DEAR0001351

Raytheon Technologies Research Center: New Ascend Incrementally Funded Cooperative Agreement.

Control Number: 2238-1503.

Title: Ultra-Light, Integrated, Reliable, Aviation-Class, Co-Optimized Motor & Power Converter with Advanced Cooling Technology (Ultra-Compact).

The Raytheon Technologies Research Center proposes to develop Ultra-Compact, which will provide the radical improvement in electric to shaft power electric drive train (EDT) system power density (PD) and efficiency required to enable the energy consumption reduction promise of series turbo-electric distributed propulsion based electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) configurations.

RTX Corporation

THE AVIATION-CLASS SYNERGISTICALLY COOLED ELECTRIC-MOTORS WITH INTEGRATED DRIVES (ASCEND) PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL LIGHTWEIGHT AND ULTRA-EFFICIENT ELECTRIC MOTORS, DRIVES[1], AND ASSOCIATED THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS THE ALL-ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN) THAT WILL FACILITATE NET-ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS IN THE SINGLE-AISLE, 150-200 PASSENGER COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT SEGMENT. THIS FOA REPRESENTS PART OF A WIDER ARPA-E EFFORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR LONG-RANGE (= 2,800 NAUTICAL MILES), CARBON NEUTRAL COMMERCIAL AVIATION. THE OTHER PART OF THE WIDER ARPA-E EFFORT IS INCLUDED IN A SEPARATE FOA TARGETING ULTRA-EFFICIENT AND LIGHTWEIGHT ENERGY STORAGE AND FUEL-TO-ELECTRIC POWER CONVERSION SYSTEM[2]. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE TWO FOAS IS TO REDUCE THE EMISSIONS FROM COMMERCIAL AVIATION BY DEVELOPING COST-COMPETITIVE SYSTEMS FOR THE EFFICIENT CONVERSION OF THE CHEMICAL ENERGY OF CARBON-NEUTRAL LIQUID FUELS (CNLFS)[3] TO DELIVERED ELECTRIC ENERGY, WHICH IS THEN FURTHER CONVERTED TO THRUST VIA PROPULSORS DRIVEN BY ELECTRIC MOTORS AND ASSOCIATED MOTOR DRIVES. THE FOCUS OF THE ASCEND PROGRAM IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALL-ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN AS THE PRIME MOVER FOR LONG-RANGE, NARROW-BODY AIRCRAFT SUCH AS THE BOEING 737. CURRENT ELECTRIC POWERTRAINS DO NOT HAVE HIGH ENOUGH POWER DENSITY AND EFFICIENCY TO ENABLE COMPETITIVE AND FULLY DECARBONIZED AVIATION FOR THE NARROW-BODY CLASS OF AIRCRAFT.

81.135 - Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy

Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) [DOE]

East Hartford, Connecticut United States

City-Wide

Aviation-Class Synergistically Cooled Electric-Motors with Integrated Drives (ASCEND). (DE-FOA-0002238)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 11/09/24 to 05/09/26 and the total obligations have increased 396% from $3,162,671 to $15,680,681.