Innovation by Norms and Standards
The INS-Project “Innovations by Norms and Standards” having been initiated by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in mid-2006 as a long-term, special project, supports the developers and researchers to precociously consider standardization aspects in research and development projects, to implement research results in specification and standards in the scope of high-technology, thus creating competitive advantages for Germany.
Projects implemented in line with INS contribute – adjacent to a harmonization of the interfaces between different areas of technology and the marketability optimization of new technologies – to more efficient integration of groups foreign to standardization so far. Thus INS has an important share in strengthening the position of German companies in global competition.
Innovation by Norms and Standards – Completed Projects
Risk Controlled Application of Innovation and Technological Progress ‑ Standardized Decision Support for Maturity Assessment during a Product's Life Cycle; Feasibility Study
Based on NASA’s system of Technology Readiness Level (TRL), this INS-224 project developed concept for a draft standard, being a consistent, in all phases of the project applicable and complete, i.e. for all TRLs and project ’phases’ valid standard method for assessing the maturity of a technology.
An overall process, the »TRL Evaluation Process«, was defined which involves both a TRL and an Integration Readiness Level (IRL) identification method. The result is a TRL/IRL technology classification to be performed throughout the project timeline that evaluates both applicability and integration capability on the basis of project requirements.
A description of the overall process and of the two readiness level identification methods will be the focus of the future draft standard.
Generally, a technology should only be applied when it has reached the necessary level of maturity. This evaluation process allows the systematic and specific assessment of a technology ready to be applied or its need for further development up to the necessary readiness level.
Reliability of Transport Infrastructure Reports
To date, various innovative processes such as transport data acquisition are not yet standardized in Germany, too. Thus a comparability of control strategies and services based on that is not ensured. So-called Floating Car Data or vehicle probes systems, for example, are developed and applied in various projects. Today, the qualitative impact this has on a transport infrastructure report is extensively unknown.
Within this project, a new method for graphical representation of data security and reliability of transport information is being developed with direct spatial reference. The objective is to introduce this process into standardization by accompanying its development and possibly initiate a relevant standardization project.
Wind Tunnel Measurements According to EN 14067-6 on Evaluation of Cross Wind Effects on Railway Vehicles
Since start of work in the early nineties, European standardization in the fields of track systems and railway vehicles must reach a consensus on the different railway systems of European countries. In many cases, harmonization consists in defining a system so that other systems identify therein without dismissing established (national) solutions. If this fails, several equivalent national solutions are required. In fact, this political consensus supports the transition to joint solutions associated, however, with high costs.
Valuating the cross wind stability of railway vehicles, two different solutions have been developed in two major European railway systems. The agreement on a new corporate approach to a European standard will converge these two systems in the evaluation without disadvantaging minor systems.
Due to non-conformances and default of including reference data and conditions, the current draft standard shows deficiencies. At this point an explicit need for action on the German side is requested in order to keep up German interests in Europe in time and to accelerate the consolidation process.
Wind tunnel measurement tests are performed in line with this project. The data records collected are supposed to be analyzed and verified concerning the coherence to current German standards. Balancing the current deficiencies in the actual draft standard as well as a short-term publishing of the EN 14067-6 concerning the improvement and assurance of Germany’s competitive market position are the objectives.
Force Limited Vibration Testing “FLVT“
Not only in space, components and assemblies of space systems are subjected to specific requirements such as temperature and radiation exposure. During the transport phase from earth to orbit, the system is exposed to strong vibrations and shock loads by the launcher system, too. These impacts are simulated in test facilities, while the system is tested in terms of stress, especially in the case of resonance.
In vibration tests on the customary test equipment (shaker), the specimen is impacted with regulated acceleration levels as a stimulus, following the launcher requirements. Based on the test performance principle, this partially results in immoderate high loads, which don’t occur in real operation.
Potential disadvantages are preliminary damage or damage of flight hardware, damage of test facilities, false test information, necessary and high-price re-development, any necessary repair, any necessary procurement of components / materials and the contingent need for new test campaigns.
On principle, such overloads that directly or indirectly cause not inconsiderable costs cannot yet be avoided except for the testers’ experiences.
