Programmes
- ONERA
- Research - Aeronautics Space Defense
- Programmes
- Aeronautics
Aeronautics
The mission of the Aeronautics Directorate is to coordinate ONERA's aeronautics and air transport activities. It focuses on the following programs: civil transport aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, propulsion and environment, air transport systems, UAVs, and numerical simulation in fluid mechanics and energetics.
The department's mission is to propose ONERA's strategy within its scope, and to implement the resulting actions. It is the main point of contact for customers and stakeholders.
Improving performance...
ONERA supports manufacturers in the development of technologies for: drag reduction, improved propulsion systems and aeronautical combustors, lighter structures.
...with respect for the environment
ONERA is developing a global approach to reduce the environmental footprint of future aircraft:
- Reduce fuel consumption and develop the use of low carbon fuels
- Reduce noise
- Reduce effluents
Find out more about the Aeronautical Propulsion and Environment Program Division
...by developing and disseminating digital methods and tools
Numerical simulation of a complete aircraft powered by a rotating fan using the elsA codeONERA's ambition in multiphysics numerical simulation is twofold: to be at the cutting edge of numerical simulation in terms of upstream methods, and to develop federative software offering for a broad spectrum of ONERA's activities. Among ONERA's major industrial software programs are elsA (with Safran) for aerodynamics, CEDRE for propulsion and energetics, Taranis for magnetohydrodynamics, and Z-Set for structural mechanics. Significant efforts have been made to modernize these major calculation codes, with the development of SoNICS (successor to elsA, with Safran), CODA (for aircraft aerodynamics, with Airbus and DLR), A-set (successor to Z-set) and the modernization of CEDRE.
In addition to disciplinary simulations, efforts to couple codes for multi-physics simulation through the development of software (e.g. CWIPI, ParaDiGM) and data exchange protocols (Python-CGNS) are taking
Find out more about ONERA fluid mechanics and energy software
Safety: an essential requirement
ONERA is fully playing its role as a government reference: since 2016, it has been mandated by the DGAC to carry out research into the understanding of physical phenomena: wake vortices, crashes, icing, lightning…
System reliability
This is a major focus for ONERA, from software to large systems, from aircraft design to certification. The DGAC has also mandated ONERA under a research agreement on the certification of onboard computer systems.
Pilot assistance and human factors
Operational reliability depends on the interaction between pilot and machine. ONERA scientists analyze human activity through experience feedback, and model processes.
Drones
ONERA's wealth of experience enables it to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to meet the current challenges facing the drone industry:
- Safer drones
- Surveillance of malevolent drones
- More efficient drones
Air transport system performance
ONERA is a key player in the SESAR (Single European Sky Air traffic management Research) program, the technological component of the Single European Sky.
This program was launched by the European Commission to restructure airspace in response to traffic growth, increase safety by a factor of 10, reduce environmental impact and develop the economic efficiency of air transport.