Victor Henri, research engineer at IRT Saint Exupéry, has received the AFCAT – CALNEOS 2025 Young Researcher Prize, awarded by the French Association for Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis (AFCAT) in partnership with CALNEOS. This distinction highlights the excellence of his work on the ageing of insulating materials used in high-power electrical harnesses— a central challenge for the aerospace sector.
Research in Support of Technological Transitions
His research, initiated during a PhD conducted in collaboration with Safran Electrical & Power and the CIRIMAT laboratory, focused on identifying structural markers of ageing in electrical insulation materials.
As part of the HYBELEC project (2019–2023), Victor Henri contributed to a detailed understanding of degradation phenomena and the development of tools to predict the lifespan of high-performance thermoplastic polymers. These materials are essential to embedded electrical systems exposed to increased thermal, electrical, and environmental stresses—particularly in the context of hybrid or fully electric propulsion systems.
Since 2023, he has continued his work through the GRINHELEC project (2023–2026), which aims to incorporate partially bio-based polymers into electrical harnesses in response to sustainability challenges and evolving regulations in the aerospace industry. This effort is grounded in a rigorous experimental approach, particularly through thermal analysis techniques, to assess the long-term reliability of these materials.
A Collective Achievement
This award recognizes not only Victor Henri’s scientific commitment but also the collective effort of the teams at IRT Saint Exupéry, partner laboratories, and industrial collaborators involved in these projects. It reflects a strong ability to drive applied research that meets the evolving needs of future aerospace systems.
To read Victor’s scientific publications:
Ageing of polyimide under thermal stress: Relaxational effects and charge transport – ScienceDirect