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Frontiers July 2015 Issue

Photos: (Above) Om Prakash examines a thermoplastic system. (Far left) Nieves Lapeña-Rey performs mechanical tests using a fiber-placement machine. ASSOCIATE D PRESS JuLy 2015 23 increased secondary power demands for flight controls and more electricpowered systems than ever, Roach explained. As a result, loads can change dramatically in thousandths of a second. Energy systems must be able to handle the fluctuations quickly and effectively. Roach and his team figure out how to balance all these competing systems. “Every time we make things smaller, we make them hotter. Everything is a trade-off between thermal and energy,” Roach said. “If we can prove this out, it will have a huge effect on the next-generation electric airplane.” It’s but one example of the research and innovation by Boeing that is taking place each day around the world, at the company’s research and technology centers, and with various partners. In all, the centers are involved in more than 340 ongoing projects, with more than 380 global partners. These worldwide relationships and partnerships, and the ability to collaborate across borders, will help make Boeing stronger and more nimble, and ensure future success, Lyons said. “Aerospace is one of those things that everybody wants to be a part of,” Lyons said. “We don’t have the answer to every problem. This century of aerospace India will open just as many frontiers as the last one did, but we now have even stronger imperatives of productivity and environmental sustainability. And diversity in thought, culture and ways of doing things is incredibly important in solving future challenges and realizing opportunities.” n katherine.a.zemtseff@boeing.com


Frontiers July 2015 Issue
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