Everyday life is dominated by information. Constantly growing volumes of data have to be transported around the globe. Satellite telecommunications play an important role in ensuring that such data reaches its destination reliably. Advanced German technology is playing its part in this on board Alphasat I-XL, the largest European Space Agency (ESA) telecommunications satellite to date, which lifted off on an Ariane 5 launcher from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on 25 July 2013 at 21:54 (CEST). From an altitude of about 36,000 kilometres above the Earth, the giant satellite is expected to revolutionise broadband communication over the next 15 years, offering over 750 L-Band channels in the mobile communications spectrum.

Alphasat I-XL is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between ESA and Inmarsat, a global operating company for mobile satellite communication services. It is because of this PPP that the satellite has the 'I' in its name. 'XL' refers to the fact that Alphasat is the largest telecommunications satellite ever built in Europe. Several goals are being pursued simultaneously with the Alphasat development programme, under ESA's ARTES 8 satellite programme. Through the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Space Administration, Germany is the second largest contributor to this project, with a 14 percent share.

German technology in geostationary orbit

The newly developed 'Alphabus' satellite platform introduces a promising European product line for the market in large satellites – with a launch mass of up to 8.8 tons. Alphabus was developed in Toulouse under French leadership by prime contractors EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space. German suppliers also made significant contributions to the construction of the satellite platform, making Germany the second largest financial contributor to the Alphabus development programme as well. "The German elements ensure that Alphasat I-XL will be transferred into geostationary orbit, are responsible for aspects of attitude and orbit control and provide electrical power to the satellite," says Gerd Gruppe, DLR Executive Board Member responsible for the German Space Administration.

The solar generator was developed and built by EADS Astrium in Ottobrunn, and provides 12 kilowatts of power for Alphasat I-XL. With four panels on both the north and south sides of the satellite, its span of almost 40 metres is longer than the wingspan of the Airbus A320. "To generate this amount of power, new, larger panels were needed; these were developed in Ottobrunn, with contributions from Munich-based company GKN Aerospace. The solar generator was designed from the outset so that it could supply even larger versions of the Alphabus, with a maximum capacity of 22 kilowatts," says Anke Pagels-Kerp from the DLR Space Administration.

The propulsion system for the transfer to geostationary orbit and engines for attitude and orbit control were manufactured by EADS Astrium in Lampoldshausen. As is standard practice with telecommunication satellites, Alphasat was delivered into a geostationary transfer orbit by the launcher. To reach its target position in geostationary orbit at an altitude of around 36,000 kilometres, the satellite needs an onboard chemical propulsion system.

The fuel tanks for the chemical propulsion system, which have a capacity of around 2000 litres, are also of German design. Augsburg company MT Aerospace succeeded in manufacturing the largest tanks ever built for a telecommunications satellite. The reaction wheels that control the orientation of the satellite were built by Rockwell Collins in Heidelberg.

Alphasat – a platform for testing new technologies

In addition to the commercial payload from Inmarsat, Alphasat I-XL has additional space for innovative technologies that will be tested under the conditions found in geostationary orbit for the first time. Of the four payloads flying on Alphasat for demonstration purposes, two come from Germany. One is an innovative star sensor built by Jena Optronik, which provides extremely accurate orbit and attitude information for the satellite; as it does so, it supports the precise orientation of the laser communication terminal, the second demonstration payload from Germany. The optical Laser Communication Terminal (LCT) was developed under the leadership of Tesat, from Backnang, under contract to DLR, as part of the preparation for a new data highway in space – the European Data Relay System (EDRS).

