Virtual Product House

Integration and Test Centre for Virtual Certification

Digitalisation and virtualisation in aviation
The new DLR Institute of Software Methods for Product Virtualisation in Dresden will pool the skills required to undertake the first complete virtual aircraft flight in the long term.
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The digital twin
Linking the real product with its digital image.
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The digital thread
The digitalisation of an aircraft throughout its lifecycle.
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With the Virtual Product House (VPH) in Bremen, DLR is pursuing the goal of closely cooperating with industry partners, the scientific community and public authorities to implement an integration and test centre for the virtual simulation and certification of components and technologies, as well as their integration into the overall aircraft. The VPH is funded through a start-up project by the State of Bremen and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Embedding of the Virtual Product House into DLR's Strategy for the 'Digitalisation of Aviation'

Together with four recently founded institutes, the VPH is an integral part of the DLR aeronautics research strategy for the ‘digitalisation of aviation’.

It is intended to serve as a dynamic and flexible network platform, where various DLR institutes work together with partners to pursue the ambitious goals of virtual design, testing and certification. The DLR virtual certification strategy aims to reduce the duration and cost of certification tests by using complementary virtual (that is, simulation-based) flight and ground tests, leading up to a complete virtual certification process as a long-term goal. This long-term vision is part of the virtual product as one of the guiding concepts of the DLR aeronautics programme. It intends to virtually represent the aircraft with all its characteristics over the entire lifecycle. Therefore, a multiphysics, multiscale and multifidelity approach is required to closely link design and flight physics capabilities with virtual testing, production and operations.

Field of research

  • Virtual (aircraft/wing/movables) design
  • Virtual (systems and structural) testing and certification
  • Virtual production and manufacturing
  • Software engineering and integration

VPH Partner Landscape

The Virtual Product House as an integration platform is based on interdisciplinary engineering and software teams and a flexible partner network. As such, several DLR institutes with expertise in various disciplines (for example, aerodynamics, structures, systems, software and simulation) work together at the VPH in Bremen in a collaborative way. The activities of the VPH are also closely linked to the research topics of the newly founded DLR institutes and are embedded into DLR’s strategy for the 'digitalisation of aeronautics'.

A key objective and strength of the VPH is its close cooperation with the aviation industry. The following industry partners are participating in the VPH start-up project:

  • Airbus Operations (Bremen)
  • Liebherr Aerospace
  • IABG
  • FFT Produktionssysteme

The VPH also cooperates with universities (for example, the University of Bremen), certification authorities (for example, EASA) and the software industry (for example, SAP) to address the ambitious goals for virtual certificatio.

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Flyer: Virtual Product House

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The Virtual Product House as an integration platform is based on interdisciplinary engineering and software teams and a flexible partner network

Institutes and facilities

Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology

The Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology is a leading research institute in the field of aerodynamics/aeroacoustics of airplanes and aerothermodynamics of space vehicles.

Institute of Aeroelasticity

The field of aeroelasticity addresses the physical processes that occur during flow around elastic structures due to the interaction between aerodynamic and elastomechanical forces.

Institute of Flight Systems

The Institute of Flight Systems (FT) has been active in the topics of flight mechanics and measurement and system technology of all flying systems at the DLR site Braunschweig since 1953.

Institute of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

The Institute of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul based in Hamburg Finkenwerder conducts research in the field of optimisation and automatisation of maintenance processes and explores innovative technologies for diagnostics, maintenance and modifications of airborne systems.

Institute of Lightweight Systems

The DLR Institute of Lightweight Systems has the know-how for the design and realisation of adaptable, efficient composite structures and lightweight systems.

Institute of Software Methods for Product Virtualization

One of the guiding concepts of DLR aeronautics research is the 'Virtual Product', a highly accurate mathematical-numerical representation of an aerial vehicle with all its characteristics over the entire life cycle.

Institute for Software Technology

The mission of the Institute for Software Technology is research and development in software engineering technologies, and the incorporation of these technologies into DLR software projects.

Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics

Aeronautics is digitalised from aircraft design through to production and operation. This continuous availability of all data is known as the digital thread. The Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics is researching how practically usable knowledge can be derived from these extensive data.

Institute of Test and Simulation for Gas Turbines

The Institute of Test and Simulation for Gas Turbines is focused on new aero engine technologies through coupling of numerical and experimental processes to enable the validation of new innovative solutions.

Contact

Dr.-Ing. Kristof Risse

Head of the Virtual Product House (VPH) and coordinator of digitalisation in aviation
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Programme Directorate Aviation
Linder Höhe, 51147 Cologne

ECOMAT

Center for Eco-efficient Materials and Technologies
Cornelius-Edzard-Straße 15, 28199 Bremen