Students From Nanjing University Of Aeronautics And
Astronautics Claim Top Prize
The top prize of nearly $48,000 in Airbus’ "Fly Your Ideas
2011" competition was awarded to Team Wings of Phoenix from Nanjing
University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (China) at a ceremony
held at the International Paris Air Show – Le Bourget
Wednesday. The team members, along with all the finalists, will
also be offered an internship at Airbus. The Airbus Fly Your Ideas
(FYI) biennial contest challenges students worldwide to develop new
ideas to deliver a more eco-efficient aviation industry for the
future.
Team Wings of Phoenix ... comprised of Xinyuan Zheng, Lijun Pan,
Xianmei Wu, Xuesong Liu and Kai Xuwon ... won for their suggestion
of a ground-based wind power generation system that exploits the
wakes of aircraft generated during takeoff and landing. Their idea
involves the placement of a series of leaf-shaped devices along the
sides of airport runways that are moved by passing aircraft,
recovering energy that is otherwise lost. The team considered the
electro-mechanical conceptual design of their ‘leaves’
and the potential to generate electrical power while meeting
airport safety regulations.
“To participate in the 2011 Fly Your Ideas challenge was a
great experience for us. We are very proud to be the winning team
and hope our idea will inspire the industry,” said Xinyuan
Zheng, spokesperson for Team Wings of Phoenix.
The runner-up prize of nearly $24,000 went to Team Condor from
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Chile for
their proposal on an alternative design for aerodynamic speed
brakes to recover energy for on-board reuse.
Spanish team ‘Ecolution’, from the Universidad
Pontificia Comillas de Madrid, was awarded the Best Video prize for
the creative way they presented their project, the implementation
of light-weight natural fibre composites in aircraft cargo
containers.
Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO, said: “Innovation is
the essential ingredient for maintaining our industry’s
license to grow, and the Fly Your Ideas competition is a unique
opportunity for students worldwide to promote their ideas for the
sustainable future of flight. It is also a strong lever to engage
with the next generation of talent who will push the limits of
research and technology further.”
Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering
and Patron of Fly Your Ideas, said: “This year’s record
number of 315 teams from everywhere around the world entering the
competition demonstrates a strong interest in aviation and Airbus.
The level of enthusiasm, creativity and thinking ‘outside the
box’ has been remarkably rewarding.”
The final round of the year-long challenge culminated this week
as the five finalist teams presented their proposals to a special
jury consisting of selected Airbus representatives and high-profile
industry experts.
The global challenge, which was launched in July 2010, drew
entries from more than 2,600 students from 75 countries,
representing 287 universities. Students were asked to propose an
idea related to one stage of the aircraft’s lifecycle:
design, supply chain, manufacturing, aircraft operations or
aircraft end-of-life.
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