Light instead of radio waves - laser enables faster data transfer

Transferring the massively increasing volumes of data between satellites and Earth is presenting ever-greater challenges to engineers. So far, they have been able to continually increase data transfer speeds by using higher radio frequencies and new electronic systems. Radio technology has its limitations; only a certain number of frequencies are available, and many of these are already being used. However, by switching from radio waves to much higher frequency laser light, these restrictions can be avoided; this will enable data streams to be transported much faster in the future. "The development in laser data transfer is a quantum leap in satellite communication. Germany saw the significance of this technology early on and has been encouraging it from the start. This is now bearing fruit; Tesat, a German company, is now the global market leader in this segment," explains Gruppe. This development did not just happen. Laser transfer systems have been tested on satellites for a number of years. In 2007, the German Earth observation satellite TerraSAR-X succeeded in using a LCT to exchange data with the American NFIRE satellite at a rate of 5.6 gigabits per second over a distance of 5000 kilometres – this corresponds to transferring a data volume equivalent to 400 DVDs per hour.

Preparing for a new data highway

A modified LCT is being used on Alphasat; it is capable of transporting a reduced data volume of 1.8 gigabits per second – corresponding to 130 DVDs per hour – but over a much greater distance of 45,000 kilometres. This makes it possible to transfer data between satellites in low Earth orbit, at an altitude of 200 to 2000 kilometres, and those in geostationary orbit, at an altitude of around 36,000 kilometres. The LCT on Alphasat I-XL will be used to test data transfer between geostationary and low Earth orbits.

Europe's largest telecommunication satellite will receive data from the two European Earth observation satellites Sentinel 1A and Sentinel 2A in this way. "With demonstration technology 'made in Germany', Alphasat I-XL is the gateway to the EDRS – an information highway in space along which data can be exchanged between satellites around the clock," explains Gruppe. A company called Tesat-Spacecom is taking a leading role in the development of this new transfer method. It built the LCT for Alphasat I-XL, in collaboration with DLR and Swiss company RUAG. The development of the LCT was supported by the DLR Space Administration.

The original Philae comet lander has been travelling through space since 2 March 2004. It is currently in hibernation mode, awaiting its arrival at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. But the Philae models on the ground are being put through their paces: they are being tested to breaking point and examined by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). The scientists and engineers want to be as well prepared as possible for the first landing on a comet in November 2014. For this reason, there is a replica of the lander in Bremen – sometimes it sits on soft sand and sometimes on hard ground, because nobody knows what the surface of the comet is like yet. One of Philae's replicas in Cologne is radioed commands and put into operation. "Our simulations involving landing and operating the models will allow us to be properly prepared for any problems during the actual landing," says Stephan Ulamec, DLR project manager for the comet lander, which is travelling on board the European Rosetta spacecraft.

Philae will land on an object about which little is known; the scientists and engineers will decide upon the precise landing site using the first camera images acquired by Rosetta upon arrival at its destination. The exact gravitational attraction exerted by the body, the composition of its surface – these are all unknowns for the scientists. "The comet might have a hard icy crust, or its surface might have a loose, dusty covering," says Lars Witte, who is responsible for the tests involving one of the Philae models at the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen.

Testing the limits of the lander

Time and again the life-size, three-legged model has had to survive landing on the surface, on the robotic arm of the LAMA Landing and Mobility Test Facility – sometimes at 1.1 metres per second, sometimes a bit more slowly. At times in a vertical descent, or sometimes with an inclined touchdown. Sometimes in three tubs filled with sand, others on a solid surface. The scientists have even used a steel plate coated with a film of oil to test how the lander responds in the event of little ground adhesion. The ice screws in the lander's 'feet', which are intended to hold Philae onto the comet, have been unscrewed repeatedly during these tests. “Ultimately, we are testing the limits of the lander," says Witte. Its delicate structure makes it look flimsier than it is.

During the landing, an absorber will soak up the forces affecting Philae. As soon as the refrigerator-sized lander with 10 instruments on board touches down, two harpoons will be shot into the surface, anchoring it to the comet. Although the lander weighs 100 kilograms on Earth, on the comet it will only weigh the same as a sheet of paper. It is also highly probable that the comet, due to its proximity to the Sun, will be active, forming the characteristic tail of ice and dust particles. Touching down safely on the comet will be no easy task for the Philae team. "The landing will take place automatically – due to the large distance, a control command from Earth would take around 30 minutes to reach the lander," says Ulamec. When the critical phase begins, the scientists will have to trust that the software on board is working perfectly.

