Speaker List

Synopsis: Traditionally water-brakes or eddy-current retarders are used to load turbo-prop and turbo-shaft engines in development- or routine-testing. While water-brakes have limited dynamics, require eddy-current retarders power-electronics for dynamic control. However, their low inertia allows testing with a representative mass-elastic load side. Electric variable speed drives offer the highest dynamic control even at very large powers, however, motors come with significant rotational inertia. By employing modern control schemes for active inertia compensation and torsional damping, a 9000hp/6.7MW industrial drive was turned into a regenerative dynamometer. The challenges in motion control are presented, as well as practical experience from its commercial operation.

Synopsis: Driven by the need for sustainable aviation as well as technical possibilities numerous initiatives are ongoing to develop and certify electric or electric/hybrid aircraft, such as VTOL, hydrogen/electric, SAF/electric. Authorities and industry work together to develop Certification Specifications and Special Conditions. Safety principles are generally understood, however how to design new aircraft to support safety requirements and how to show compliance is still novel territory. Additional challenges are posed by start-up organizations and investor interests. This presentation addresses some of the recent field experience working in airworthiness office roles and industry standardization working groups and the hurdles still ahead.

Synopsis: The ATI has published the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy, Destination Zero, which describes the path to net zero commercial aircraft by 2050. This presentation will explore new capabilities which are in development in the ATI portfolio of R&T projects and thereby grow the aerospace sector's strengths to realise the 2050 target. The role of both ultra-efficient and zero-carbon propulsion systems technologies will be explored together with complementary advances in aircraft systems to support the future market.

Synopsis: As soon as the first commercial aircraft will be entering the market, they will need to be kept airworthy continuously. Changes in legislation will mean new requirements for organisations and workforce. On the other hand, lessons learned and existing infrastructure for continuous airworthiness of existing aircrafts can be used to support electric and hybrid aviation. Ultimately, an aircraft needs to fly and be reliable throughout its lifetime. How do we organize this support in time?

Synopsis: Exploring and pushing forward technological bricks on Distributed Electric Propulsion, that is the goal of the flight demonstrator EcopulseTM. This collaborative project is undertaken with Airbus, Daher, Safran, with the support of France’s Civil Aviation Research Council (CORAC) and French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), to enable our future aircraft to further support decarbonisation. Airbus is involved in the development of a high-energy-density battery, aerodynamic and acoustic integration and the development of a Flight Control computer system. Some key objectives are to contribute to new-energy learnings, to identify appropriate methods and associated simulation models, and to evaluate aerodynamic and acoustic gains.

Synopsis: Multifunctional structures capable of load-bearing, storing electrical energy as well as sensing and monitoring are currently developed under the EU research projects SOLIFLY and MATISSE with the aim of demonstrating the technology first in a stiffened panel and later at full scale in a replaceable wingtip of a fully electric light aircraft. Aiming to achieve TRL4 by 2025, this work shall pave the way for making structural batteries a viable technology for next-generation hybrid electric passenger aircraft. This talk will provide an overview of the current research and will also encompass aspects related to certification and manufacturing of structural batteries.

Synopsis: Today, simulation is a key part of product engineering. It enables engineers to rapidly and cost-effectively test and validate their designs. Today, most companies perform their engineering simulation on custom-built on-premises compute clusters. Finding that on-premises clusters are limiting in many ways, many companies are actively migrating their engineering simulation workloads to the cloud. The cloud provides access to vast computing resources on-demand, providing elasticity and lower cost, enabling simulation engineers to run more simulations quicker, thus expediting the innovation process. This talk presents insights into how to scale simulations in the cloud, along with customer case studies.

Synopsis: This publication shows a novel method to use Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) based inverter emulator (PHIL-IE) as an efficient test tool along the product life cycle. In early R&D phases, it can be used as a highly efficient rapid prototyping tool to shorten R&D cycles and test a future converter system under real-life conditions. In later states, the same PHIL-IE by using different HIL-based application models is used for single component tests. In iron birds the novel test method can be perfectly combined with HIL-based digital twin emulations and reduce test costs and time significantly.

