E&M and innovation

BrightSky: Hyperion General Assembly 2024

How can our fleet's maintenance chain be made more sustainable and efficient? With this goal in mind, project Hyperion was launched: an innovative approach focused on improving chain management, optimizing component flows, and providing comprehensive insight into component failure behavior. This project is divided into three work packages, each thoroughly addressing a crucial part of the chain. In mid-October, the first General Assembly took place at Van Braam Houckgeestkazerne, where all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Defence, Economic Affairs, IenW, Airbus, NLR InnoTractor and the delegations from KLM, gathered to discuss the project’s progress. During this event, the demonstrator (version 0.1) was presented, featuring the first prototype of the final product. This was followed by an update from each work package:

  1. Work Package 1: Autonomous Sensors

This involves autonomous measurement systems with additional sensors at the component level to assess the current condition of components in the aircraft. Current activities include designing and certifying new sensor systems for selected components, including the B787 VFSG and B777 Oven for KLM and Apache generators for the Royal Air Force.

2. Work Package 2: Digital Product Passport This entails a data storage system for recording the current condition and other characteristics of components in a digital passport. Additionally, a tracking system is being developed to permanently link digital passports to their physical components. Currently, work is underway on a Digital Product Passport (DPP) and the exploration of unique identification formats (Smart Tags), with initial designs for a Dataspace in progress. For a brief introduction to the Dataspace concept, please watch the following video. 3. Work Package 3: Control Tower This is a management system that orchestrates the deployment of components in the chain based on information from the Digital Product Passport. User stories have been created to identify data requirements and to investigate smart contract triggers, aiming to utilize data in the most efficient and effective way possible.

The meeting sparked a lively and dynamic discussion among all stakeholders. In the afternoon program, a masterclass on the Dataspace concept was held. To bring the masterclass to life, an interactive game called “Lost in Space” was developed, simulating the complexity of data exchange and the utility of a Dataspace in the world of Component Services. Overall, it was a successful day for Hyperion! Want to know more? Contact the program manager of Hyperion: Bram Verstraelen.