collaboration. It was to develop and mature
various electric propulsion system components
and demonstrate them, on the ground, across
various power classes. Since then, Rolls-Royce
has purchased Siemens’ E-Aircraft unit, which
has been running for some 10 years and made
notable achievements. Its 260 kW, 50 kg
motor powered a plane in the certi cation
category CS23, winning for the rst time a
Permit-to-Fly in purely electric mode. A plane
powered by the motor set a speed record in
2017, in fact (200+ mph, https://is.gd/aviwac).
Rolls-Royce will supply the rear AE2100 gas
turbine (used in the C-130 Hercules’
turboprop), the 2 MW generator and will, with
Airbus, convert the fan to take an electric
motor. An existing RR design from its AE3007
engine will provide the fan and nacelle.
In August, it was revealed that ground tests
of a compact 2.5 MW generator had started in
Norway, at Rolls-Royce Electrical Norway’s
Trondheim facility. The unit will be integrated
with the Rolls-Royce AE2100 turbo-prop.
Moving to larger aircaft still and Airbus
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with SAS Scandinavian Airlines in May for
hybrid and electric aircraft eco-system and
infrastructure requirements research.
Collaboration started in June 2019 and
continues until the end of 2020.
RR electric record initiative
Combining aerospace engineering and Formula E auto racing’s
high power battery development, Rolls-Royce’s ACCEL initiative
is developing a small plane that is all-electric, aiming to do so in two years, with completion
stated as this year. The plan is to set a new benchmarks for an electrically powered aircraft,
including highest power density achieved for a propulsion battery system and gaining the allelectric
12
AEROSPACE SUPPLEMENT
ELECTRIC DREAMS BECOMING REALITY
Priot to that, in September 2017, EasyJet
announced it was developing an electric
180-seater, 270 nautical mile range model for
2027 with US company Wright Electric. The
latter’s web page says: “Wright Electric’s goal
is for every short ight to be zero-emissions
within 20 years. Our rst plane is an airliner
designed for ights like New York-Boston,
London-Paris, and Seoul-Jeju.”
It is starting off with a smaller target,
however. Wright reports it has been working for
the past year on a hybrid-electric nine-seater
for the private market. “The design for our
hybrid-electric plane is a little like that of a
Porsche Panamera — a fuel engine and an
electric motor work together to power the
same vehicle. Applications of this plane
include island hopping, crop dusting, skydiving,
and bush piloting.” The company has posted a
video of its fuel engine and electric motor
running simultaneously – https://is.gd/exilaj.
First test aircraft ight is scheduled for Q4-
2019, the company says.
These are just a few of the current
initiatives globally, but they give a sense of the
direction of travel. Electric and electric-hybrid
power systems will gradually and very de nitely
come to the
aviation
sector.
air speed record, targeting over 300 mph. https://is.gd/donelo
October 2019 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets
Wright Electric
EasyJet and Wright Electric are collaborating on a 270 nautical mile range aircraft for 2027
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