Synopsis: Zero emission mobility as a common goal across industries - whether on the road, in the air or in space - motivates us to develop advanced automotive-based solutions for the future of mobility. We believe that it is key to utilize synergies across these industries to speed up and enable the technological transition. We will present preliminary research results of our H2 activities. We will focus on the benefits, potentials and hurdles for future aerospace solutions based on our experience in different product areas and projects such as fuel cell peripheral components, automotive-based high precise microelectronics, advanced adhesive manufacturing processes and advanced electronic manufacturing solutions.

Synopsis: The future of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) or drone applications, whether the delivery of consumer goods, medical supplies, emergency response, or research instrumentation, includes missions beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and penetration into clouds. Adverse weather conditions, particularly in-flight icing, will be a significant hurdle to overcome. Therefore, reducing ice accretion using an ice protection system is critical. Equally, any system must not impact on its ability to carry a payload effectively. This presentation focuses on research and system development carried out by CAV Systems to address these issues and provide an effective, low-powered ice protection scalable solution.

Synopsis: This work is devoted to the investigation of the aerodynamic effects of a DEP installation on a regional aircraft for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. In the first part, a finite span section of the wing is considered with periodic boundary conditions by means of RANS approach. The second part of the paper is devoted to trade-off studies on a complete wing by means of a combination of high-order and low-order approaches. The final objective is to identify a simplified procedure to support preliminary design. Experimental test campaign is on-going in order to assess the numerical results.

Synopsis: Carbon emissions are just one side of the climate impact of aviation. Non-CO2 effects are around 2/3 of the total effect, 85% of them linked to aeroplane contrails. Different solutions are being studied such as sustainable fuels (SAF), the reduction of aromatics, modification of the routes to avoid specific areas and avoiding the formation of condensation trails by flying at lower altitudes. CITD Smart SAF system is targeting as well a new solution to the Non-CO2 effects where IA will be used for condensation trails prediction based not only on atmospheric data but also adding onboard aeroplane data analyses.

Synopsis: The need for a transition to greener aviation is crucial. For Norway as a nation highly dependent on a well-functioning air transport system, shortening the time it takes to develop, test and roll out more sustainable solutions is of particular importance. To facilitate the change we need to understand how the rest of the aviation ecosystem needs to align to allow for new technologies. We also need to understand how society and the way we think about mobility are affected. At the same time, new groups of stakeholders become important and necessitate collaboration across sectors. How can we work to accomplish accelerated innovation?

Synopsis: As Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) gains increasing visibility and traction, more communities are considering the opportunities that advanced air mobility (AAM) may offer in terms of transportation options, economic benefits, job creation, first responder and medical services, and cargo delivery. Translating these potential opportunities into reality requires a thoughtful community stakeholder engagement strategy and implementation. The Community Air Mobility Initiative (CAMI) works with municipalities, regions, agencies, airports and industry to facilitate collaborations that address AAM opportunities and challenges. In doing so, CAMI continues to build a set of model policies and best practices for successful stakeholder engagement. In this session, attendees will learn about the various policies and practices being developed in different jurisdictions to enable AAM.

Synopsis: The aviation industry has been facing for decades the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint and made significant progress in fuel efficiency. Today, the global air transport industry is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To go even further in the reduction of aircraft emissions, the principal focus is now on new technologies such as electric aircraft and new fuels such as hydrogen. But while progress is being made, these disruptive solutions still face some challenges with respect to their overall impact on the environment. To address a truly end-to-end sustainable system, companies should approach the system-of-systems perspective

Synopsis: Certification often makes design iterations prohibitively slow, with spiralling costs and time to market a major challenge. Engineering at a system level is crucial to avoid non-optimised eVTOL propulsion and aircraft designs. This extends beyond motor, transmission and inverter, to propellor geometry and aircraft structures. A process to develop systems concurrently and assess system architectures, electric motor/inverter technologies and propellor designs is presented. Simulation tools enable the assessment of key parameters including power density, efficiency, redundancy, and sustainability for 1000’s of options, identifying potential non-intuitive solutions. This allows for quick data-driven decision-making, enabling the future of aircraft propulsion systems.

