The HEACE-project is run by the HEACE-consortium, constituted of eight contractors from five european countries.
These contractors are:

• Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg (Germany)
• University of Patras (Greece)
• University of Vienna, Institute for Environmental Health (Austria)
• Building Research Establishment Ltd (Great Britain)
• Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali S.C.p.A. (Italy)
• EADS Deutschland GmbH (Germany)
• Institut für Technische und Angewandte Physik GmbH (Germany)
• Paragon Ltd (Greece)

Where the Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg acts as project co-ordinator.

University of Oldenburg

Oldenburg University has high expertise in a broad field of acoustics. The Physics Department (altogether 14 University Professors with 35 senior researchers and about 80 postgraduates) has two large acoustic groups, working in applied physics: One focused in psychoacoustics, environmental acoustics, vibro-acoustics, and wave propagation, the other in medical physics, in particular in audiology and hearing models.
Numerous RTD-projects on national level and in the European community have been conducted, some thematically quite near to the present investigations (e.g. IDEA PACI, OBELICS). A graduate school in psychoacoustics, special funded by the German science foundation, is running in the 10th year under the guidance of the acoustics group in the Physics Department. The "output" lies around 3-4 Ph.D.-studies per year. Traditionally, RTD-activities are incorporated in the education scheme at the earliest stage possible.
Research facilities in acoustics include a large anechoic chamber, several acoustically isolated workplaces for psychoacoustic investigations, vibro-acoustic test beds, a highly damped acoustic wind tunnel of extreme low turbulence for aero acoustic research and the usual basic facilities for acoustic signal detection and processing.

University of Patras, Laboratory of Fluid mechanics and Energy (LFME)

The Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics & Energy (LFME) of the University of Patras Greece, was established in 1990 by Professor Demos T. Tsahalis. From its inception, LFME has focused its activities in the development of methodologies, algorithms and computer software for the modeling of problems as well as performing noise experiments/measurements in the following main research areas:

• Active Noise and Vibration Control (ANVC),
• Energy Related Problems (Rational Use of Energy, Renewable Energies, etc.),
• Optimization by means of Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs)- Genetic Algorithms (GAs),
• Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Neural Networks, Expert Systems),
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD),
• Modelling - Finite Element Method (FEM).

LFME has gained considerable expertise in not only performing R&D but also in managing and coordinating projects, through its participation in European Commission funded projects (14 in total).

Institute for Environmental Health, University of Vienna

The Institute for Environmental Health is part of the Medical Faculty of the University of Vienna. Research, students and postgraduate education and the assessment of expertness are the main areas of work. An interdisciplinary team of scientists including physicians, psychologists, chemists, physicists epidemiologists and statistic experts is co-operating in all fields. Since several decades the Institute runs beside others a highly qualified and specified Department and Laboratory for Psychophysiology investigating health effects, functional physiological changes as well as changes in performance and well-being caused by variations in the environmental conditions. The Institute supervises about 60 PhD - studies per year.
The Institute for Environmental Health is involved in assessing all chemical, physical, psychological and social environmental and workplace impacts influencing human health and well-being. Evidence of such effects, dose response relationship and analyses of the causal chains are the main goals of research activities, which are oriented on preventive and comprehensive health aspects. Individual as well as collective measures and strategies for protection of health and the environment are to be developed and evaluated with respect to their efficiency, efficacy and acceptance.