Prepared for faults and malfunctions

Therefore, another Philae model at the Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC) in Cologne must demonstrate that it can also cope with faults and malfunctions. When the Rosetta spacecraft, with Philae on board, arrives at the comet, operation of the lander will be controlled by a team in the MUSC control room. Cables, connections and components faithfully correspond to the interior of Philae as it travels through space. However, the components are not always where they are on the actual lander. The bottoms of the 'feet' are sitting in a drawer, next to the outer skin of the harpoons that will bore into the surface. "For us, the important thing is that the connections between the individual components are the same as the original – the design is secondary for the tests," explains Koen Geurts, technical project leader for Philae.

Two engineers control the lander model via multiple computers. “We can simulate everything that could happen to the flight model,” says Geurts. "Including things we would rather not experience." How should Philae respond if individual subsystems malfunction as a result of a short circuit during the descent? What are the first things to do following a successful landing?  The engineers are rehearsing adverse events that the software will then need to resolve autonomously – without support from the ground. Shortly before arriving at its destination, the final software will be transmitted to Philae.

Once it has landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Philae will get to work immediately. The 10 instruments are then expected to send data to the scientists for many months. DLR has primary responsibility for three instruments: the ROLIS camera will take images of the comet’s surface during the landing phase. The SESAME and MUPUS instruments are set to investigate the core of the comet, measure the surface temperature and explore the cohesiveness of the comet. "Landing on a comet for the first time is a truly difficult mission," says Ulamec. “But also an extremely exciting one."

The original Philae comet lander has been travelling through space since 2 March 2004. It is currently in hibernation mode, awaiting its arrival at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. But the Philae models on the ground are being put through their paces: they are being tested to breaking point and examined by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). The scientists and engineers want to be as well prepared as possible for the first landing on a comet in November 2014. For this reason, there is a replica of the lander in Bremen – sometimes it sits on soft sand and sometimes on hard ground, because nobody knows what the surface of the comet is like yet. One of Philae's replicas in Cologne is radioed commands and put into operation. "Our simulations involving landing and operating the models will allow us to be properly prepared for any problems during the actual landing," says Stephan Ulamec, DLR project manager for the comet lander, which is travelling on board the European Rosetta spacecraft.

Philae will land on an object about which little is known; the scientists and engineers will decide upon the precise landing site using the first camera images acquired by Rosetta upon arrival at its destination. The exact gravitational attraction exerted by the body, the composition of its surface – these are all unknowns for the scientists. "The comet might have a hard icy crust, or its surface might have a loose, dusty covering," says Lars Witte, who is responsible for the tests involving one of the Philae models at the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen.

Testing the limits of the lander

Time and again the life-size, three-legged model has had to survive landing on the surface, on the robotic arm of the LAMA Landing and Mobility Test Facility – sometimes at 1.1 metres per second, sometimes a bit more slowly. At times in a vertical descent, or sometimes with an inclined touchdown. Sometimes in three tubs filled with sand, others on a solid surface. The scientists have even used a steel plate coated with a film of oil to test how the lander responds in the event of little ground adhesion. The ice screws in the lander's 'feet', which are intended to hold Philae onto the comet, have been unscrewed repeatedly during these tests. “Ultimately, we are testing the limits of the lander," says Witte. Its delicate structure makes it look flimsier than it is.

During the landing, an absorber will soak up the forces affecting Philae. As soon as the refrigerator-sized lander with 10 instruments on board touches down, two harpoons will be shot into the surface, anchoring it to the comet. Although the lander weighs 100 kilograms on Earth, on the comet it will only weigh the same as a sheet of paper. It is also highly probable that the comet, due to its proximity to the Sun, will be active, forming the characteristic tail of ice and dust particles. Touching down safely on the comet will be no easy task for the Philae team. "The landing will take place automatically – due to the large distance, a control command from Earth would take around 30 minutes to reach the lander," says Ulamec. When the critical phase begins, the scientists will have to trust that the software on board is working perfectly.

