NASA and MagniX Start Altitude-Testing Hybrid Electric Planes

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Fully-electric commercial planes are still far from reality. Unlike cars, planes need to carry as little weight as possible, and the heavy lithium-ion batteries certainly won’t help with that. However, hybrid planes, where electricity is used to aid the turbine engines, are around the corner. These would carry much smaller batteries while being more efficient and producing less greenhouse gases. And now, NASA and MagniX joined forces on a feasibility study of hybrid electric propulsion for commercial aircraft.

MagniX specializes in making electric motors for aircraft. The company already made a big splash in the fully-electric segment by making an all-electric version of the Cessna 208 Caravan with a 750-hp electric motor. For the hybrid De Havilland DHC-7 (Dash 7) demonstrator aircraft, MagniX replaced two of its turbo propellor engines with magni650 electric engines, capable of a whopping 700 kW (940 hp). For the battery, NASA and MagniX engineers went with a 450-kWh Samson unit. 

Still, while these engines are definitely capable, they’ll need to prove their mettle at high altitudes. Thus, NASA conducted high-altitude testing at its facilities, using special chambers to simulate an altitude of 27,500 feet (8,4 km). The engineers conducted partial discharge tests to see whether the electrical insulation would be sufficient. This test was critical because most of the issues in electric aircraft engines occur at higher altitudes. Most notably, the air is thinner up in the atmosphere, and the temperature shifts are much greater, too. These can impact the engine’s performance and put additional stress on the components.

“The development of new technologies is a methodical and incremental process,” said Brad French, lead systems engineer for NASA EPFD. “By testing these systems in a controlled environment, we can verify that they operate safely and as expected, or isolate and solve any problems before they pose a significant risk.”

The electrified De Havilland DHC-7 (Dash 7) demonstrator aircraft is designed to carry up to 50 passengers, mostly on short-to-mid distances. NASA and MagniX also completed baseline flight testing, necessary to compare how much of a gain in fuel efficiency and power the new hybrid propulsion brings.

Ashton Henning