BRE

Building Research Establishment Ltd. (BRE) is one of the UK's leading centres of expertise on indoor environment issues, covering buildings, transport and other sectors. BRE has nearly 80 years of experience as a research and consultancy organisation, and has a total complement of over 600 staff. Typical work includes specific research and development commissions for the construction industry and longer-term research programmes for both UK government and the European Commission. BRE's client base also includes local government, manufacturers, transport operators, utilities, charitable organisations and others. Much of BRE's work involves the development of standards, regulations and best practice guidance for whole industry sectors, including major national and international standard-setting activities through BSI, CEN and ISO.
BRE's project expertise covers many aspects of the indoor environment, including air quality and ventilation, pollution (internal and external), noise, water and waste, lighting, indoor climate and control systems, and workplace productivity and energy use. This includes significant work on the aircraft cabin environment and its impact on health and comfort. BRE has participated in over 140 collaborative European projects of which it has co-ordinated over 25.
BRE will contribute to HEACE by providing:

• In-depth understanding of the relationship between the indoor environment and occupant health, comfort and productivity;
• Laboratory studies of the combined impact of air quality and noise parameters on human subjects;
• Environmental and questionnaire surveys on commercial flights;
• Statistical analysis, interpretation and reporting.

BRE will also co-ordinate Work Packages and Work Tasks.

CIRA

CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Centre) is a not-for-profit research consortium, incorporated in 1984 in Capua (Caserta), with facilities located on a 0,625 square-mile- development area.
ASI (Italian Space Agency) and CNR (National Research Council) hold the majority of the Company shares; other relevant shareholders are national aerospace Companies and the Regional Government (Regione Campania).
CIRA has been charged by the Government to pursue the National Aerospace Research Programme (PRO.R.A.). As a result, CIRA aims at the scientific, technological and economical evolution in the Aerospace field in accordance with the national plans. This commitment is achieved integrating the development and management of advanced facilities with the use of testing and qualification facilities, and research activities in collaboration with European and International research and industrial groups.
CIRA activities are also aimed at improving the development, the spreading and the exchange of scientific information, and at promoting education and training opportunities in the Aerospace field, in synergy with the European programmes.
Consistent with its mission, CIRA has defined its own specific objectives. The proposed key targets are:

• To earn an international recognition for scientific excellence as an outstanding theoretical and experimental Aerospace research centre;
• To promote training and education in the aerospace field;
• To acquire and transfer know-how with the perspective to improve the existing Aerospace companies' competitiveness and to promote the creation of new ones.

In order to achieve the objectives listed above, CIRA plans to:

• Realise medium/long term research projects in synergy with the existing scientific and entrepreneurial organisations;
• Join the main international research organisations in order to develop international research projects;
• Offer the international aerospace community advanced facilities and laboratories to conduct research, testing and certification;
• Attract national and international scientists.

The main fields of research are:

• Aerodynamics
• Space Vehicles and Propulsion
• Ice Protection
• Acoustics and Vibration
• Structures and Materials
• Structural Dynamics
• Flight Safety and Human Factors
• Flight Dynamics, Control and Automation
• Computer Science

The following test facilities are operational or are being completed:

• Plasma Wind Tunnel
• Icing Wind Tunnel
• Crash Test Facility
• Transonic Wind Tunnel
• Acoustics and Vibration Labs
• Structure and Material Labs
• Computational Centre

CIRA Vibration and Acoustics branch began its research activities in 1988. Its mission is to develop research activities and experimental support in the fields of Acoustics and Vibration modelling and control. Fields of interest are:

• Numerical analysis of vibrating systems and internal acoustics (FEM, BEM, SEA).
• Active and passive noise and vibration control.
• Aircraft Ground Vibration Testing
• Aircraft external Acoustic Certification Testing
• Experimental analysis of vibrating systems and internal acoustics.
• Airport Noise Environmental Monitoring and Community Noise Prediction

Vibration and Acoustics department was involved in several European founded project as BRAIN, RHINO, ASANCA, ASANCA II, IDEA PACI, ENABLE.