Prepared for faults and malfunctions

Therefore, another Philae model at the Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC) in Cologne must demonstrate that it can also cope with faults and malfunctions. When the Rosetta spacecraft, with Philae on board, arrives at the comet, operation of the lander will be controlled by a team in the MUSC control room. Cables, connections and components faithfully correspond to the interior of Philae as it travels through space. However, the components are not always where they are on the actual lander. The bottoms of the 'feet' are sitting in a drawer, next to the outer skin of the harpoons that will bore into the surface. "For us, the important thing is that the connections between the individual components are the same as the original – the design is secondary for the tests," explains Koen Geurts, technical project leader for Philae.

Two engineers control the lander model via multiple computers. “We can simulate everything that could happen to the flight model,” says Geurts. "Including things we would rather not experience." How should Philae respond if individual subsystems malfunction as a result of a short circuit during the descent? What are the first things to do following a successful landing?  The engineers are rehearsing adverse events that the software will then need to resolve autonomously – without support from the ground. Shortly before arriving at its destination, the final software will be transmitted to Philae.

Once it has landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Philae will get to work immediately. The 10 instruments are then expected to send data to the scientists for many months. DLR has primary responsibility for three instruments: the ROLIS camera will take images of the comet’s surface during the landing phase. The SESAME and MUPUS instruments are set to investigate the core of the comet, measure the surface temperature and explore the cohesiveness of the comet. "Landing on a comet for the first time is a truly difficult mission," says Ulamec. “But also an extremely exciting one."

Strengthening the strategic partnership with Japan

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) opened its new office in Tokyo on 27 February 2013. In so doing, DLR is pursuing its objective of developing a strategic partnership with Japan. The duties of this office are to establish, foster and further develop research and technology collaboration across the full spectrum of DLR activities. DLR’s work in Japan and other partner countries in the region, such as China, South Korea and Indonesia will be represented locally and expanded.

"Germany and Japan are high-tech nations with very high levels of expertise in engineering and science," said Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the DLR Executive Board, at the inauguration of the new office. "DLR and Japan are already jointly involved in about 40 research projects. That makes Japan, alongside the United States, a very important partner country for DLR. With our representative office in Tokyo, we want to build a strategic partnership with Japan and intensify our cooperation across Eastern Asia. This is not only intended to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation between our countries, but also aims to help both sides gain a better cultural understanding of one another," continued Wörner.

The new office will represent DLR's interests to political, scientific and industrial institutions in Japan and other partner countries in the region. It will support local cooperation projects and will analyse developments in politics, research and technology in Eastern Asia.

"Germany and Japan are linked by many topics of the future. These include new sustainable energy sources, the environmental and economic development of transport, and innovative applications in the aerospace sector. That is why the intensive exchange of personnel between research and development teams is particularly important," said Niklas Reinke, who will be in charge of the new office.

MASCOT – an example of successful cooperation

After the United States, Japan is DLR's most important non-European cooperation partner. At this time, DLR and the Japanese space agency, JAXA, are involved in 25 cooperation agreements. In the space sector this includes the Hayabusa 2 asteroid mission. For this project, DLR is developing the MASCOT asteroid lander that is scheduled to fly to 1999 JU3 in 2014 on board a Japanese spacecraft, where it will take measurements on the asteroid's surface. Also in progress are collaborative research and development projects in the field of Earth observation, such as the GOSAT satellite mission. Joint projects such as research under space conditions, natural disaster and major incident management, propulsion systems using liquefied natural gas and optical laser communication are progressing and their scope is being enlarged.

For the last 10 years or so, regular cooperation talks relating to the aviation sector have been held between JAXA and DLR. Focal points of these talks are computational fluid dynamics, global navigation satellite systems, turbulence effects, scramjet technologies and combustion processes. Long-standing collaborative ties also link DLR with the University of Tohoku in the fields of Temperature Sensitive Paint (TSP) and Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP), processes for measuring temperature and air pressure while in flight through the use of sensitive paint coatings.

