Pratt & Whitney Canada announces a new milestone in the RTX Hybrid-Electric Flight Demonstrator project, by testing the integrated propulsion system and batteries to full power. While ground testing of the hybrid-electric propulsion system continues in Longueuil, Quebec, Pratt & Whitney Canada has selected AeroTEC to support future flight testing of the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 experimental aircraft.
The new end-to-end test marks the first battery-powered operation of the propulsion system, which combines a Pratt & Whitney Canada thermal engine with a 1 megawatt (MW) electric motor developed by RTX business, Collins Aerospace. The 200 kilowatt-hour (kWh) batteries, supplied by H55 S.A., have also been successfully charged and discharged using the high-voltage Mobile Charging Unit co-developed by Pratt & Whitney Canada, the National Research Council of Canada and the Innovative Vehicle Institute.
Jean Thomassin, executive director, new products and services introduction, Pratt & Whitney Canada, said, "Performing end-to-end tests of our pioneering hybrid-electric propulsion system and batteries marks another critical milestone toward our goal of demonstrating this promising technology in flight. Ultimately, we are targeting up to 30% improved fuel efficiency compared to today's regional turboprops, and insights from this project are also helping us advance the development of hybrid-electric technology to address multiple future platforms."
AeroTEC joins De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, which is providing baseline data and engineering expertise for the Dash 8-100 experimental aircraft. Other collaborators on the program include GKN Aerospace, which is providing high-voltage electrical wiring and interconnection systems, and Ricardo, which is supporting the development of the hybrid-electric propulsion system.
Justin Morigeau, president, AeroTEC, said, "AeroTEC's mission is to accelerate the evolution of aerospace, and our collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Canada on the RTX Hybrid-Electric Flight Demonstrator project is a clear example of that commitment. In our role leading the modification and flight testing of the experimental aircraft, we're proud to support the demonstration of cutting-edge technologies that will define the future of sustainable flight."
Hybrid-electric propulsion is a core part of RTX's technology roadmap for improving fuel efficiency and performance in future aircraft, leveraging the industry-leading aircraft propulsion and electrical systems expertise of Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace, respectively. The two RTX businesses are collaborating on a range of technology demonstrator projects, including the Clean Aviation SWITCH project, which is developing a hybrid-electric Pratt & Whitney GTF engine demonstrator.