Synopsis: The technological shift towards electric or hydrogen propulsion and more electric aircraft in general greatly benefits us all by enabling clean and sustainable aviation, but also introduces new challenges in its development process. The growing complexity of the electrical architecture onboard aircraft requires additional control software and in-depth verification. However, development activities are usually distributed across different organizations. Thus, integration testing becomes increasingly challenging. Flexible virtualization strategies are required to cope with these challenges. This session will show how HIL testing on power level can help avoid bottlenecks in development by emulating batteries and electric machines at different operating conditions.

Synopsis: We will be building upon the work done on the UK Regional Air Mobility Index to explore the number of viable air mobility routes in the UK. This will focus specifically on regional air mobility for fixed-wing electric and hydrocarbon aircraft, and identify opportunities for airports and operators. This investment-grade analysis will support any business plan and help secure funding for original equipment manufacturers, operators, and infrastructure providers.

Synopsis: Legal constraints on transformations in the transport sector will affect all transport systems. The need for a rapid switch to renewable energies hits aviation at a vulnerable point: supply at the landing site. With the exception of large airports, the numerous airfields will not be able to absorb the rapidly emerging demand for H2 and electricity with common measures. For this purpose, EGS is developing a scalable, mobile, decentralized storage-based supply system that uses existing, preferably renewable, green energy sources to ensure that airfields, which are still technically underdeveloped, can meet the future requirements of VTOLs and short-range aircraft.

Synopsis: Electra has developed and tested a hybrid-electric propulsion system to power its blown-lift eSTOL aircraft, able to take off and land within the size of a soccer field. The hybrid system consists of a turbogenerator and battery pack powering 8 distributed electric propulsors arranged along the leading edge of the wing. This arrangement results in a multiplication of lift generated at slow speed, giving the aircraft the ability to lift off and land within 2-3 vehicle lengths. Electra has demonstrated this effect in prior wind tunnel tests and at sub-scale. Electra has recently integrated the hybrid system into its 2-seat technology demonstrator and will begin flight testing by Q3 2023. This presentation will discuss learnings and insights from the integration and test of the hybrid propulsion system. Electra’s future product is a 9-seat version of its eSTOL aircraft.

Synopsis: Electric vehicles around the world are charged by different couplers and sometimes each country may feature several competing standards. It is vital that electric aviation avoids this mess through global standardisation. Harmonisation will lead to accelerated uptake of AAM, safer flying, simpler infrastructure roll out and above all safer flying. The question is, how do we compromise around the best solution for aviation without hampering the fast-paced development of an exciting and innovative new industry?

Synopsis: Li-ion propulsion batteries are becoming more common in new electric aircraft powertrain systems. The challenges in ensuring continuous safe flight during a battery fire event are significantly harder in aerospace compared to ground electric vehicles. The certification and regulations of batteries in aerospace are still evolving and will be discussed. Research into the topic of battery thermal runaway was conducted to gain insight into the problem. First principles engineering approach is applied to analyse battery thermal runaway events and suggest guidelines for battery thermal abuse designs.

Synopsis: Entry into service roadmaps will be presented for both the aerospace & automotive industries. Major obstacles for entry in both segments will be shown and quantified in the light of platform progression. Powertrain selection and rationale for different vehicles will be included. Comparison between both industries will be made from technical and business perspectives. Major commonalities and differences will be highlighted. Mutual benefits between aerospace and automotive will be shown.

Synopsis: One of the key enablers for Electric Aircrafts are the Propulsion Batteries. As with any relatively new technology there is limited experience of its use as energy storage device in Electric/Hybrid aerial vehicles. Lithium Batteries have specific failures, operational and maintenance characteristics that differ from conventional batteries currently covered by Aviation Certification Normative. Therefore new appropriate certification materials and qualification standards has been established to ensure that these battery installations do not have hazardous or unreliable design characteristics. The presentation will give an overview of the certification materials and qualification standards used in the certification of Propulsion Batteries.

Synopsis: A review of the EU aviation research landscape on electric and hybrid aviation towards climate neutrality by 2050.

Synopsis: Power electronics enable to link electric power busses of different voltage forms and levels like single/multiphase AC and DC lines. The necessary AC/DC and DC/DC converter systems have increased lately in system power density through wide band gap semiconductor devices, resulting in advantages on system integration and efficiency. Modular internal designs allow for fail-operational high-voltage drivetrain architectures, addressing future MW-class drivetrain architectures.