EADS

The EADS Corporate Research is engaged in comprehensive and mid to long term research for all EADS business units (Airbus, Eurocopter, Astrium, Military Aircraft, Civil and Defense Systems, etc.) and promotes progress and realisation of innovations and company-wide technology transfer. EADS-CRC provides expertise in strategic decisions of the company. Research on noise and vibration and active noise and vibration control applications for the different products made by the company (civil and military aircraft, helicopters, launchers, satellite systems, etc.) is an important activity of EADS Corporate Research Centre (CRC) Germany in Munich (formerly part of the DaimlerChrysler Research & Technology Department).
Current related research projects of EADS-CRC-LG deal with innovative passive measures for interior and exterior noise reduction for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, simulation of noise and vibration generation and propagation, performance enhancement, safety and comfort improvement. Contributions within the EU projects RESOUND, RANNTAC, RAIN and SILENCER concern the areas of exterior noise reduction and simulation. Within the EU project RHINO active and passive measures to reduce interior noise in helicopters were investigated as well new tools for the prediction of noise and vibration in aircraft and helicopters developed.
EADS Corporate Research Centre Germany is responsible in HEACE for the acquisition of acoustic and vibration data within the flight test, their analysis and the processing of these data for the simulation sequences of the mock-ups. It is also contributes to the statistical approach by the analysis of relevant noise and vibration data, the evaluation of significant parameters describing the behaviour of test personnel with respect to the noise, vibration and other environmental input parameters. EADS CRC is leading the WP 5 and is responsible for the development of the design tool and its link to practical application from industrial point of view as target of the project. EADS CRC will exploit the results on concepts and design tools for the impact and rating of environmental parameters like noise/ vibration and climate parameters on comfort and health for aircraft cockpit/cabin.

ITAP

The Institute of Technical and Applied Physics - ITAP - was founded in 1990 as an independent service area at Oldenburg University. The aim of ITAP was to provide applied research and development as well as technical and consulting services for non-university customers. The major working fields are technical acoustics, applied optics and fluid mechanics. In 1996, the ITAP-group was turned into an independent SME (ITAP GmbH), linked to Oldenburg University by a co-operation contract, which enables ITAP to use large-scale facilities of the university. At present the ITAP GmbH has 5 scientific employees who are mainly involved in the following running subjects:

• Development of a sound & vibration simulator/ reproduction system for investigations of combined effects of sound & vibration in cars (automotive industry)
• Measurement, analysis and evaluation of structural vibrations and acoustics in helicopters and aircrafts (subcontractor of the IDEA-PACI project)
• Development and production of a multi channel auditory display to produce or simulate complex sound fields for blind or vision impaired computer users (INVITE project - German Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF)
• Measurement of fluid dynamical and fluid acoustical quantities in a wind tunnel (wind turbine industry, automotive industry)
• Non-contact quality control with holography and laser speckle techniques (automotive industry)
• Quantitative measurement of velocity fields of fans by laser Doppler anemometry - LDA (automotive industry)

Due to high expertise in human related measurement, analysis and reproduction of sound and vibration as well as in fluid dynamic measurements ITAP GmbH is able to give valuable contributions to HEACE.

Paragon Ltd

The SME PARAGON Ltd. was established in 1994 aiming to provide specialised research, technical and consulting services and to promote the transfer of technology from Universities and Research Institutes to the Industry.
PARAGON Ltd. combines the extensive knowledge of a group of engineers, all of them experts in their fields, and the capabilities of an efficient management team. This structure gives PARAGON Ltd. the ability to provide management services, expert services, or participate successfully in R&D and technical projects. Through its continuous participation in joint European projects, PARAGON Ltd. aims to stay at the edge of the technological advancement.
The resources and expertise of PARAGON Ltd. are available for joint participation in European Commission funded projects or as services offered to industrial, governmental or other private agencies.
The personnel of PARAGON Ltd. consists of Engineers, experts in their fields, highly trained management staff with proven experience in the management and evaluation of projects, experienced personnel in software and hardware development. PARAGON Ltd. has great experience in the participation of both National and International R&D projects.
Apart from the permanently employed staff, PARAGON collaborates with a number of very capable external assistants-scientists. These collaborations enable PARAGON Ltd. to undertake very complex projects in its areas of specialization.