldflight,thisteamisbusyorganizingtheconveyanceofequipmentandstaffmemberstothevariousairports.Foreachflightleg,theyareresponsibleforpreparingtheaircraftandthepilot,handlingtheaircraftontheground,andensuringoperationalefficiencyandthesafetyoftakeoffsandlandings.
Take-off team Thecommunication,pressandmultimediacellsallowthepublictoparticipateinthischallengethroughtheworld’smediaandthesocialnetworks.Thefinancedirectorateandsecretariatprovidethenecessarysupporttoallowtheadventuretotakeoff.
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THEPILOTS
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LET’S RUN THE WORLD WITHCLEAN TECHNOLOGIES
« What we can achieve in the air, anyone can do on the ground in their everyday lives. Let’s replace old polluting devices with modern clean technologies. Sustainable growth will only come from products that can save energy and protect the environment. It is possible today to bridge ecology and economy. »BertrandPiccard
« Imagine energy reserves actually increasing during flight ! To achieve this ambition, we really had to surpass ourselves, to find synergy between all the innovators, prove what can be achieved, and explore all possible strategies, from the design work to the mission. With an airplane, you can’t cheat. Either it flies or it doesn’t. » AndréBorschberg
DEFYING THE IMPOSSIBLE TOLAYDOWNAMARKER FOR THE FUTURE
EXPLORERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTUREFlying around the world aboard their silent airplane, Solar Impulse’s founders and pilots are making history with clean energy. Their adventure proves that change is possible. The clean technologies in their solar plane offer hope and innovative solutions for tackling the challenges of our century.
BertrandPiccardandAndréBorschbergbelievethatacleanerworldispossiblethankstopoliticalcourageandpioneeringspirit.Frominspirationtoexecution,theycombinedtheirskillsandsetoffdowntheriskypathwayofallexplorers.Pushingbacktheboundariesofknowledge,transcendingcommonassumptions,andattemptingtheimpossible.
Inthisway,theywanttoraisepeople’sawarenessaboutthechangesneededforbetteruseofenergyresourcesandgreaterrespectfortheenvironment.Theirboldprojectaimstopavethewayforthefuture,inspirepresentgenerations,andencourageopinionleaderstocommittoasustainableworld.
A monitoring system constantlychecksthe
functioningoftheautopilotanddetectsanyanomalyorexceedingofsafelimits.
PILOTING AND SAFETY
The 3.8 m3 (134.2 cubic ft) cockpit volumeprovidesenough
spaceonboardforoxygensupplies,foodandsurvivalequipment,whilstalsomeetingtheergonomicrequirementsforflightslastingseveraldays.
A multi-purpose seat functionsbothas recliningberthandtoilet. Aparachuteandalife-raft
arepackedintothe seat-back.Whenfully
reclined,itallows thepilottoperform physicalexercises.
In the absence of any heating, thecockpitandthepilot
areprotectedagainstthecoldoutside(-40degrees)byhigh-densitythermalinsulation.
Self-hypnosis and meditation
techniquesallowthepilottomaintainhispowersofconcentrationandvigilance.
A flight simulator developedspecificallyfor
SolarImpulsegivesthepilotstheopportunitytotrainforlongdurationmissionsandpracticethedelicatehandlingtheiraircraftrequires.
Live satellite connection to the ground ;
transmissionofhundredsofdatatothemissionroombytelemetry,aswellasvoice,picturesandfilmstoallowthepublictobepartoftheadventure.
THEPILOTS
A man-machine interface providesthepilotwith asensoryalertifthe bankanglegoesbeyond
the5°limit.
Intelligent nylon fiber used in pilot’s clothing
tostabilizethebodytemperature.
Oxygen mask whenflyingabove3,600m
(12,000ft).
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THEZEROFUELAIRPLANE
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What if thesecleantechnologiesemergedfromstart-upstorevolutionizeourindustries?
WHAT IF OUR WORLD WORKED LIKE THIS AIRBORNE SMART GRID ?
What iftheefficiencyofSolarImpulse’sengines–withhardlyanylosses–couldbeappliedmoregenerallyacrosstheboard?
What ifmoreefficientdevicesweresystematicallyusedinourelevatorsandourcars,aswellasbetterperforminginsulationfoamsforourhouses?
What ifproducingenergyintheexactsameplacewhereitisconsumedbecamethenorminourdailylives?
IFTHISHOPETOOKWINGINOURSOCIETY,POLLUTING EMISSIONS WOULD BE CUT BY HALF.
A FLYING REVOLUTION More than an airplane, Solar Impulse is a concentration of clean technologies – a genuine flying laboratory – and illustrates that solutions exist today to meet the major challenges facing our society.
Itsdesignandconstructioncalleduponthemostadvancedtechnologiesandhavestimulatedscientificresearchinthefieldsofmaterialsandlightweightstructures,aswellasenergystorageandefficiency.
Solar Impulse accomplished what many deemed impossible only a few years ago: a flight of five days and five nights with zero fuel, propelled solely by the energy of the sun.
Thisground-breakingdemonstrationhighlightstheenormouspotentialofmoderntechnologiestoutilizecleanenergy.Thesameenergy-efficientsolutionscouldalreadybeusedinourdailylives.
Isolation foam with very thin pores inside the cockpit toinsulatefromextreme
temperaturesduringflight.
Airframe madeofcomposite
materials(carbonfiberandhoneycombsandwich).
Upper wing surface coveredbyaskinconsisting
ofencapsulatedsolarcells and the lower wing surfacebyahigh-strength,flexibleskin.
Energy stored in lithium polymer batteries, whoseenergydensityisoptimizedto260wh/kg.Batteries
insulatedbyhigh-densityfoamandmountedinthefourenginenacelles,withasystemtocontrolchargingthresholdsandtemperature.Theirtotalmassamounts
to633kg(1,395lbs.),orjustoveraquarteroftheaircraft’sall-upweight.
4 brushless, sensorless motors with exceptional energy efficiency
eachgenerating13.5kw(17.4hp),fittedwithareductiongearlimiting
therotationspeedof a4mdiameter(13ft),
two-bladedpropellerto525rev/min.Theentiresystemis94%efficient,arecordrate,yieldinga6%energylossversus70%innormalthermalmotors!
140 carbon-fiber ribs spacedat50cm(20in.)
intervalsgivethewingitsaerodynamiccross-section,andalsomaintainitsrigidity.
17,248 monocrystalline silicon cells
each135micronsthick,providingthebestcompromisebetweenlightness,flexibilityandefficiency(23%).
An ultra-lightweight and incredibly strong fuselage,
thankstoarevolutionarycarbon-fibremanufac-turingprocessinwhichonlytheareassubjecttohighloadsarereinforced.Thisinnovationhasreducedtheweightofsomecarbonmateriallayersby75%,yieldingasignificantreductionintheweightofeachcomponent.
FLYINGLABORATORY
THEZEROFUELAIRPLANE
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