University Of Queensland Team Working On Renewable Composites

A team of students from the University of Queensland (Australia) won the inaugural Airbus "Fly Your Ideas" challenge at the Paris-Le Bourget Air Show. The "COz" team won for its project into the use of the castor plant to develop the first ever single plant-based high performance composite materials for aircraft cabin components.

The goal is to reduce dependency on non renewable sources and improve end of life disposal thus contributing to a reduction of aviation carbon footprint. They conducted a comprehensive feasibility analysis entailing fibre production and testing, demonstrating very encouraging mechanical and environmental properties.

The multinational "COz" team comprises team leader, 27-year-old Michael Heitzmann from Switzerland and 25-year-old Alex Ng, originally from Hong Kong. Both are PhD students in Mechanical Engineering. A third team member, 26-year-old German Benjamin Lindenberger is an Aerospace Engineering student who is undertaking his University of Stuttgart diploma thesis at the University of Queensland. 

"We wanted to demonstrate that composite materials made entirely with Castor plant fibre can reduce the aircraft carbon footprint and enhance environmental protection. We are extremely proud to have convinced the jury with our project and we hope it will have a future in aviation." said Michael Heitzmann, Coz team leader.

The students were congratulated at the ceremony, at Le Bourget, by Tom Enders, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus, who awarded the nearly $42,000 prize to the winning team. The second place team from National University of Singapore, "Solaire Voyager", received a prize of just over $20,000 for its proposal to use solar cell technology integrating photovoltaic cells aboard aircraft to generate electricity.

More than 2,350 students from 82 countries around the world entered the competition, which started nine months ago. The students' objective was to come up with innovative and eco-efficient ideas to shape the future of aviation, and deliver a further reduction in the industry's impact on the environment. The competition was also designed to attract more young people to this crucial industry.

FMI www.airbus.com