Synopsis: The development of a CS-25 Class Hybrid H2-Fuel Cell Electric Propulsion System requires a technology maturation and validation program with a multi-level roadmap of design & testing platforms, which ensure verification from the components to the sub-system modules and finally to the aircraft system. This presentation shows a view on architectures and key technology areas under development for such a propulsion system, targeting to support the EU’s SRIA objectives.

Synopsis: This presentation aims to present the main results of the latest research of the German Aerospace Center for eVTOL propulsion systems used in the Urban Air Mobility context for passenger transportation. Using a model-based systems engineering approach the propulsion system was analysed in terms of power and energy consumption as well as based on the certification requirements of EASA SC-VTOL, methods for conducting the safety assessment ARP 4761A and the thermal management requirements. As a result, an exemplary minimum requirement of a safe propulsion system architecture and performance-based flight guidance for eVTOLs is presented and discussed.

Synopsis: This presentation provides an overview of the integration of hydrogen fuel cell powertrains in aviation. The focus is on the assessment of suitable aircraft types and the anatomy of the energy system. In addition, the presentation delves into the critical aspects of sizing aircraft fuel cell systems. The interplay between the hydrogen fuel cell energy system and the aircraft is also discussed. Finally, the presentation covers the use of liquid- or air-cooled fuel cell stacks, the function of air compressors, strategies for cold start, and measures to maintain optimal membrane humidity conditions.

Synopsis: Fuel cell power systems (FCPS) offer the potential to reinvent Power Generation Systems (PGS) and Propulsion Systems beyond what is possible with state of the art aircraft. This presentation will introduce the flexibility and complexity of today’s aircraft power systems as well as the potential new paradigm in simplicity afforded by fuel cell hybrids when applied to cryogenic and conventional fuel cell power systems.

Synopsis: This presentation will appraise the differences between cryogenic (e.g. Hyperconducting) and conventional fuel cell powertrains and their impact upon the performance and scalability of fuel cell aircraft. The focus of this presentation is the application of PEM fuel cells as well as the application of technologies with the potential for an EIS between 2032 and 2040.

Synopsis: This presentation will appraise the differences between cryogenic (e.g. Hyperconducting) and conventional fuel cell powertrains and their impact upon the performance and scalability of fuel cell aircraft. The focus of this presentation is the application of PEM fuel cells as well as the application of technologies with the potential for an EIS between 2032 and 2040.

Synopsis: It is not a trivial challenge to reliably predict the future where a number of technical trajectories for zero emissions energy sources and aircraft exist. The relative merits and limitations of synthetic (and drop in fuels), batteries, hydrogen electric and hydrogen combustion will be introduced at energy source, aircraft and operational levels. The outcome of this view on the future highlights cryogenic hydrogen, in particular, hyperconducting, electric propulsion as an exciting and scalable prospect if we work together as an industry.

Synopsis: tbc

Synopsis: Recently the 1MW class electric motors and generators have become one of the key technologies that support the goals of hybrid electric propulsion such as driving overall system efficiencies as high as possible while reducing system weight by increasing the power density and system simplicity. This presentation compares the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of efficient, high-power density 1MW class electric machines based on Permanent Magnet and Wound Field technologies. Honeywell has an unparalleled generator and motor range for aerospace, based on more than 100 years of innovation and product development and has recently demonstrated an aerospace grade 1MW electric machine.

Synopsis: Hydroplane Ltd is a Los Angeles Based Electric Aviation and Energy Storage Technology Company. Hydroplane is developing a modular 200-kW hydrogen fuel cell powerplant to provide electric propulsion and hydrogen storage for single engine aircraft, rotorcraft, and eVTOL platforms. The system is based on a high specific energy and volume modular stack, with light weight bipolar plates and high durability membrane technology. The balance of the plant includes a lightweight air compressor and liquid hydrogen feed system. We will present on the development status including ground testing, certification, and flight test results and findings. Hydroplane is a two time winner of the Agility Prime Program, as well as the California Energy Commission Caltestbed Program, to further its innovative energy storage technology development and certification.