Japan possesses a significant level of research expertise in batteries and transport. Here, there is scope for cooperation with the DLR research fields of energy and transport.

JAXA, as well as the University of Tohoku – outside Germany, DLR's largest university partners – and seven other Japanese universities and research institutes are very interested in further expanding their relationship with DLR. This new strategic partnership will help to link mutual research interests and to make efficient use of the test facilities in both countries. In this way, more ‘Knowledge for Tomorrow’ will emerge from international cooperation.

The DLR office in Tokyo will be housed in the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, next to the German Research and Innovation Forum (Deutsche Wissenschafts- und Innovationshaus). With its other offices in Brussels, Paris, and Washington D.C., DLR will now have four representative offices outside Germany.

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is using knowledge for tomorrow to shape the future of our society today. DLR is a world-renowned partner for research and will continue to develop its international network in 2013 by establishing new collaborations with research institutes and universities. An important step in this direction is taking over the chair of the ESA council and heading the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters in the current year.

"The growing demand on research made by society must go hand in hand with self-determination and responsibility in science. This means more ventures for DLR, and choosing new ways of thinking about tasks and technologies," says Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the DLR Executive Board. "It requires defining strategic objectives and not default operational tasks and activities," he comments.

The following DLR research projects represent just a small part of the missions planned for 2013.

AVIATION

Efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable – requirements of modern mobility and the way we intend to move forward. DLR will be shaping the future of air travel with aviation research based on the European strategy paper 'Flightpath 2050' and the German Federal Government's future aviation strategy.

Flying despite volcanic ash – DLR develops satellite-supported prediction process

In the spring of 2010 an ash cloud settled over Europe as a result of the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. To prevent volcanic eruptions from having such a dramatic impact on air travel in future, DLR is launching Project VOLCATS (VOLCanic Ash impact on the air Transport System) in 2013. This involves developing a satellite-supported process between now and 2016 that will quickly determine the distribution of ash in the air and provide reliable information on heavily and lightly ash-contaminated areas. VOLCATS is intended to be the foundation for flexible air traffic management where, in the event of a crisis such as a volcanic eruption, temporarily ash-free and hence safe areas for air traffic can be opened up. In addition, researchers are developing an ash warning system for airliners that alerts upon an unexpected entry into an ash cloud.

HINVA – maximum lift test with the DLR ATRA

Slats and flaps are fully deployed in the approach to landing. This gives an aircraft the greatest possible lift. To better understand this flight phase, DLR's A320-200 ATRA carried out successful flight tests in the slow flight regime at Airbus Toulouse in 2012. The test flights are continuing in a second campaign. DLR, Airbus and the Technische Universität Berlin are organising the flights in close collaboration. In addition, the researchers are pooling data from specially coordinated wind tunnel tests in the European Transonic Wind tunnel (ETW) and are carrying out numerous digital flow simulations. The scientists want to predict the maximum lift of aircraft more accurately; future aircraft configurations and high lift devices should provide further aerodynamic improvements. The data currently used still comes from test campaigns from the 1980s and 1990s. For the first time, the activities in the HINVA project will combine the three methods of high lift research: flight tests, wind tunnel tests and simulation computations.

Research for next generation turbines

Researching and developing innovative propulsion technologies requires top quality, high performance test rigs: the aviation industry has an urgent need for suitable test facilities. At its Göttingen site, DLR is currently building a test rig for next-generation propulsion systems: NG-Turbs (Next Generation Turbines). At the globally unique facility, scientists will be investigating things such as newly developed turbine blades, cooling systems and materials. In tandem with industry, DLR has been analysing future foci in turbine research to set up the facility in line with customer requirements.

SPACE

International collaborations will also define German space research in 2013. Flights with Indian and Russian launchers and a Japanese-German asteroid mission are planned.

