RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney has chosen AeroTEC to play a key role in its Hybrid-Electric Propulsion (HEP) development. The partnership entails transforming a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 turboprop into a cutting-edge flying demonstrator, which represents a significant advancement in the development of sustainable aviation technology.
This collaboration represents a significant milestone in Pratt & Whitney’s efforts to investigate cleaner, more efficient propulsion technologies. By leveraging AeroTEC’s expertise in aircraft modification and testing, the business hopes to validate hybrid-electric systems that significantly lower pollutants and fuel consumption in future regional aircraft.
The upgraded aircraft, which was initially scheduled to begin flying tests in 2024, will use a 2-megawatt parallel hybrid-electric powertrain system instead of one of the Dash 8’s two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120-class turboprop engines. In addition to a 1-megawatt thermal engine, the system will contain a 1-megawatt, 1-kilovolt electric motor from sibling RTX business Collins Aerospace, as well as a battery system provided by Swiss startup H55.
Conversion work will be done at AeroTEC’s Moses Lake, Washington, plant, where the business has experience with multiple previous and ongoing hybrid and electric power modification works. AeroTEC is currently converting a MagniX-owned Dash 7 for NASA’s electrified powertrain flying demonstrator program, as well as a Cessna Caravan for Surf Air Mobility’s hybrid and all-electric Caravan project. The business has previously converted a Dash 8-300 into a hydrogen-powered demonstration for the now-defunct Universal Hydrogen. It also provided ground and flight testing for Eviation’s all-electric Alice aircraft, as well as the initial conversion of MagniX’s battery-electric Cessna caravan.
Developing the powertrain has taken longer than projected. However, Michael Winter, head scientist at Pratt & Whitney’s parent company RTX, claims the business is “doing this to learn.” We want to accomplish it correctly and adequately. We want to develop these building blocks and put them together in such a way that we can verify them securely and reliably before bringing them into the fleet.
Why AeroTEC Was Chosen
Winter stated at the Paris Air Show that “our partnership with AeroTEC will be the unlock that allows us to bridge that truly.” If we build a flight demonstrator with, say, a premier airframer looking to the future, there may be opportunities to work directly with them on the integration. But we don’t have that luxury this time, so AeroTEC is a fantastic relationship that allows us to move things forward, break down those barriers, and gain access to that flying test.”
Pratt & Whitney has decided to collaborate with AeroTEC following the successful completion of a recent ground test of its hybrid-electric propulsion system. This recent test was a key milestone because the system ran at full power for a simulated entire mission, proving its potential for future commercial aviation applications.
Although Pratt & Whitney had already demonstrated the full-power functioning of the system before the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, the most recent testing phase advanced the technology even further. This prolonged test provides more insight into the system’s performance and reliability over more extended periods of time, underscoring the company’s dedication to developing sustainable aviation solutions.
“We ran the entire system up to the full power required for the entire trip, including takeoff and the battery recharge cycle specified in the mission plan. We achieved more than 1,800 shaft horsepower by taking electricity from both the batteries and the thermal engine. That presents a dilemma for the batteries, as they are normally built to reduce the potential of thermal runaway. This tends to limit the rate at which you can draw and return current. So we’re working closely with H55, with whom we’re associated with RTX ventures, and we’ve completed the entire cycle,” Winter explains.
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