NNX17AJ92A

Primary research electric propulsion has the potential to ultimately reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions up to 20% or more compared to the current state of the art for commercial aircraft.

There are, however, 3 key technical challenges to be addressed.

1. Electrical technologies: The state of the art of electric technologies for motors, generators, inverters, power distribution, and circuit protection will need to advance to enable electric propulsion concepts for commercial aircraft.

2. Aircraft systems: Electric aircraft propulsion systems present a number of challenges related to aircraft systems, thermal management systems, and more structurally and aerodynamically efficient configurations that will need to be addressed.

3. Research infrastructure for electric technologies: The research and development of large megawatt-class machines is hampered by the lack of development testing facilities.

To address these challenges, the Ohio Center for Propulsion and Power has assembled a first-class team.

A. Electric technologies: The Center for High-Performance Power Electronics at the Ohio State University will team with the University of Wisconsin to address the innovation of core technologies required for 1-5 MW electric systems, including motors, generators, inverters, power distribution, and circuit protection in aircraft.

B. Battery and energy storage needs: Innovative efforts will be led by Case Western Reserve. She will be joined by the Director of the Center for Automotive Research at the Ohio State University, who will bring his intrinsic knowledge of battery development in the automotive industry.

C. Thermal management: This essential effort will be led by the University of Maryland in cooperation with North Carolina A&T State University.

D. Integration and system studies: Georgia Tech will lead this effort in collaboration with AS, as we want to bring the hybrid system experience of the automotive industry into the airplane system optimization.

E. Research infrastructure: NASA Glenn Research Center is in the process of building the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility at their Plum Brook location to evaluate high-power electric systems in a simulated aircraft environment. The team (the universities and GE) will be working with NASA to define the requirements and the testing plan for this facility. It is planned also to test machines developed on this project at the NEAT facility.

F. General Electric Aviation and General Electric Global Research: GE will participate and provide guidance on requirements as well as projected applications throughout the program. The aviation group will also be part of the system integration team.

Ohio State University

NOT APPLICABLE

43.002 - Aeronautics

Shared Services Center (NSSC) [NASA]

Columbus, Ohio 43210-1016 United States

Single Zip Code

NOT APPLICABLE

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 06/14/22 to 12/30/23 and the total obligations have increased 422% from $1,999,306 to $10,443,310.