Ahead of the industry-leading Farnborough International Airshow taking place 22-26th July 2024, Chief Technology Officer, Simon Jones, sat down with Bryn Lucas from Aerospace Global News to discuss how Domin technology is being used to revolutionise aircraft hydraulic systems.
Domin is utilising new enabling tools such as metal 3D printing, brushless DC motors, high-speed digital electronics and control to develop hydraulic products that can change the way the aerospace industry uses motion control.
Our high-tech hydraulic products allows for the generation of pressure from electricity, in a very complex fashion, as well as modulating that pressure in a very high bandwidth fashion. Our core technology consists of ultra-compact high-performance pumps and high-speed switching valves.
These core capabilities can be brought together in various ways to develop specific products that enable innovation in different markets.
Simon explains, “Aerospace is a really great case study for hydraulics, to see the size of the prize.
“The average [Boeing] 777 aeroplane, that is very well established, carries around two and a half tonnes of hydraulic equipment on board. This will consist of pumps, over two kilometres worth of piping, valves, actuators, and more.
“The fuel required to lift and to power those hydraulic systems is huge, especially for long haul flights.
“So, in a world where people are spending sometimes millions to save grammes, this seems like such a ripe space for innovation”, Simon adds.
Over the last five years, Domin has been combining its core technologies to provide products, including flight control, powerpacks, and brakes, that allow More Electric architectures to be realised within aviation, with support from NATEP and the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).
“We’ve gone from some very crude demonstrators, all the way through to real representative testing on helicopter braking systems, proving out a complete removal of a central hydraulic system and a replacement with these really compact, high performance electrohydrostatic actuators.”
Simon adds “We are 100% focused on changing the way the aerospace industry uses power and motion control, and really enabling this transition to More Electric flight and to therefore more sustainable aviation for for more people. So, for us, the big driver for the next few years is to take both our valve products and our electrohydrostatic products and get them flying.”
Domin will be at the Farnborough International Airshow on Tuesday 23rd July in Hall 1, stand 1317.
