Prof. Dr. Maximillian F. Platzer

Prof. Dr. Maximillian F. Platzer Affiliation: Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering University of California Davis

Keynote Speeches and Abstracts
Abstract for Energy Production lecture:
Sustainable aviation requires the use of sustainably produced energy to charge electric batteries or to manufacture hydrogen or jet fuel for airplane propulsion. Prof. Platzer will draw attention to the fact that our planet offers inexhaustible energy in the form of winds over the oceans. He will describe the current status and prospects of the “energy ship” project which is currently being conducted at UC-Davis, Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Technical University Darmstadt and Technical University Graz. It is the objective of this project to show the feasibility of converting the ocean wind enetgy into electric energy, hydrogen and jet fuel by means of autonomous sailing ships equipped with hydrokinetic turbines.
Abstract for the Drag Reduction lecture:
Prof. Platzer will describe the physics of thrust generation by means of flapping airfoils and its application on the micro-air vehicle developed at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He will draw attention to the opportunities for drag reduction on larger-scale airplanes offered by applying the flapping-foil propulsion concept to energize the wing boundary layer, i.e., by mounting small oscillating vortex generators for the purpose of achieving efficient boundary layer propulsion.