AISat: observing shipping worldwide with the 'flying antenna'

The deployable helix antenna is four metres long, and the AISat microsatellite will be using it from summer 2013 to keep an eye on ship traffic worldwide. The sensitive antenna receives signals from the ships’ automatic identification systems – radio data that every ship has been sending since 2000 and that includes information such as the ship's name, position, size and speed. While previous terrestrial reception systems lose contact with the ships after a short time because of their limited range, and commercial satellites have not previously been able to carry out reliable positioning when there is a lot of ship traffic, AISat is primarily intended to be able to track it in regions of heavy use, such as the North Sea and the Mediterranean. With accurate observations from the satellite operated by the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen, shipping routes can be optimised in future and collisions prevented. It will be launched from Sriharikota in India.

MASCOT – hopping across the asteroid

The MASCOT asteroid lander is reaching the final straight; in early 2014 the flight model will be delivered to the Japanese space agency JAXA and MASCOT will then be sent to asteroid 1999 JU 3 with the Hayabusa-2 spacecraft. The 10-kilogram landing capsule will be ejected from the probe at an altitude of 100 metres, will land on the asteroid and orientate itself. It will then hop back and forth, carrying out measurements directly on the surface with four instruments. DLR is contributing a camera and a radiometer. The structure was developed by the DLR Institute of Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems in Braunschweig; the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics in Oberpfaffenhofen gave the lander its hopping and orientation abilities. This year, the final tests will take place at DLR Bremen, before the lander is sent on its journey.

SoziRob – using robots to reduce stress

Exercise is essential for survival on long missions in space. Physical activity can help to reduce stress, stimulate the mind and prevent bad moods. But exercising in space also creates difficulties. This is where Project SoziRob comes in; robots, more specifically the robot head Flobi and humanoid robot Nao, act as social interaction partners. The robots encourage sport and offer guidance and commentary. How do people in this situation respond to various robotic systems, compared to virtual agents or mobile devices? Project SoziRob, sponsored with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie; BMWi), should find answers to these questions.

OMEGAHAB – laboratory in space

In April 2013 a Russian BION-M3 return capsule will be launched into space carrying biological and zoological experiments from the Universities of Erlangen and Hohenheim and financed with funds from the BMWi. The four-litre OMEGAHAB aquarium has two chambers connected by a membrane filter to enable the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Besides aquatic plants, which are used to produce oxygen, snails, water fleas and tilapia will be on the flight, and their behaviour under space conditions will be studied.

ENERGY

DLR energy research is concerned with innovative techniques for generating power, the development of energy storage systems and modelling future energy systems. The focus in doing so is on new energy storage systems and using renewable energy sources.

Energy stored in the smallest space

Energy storage systems are a key component for a sustainable energy economy. DLR researchers are developing thermal and thermochemical storage systems, adiabatic compressed air storage systems and next-generation batteries. In the laboratories at the new CeraStorE Competence Center (Competence Center for Ceramic Materials and Thermal Storage in Energy Research), which is being inaugurated in spring 2013, DLR researchers are developing things such as new thermochemical storage systems that are capable of absorbing large quantities of heat energy in the form of chemical energy. Such a reaction is seen in everyday life when slaking lime. At CeraStorE, energy and materials researchers are jointly developing and testing new materials for the energy sector.

Solar power generators – expertise for power generators in North Africa

DLR researchers are putting their capabilities in aviation to work on more efficient wind energy facilities. In doing so they can transfer their experience in the automated production of carbon fibre reinforced composites in aircraft construction to the manufacture of rotor blades. Carbon fibre reinforced structures can make rotor blades up to five times more rigid and yet lighter. At the DLR Center for Lightweight Production Technology (Zentrum für Leichtbauproduktionstechnologie; ZLP) in Stade, scientists are developing new components for rotor blades on a new, 45-metre long, wing-shaped rotor blade, with wind turbine manufacturer NORDEX. In addition, this wing shape can be used to test the stability of different reinforced composite construction materials such as new resins on large rotor blades.

