ALTRAN AND SOLAR IMPULSE
The Altran and Solar Impulse relationship has taken shape from a meeting of
enthusiasts who have pooled their expertise and drive, turning a dream into
reality.
Since 2004, Altran has been committed to the solar
impulse project as an official partner.
The mission of the project was to demonstrate the
feasibility of a complete day-night-day cycle propelled solely by solar energy. Altran's team of experts has since used their expansive
knowledge of the aeronautical and energy sectors, as well as their project and
risk management skills for this incredible personal and technological adventure.
The Altran Group has been involved in different areas of the Solar Impulse
project.
- Creating a
task simulator, which enables the optimization of both the different technological
choices and the defining parameters of the aircraft. The simulator also enables
the development of flight strategies including, in particular, effects of
weather on the journey. A complex but captivating challenge, since thousands of
parameters must be processed in order to determine the exact energetic
assessment of the aircraft (air mass, sun position, etc.)
This tool, developed by Altran, provides the Solar Impulse
team with the ability to anticipate the difficulties inherent to the project and
to design the most effective solutions, thus, developing genuine flight mission
strategies.
-
Project management aid or how to give optimal
guarantees to the team with regards to project organization, task split,
schedule and documentation. Here, it is the experience of the group, gained
after thousands of projects led for our customers each year, which enables us to
rigorously structure every part.
Lastly, the experts have provided their systems engineering expertise.
- Support for the definition and optimization support of the
aircraft's power system. It consists of solar sensors on the wings, electric motors
that activate propellers, batteries enabling flight during the night, and
electronic control units and regulators for energy management. This system
enables the aircraft to remain in flight without any other energy source than
sunlight, for several days.
After consolidation of all these efforts Altran now shares
Solar Impulse’s pride in achieving this key stage in the presentation of the
aircraft. Altran is more determined than ever to contribute to the success of
the project, which represents a major challenge in meeting tomorrow's energy and
environmental requirements.
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