The main objective of this INS project is to provide a corresponding draft standard concerning vibration tests of space hardware, using the Force Limited Vibration Testing (FLVT) methods thus ultimately introducing an expanded test methodology and a wide-scale application as to the requirements phrasing for contract placing.
Innovation by Norms and Standards – Current Projects
Qualification of Optical Components for Concentrating Solar Power Systems
The project objective is to develop an international draft standard for measuring and evaluating optical characteristics of absorber and reflector materials based on further inspections and tests as well as available research and development results of leading research establishments (DLR, NREL) plus industrial know-how in the area of solar thermal power plants. Specific requirements and potentials for improvement are to be identified and experts’ know-how directly incorporated into standardization.
Lightweight Construction of Rail Vehicles
The essential objective of this INS project is the identification of discrepancies regarding critical values or technical requirements in present specifications and standards. A non-proprietary and operator-independent body has to explicitly document these contemporary required supplements and other updates by scientific analysis in selected cases and introduce drafted amendments or recommendations in terms of the current state of the art in existing standards (such as current critical values, solutions). The aim is to review, update and harmonize available specifications and standards in the context of this proposed project "Lightweight Constructions of Rail Vehicles".
Enhancement of Up- and Downlink Data Structures in Space Area by Safety-Relevant Information
During the funding period 2010 - 2011, the TM/TC-Standard concerning the data-layer shall be enhanced by structures supporting coding and authentication. The relevant ISO draft standard shall implement safety mechanisms on the data link level supporting the minimal safety requirements being related to the civilian area. An end-to-end safety solution shall be developed enabling the support of corporate projects and multi-hop solutions. In future, this publicly available standard shall globally address a heterogeneous user forum and cover the market requirements.
Measurement and Evaluation of the Surface Shape of Mirror Elements for Concentrating Solar Technology
The project objective is the draft preparation of a standard process related to classification of concentrating mirror surface shapes including the standardization of measurement processes concerning deviations from the desired form and, in particular, the evaluation of the contour accuracy by a suitable quality parameter describing the significant component optical quality. The latter permits the power plant planners to select appropriate mirrors for solar thermal power plants using standardized criteria.
Submitted INS-Project Proposals for 2012
Space Research Area
Aeronautics Area
Energy Research Area
Transport Area
Transfer of Research and Development Results by Standardization
Standardization is an important auxiliary method for the accelerated implementation of innovations. With a view to intensify early consideration of standardization aspects in the research process, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) announced in the Official Gazette to promote projects for the "transfer of research results by standardization” on 6 November 2009.
Optical Satellite Downlink – Optical Communication Technologies for Data Downlinks by Low-Flying Earth Sensing Satellites
The objective of this INS-project is the development of an ISO draft standard concerning the “Direct Optical Satellite-Ground Communication Links” technology and its application. This draft will be prepared by the corresponding international working group within the CCSDS Panel (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) and submitted via ISO TC20 / SC13 as a New Work Item Proposal. Thus, an international coordination of this future technology development shall be enabled.
Current Projects
Digital Voice Communication / Voice Data Structures – Enhancement of Digital Voice Communication Concerning Ground Segments of Manned and Unmanned Space Flight
Preparation of an ISO draft standard for implementation of digital voice communication with regard to the international ground communication on manned and unmanned space flight missions. Therefore, both existing standards in the fields of language formats, codecs (coder-decoder), latency, jitter filter, compression algorithms, and a maximum level of size compatibility with these existing standards are to be accessed.
Study: Identification of Future Standardization and Research Needs in the field of the Pan-European MSS S-Band System
The project objective includes a systematic overview of the standardization requirements and the situation of industrial property and copy rights at European level in the area of Mobile Satellite Services. The specific needs and requirements of the participating German and European companies are to be considered here. The objective is to present the transfer of project research results (e.g. standardization proposals with regard to ISO standards) in terms of a final report.
Standardization of Testing Methods Requirements for the Conduct of Laboratory Experiments, Performed under Simulation of Extraterrestrial Atmosphere
Objective is to develop a draft standard concerning consistent measurement requirements for laboratory experiments in space, performed under the simulation of extraterrestrial atmosphere. Thereby, a broad introduction to test and research laboratories shall be achieved. Furthermore, the involvement in standards of national space agencies and ESA regulations is intended.
Submitted Project Proposals for 2012
Aeronautics Research Area