Synopsis: Some of the greatest challenges in developing future hydrogen propulsion systems lie in the ‘invisible’ art of integration. Matching, optimising and ensuring seamless control and communication of sub-systems in an efficient and safe manner is critical. The engineering effort is immense to get a product powered by hydrogen to market. To do this in aerospace the challenge is further multiplied. What can we learn from other sectors to simplify and reduce the cost of future hydrogen propulsion systems in aerospace? This talk will review challenges and look at how innovation and lessons in integration from other sectors create new possibilities for aerospace.

Synopsis: Driven by the demand for sustainable aviation, eVTOLs have gained significant public interest and investments. Unlike conventional aircraft designs, there is an abundance of eVTOL concepts that are differentiated by their aircraft configuration. Previous studies of eVTOL concepts involve making assumptions for the electric propulsion system. Consequently, valuable insights into the sensitivities of aircraft performance to component selection are lost. However, these insights are critical to the eVTOL’s success. Therefore, this study sought answers to: 1) How many rotors should an eVTOL have? 2) How many rotors should be vectored? 3) What is the eVTOL's range for different mission scenarios?

Synopsis: In the next decades, eVTOL/AAM systems will likely become essential tools for public service missions worldwide. However, public service infrastructure requirements could differ from UAM and personal/corporate operations. For fixed-base operations like local fire departments and EMS, a small takeoff/landing site near or at the station with charging capability works best; but for disaster response, humiliation aid, or fighting wildfire, dynamically allocatable assets and infrastructures are essential. For military applications, on-demand, fast-deployable platforms and infrastructures are necessary. Dynamically deployable infrastructures include mobile megawatt-charging systems (air/ground transportable), command & control, temporary vertiports, dynamic air space management, weather data link, and spare/maintenance network.

Synopsis: For a battery, the charging phase is even more significant and relevant for safety than the discharging phase is. Therefore, a systematic approach to safety that considers all battery operation modes and involved aircraft components is required in order to certify a propulsion battery. The first EASA certified onboard charger, as introduced by Lange Aviation, is used as an example in order to present various challenges linked to the charging of a propulsion battery. Safety aspects of inflight battery charging, as experienced with recuperating and hybrid propulsion systems, are also discussed.

Synopsis: Commercial aircraft powered by H2 propulsion systems are currently developed by several companies. However, a cost-competitive fuel supply chain is also required for a successful entry-into-service. In this presentation, the techno-economics of green LH2 supply chains to or at airports are shown and major trends analysed. Furthermore and based on an exemplary air traffic network, the operating costs of H2-powered aircraft are finally determined.

Synopsis: Regional market segment is considered to be a key entry point for zero emissions flight. In this session, Artem will present a methodology based on a mission flight analysis capable to evaluate the requirements in terms of power-to-weight and energy-to-weight gravimetric indexes for battery-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion architectures. Results will include a retrofit of a conventional tube-and-wing regional aircraft, in which turboprops are replaced with a novel powertrain and its relative energy carrier to simulate a design and typical missions including the alternate destination and loiter phases.

Synopsis: In recent years, electric aviation has emerged as an exciting new frontier in air travel, promising to revolutionize the industry with cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable aircraft. However, for airlines, the decision to invest in electric aircraft for urban and regional air mobility is not just a matter of environmental impact, but also of economic viability. In this keynote, we will explore the opportunities and challenges of electric aircraft for airlines operating in urban and regional markets. We will examine the factors that impact the economic feasibility of electric aviation, including the cost of batteries, charging infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. We will also consider the potential benefits of electric aircraft, such as reduced operating costs and increased flexibility in route planning. This keynote will provide insights into the strategic considerations that airlines must weigh when deciding whether to adopt electric aircraft for urban and regional air mobility and a glimpse of the fare charged to passengers, and potential business models for airlines. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges of electric aviation from an airline's perspective, and learn how to navigate this exciting and evolving field.

Synopsis: Research into the Coanda effect or fluid entrainment has been ongoing for 100 years. Fascinating results in aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance have been achieved with the most notable application being the rotorless helicopter tail control system, NOTAR. Adoption of the technology by the legacy aerospace industry has been slow; therefore Coanda technology presents an opportunity for the new generation to significantly improve the marginal performance of eVTOL aircraft using fluid flow entrainment design principles. This presentation presents a review of the most significant research results that have been published and potential design improvements and benefits for future eVTOL aircraft.