Lighter and bigger – DLR researches rotor blades with carbon-fibre reinforced components

Mit den Kompetenzen aus der Luftfahrt arbeiten DLR-Wissenschaftler an effizienteren Windenergieanlagen. Dabei können sie ihre Erfahrungen in der automatisierten Produktion von Kohlefaserverstärkten Kunststoffen (CFK) im Flugzeugbau auf die Herstellung von Rotorblättern übertragen. Kohlefaserverstärkte Strukturen können Rotorblätter bis zu fünfmal fester und gleichzeitig leichter machen. Am Zentrum für Leichtbauproduktionstechnologie (ZLP) des DLR in Stade entwickeln die Wissenschaftler an einer neuen, 45 Meter großen, Rotorblatt-Flügelform mit dem Windanlagenhersteller NORDEX neue Bauweisen für Rotorblätter. Zudem kann anhand dieser Flügelform die Stabilität von unterschiedlichen CFK-Baumaterialen, wie zum Beispiel neuartigen Harzen, an großen Rotorblättern getestet werden.

TRANSPORT

Transport research is a major part of DLR's work. Mobility is one of our everyday needs; it generates employment and a substantial proportion of economic added value. However, traffic also has a series of negative consequences – noise and exhaust fumes take their toll on people and the environment. Reducing these is a task for researchers at DLR..

Greater ranges for electric vehicles using free piston linear generators

On 10 February 2013, the Institute of Vehicle Concepts in Stuttgart will present the free piston linear generator. The free piston linear generator is an essentially new range extender that can be used in electric vehicles to increase their operating range. It works like a conventional combustion engine, but instead of initially converting the linear movement of the pistons into the rotation of a crankshaft, it generates power directly. In free piston linear generators, different fuels with a correspondingly high level of efficiency and low exhaust emission can be used. The researchers in Stuttgart are the first to successfully operate such an energy converter.

Warning train drivers in good time – RCAS system developed further

The Railway Collision Avoidance System (RCAS) warns train drivers in good time if their trains are on a collision course. To do this, researchers combine data from the GPS satellite navigation system, a digital map of the rail network and other data from sensors on the train to continually monitor the position of the train on the line. Trains fitted with RCAS can exchange this information directly with one another via an autonomous radio network. Overall, the development status of RCAS has advanced to the point where marketing of the system has begun. The DLR spin-off company Intelligence on Wheels took it over in 2012.

Less noise through intelligent train formation

People living next to railway lines, especially freight lines, are exposed to high levels of noise from rail traffic. DLR researchers are taking measurements both along the lines and in a wind tunnel to determine where the noise that locals find particularly disturbing is. In doing so, not only the level of noise but also its frequency play a critical role. Measures to reduce noise or prevent its propagation can be deployed in a targeted way using this knowledge. Hence, for example, the noise load of a train can be limited by intelligent arrangement of the wagons. Identifying lighter wagons also provides an opportunity of forming particularly quiet trains for use in heavily populated areas.

SECURITY

Besides politics and economics, science and research are playing an increasingly important role in meeting society's security requirements. Highly developed technologies, systems, concepts and competences originating from science are today allowing conflict and crisis situations to be managed.

Lasers track down hazardous substances

Both the deliberate and the unintentional release of chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) hazardous substances pose a threat to civilian safety. Ground- and air-supported detection and the identification of such hazardous substances save lives, especially in inaccessible areas or where access presents risks. After natural catastrophes, in the event of industrial accidents or suspicions of targeted attacks on large congregations of people, laser-based processes enable timely, large-scale, discreet and safe detection over large distances. A core competence of the DLR Institute of Technical Physics lies in the development of wavelength-specific laser systems. As part of the DLR LAIRDIM project (Laser-based Airborne Detection, Identification, and Monitoring of biological and chemical hazardous substances), various processes are being investigated under realistic environmental conditions at the optical test range in Lampoldshausen.