OpenLab
FLUIDICS@Poitiers
Fluidics@Poitiers is a common laboratory between Stellantis and the Pprime Institute (UPR CNRS 3346, Université de Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA). It is one of the OpenLabs of the StelLab network of Stellantis. It aims at helping to assess not only the new challenges of the automotive industry but also high expectations from the Stellantis’ brands customers, in close collaboration with well-known academic research labs.
Within Fluidics, we deal with applied ecological and economical challenges related to the energy consumption of vehicles and to greenhouse gases and pollutants emissions, namely (aerodynamic) drag reduction and increased efficiency of vehicles, transition to new engines (hybrid vehicles, electric engines, fuel cell…). Passengers’ safety and vehicles’ attractiveness are of course key topics as well. Three research fields are concerned, in Poitiers: aerodynamics, thermal science and acoustics.
The OpenLab Fluidics@Poitiers was created on December 1st, 2011 and has been subsequently renewed in 2015 and 2020 for 4 years periods.
Since its creation in 2011, 20 peer-reviewed articles were published in scientific journals and 50 communications were presented in workshops in the framework of the OpenLab. 11 Ph.D. works, 14 Post-Doc years, 21 final year’s internships (engineers and masters) have been conducted. 5 ANR research projects involve research activity from Fluidics@Poitiers. Four patents have been deposited as well. The strong interaction between the OpenLab and the teaching activities in ISAE-ENSMA and ENSIP should also be highlighted.
Thermal management
Aerodynamics
Aeroacoustics
Stellantis StelLab network: scientific partnerships with universities
Nowadays the automotive industry has to face a large number of technological, environmental and societal challenges and competitiveness requires the rapid and cheap identification and development of disruptive technologies, partnerships with the academic world are the key of successful innovation and is unavoidable to identify the technological breakthroughs for future vehicles.
In 2010, Stellantis (ex-Groupe PSA) founded the StelLab network (Science & Technologies Exploratory Lean LABoratory). It corresponds to the internal scientific structure aiming at developing interdisciplinary collaborations within the Group and with external academic partners. The StelLab also aims at being a link between Ph.D. students, research engineers, scientists and experts from the Group, facilitating invitations of students and researchers within the entities of the Research Department to collaborate on the Group’s scientific programs.
The StelLab builds scientific partnerships with on-the-edge laboratories all around the world by means of the OpenLab and Chaires networks (OpenLabs: research structures mixing workforce and experimental means from Stellantis and partner laboratories). As of now, 17 OpenLabs and 3 academic Chaires steered in close collaboration with Université PSA compose the network.