Synopsis: The most promising opportunities to improve aircraft efficiency and overall sustainability are in electrified propulsion concepts. These are designed and assessed virtually using simulation software. Here, the right amount of detail is required to allow informed decision making. It is however slow and expensive to introduce superfluous detail. This presentation summarizes some typical choices in representing key components of propulsion concepts ranging from hybrid electric to hydrogen electric aircraft, and describes how their strengths and limitations cascade to aircraft-level projections.

Synopsis: This research implements flexibility into a flight schedule to lower the charging peak power demand of electric aircraft. Additionally, it incorporates the energy provision in terms of renewable energy sources in combination with battery storage. Besides a daily operational model, also an entire year has been subject to an energy balance focused optimization for a case study on Bonaire. Costs were found to be significantly lower than for a fixed flight schedule for an operational day while the yearly model identified the minimum optimized required energy infrastructure. Sensitivity analysis also showed possible airport energy business cases.

Synopsis: The use of a Fuel Cell System fuelled by hydrogen gives opportunities to design a totally novel electric power system. Some of this arises from the use of liquid hydrogen as a cryogenic coolant source. The results provide significant advantages over conventional systems through the use of radical approaches. These advantages include gains in power density, scalability to large aircraft and advanced and effective protection schemes and will be described in the presentation.

Synopsis: tbc

Synopsis: Electrification of propulsion systems demands batteries with long cycle lives, a high energy density, and rapid rechargeability. Battery temperature plays a major role in all three, significantly reducing the battery’s operating performance and capacity, in addition to introducing safety and stability concerns. Therefore, effective thermal management is a key factor in enabling the adoption of all-electric aircraft. The conventional approach to thermal management merely entails the prevention of overheating. However, as will be laid out in this presentation, it can instead be leveraged to optimize the performance, safety, and durability of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for UAVs and UAM.

Synopsis: Historically, gas turbines reject the majority of their waste heat with their exhaust. Electric aircraft do not have this luxury and yet thermal management is historically considered late in the design process. A key driver of airframe efficiency, a systems approach to thermal management is needed with novel technology pushing the bounds of what can be achieved. Reaction Engines’ expertise and game-changing microtube heat exchangers represent enabling technology for zero-emissions aviation. Through case studies, such as Project NEWBORN, Reaction Engines examines the development of these solutions to combat the real thermal management challenges that the industry is facing.

Synopsis: Liquid hydrogen fuel cells are earmarked as one of the solutions to decarbonise long haul transport including aviation. Liquid hydrogen can be used to reject the heat generated by losses in the electric powertrain. To achieve this, the liquid hydrogen is first circulated through the cold plate of the propulsion inverter and then through the cooling jacket of the electric machine. The outgoing hydrogen is then fed to the fuel cell system. This results in a simpler, lighter, and more efficient system. The design of the inverter cold plate and the electric machine cooling jacket and their operation are presented.

Synopsis: Aviation’s global share of CO2 emissions is expected to increase over time given the relative maturity of decarbonisation solutions across other industries, and the footprint of its non-CO2 effects such as contrails and NOx can be as much as 2-4x compared to CO2 alone. The Roland Berger Roadmap to True Zero for the global aviation sector focuses on six key levers for potential mitigation strategies, building on analysis of a broad range of potential outlooks, assumptions and emission sensitivities to develop five scenarios, each with a focus to bring aviation’s total climate impact down to True Zero, including both CO2 and non-CO2 effects

Synopsis: Today, regional aircraft only plays a small role in the aviation landscape. However, the question pops up if energy and propulsion revolutions – such as hydrogen and electric – will bring a game-changing improvement in performance and create substantially higher demand? The specific range and payload requirements in the regional market potentially opens up a wider range of new propulsion technologies than large commercial aircraft, and this might have significant commercial implications. Roland Berger and NLR team up again this year to assess new propulsion technologies for regional aircraft, following our work on other segments in previous years

Synopsis: Rolls-Royce develops differentiated electrical power and propulsion technology for both eVTOLs and fixed-wing aircraft. With the need for longer range and increased power, fully battery-electric solutions reach their limits. Together with partners, Rolls-Royce is therefore exploring different novel aircraft architectures including using fuel cells as energy storage and a turbogenerator for power generation during flight. The presentation will feature comparisons of different architectural designs, give updates on progress in the development of scalable turbogenerator technology and an outlook on moving fuel cell hybrid-electric flight forward.

