The All-Electric Aircraft is a major target for the next generation of aircrafts and helicopters to lower consumption of non-propulsive power and thus fuel burn. To eliminate all hydraulic circuits and reservoirs, Electro Mechanical Actuators (EMA) are mandatory but need first to meet cost, reliability and weight requirements from the airframers.

ACTUATION 2015 aims at developing and validating standardised, modular, scalable and pooled EMA for all systems (flight control, high lift, main landing gear nose wheel, doors thrust reversers) and all types of airframes (business, regional and large aircrafts and helicopters).

Compared to the A320, ACTUATION 2015 will reduce the overall life cycle costs of actuators by 30%, improve reliability by 30% and reduce aircraft weight by 500kg.

ACTUATION 2015 relies on recent advances made in several EU and national projects to integrate the corresponding technologies (jam tolerant EMA, solid state power distribution, power electronics, operations in harsh conditions, etc.) to overcome the current barriers to EMA and move EMA technologies to TRL 5.

Standardising EMA modules (motors, connectors, PDE, etc.) will be a key driver to succeed in achieving the cost objectives and developing the supply chain. Standardisation will start within the project timeframe with the support of a standardisation body (CEN).

The technical approach will be to gather detailed airframers requirements, specify the future standard modules and develop prototypes for assessment at component and system level through rig tests or virtual validation modules. In parallel, ACTUATION 2015 will also promote a unified design process supported by standard methods and tools. ACTUATION 2015 will complement existing projects, notably CLEAN SKY SGO with the provision of EMA, and pave the way towards the ACARE 2020 All-Electric Aircraft.

ACTUATION 2015 gathers 53 partners including major European equipment and airframers from 11 countries and will run for 3 years.