An electric aircraft with a 1,800-mile range

INTERESTING ENGINEERING SHOP

Electric planes are a tough nut to crack. The aviation industry has committed to lowering carbon emissions, but electric planes are much more challenging than electric cars.

The great power required for takeoff means most existing batteries would expend most of their energy at the beginning of the flight. That makes long-haul electric aviation an incredibly tricky proposition.

One company claims it might have the solution. As always, though, the proof is in the flight test. Let’s not forget that, just over a year ago, NASA’s X-57 experimental electric aircraft project bit the dust – though it may have a lasting legacy.

Reading Time: 4 Minutes

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Subscribe here

Subscribe to IE+: Your VIP pass to the universe of aerospace! Exclusive weekly content: Interviews, deep dives. Join the astronaut crew: Share your spacefaring dreams, discuss breakthroughs, and connect with fellow space nerds - and it is Ad-Free. Subscribe here

INDUSTRY UPDATES

⚖️ US prosecutors urge DoJ to charge Boeing over fatal 737 Max crashes

🔭 Iconic space mission software to boost hypersonic tech. Here’s how

🛰️ Elon Musk wins ‘space tug’ contract to deorbit International Space Station

✈️ World’s 1st hydrogen-powered VTOL plane to be ‘fully refueled in just $500’

☄️ NASA samples show asteroid Bennu was likely part of a primitive ocean world

🚁 1,250 pounds of power: Meet US’ massive new hybrid electric drone XRQ-73

🚀 ULA will launch its second Vulcan rocket without a real payload

🛸 ISS astronauts take shelter in Boeing Starliner and other return spacecraft after June 26 satellite breakup

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHT

Chinese firm claims it could finally crack electric aviation

Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) claims it could have an 8-ton electric aircraft with a 1,800-mile (3,000-km) range by 2027.

The engineering of electric airplanes is incredibly challenging due largely to the immense power needed during takeoff. To date, that power would require batteries that are simply too heavy to be feasible. Of course, they would have to power lift off and then have enough energy for a long-duration flight.

This is why companies like Airbus have been testing alternatives to electric aviation. In recent years, they have tested a hydrogen engine as well as sustainable aviation fuel on their Airbus A380.

CATL aims to persevere with electric aviation, however. The company says its Condensed Battery, which was revealed in April last year, could revolutionize electric aviation. It has an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg in a single cell, which is double the density of the average mainstream EV battery.

Speaking at the 15th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions, CATL chairman Robin Zeng said he expects the Condensed Battery to support a range between 1,200-1,800 miles (2,000-3,000 kilometers) by 2027-2028.

CATL has already successfully flight-tested a 4-ton civil electric aircraft, but the real test will be the 8-ton aircraft it hopes to fly using the Condensed Battery by 2027. According to Zeng, successful flight tests with that 8-ton aircraft would allow CATL to commercialize its new technology.

AERO BULLETIN

Whatever happened to NASA’s X-57 electric aircraft?

On the subject of electric airplanes, what happened to NASA’s electric aviation testbed, the X-57 experimental aircraft? NASA had once touted the X-57 as the future of electric aviation.

The X-57 aircraft was made by modifying an Italian Tecnam P2006T with an electric propulsion system. It would have a range of about 100 miles and a cruise speed of 172 mph (276 km/h), meaning it would be able fly for roughly 40 minutes at a time.

Though it would allow for very short flights, it would serve as a gateway for future electric aviation projects by allowing NASA to compare the data generated to conventional combustion aircraft engines. Did it live up to the hype?

NASA X-57’s cancellation

Almost exactly a year ago, on June 23, NASA announced it was discontinuing the X-57 project. In a press statement, the space agency stated that a detailed analysis of the motors that power the propellers revealed concerns about a potential failure under flight load.

Due to safety concerns, the X-57 aircraft never took flight.

Lessons learned

The truth is that NASA had been cautious about the X-57 long before the project was canceled.

Though it never flew, NASA maintains that several key innovations were born from the X-57 project. For instance, the X-57 battery would overheat during discharge, leading NASA engineers to redesign it to have double the modules (16) and use aluminum honeycomb separators.

NASA also designed cruise motor controllers equipped with silicon carbide transistors that have 98 percent efficiency. These minimize the heat generated and help to quickly cool the electric motors. The team also developed filters to block electromagnetic interference.

While NASA’s X-57 may have never taken off, the technology that came from the project could have a lasting impact in the electric aviation space.