Altran to guide Solar Impulse’s trans-American flight this spring

17-5-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Solar Impulse has taken up yet another challenge in preparation of its 2015 round-the-world flight; to cross the United States, from coast to coast, this spring.

For the Altran teams, as Engineering Partner of the Solar Impulse, the opportunity of accompanying the solar plane on a fuel-free mission spanning more than 5,000km is yet another highly motivating challenge. Within the context of their mission, the teams will have to make strategic flight planning
decisions to take into account the chaotic and highly diversified US landscape, with its mountain ranges, open plains, coastal areas and desert regions, as well as dealing with complex weather conditions.

This is why, even before take-off, the work that Altran carries out in close collaboration with meteorologists, is of vital importance in determining the flight-path possibilities open to the solar plane.

In order to get the “go” or “no go” for flight take-off decision and flight paths, Altran has developed a set of analysis and calculation tools. Based on the modelling of complex phenomena and integrating the latest meteorological and air traffic control data, these tools allow for rapid decision making from take-off to touch-down, which can sometimes be the most complex part of the flight.

To assess the dates and flight paths, and give the aircraft the best possible chances of succeeding its mission, Altran experts have explored four billion different flight possibilities.

Christophe Béesau, Altran partner and leader of the Solar Impulse Modelling team explained: “Our role on the trans-American mission is three-fold: determine the best flight paths, propose take-off options and ensure real-time flight optimisation. For the Solar Impulse, optimal flight-preparation and planning conditions require a suitable amount of sunlight with no heavy clouds, strong winds and turbulence.”

Weather change, the major preoccupation for ground crews, must be constantly monitored. To accompany this incredible trans-American flight, team work is of the utmost importance.

Concerning the role of Altran, Bertrand Piccard, the initiator, chairman and pilot of Solar Impulse, stressed that “The success of the mission will mainly depend on the flight-path choices we make with the Altran team. Sometimes, these choices are made a couple of hours before take-off. For us, Altran is not just an external consultant on the project, but a real member of the team”.

Altran will be providing information related to the Group’s technological support on the mission. The aim of this communication is two-fold, namely:

1. To explain the fundamental aspects of the project and the bold technological and complex choices that have guided Solar Impulse from the outset with theme-based pamphlets issued at each stage of the Solar Impulse mission:

• Why are Solar Impulse missions carried out in several stages?
• How a solar plane can fly by night?
• Why does the plane use honeycomb-structured materials?
• How can the safety of the aircraft be ensured?

2. To relate the human experience attached to this project, with testimonies from Altran consultants involved in the Solar Impulse adventure posted on Altran’s Innovation Makers¹ Blog, innovation-makers.com, dedicated to the talents of the Group’s 20,000 employees.

Altran’s technological expertise and human investment will be the two cornerstones of the Group’s communication, which is designed to prepare the way for the Solar Impulse flight across the US and underscore the challenges involved in this project.

Watch Altran’s video “Solar Impulse across America”

Copies of visuals may be obtained from Altran’s press department

About Altran
As global leader in innovation and high‐tech engineering consulting, Altran accompanies its clients in the creation and development of their new products and services. Altran’s Innovation Makers¹ have been providing services for thirty years to key players in the Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, Railways, Finance, Healthcare and Telecoms sectors. Covering every stage of project development from strategic planning to manufacturing, Altran’s offers capitalise on the Group’s technological know-how in four key areas: Lifecycle Experience,
Mechanical Engineering, Intelligent Systems and IT Systems.

In 2012, the Group generated revenues of €1,456m. Altran now has a staff of 20,000 employees in more than 20 countries.

http://www.altran.com

Press contact
Léonore Cousin
+ 33 (0)1 46 41 72 10
press@altran.com
https://twitter.com/Altran