“The motor will be connected to an electric power
distribution system and controller. This will manage the
power coming from the generator – a gas turbine
attached to an electric generator and the battery. The
components of this 3,000V, 2MW system will all be
tested at our facility.”
Ground testing of systems will start with normal
operation and then move onto failure modes.
CONVERTS
Electric aviation propulsion firm MagniX is involved in
several MEA projects. Its magni250 and magni500 high
power-to-weight brushless electric motors are powering
Israel-based Eviation’s all-electric aircraft Alice, which is
designed to take nine passengers up to 650 miles. The
motors are also being used in an electric retrofit of
operator Harbour Air’s fleet of de Havilland Canada
DHC-2 Beavers.
Harbour Air is based in Vancouver, Canada and its
flights average between 40-62 miles and last between 15
to 25 minutes. The CEO of MagniX, Roei Ganzarski, says
that a lot of smaller operators would prefer to convert
existing aircraft, rather than invest millions into buying
new aircraft that can travel further than they need.
“In 2018, 5% of all
global flights, 1.8 million
trips, were of less than 100
miles, not including cargo
and private aviation. All of
the aircraft used for these
flights are perfectly suited
to conversion.
It will be faster and cheaper for the operators
working these short routes to convert, plus they can
continue to use aircraft they already know. Converting
costs 20% of the cost of buying new,” he says.
The magni250 is a 280kW motor that produces 375
horsepower, while the magni500 is a 560kW motor that
produces 750 horsepower – both turn at 1,900rpm; the
same speed as the propeller. This has allowed MagniX to
completely eliminate the need for a gearbox.
“Traditional internal combustion engines turn at
much higher speeds to create that power. Because the
electric motor turning at 1900rpm creates the same
power, you can go directly to the propeller and eliminate
the whole gearbox,” says Ganzarski.
Both motors are currently in assembly and
completing ground testing. The first set of tests are
electric aircraft
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AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM // JUNE 59
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