Synopsis: Rolls-Royce develops differentiated power and propulsion technology for all-electric and hybrid-electric eVTOLs and fixed-wing aircraft. Together with lead customers and partners, electric propulsion units have been designed, taking the specific requirements of different flight applications and missions into account. With the goal of certification within the next few years, their designs feature lightweight topology, novel thermal management solutions and highest integration levels while aiming at meeting highest safety standards. The presentation will give an overview of the systems under design and their unique technological attributes, and update on progress in the test labs.

Synopsis: Rolls-Royce develops differentiated power and propulsion technology for all-electric and hybrid-electric Advanced Air Mobility applications. Together with lead customers and partners the first electric subsystems have been designed and are being tested. The prospect to supply innovative power and propulsion systems for novel aviation market segments at scale requires a step change for all processes on the way from prototype to aerospace grade product. Olaf Otto will give insights into Rolls-Royce’s approach to delivering the innovative systems required for powering platforms in hybrid electric flight.

Synopsis: The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) acquired significant participation in EU Clean Aviation and Clean Hydrogen projects as well as in national programs. An overview of the progress made and the development of new test facilities, will be presented. This ranges from drone flights with hydrogen propulsion, both gaseous and liquid, the development of a hydrogen range extender for NLRs research aircraft, material test capabilities at cryogenic temperatures and the development of a new ground facility for testing of fuel cell powertrains and liquid hydrogen storage tanks for future aircraft

Synopsis: Today, regional aircraft only plays a small role in the aviation landscape. However, the question pops up if energy and propulsion revolutions – such as hydrogen and electric – will bring a game-changing improvement in performance and create substantially higher demand? The specific range and payload requirements in the regional market potentially opens up a wider range of new propulsion technologies than large commercial aircraft, and this might have significant commercial implications. Roland Berger and NLR team up again this year to assess new propulsion technologies for regional aircraft, following our work on other segments in previous years

Synopsis: Is sodium borohydride (SBH) a feasible carrier of hydrogen on board aircraft? Can it be considered an alternative to liquid and gaseous hydrogen storage methods? There are potential advantages of applying SBH: storage takes place under atmospheric conditions in a powder (or dissolved in water) and hydrogen release, does not need additional thermal energy. We present the results of a first feasibility study on the application of SBH in aviation. Multiple SBH fuel variants - with different amounts of water and with corresponding fuel processing architectures - were analyzed and simulated in the context of a regional aircraft mission.

Synopsis: Which Lithium-ion battery technology is best suited for today’s wide range of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) e-Aviation applications requirements? How can prospective battery technologies offer uncompromised levels of safety and reliability when required to deliver concurrently high-power discharge capabilities, high specific energy requirements, and a high number of cycles? This paper proposes a review of some of the lithium-ion technology candidates best capable to meet the demanding and challenging applications found in e-aviation today.

Synopsis: Based on current and future market requirements, Schaeffler will present the latest technology trends in terms of product design and manufacturing technologies for electric machine components. The transfer of automotive manufacturing technologies into aerospace applications is presented by electric motor product technology such as the wave winding technology and cost-efficient motor manufacturing technologies. Moreover, it is presented that the mechanical components of electric machines play an important role to achieve the challenging power density and reliability requirements.

Synopsis: Based on current and future market requirements, Schaeffler will present the latest technology trends in terms of product design and manufacturing technologies for electric machine components. The transfer of automotive manufacturing technologies into aerospace applications is presented by electric motor product technology such as the wave winding technology and cost-efficient motor manufacturing technologies. Moreover, it is presented that the mechanical components of electric machines play an important role to achieve the challenging power density and reliability requirements.

