Solar Impulse
Innovation Partner: Solar Impulse
Altran at the heart of the Solar Impulse challenge
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 2003, Altran, the European leader in innovation consulting, has become involved in the Solar Impulse adventure as an official partner, with determination and enthusiasm alongside Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg and their teams.
Our commitment to Solar Impulse is a reflexion of the three very concrete challenges formulated at the outset in 2003: the challenge of the innovation and creativity that would emerge from this project, the challenge of bringing together teams of experts with an ideal of excellence and the challenge of the means and resources necessary to see the project through. It's our aim to think up the impossible and make it possible.
A human and technological adventure
Altran has made a mission simulator available to the Solar teams allowing the optimization of the various technological options and the aircraft’s design parameters. The simulator has had the notable effect of encouraging the development of the flight strategies, including the crucial factor of the effect of weather conditions on flight path.
In addition, Altran has been working on defining the energy optimization system for the aircraft: the solar panels on the wings, the electric motors turning the propellers, the batteries allowing flying to continue at night as well as energy regulators and calculators.
Altran’s strength lies in its ability to make projects work. The challenges were substantial for Solar Impulse and the Group provided answers about how to divide up the tasks, address the planning aspects as well as the documentation in order to guarantee maximum optimization of the project.
The Solar Impulse challenge
Solar Impulse shows the importance of new technologies for sustainable development, while also placing dreams and emotions firmly back in the centre of scientific adventure.
Earlier solar aircraft were not designed to store sufficient energy for continuous flight and had to land if the light was insufficient (in cloudy conditions or at night). In order to demonstrate the immense potential of solar energy, however, the aims of Solar Impulse go far further than those of such earlier developments.
Before attempting a circumnavigation, therefore, it was necessary to master night flight, which was first accomplished in July 2010.
This success is fundamental to the ongoing progress of the Solar Impulse project. It demonstrated that the HB-SIA was capable of supplying the energy stored in the daytime to the batteries that are used in turn to power the propellers at night.
Now it is necessary to push the human and technological limits still further.
The next major stages for Solar Impulse will be to cross the Atlantic Ocean, and then – using a second prototype – the circumnavigation of the world itself.
More information on the Solar Impulse project – www.solarimpulse.com
