AEROSPACE
WWW.MADEIN.IE « MARCH 2020 « 31
compared to regular internal combustion
engines.”
This had to be achieved with the
reliability and redundancy expected from
aerospace grade propulsion systems. For
example, the magni500 has four separately
controlled and monitored 3-phase
sections. “If there is a fault or failure
during fl ight, we can detect in which
section it is occurring, shut it down, and
maintain 75% power and so provide the
pilot with ‘graceful degradation’; vs an
all-or-nothing that the internal
combustion engine provides,” says
Ganzarski.
Maintaining a steady temperature for
steady performance is also crucial. A
proprietary liquid cooling system is used
to achieve this.
The biggest challenge when
designing the magni500 was
that all of the above had
to be achieved with a
motor that could
develop full torque and
power turning at only 1900rpm.
“Traditional engines turn at very high
speeds to create their power (10,000-
20,000rpm),” Ganzarski explains.
“Typically, a heavy, maintenance prone
reduction gearbox would have to be
installed. With our motor turning at
1900rpm, we are able to connect to the
propeller directly without any gear box,
meaning much less weight, no
maintenance, etc.”
The Beaver is claimed to be able to fl y
up to 100 miles before having to be
recharged so, like early electric cars, it
precludes people who need to go longer
distances.
“The range now is not where we’d love
it to be, but it’s enough to start the
revolution,” says Ganzarski, who
predicts batteries and electric
motors will eventually be
developed to power longer
fl ights.
While the world waits,
he said cheaper
short-haul fl ights
powered by electricity
could transform the way
people connect and where
they work: “If people are
willing to drive an hour to
work, why not fl y 15 minutes to
work?”
Civil aviation is one of the fastestgrowing
sources of carbon emissions as
people increasingly take to the skies, and
new technologies have been slow to get off
the ground.
Where the airline industry in general is
drawing constant criticism for how much
carbon it produces, around 2% of the
world’s carbon dioxide emissions – a
number that is only expected to increase,
an electric fl eet of local charters is very
appealing.
On top of fuel effi ciency, the company
would save millions in maintenance costs
because electric motors require
“drastically” less upkeep, McDougall says.
However, Harbour Air will have to wait
at least two years before it can begin
electrifying its fl eet of more than 40
seaplanes.
The e-plane has to be tested further to
confi rm it is reliable and safe. In addition,
the Magni500 electric powertrain must be
approved and certifi ed by regulators.
Advancements in electric air fl ight are
expected to eventually solve range
limitations. For example, a noncommercial
electric plane, Solar Impulse
2, completed a round-the-world trip
between 2015 and 2016.
MADE
on the power,” he says.
“Our goal is to actually electrify the
entire fl eet,” adds McDougall.
Electric planes have so far proved to be
far bigger engineering challenges than
other electric vehicles like cars and trains,
because the amount of power an electric
plane needs for take-off and to sustain
fl ight requires large batteries and motors
that can make them diffi cult to fl y.
Dozens of companies and startups
around the world are pursuing batteryelectric
and hybrid prototypes. But current
batteries are too heavy and too expensive.
Energy density — the amount of energy
stored in a given system — is the key
metric, and today’s batteries don’t contain
enough energy to get most planes off the
ground. For comparison: jet fuel gives
about 43 times more energy than a battery
that’s just as heavy.
“Power to weight ratio is critical in
aviation,” explains Ganzarski. “It has to
have enough power to lift the aircraft
while not doing so with added weight
Greg McDougall and Roei
Ganzarski
The historic fl ight itself
“The range
now is not
where we’d love
it to be, but it’s
enough to start the
revolution.”
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