The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has launched a new initiative entitled Aircraft Cabin Environment Technologies (ACET). Managed through the NRC Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC Aerospace), this initiative supports the global aerospace sector by developing, applying and evaluating technologies for healthy and comfortable aircraft cabin environments in pressurized fixed-wing aircraft. Key areas for technology development include acoustics, lighting, ventilation, indoor air quality, and health.

NRC is interested in partnering with companies from the aerospace sector to develop the next generation of aircraft environmental technologies that will enhance passenger and flight crew experience, while offering the possibility of reduced aircraft construction and operating cost.

This initiative leverages human factors expertise to establish design goals, and advance the development of lighter and more effective environmental control systems (ECS), ventilation systems, cabin assemblies, lighting designs, and acoustical treatments to make advances in these areas.

The NRC Indoor Environment Program has world-leading expertise in acoustics, lighting, indoor air quality, thermal comfort and ventilation. The NRC Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) Fire Research Program can evaluate new aircraft cabin products for fire and smoke safety, while ensuring they do not degrade indoor air quality.

These programs enable NRC to undertake research on airborne systems, flight mechanics, avionics airworthiness engineering, flight operations, acoustics, and gas turbine aerodynamics and combustion. The programs have a comprehensive capability to identify methods of introducing new technologies to the market.

"Given this breadth of expertise, we offer the aerospace industry 'one stop shopping' to meet research and technology development needs," says Jerzy Komorowski, Director General of NRC Aerospace. "The ACET initiative draws on more than 50 years of experience in helping the aerospace industry meet their technology development challenges."

Through the ACET initiative, turnkey access is available to all of relevant research programs including those carried out in the Flight Research Laboratory, Gas Turbine Laboratory, Structures, Materials and Performance Laboratory, Aerodynamics Laboratory and Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Centre.