Synopsis: Discover the next-generation aerospace design and testing workflows. Learn how hardware-in-the-loop testing accelerates testing and certification of more electric or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. We’ll provide examples of actual certification processes and an overview of the tools and methods used to save time during the design verification phase. In addition, you will learn more about battery testing, cell emulation, and powertrain development using Simulink Real-Time and Speedgoat real-time target machines.

Synopsis: Electrical machines for future aircraft propulsion will need to push the boundaries in power density without compromising reliability. Against sector technology roadmaps there are still significant improvements required and the desired power to weight, efficiency and integrity will not be achieved through incremental developments. This presentation will explore the potential of rethinking how we manufacture and design high performance electrical machine windings. Examples of recent developments will be given covering metal additive manufacturing, high integrity insulation systems, application of probabilistic design principles to the prediction of winding failure, and the use of composite materials to realise an air-gap winding stator.

Synopsis: Innovative technologies and manufacturing processes are key in developing propulsion drivetrains which can meet the demanding requirements for more-electric flight. The presentation will cover roadmaps of key enabling technologies and manufacturing processes to enable wider adoption of electrified drivetrains. Cross-sectorial learnings from automotive and other industries will be brought to bear. A number of case studies of technology demonstrators will be presented to highlight how innovative roadmaps can impact key performance metrics.

Synopsis: Since its first flight in 2011 the electric aircraft “e-Genius”, built and operated by the University of Stuttgart, has undergone several changes in its energy storage system and the related degree of hybridization. After starting out as a purely battery electric aircraft and flying successfully for several years, it was first outfitted with an external Wankel range extender followed by the currently installed internal full-hybrid system, steadily increasing the degree of hybridisation. The presentation covers the different versions of the aircraft’s propulsion system as well as a comparison of the three power train variants based on actual flight test data. Furthermore, the scalability of the results into the 50-seat regional aircraft class is discussed, comparing it to the latest outcome of related research.

Synopsis: The increasing voltages used in aerospace and the altitude challenges create a need to provide innovation in insulation materials to reduce the insulation damage due to partial discharge. The light weight of aluminium and its higher resistance to high frequency eddy current compared with copper opens opportunities for use in aerospace. The presentation will report results on the oxide coating of aluminium and compare this coating with results from enamel and PEEK coated aluminium wires. The discussion will be made on the effect of the insulation properties on the thickness and the degradation of the coatings in operational conditions. Thermal properties will be reported.

Synopsis: Much of the focus on hybridization has been on achieving high efficiency. This is a very valid design space but it isn't the whole picture when it comes to applications of hybrid-electric propulsion. VerdeGo Aero has also been developing hybrid powerplants for very high performance missions and aircraft. These powerplants share some attributes with other hybrids but also have novel aspects that are particularly interesting for very high speed VTOL missions. The combination of both high-efficiency and high-performance applications for hybrid technologies will accelerate the maturity of the next generation of powerplants.

Synopsis: Why will hybrid propulsion be a paradigm shift for general aviation? Is the pure battery-only propulsion a viable solution with the current state of the art for battery systems? Clean sheet design versus refurbishment (pros and cons). Certification requirements (and challenges) for sustainable aircraft (CS23). How does a hybrid aeroplane compare in terms of cost of ownership as compared to today’s best-in-class?

Synopsis: The battery safety diagnostic system implemented by automotive BMS is perceived to be the best in class. This is due to the high volume, which enables exploitation of the latest technology and commercial advantages. Yet, the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities implemented are limited. For electric aircraft, the fundamental premise of safety, plus the need to monitor, identify and isolate or mitigate battery failure is different. However, the tightly regulated aircraft usage case opens a few novel approaches to realise a comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic system. At WMG, in collaboration with aerospace OEMs, we developed a battery functional safety diagnostic system.

Synopsis: In this session, Julian Renz will address the scope of carbon emissions generated by today’s aviation sector and the challenges in emission reduction with existing solutions. He’ll then discuss emerging trends in aviation electrification and specifically cover ZeroAvia’s breakthrough hydrogen-electric powertrain technology for commercial aircraft. Most importantly, Julian will convey how innovations like ZeroAvia’s will impact the aviation industry, what current major airline partners like British Airways and Alaska Airlines are trying to achieve when it comes to sustainability goals, and when we can expect to see large-scale, decarbonised commercial jets in our skies.