CentraleSupélec: Evrard Constant honored with Robert B. Guenassia Prize
Read the full article in English and French on the CentraleSupélec website.
The winner of the Robert B. Guenassia Prize, awarded to CentraleSupélec students pursuing their studies at MIT, Evrard Constant has just earned a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the American institution. He is being recognized for his academic excellence and the quality of his research on electric propulsion systems for aviation.
Aerospace engineering: from CentraleSupélec to MIT, the career path of Evrard Constant
After preparatory classes at Collège Stanislas, Evrard pursued his engineering studies at CentraleSupélec, where he gradually developed his academic and professional project, exploring various fields before specializing in aerospace engineering. A gap year spent between the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and Safran Aircraft Engines confirmed his strong interest in the field.
Admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Master’s student, he joined the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, where he now works on a key issue: overcoming the technological barriers related to the electrification of aviation.
A career guided by rigor, curiosity and a taste for technological challenges.
Can you tell us about your background before CentraleSupélec?
I grew up in Paris, where I attended preparatory classes for the top engineering schools at Collège Stanislas after completing a scientific baccalaureate. I’ve always been passionate about understanding the physical world through mathematics and scientific rigor. This interest naturally led me to a general engineering degree, which allows you to explore different fields before specializing.
Why did I choose CentraleSupélec?
CentraleSupélec stood out to me because of the quality of its general engineering program. The school gave me the opportunity to explore different fields of engineering before focusing on aerospace. CentraleSupélec also maintains close ties with businesses and industry, which I experienced during my gap year. This experience played a decisive role in confirming my career path.
Inspiration and motivation.
Why did I choose aerospace?
My interest in this field really solidified during my gap year at the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments) and Safran Aircraft Engines. There, I discovered highly complex systems, subjected to extreme constraints and demanding a very high level of rigor. Aerospace engineering also allows me to tackle a variety of problems, which aligns with my desire to maintain a generalist approach while working with cutting-edge technologies.
At MIT: tackling the challenges of electric aviation
Why MIT and aerospace engineering?
I wanted to broaden my education and experience a different way of thinking about engineering. Looking back on my experiences, I had identified that cooling systems for electric propulsion systems were an obstacle to the electrification of aviation, and I was convinced I could contribute to solving this problem within MIT’s exceptional research ecosystem.
What projects are you currently working on?
I work at the Gas Turbine Laboratory, MIT’s turbomachinery laboratory, on the development of electric propulsion systems for aviation. One of the main challenges lies in the power density of electric machines. Today, increasing the power of systems means increasing their size and mass, “squared,” so to speak, which is incompatible with the constraints of aeronautics.
Our work, in collaboration with the research team, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of ultra-compact electric propulsion systems capable of achieving power levels on the order of megawatts. The project has made several significant advances, and its results will be presented at an international conference this summer.
